To begin with, a number of researchers have in the past connected the high risk of deaths with lack of proper insurance. The same issue is critically argued by Wilper et al. some researchers have even gone to an extent of suggesting private health insurance, although costly, is more effective than public health insurance (Goodman). Note that, this is not the issue with Wilper et al study. In fact, Wilper et al compares health insurance and mortality rate, with their argument being that the lack of health insurance is the cause of 45,000 adult deaths that take place in America every year.
The same problem has been advocated by researchers such as David Cecere, of Cambridge Health Alliance. According to Cecere, lack of health insurance is the cause of most adult deaths in the US every year. Cecere also argues that the figure provided by Wilper et al is two and half times higher compared to estimates provided by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). Another research published by the American Journal of Public Health established that adult Americans who are uninsured have a 40% more risk of dying compared to those with health cover, further emphasizing on Wilper et al argument.
The study carried out by Wilper et al is, therefore, a clear indication that the increasing number of deaths among adults in the US is down to lack of health insurance coverage. Wilper et al have utilized data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), which was formulated after a survey was undertaken all over the country, which makes their study valid. Furthermore, Wilper et al consider various factors, including income, which make health insurance acquisition difficult for some people.
Their argument also suggest that while most adults Americans ...
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Works cited:
Cecere, David. New study finds 45,000 deaths annually linked to lack of health coverage. 17 9 2009. http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2009/09/new-study-finds-45000-deaths-annually-linked-to-lack-of-health-coverage/. 28 4 2014.
Goodman, John. Is Private Health Insurance More Costly Than Public Health Insurance? Five Principles . 9 1 2013. http://healthblog.ncpa.org/is-private-health-insurance-more-costly-than-public-health-insurance-five-principles/. 28 4 2014.
Park, Madison. 45,000 American deaths associated with lack of insurance. 18 9 2009. http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/09/18/deaths.health.insurance/. 28 4 2014.
Wilper, A. P., Woolhandler, S., Lasser, K. E., McCormick, D., Bor, D. H. & Himmelstein, D. U. 2009. Health insurance and mortality in US adults. American journal of public health. Vol. 99, Issue-12, Pgs 2289-2295.
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Healthcare has now become one of the top social as well as economic problems facing America today. The rising cost of medical and health insurance impacts the livelihood of all Americans in one way or another. The inability to pay for medical care is no longer a problem just affecting the uninsured but now is becoming an increased problem for those who have insurance as well. Health care can now been seen as a current concern. One issue that we face today is the actual amount of healthcare that is affordable. Each year millions of people go without any source of reliable coverage.
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Health insurance comes as second nature to many of us. We grab that blue and white card and put it in our wallet and forget about it until we are sick or injured. When this happens, there it is, cushioning our fall like the extra padding it provided to cushion our wallets. This is not the case with everyone, however. Many Americans have no cushion to fall back on, no blue and white card to show the emergency room when they have an unexpected health concern. No HMO with a convenient co-pay amount when their son or daughter develops an ear infection.
Before Obamacare was passed, millions of Americans were uninsured, suffered and died prematurely each year since lack of health insurance. Insurance companies could deny any one for pre-existing illnesses or drop them when they get sick, or stop treating them when they touched annual or life-time perimeters. Over 60% of bankruptcies were associated to medical expenses, several of these people had insurance. Insurance companies had no limits on raising premiums. Preventative measures and wellness visits were not covered adequately (Mowrey, 2013).
...ank Research (2010). Coverage vs. Cost. The US health care reform in perspective. Retrieved from http://www.dbresearch.com
According to the most recent numbers posted by the Census Bureau, an estimated 47 million Americans are uninsured. But let us examine these numbers closer. Of this 47 million, roughly 7 million are illegal immigrants, 9 million are on Medicade, 3.5 million are eligible for healthcare but do not pursue these available health services, and approximately 20 million families have incomes above the poverty level ($41,300 for a family of four) and can afford regular healthcare services with more coverage. Government tries to add all these factors together to make the numbers higher, in an attempt to gai...
Health insurance is currently an important issue in the United States. Everyday more and more Americans become uninsured due to job loss and an increase in premiums. These Americans add to the ever growing population of 45.7 million people who are currently uninsured (Bialik). Moreover only 27% of those uninsured are under the age of 65 (NCHC). This is staggering considering most of those who are uninsured have, or soon will, suffer from some sort of illness or injury. As a result they will not be able to afford proper treatment. Insurance premiums can range in cost from fifty dollars per month, to fifteen hundred dollars per month (Kreidler). An individual’s premium is determined by factors they choose as well as other factors looked at by their provider. The cost of health insurance in America varies depending on the controllable factors, like particular insurance policies, and uncontrollable factors, like age.
Out of all the industrialized countries in the world, the United States is the only one that doesn’t have a universal health care plan (Yamin 1157). The current health care system in the United States relies on employer-sponsored insurance programs or purchase of individual insurance plans. Employer-sponsored coverage has dropped from roughly 80 percent in 1982 to a little over 60 percent in 2006 (Kinney 809). The government does provide...
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