For-profit health (un)care: 26K premature dead in 2010

[boutons_deux]

"free market" death panels !!

Dying for Coverage: The Deadly Consequences of Being Uninsured

The number of uninsured Americans reached an all-time high in 2010, as nearly 50 million Americans went without health insurance for the entire year.1 For many of these uninsured people, the consequences of going without coverage are dire. The uninsured frequently face medical debt or go without necessary care, and too many of them die prematurely.

In 2002, the Institute of Medicine released a groundbreaking report, Care without Coverage: Too Little, Too Late. This report estimated that, nationwide, 18,000 adults between the ages of 25 and 64 died in 2000 because they did not have health insurance.2 Since then, the crisis of the uninsured has grown even larger. During the economic downturn, millions of Americans lost both their jobs and their health coverage, and rising health insurance premiums have priced many more out of coverage.

Thankfully, the new health care law can help stem the rising tide of the uninsured. Beginning in 2014, millions of Americans will be eligible for assistance with the cost of health coverage. In addition, insurance companies will no longer be able to deny coverage or charge higher premiums to people with pre-existing conditions. These measures, among others, will help reverse the growth in the number of uninsured Americans year after year.

The fate of the health care law, however, is now in question. The Supreme Court is currently reviewing the constitutionality of the law, and well-funded right-wing activists are intent upon securing its demise. If the law is struck down, the effects would be catastrophic. Without the law, the number of uninsured will continue to rise, and more Americans will face the adverse health and financial consequences associated with going uninsured. Millions will delay or forgo necessary care. Millions more will face unmanageable medical bills. And, worse still, many will die prematurely.

To estimate the number of Americans who are dying for lack of health coverage, Families USA applied the methodology developed by the Institute of Medicine to state-level population and mortality data. This is one measure of the great need for the Affordable Care Act. As our analysis shows, far too many Americans are, quite literally, dying for coverage.

http://www.familiesusa.org/resources/publications/reports/dying-for-coverage.html

Really "not too bad" since 10Ms are uninsured. :)

right wing responses anticipated:

they deserve to die because they're poor, made themselves sick, and God doesn't love poor people.

In UCA, it's economic Darwinism: Survival of the Richest.

health care is privilege, not a right

etc, etc etc.

[z0sa]

God hates you boutons.

[mavs>spurs]

i thought the death panels were fake? same shit

[CosmicCowboy]

You telling me people die? WTF! I thought we were immortal!

[cantthinkofanything]

"free market" death panels !!

Dying for Coverage: The Deadly Consequences of Being Uninsured



what about the deadly consequences of not taking responsibility for your health and overeating like a motherfucker? or smoking? or drinking?

My research tells me the death toll is higher than those 26K.

[vy65]

Really "not too bad" since 10Ms are uninsured. :)

right wing responses anticipated:

they deserve to die because they're poor, made themselves sick, and God doesn't love poor people.

In UCA, it's economic Darwinism: Survival of the Richest.

health care is privilege, not a right

etc, etc etc.

Yes. So what?

[CosmicCowboy]

A lot of people with insurance die too.

Is this a surprise?

[ElNono]

I'm uninsured right now and I can't afford coverage. I won't be able to afford it under Barrycare either. Affordable coverage is a problem still seeking for a solution.

[Wild Cobra]

Another Shazbot thread.

So 1 out of 6 Americans didn't have health insurance.

What percentage had health insurance in 1960?

[coyotes_geek]

A lot of people with insurance die too.


By my count 100% of people with insurance die. Why does Obama want to kill people by giving them insurance?

[boutons_deux]

Another Shazbot thread.

So 1 out of 6 Americans didn't have health insurance.

What percentage had health insurance in 1960?

health costs weren't then the predatory, wealth-sucking ripoffs they are today, $15K/year for a family of four, on average, and relentlessly increasing.

When people are living week to week, or are unemployed/under-employed, a few $100 for doctor visit+drugs+tests is out of reach.

[boutons_deux]

what about the deadly consequences of not taking responsibility for your health and overeating like a motherfucker? or smoking? or drinking?

My research tells me the death toll is higher than those 26K.

what about them?

You're talking about probably 2 out of 3 people in this thread who live on junk food, soft drinks, and dead, food-like substances from BigFood and who are 10s of pounds overweight or obese.

Take it up with them, not me.

[Wild Cobra]

health costs weren't then the predatory, wealth-sucking ripoffs they are today, $15K/year for a family of four, on average, and relentlessly increasing.

When people are living week to week, or are unemployed/under-employed, a few $100 for doctor visit+drugs+tests is out of reach.
Have you ever examined the reasons why our healthcare is so expensive?

Stop complaining about the insurers and providers, then tackle the root problems, or shut the fuck up.

[boutons_deux]

Have you ever examined the reasons why our healthcare is so expensive?

of course.

riddle me this: what is your WRONG take on why it's so expensive?

[Wild Cobra]

of course.

riddle me this: what is your WRONG take on why it's so expensive?
Are you insane?

Regulations and litigation.

Health care would be so much cheaper if it was reasonably regulated, and litigation wasn't a jackpot.

[boutons_deux]

Are you insane?

Regulations and litigation.

Health care would be so much cheaper if it was reasonably regulated, and litigation wasn't a jackpot.

several studies have shown the malpractice costs are less the 2% of the national health care bill. Tort reform in TX did absolutely nothing to reduce the cost of health care.

what regulations?

[CosmicCowboy]

I can't believe I'm actually going to say that I agree with Boo on this one. It's not regulations or malpractice.

The simple fact is, our health care is too damn good. There is a surgical procedure or pill for every damn thing that ails you and people that used to die at 65 are living to be 90. It's all high tech and it's all expensive. Even terminal illnesses like some cancers can be treated/postponed/life extended for months and years for a few hundred thousand. Morally we think everyone deserves Cadillac health care. The simple cold fact is we can't afford to provide it.

[CosmicCowboy]

It's the same problem with social security and medicare. We live too long and baby boomers are gonna break the bank. There just aren't enough of you young fuckers working to pay for all us old fuckers to retire and suck off the system another 25 years as we tool around in our medicare paid scooters after our second hip and knee replacements wear out.

[SnakeBoy]

I can't believe I'm actually going to say that I agree with Boo on this one. It's not regulations or malpractice.

The simple fact is, our health care is too damn good. There is a surgical procedure or pill for every damn thing that ails you and people that used to die at 65 are living to be 90. It's all high tech and it's all expensive. Even terminal illnesses like some cancers can be treated/postponed/life extended for months and years for a few hundred thousand. Morally we think everyone deserves Cadillac health care. The simple cold fact is we can't afford to provide it.

That's not the reason. There are two things that drive the cost of healthcare...baby boomers and the american diet.

[boutons_deux]

"The simple fact is, our health care is too damn good"

I DO believe I'm actually going to say that I call CausticCowboy a shilling LIAR, again.

Those fraudulent "life extending" BigPharma pills, every one of which has secret, undisclosed, often fatal side-effects (and that often need MORE BigPharma shit to counter-act) are so much more expensive in USA vs the same damn pills in Canada or Europe or Japan, because regulation-hating Repugs...

MADE A REGULATION (to enrich BigPharma)

that actually forbids Medicare/Medicaid to negoiate as single buyer to screw down BigPharam/BigMedicalDevice prices to overseas levels.

And then BigPharma extorted HUSSEIN in ACA from screwing down BigPharma prices (or they would have Harry-and-Louised ACA to death), and also made illegal grey-market importation of BigPharma pills.

The highly inefficient, middle-man/parasite-infected for-profit sick-care industry (they NEED, LOVE you to be sick and convinced that the path to "health" lies only through them)

etc, etc, etc.

"too damn good" G M A F B :lol :lol :lol

[CosmicCowboy]

Well if big-pharma and the american diet are so bad, why are people in the US living longer than ever before?

[boutons_deux]

Well if big-pharma and the american diet are so bad, why are people in the US living longer than ever before?

Well, how do 37 other countries have HIGHER longevity than USA but without your beloved BigPharma pills and deliciously toxic BigFood diet?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_countries_by_life_expectancy

And lots countries have MUCH LOWER rates of all types of cancer, diabetes, CVD, etc.

The Bu$ine$$ of America is Disease.

[TeyshaBlue]

lol. Mortality methodology. Look into it, bot.

[CosmicCowboy]

It's not my beloved big pharma asswipe...I've got no dog in that hunt. BTW, that list isn't adjusted for just death by natural causes. Take out the murders, car crashes etc. (which are typically young people which can dramatically skew an average) and the numbers are more comparable.

[boutons_deux]

the numbers are more comparable.

got a link?

and frivolous medical malpractice suits are NOT a big problem

Texas Tort Reform Did Not Reduce Health Care Costs

a group of researchers studying Texas Medicare spending have found no decrease in doctors’ fees for senior citizens between 2002 and 2009. Medicare payments to doctors rose 1 to 2 percent faster than the rest of the country, Northwestern professor Bernard Black, a researcher on the study, said.

In urban and high population counties, the study’s authors expected to see lower health care costs stemming from a reduction in medical tests doctors previously used to protect themselves from lawsuits. However, the researchers found no decrease in costs and a slight increase in medical tests performed. “This is not a result we expected,”

Rick Perry claimed that Prop 12 brought 21,000 doctors to Texas; that claim was ranked “False” by PolitiFact. Other advocates, like the industry-funded Texas Alliance for Patient Access

When these factors are taken into account, the study found, doctor growth has actually declined slightly since 2003.

http://thinkprogress.org/justice/2012/06/26/505562/study-texas-tort-reform-did-not-reduce-health-care-costs/

[mavs>spurs]

It's the same problem with social security and medicare. We live too long and baby boomers are gonna break the bank. There just aren't enough of you young fuckers working to pay for all us old fuckers to retire and suck off the system another 25 years as we tool around in our medicare paid scooters after our second hip and knee replacements wear out.

i wish you old fuckers would actually retire, instead you didn't save shit all your lives so now you've got to keep on working and not vacate your positions over to guys like me :lol

the problem is, you all paid into SS your entire lives and now that it comes time to get that back, they've looted the damn thing. there ain't nothin left.

[CosmicCowboy]

i wish you old fuckers would actually retire, instead you didn't save shit all your lives so now you've got to keep on working and not vacate your positions over to guys like me :lol

the problem is, you all paid into SS your entire lives and now that it comes time to get that back, they've looted the damn thing. there ain't nothin left.

LOL...scratch ink on a check for about 2 million for my business and I'll gladly vacate my position right now.

[mavs>spurs]

does that check have to clear? :lol