Friday, July 09, 2004
Uninsured issues making headlines
[Alice Dembner, "Uninsured age 50-64 face higher death risk," The Boston Globe, 7 July 2004.
Julie Appleby, "Pfizer to offer discounts to uninsured," USA Today, 7 July 2004.]
A new report reveals the deadly consequences of a lack of health insurance:
More than 105,000 Americans age 50 to 64 may die prematurely in the next eight years because they lack health insurance, according to the first study to examine the link between insurance and death among pre-retirees, who face increasing health risks at the same time employers are cutting benefits.
The study, by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital, found the lack of insurance increased the risk of death by 43 percent, even when researchers adjusted for the fact that those without insurance are often sicker and poorer.
The researchers did not look at what caused deaths among the uninsured, but previous studies have found that those without insurance are less likely to get routine care or screenings for serious illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, which are prevalent in this age group.
If lack of health insurance were a disease, it would be the third leading cause of death among this age group, behind heart disease and cancer, the study found.
It predicted that the number of unnecessary deaths could grow to more than 30,000 a year by 2015 as baby boomers age, unless policy makers find ways to expand coverage.
"The consequences of being uninsured are growing more severe, especially for this older age group," said Dr. J. Michael McWilliams, a second-year resident at the Brigham and the lead author of the study, published today in Health Affairs. "We were surprised by the sheer number of preventable deaths."
Cato's Michael Cannon questions the accuracy, though:
"People don't die because of a lack of health coverage," he said. ''Some people die of a lack of healthcare."
Cannon concedes that providing health coverage makes it easier to get healthcare, but he said most proposals to expand insurance would increase medical inflation and push healthcare out of the reach of more people.
And, on the same day as this article appeared, pharmaceutical firm Pfizer announced plans to offer discounts to the uninsured:
The nation's largest drug company said Wednesday that it will discount medications to an estimated 60 million uninsured Americans, a move skeptics say is aimed at tempering criticism over drug prices but could set a precedent for other companies.
Pfizer, whose products include cholesterol drug Lipitor, pain medication Celebrex and impotence treatment Viagra, says its program will be open to all without health insurance and those whose insurance does not cover drugs, including Medicare patients.
By doing so, Pfizer becomes the first in the industry to go beyond offering discounts only to low-income residents. "From now on, all uninsured Americans will have the same purchasing power as large insurers for Pfizer medicines," said Pat Kelly, Pfizer's president of U.S. Pharmaceuticals.
Pfizer's discounts will vary depending on the uninsured consumer's income and the drug but will average 15% for those earning more than $45,000 a year and 37% for those under that amount.
Those who earn below 200% of the federal poverty level — about $18,620 for an individual or $31,340 for families — will get their medications free under a Pfizer program that is being expanded.
[Matthew Hisrich, "Greatest increase in uninsured found among wealthy," The Flint Hills Center, 10 May 2004.]
[Alice Dembner, "Uninsured age 50-64 face higher death risk," The Boston Globe, 7 July 2004.
Julie Appleby, "Pfizer to offer discounts to uninsured," USA Today, 7 July 2004.]
A new report reveals the deadly consequences of a lack of health insurance:
More than 105,000 Americans age 50 to 64 may die prematurely in the next eight years because they lack health insurance, according to the first study to examine the link between insurance and death among pre-retirees, who face increasing health risks at the same time employers are cutting benefits.
The study, by researchers at Brigham and Women's Hospital, found the lack of insurance increased the risk of death by 43 percent, even when researchers adjusted for the fact that those without insurance are often sicker and poorer.
The researchers did not look at what caused deaths among the uninsured, but previous studies have found that those without insurance are less likely to get routine care or screenings for serious illnesses such as heart disease, cancer, and diabetes, which are prevalent in this age group.
If lack of health insurance were a disease, it would be the third leading cause of death among this age group, behind heart disease and cancer, the study found.
It predicted that the number of unnecessary deaths could grow to more than 30,000 a year by 2015 as baby boomers age, unless policy makers find ways to expand coverage.
"The consequences of being uninsured are growing more severe, especially for this older age group," said Dr. J. Michael McWilliams, a second-year resident at the Brigham and the lead author of the study, published today in Health Affairs. "We were surprised by the sheer number of preventable deaths."
Cato's Michael Cannon questions the accuracy, though:
"People don't die because of a lack of health coverage," he said. ''Some people die of a lack of healthcare."
Cannon concedes that providing health coverage makes it easier to get healthcare, but he said most proposals to expand insurance would increase medical inflation and push healthcare out of the reach of more people.
And, on the same day as this article appeared, pharmaceutical firm Pfizer announced plans to offer discounts to the uninsured:
The nation's largest drug company said Wednesday that it will discount medications to an estimated 60 million uninsured Americans, a move skeptics say is aimed at tempering criticism over drug prices but could set a precedent for other companies.
Pfizer, whose products include cholesterol drug Lipitor, pain medication Celebrex and impotence treatment Viagra, says its program will be open to all without health insurance and those whose insurance does not cover drugs, including Medicare patients.
By doing so, Pfizer becomes the first in the industry to go beyond offering discounts only to low-income residents. "From now on, all uninsured Americans will have the same purchasing power as large insurers for Pfizer medicines," said Pat Kelly, Pfizer's president of U.S. Pharmaceuticals.
Pfizer's discounts will vary depending on the uninsured consumer's income and the drug but will average 15% for those earning more than $45,000 a year and 37% for those under that amount.
Those who earn below 200% of the federal poverty level — about $18,620 for an individual or $31,340 for families — will get their medications free under a Pfizer program that is being expanded.
[Matthew Hisrich, "Greatest increase in uninsured found among wealthy," The Flint Hills Center, 10 May 2004.]
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