[koolmachine]

Wed Nov 11, 1:06 pm ETWASHINGTON (AFP) – The number of US veterans who died in 2008 because they lacked health insurance was 14 times higher than the US military death toll in Afghanistan that year, according to a new study.

The analysis produced by two Harvard medical researchers estimates that 2,266 US military veterans under the age of 65 died in 2008 because they lacked health coverage and had reduced access to medical care.

That figure is more than 14 times higher than the 155 US troop deaths in Afghanistan in 2008, the study says.

Released as the United States commemorates fallen soldiers on Veterans Day, the study warns that even health care provided by the Veterans Health Administration (VA) leaves many veterans without coverage.

The analysis uses census data to isolate the number of US veterans who lack both private health coverage and care offered by the VA.

"That's a group that's about 1.5 million people," said David Himmelstein, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and co-founder of Physicians for a National Health Program who co-authored the study.

Himmelstein and co-author Stephanie Woolhandler, also a Harvard medical professor, overlaid that figure with another study examining the mortality rate associated with lack of health insurance.

"The uninsured have about a 40 percent higher risk of dying each year than otherwise comparable insured individuals," Himmelstein told AFP.

http://news.yahoo.co...0dWR5bGFja29maA--

[ceejay]

Pardon me if I doubt Mr. Himmelman's final statements.

http://www.injuryboa...googleid=268788


Seems like having insurance and healthcare is a bigger risk to longevity that not having it...

[Bustina di tè]

According to ceejay's logic if a person doesn't have insurance they don't risk dying from a medical mistake but they're still as dead.
At least under Obunko's plan homeless veterans will be jailed when they don't sign up for his mandatory medical coverage so they'll get treatment while incarcerated.

[justplainjoe]

we support the troops.
just like we support the volunteer fire departments.
how easily we are fooled.
by ourselves.
burma shave

[koolmachine]

At least under Obunko's plan homeless veterans will be jailed when they don't sign up for his mandatory medical coverage so they'll get treatment while incarcerated.

Thats not true by the way.