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WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, Congressman Berry (AR-01) joined with Families USA to discuss the grave effects lack of health insurance has on Arkansans. This report released today is the first state specific report produced, which analyzes the direct link between lack of health coverage and deaths from health-related causes.
"The lack of accessible affordable healthcare is becoming an epidemic," said Berry. "This report provides statistical proof of what we already know – lack of healthcare coverage is a matter of life and death for too many Americans."
"Health insurance is an important factor when people decide if they should seek treatment and without it, too many people are skipping life-saving, preventative care," said Berry. "This lack of preventative care is more costly in the long run not only for our nation but for individuals as well. Access to affordable healthcare in our country is not a privilege, it is a necessity."
People who lack health coverage are more likely to skip routine checkups and screenings for diseases such as cancer until it is too late. The Families USA report for Arkansas contains three specific findings:
- Families USA estimates at least one working-age Arkansas dies each day due to lack of health insurance (approximately 390 people in 2006).
- Between 2000 and 2006, the estimated number of adults between the ages of 25 and 64 years old in Arkansas who died because they did not have health insurance was nearly 2,400.
- Across the United States in 2006, twice as many people in the same age category died from a lack of health insurance as died from homicide.
The Institute of Medicine reported 18,000 adults nationwide died in 2000 because they did not have health insurance. The Urban Institute updated that estimate and reported approximately 22,000 adults died in 2006 due to lack of health insurance.
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