Health Insurance = Better Health (No kidding)

A report issued this week by JAMA, the Journal of the American Medical Association, reviews a study done by Harvard about the health of Americans and their access to health insurance.

More than 7,000 people ages 55 to 72 were studied. More than 2,200 of them had no health insurance to begin with, but were able to take advantage of Medicare once they turned 65.

Among those who had been uninsured and had cardiac or diabetes problems pre-Medicare coverage, 10 percent had fewer cardiac problems than would have been expected by age 72.

Bottom line, according to the researchers, is that health improves when we have access to health insurance.

Let’s put this one in the no-brainer category! Or — actually — let’s look at it another way:

Healthcare is way too expensive for too many (47 million Americans) to afford. Once you take away that money barrier, they will seek care — and they will be healthier.

My bottom line: This study wasn’t about insurance coverage’s affect on health. It was about removing a barrier.

Which then, of course, begs the question: If removing the barrier to seniors makes them healthier, what could it possibly do for those of us who are healthy to begin with? Maybe keep us healthier throughout our lives? And maybe cost the system less to keep us healthy?

And — doesn’t this make those who vote against SCHIP even bigger scrooges? What do you think about that, George Bush?

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