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  • Essay / Public Health in the United States: David Cecere

    To begin with, a number of researchers have, in the past, linked the high risk of death to the lack of appropriate insurance. The same issue is critically discussed by Wilper et al. Some researchers have even gone so far as to suggest that private health insurance, although expensive, is more effective than public health insurance (Goodman). Note that this is not the problem with the Wilper et al. study. In fact, Wilper et al compare health insurance and mortality rates, their argument being that lack of health insurance is the cause of 45,000 adult deaths that occur each year in America. The same problem has been argued by researchers such as David Cecere. , from Cambridge Health Alliance. According to Cecere, lack of health insurance is the cause of most adult deaths in the United States each year. Cecere also argues that the figure provided by Wilper et al is two and a half times higher than the estimates provided by the Institute of Medicine (IOM). Other research published by the American Journal of Public Health found that uninsured U.S. adults are 40% more likely to die than those with health coverage, further underscoring Wilper et al.'s argument. The study done by Wilper et al is as follows: This clearly indicates that the increasing number of deaths among adults in the United States is due to the lack of health insurance coverage. Wilper et al used data from the Center for Disease Control and Prevention (CDCP), which was formulated after a nationwide survey, making their study valid. Furthermore, Wilper et al. consider various factors, including income, that make it difficult for some people to acquire health insurance. Their argument also suggests that although most American adults...... middle of article...... 289-2295. Works Cited: Cecere, David. A new study reveals that 45,000 deaths per year are linked to lack of health coverage. 17 9 2009. http://news.harvard.edu/gazette/story/2009/09/new-study-finds-45000-deaths-annually-linked-to-lack-of-health-coverage/. 28 4 2014. Goodman, John. Is private health insurance more expensive than public health insurance? Five principles. 9 1 2013. http://healthblog.ncpa.org/is-private-health-insurance-more-costly-than-public-health-insurance-five-principles/. 28 4 2014.Park, Madison. 45,000 American deaths linked to lack of insurance. 18 9 2009. http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/09/18/deaths.health.insurance/. 28 4 2014.Wilper, AP, Woolhandler, S., Lasser, KE, McCormick, D., Bor, DH & Himmelstein, DU 2009. Health insurance and mortality among US adults. American Journal of Public Health. Flight. 99, number 12, pages 2289-2295.