Dying for Coverage: The Deadly Consequences of Being Uninsured
A report from Families USA, June 2012
Note: This report contains data for all states and the District of Columbia.
Key Findings
- Across the nation, 26,100 people between the ages of 25 and 64 died prematurely due to a lack of health coverage in 2010 (Table 1). That works out to:
- 2,175 people who died prematurely every month;
- 502 people who died prematurely every week;
- 72 people who died prematurely every day; or
- Three every hour.
- Between 2005 and 2010, the number of people who died prematurely each year due to a lack of health coverage rose from 20,350 to 26,100.
- Between 2005 and 2010, the total number of people who died prematurely due to a lack of health coverage was 134,120.
- Each and every state sees residents die prematurely due to a lack of health insurance. In 2010, the number of premature deaths due to a lack of health coverage ranged from 28 in Vermont to 3,164 in California.
- The five states with the most premature deaths due to uninsurance in 2010 were California (3,164 deaths), Texas (2,955 deaths), Florida (2,272 deaths), New York (1,247 deaths), and Georgia (1,161 deaths).
