A study, released by Physicians for a National Health Program and published in the American Journal of Public Health, found that lack of health insurance is associated with a 40 percent higher risk of death.  Following up on a 1993 Institute of Medicine (IOM) study that found a 25 percent increased risk of death among uninsured adults, this study found that the risk has increased even after controlling for age, sex, race/ethnicity, income, education, self- and physician-rated health status, body mass index, leisure exercise, smoking, and regular alcohol use.

Wilper, A.P., Woodhandler, S., Lasser, K.E., McCormick, D., Bor, D.H., & Himmelstein, D.U. (2009). Health insurance and mortality in U.S. adults. American Journal of Public Health, (99)12: 1-8. DOI: 10.2105/AJPH.2008.157685. http://www.ajph.org/cgi/content/abstract/AJPH.2008.157685v1

Authors: Andrew P. Wilper, Steffie Woolhandler, Karen E. Lasser, Danny McCormick, David H. Bor, David U. Himmelstein