Scientists from Yale and elsewhere found evidence that hundreds of thousands of lives could have been saved during the pandemic if people in the U.S. had been covered by a universal health care system.
The research is published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences and was conducted by Alison P. Galvani et al.
In the study, the team outlines their estimates of deaths that could have been prevented during the pandemic and the possible cost savings if the U.S. had a universal health care system.
Prior research has shown that the American system of providing medical insurance to its populace leads to many preventable deaths.
Most health insurance in the U.S. is employer-provided—those who are unemployed or who work for entities that do not offer health insurance have a higher likelihood of illness and death than do those who have insurance.
In this study, the researchers analyzed the number of people who died in the U.S. of COVID-19 due to a lack of insurance during the pandemic.
The researchers used existing data to compare the mortality risk for people with or without insurance—and also their risk of dying from anything else.
They then used population characteristics of people in general who had no insurance to determine their likelihood of dying compared to people who did have insurance.
Next, they used the data they had compiled to estimate how many people died of COVID-19 through March 2022 because they had no insurance.
The researchers found that approximately 338,000 people could have been saved during the pandemic if they had had access to insurance through a universal health care system.
They also analyzed other data sources to calculate the cost of implementing a universal health care system in the U.S. and the savings it could provide.
They found that the savings would come to approximately $438 billion a year in non-pandemic years and would have been $459 billion in 2020.
The researchers conclude that investing in a universal health care system would save many lives each year and would also cost far less. They note that it would also provide a much-needed safety net for the next pandemic.
If you care about COVID, please read studies about a new drug that could prevent COVID-19, and scientists find antibodies that can neutralize Omicron.
For more information about COVID, please see recent studies that CBD from cannabis may inhibit COVID-19 infection, and results showing Ivermectin prescriptions for COVID-19: Insurance coverage doesn’t match evidence.
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