Ten States Dying for Health Coverage and the 7 Republican states on the list that don't give a damn

[tpsbmam]

Ten States Dying for Health Coverage

The lack of medical insurance has had grave consequences on individuals and the nation. In 2010 alone, 26,100 people died because they had no health insurance — that is 502 preventable deaths a week. However, some states fared better than others. Based on the latest report by Families USA, a health care consumer advocacy group, 24/7 Wall St. identified the 10 states with the highest number of deaths per 100,000 people due to a lack of insurance.

Not surprisingly, nearly all of the states with the most residents dying due to a lack of insurance also had high numbers of uninsured residents. Seven of the states on the list were among the 10 states with the highest percentage of people without health coverage. Seven of the states were also in the bottom 10 for the lowest rates of private insurance coverage.

People without health insurance often forgo medical treatment for different reasons. According to Families USA, a supporter of President Obama’s health care reform law, uninsured adults are nearly four times more likely than insured adults to delay or avoid preventive care screening due to cost. Uninsured adults are also nearly seven times more likely to go without needed care due to cost than privately insured adults.

“You still see a very, very strong correlation between uninsurance and poor healthcare outcomes — including mortality — and [that is] because people aren’t getting the type of care that they need,” Kim Bailey, the research director for Families USA, told 24/7 Wall St.

So, what are the 10 states dying for health coverage, i.e., with the most uninsured citizens and deaths of those citizens due to lack of insurance (and yes, I'm going over and above "correlation" and asserting CAUSE)? I've also added the governors' names & party affiliation for each state.

10. Nevada - Sandoval (R)
9. Georgia- Deal (R)
8. Oklahoma - Fallin (R)
7. West Virginia - Tomblin (D)
6. Florida - Scott (R)
5. New Mexico - Martinez (R)
4. South Carolina - Haley (R)
3. Arkansas - Beebe (D)
2. Louisiana - Jindal (R)
1. Mississippi - Bryant (R)



Now, which of those states are on the list of states that sued over the Affordable Care Act (ACA)? Let's see that list again, only this time, states that sued over the ACA in bold print.



10. Nevada - Sandoval (R)
9. Georgia- Deal (R)
8. Oklahoma - Fallin (R)
7. West Virginia - Tomblin (D)
6. Florida - Scott (R)
5. New Mexico - Martinez (R)
4. South Carolina - Haley (R)
3. Arkansas - Beebe (D)
2. Louisiana - Jindal (R)
1. Mississippi - Bryant (R)


Only one state with residents "dying for coverage," New Mexico, that's headed by a Republican wasn't party to the ACA suit just decided by SCOTUS. The New Mexico legislature is also majority Democrat by a large margin in both houses. The other two states that didn't participate in the suit are headed by Democrats.


Here's one familiar gov with THOUSANDS of residents dying for health care reacting to the SCOTUS ruling -- he's just one of a number of the governors on this list with similar reactions:

Jindal Says He Won’t Implement Obamacare
http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/06/jindal-says-he-wont-implement-obamacare/

Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal, one of Mitt Romney’s possible running mates, said that despite Thursday’s decision by the Supreme Court to uphold the Affordable Care Act, he will not implement it in his state.

Jindal called the health care plan a “blow to our freedoms” and said the “president forced this law on us.”

FInally, here's a nice graphic to show the states that fought, many of which have pledged to keep fighting:






All of these Republicans who are so willing to see the residents of their states continue to die due to lack of health insurance tout and legislate "right to life" policies protecting the rights of zygotes. Right to life -- seriously?

[russspeakeasy]

1. A huge thanks for the imformative post.

[Politicalboi]

2. Health care is a winner for Dem's

The GOP want to make it seem bad and costly. The Dem's need to talk about the 98% coverage in Massachusetts. Make a commercial with a huge 98% every time.

[Fearless]

3. As George Carlin said...

“If you're pre-born you're fine, if you're pre-school you're fucked”

[benld74]

4. And the cost they are evading for NOT expanding their states medicaid,,,,,

Last edited Mon Jul 2, 2012, 08:59 PM - Edit history (2)

Under the law, the federal government will pick up 100 percent of the cost of expansion for three years, 95 percent for the two years that follow and 90 percent of the costs thereafter. The expansion will allow the states to provide the benefit to many more low income Americans without taxing their state budgets at all for three years and then only slightly in the years that follow.

Currently, the federal government picks up the tab for about 55 percent of the costs of a state Medicaid program.

[tpsbmam]

7. Exactly. (you have a goof in your subject line.....

you clearly get that it's Medicaid but you said "medicare" in your subject line.)

Yep, it's better for those frigging freeloaders to die than expand the state's Medicaid. Hell, I have a rich sister who has both Dem and Rep friends (she's a Dem, as is her DH), most of whom are also rich. I was able to sign up for Inclusive Health which NC, my state w/ a Dem governor & at the time majority Dem legislature) made available I think about a year ago. I did it right after we discovered I had a large ovarian tumor (Mom died of ovarian CA). It's cost me the loss of a lot of health care I was getting for free (local programs, free meds through corporate programs, etc) but I was able to do it despite LOTS of preexisting conditions and them knowing about this tumor (which turned out to be benign despite every test prior to surgery looking like it was malignant). I've kept it because it's the right thing to do. It's killing me financially and, as I said, it has cost me lots of meds & free health care I was getting MUCH to my detriment. But anyway, my sis was happy for me and let me know LOTS of her friends would be pissed I got the insurance. Nice, huh? I was just supposed to curl up and die, according to them.

[Spitfire of ATJ]

5. It's a Religion

These assholes think they're defending their God Ronny's legacy. All based on a quote that is treated like holy writ, "Government is not the solution, government is the problem".

Therefore, make sure government is never seen as having solutions.

Blame government for your suffering.

No other country in the world has a party that runs on the platform of telling the people to expect nothing from their government.

[FailureToCommunicate]

6. VERY interesting

Thanks

[tpsbmam]

8. Pre-bed kick. nt

[Iris]

9. It just boggles the mind.

I mean, your analysis is great but I will never understand why more people can't see the hypocrisy.

Also, the governor of GA is in Canada trying to get companies to relocate here. He likes to say that Georgia is "pro-business" when what he means is Georgia is pro-Big Business. If he really cared about business, he'd make it easier for self-employed people to get insurance, no harder.

[Art_from_Ark]

10. Merely being "insured" is no guarantee you'll get "health care"

For example, having a $5000 deductible does not provide much incentive to go in for regular check-ups. And most health insurance plans don't include dental, even though dental problems can lead to health problems.

Nevertheless, looking at the county data for Arkansas, I see that Benton County, in the extreme northwest, has the highest life expectancy for both males and females (more than a year above the Number 2 county, in both cases). Benton County, home to Wal-Mart and a major retirement community, is one of the richest counties in the state, and it may be logical to assume that there is greater than average health care insurance coverage there.

What is interesting with the Arkansas data is that except for Benton County, there is quite a bit of discrepancy between rankings for male and female life expectancy. In the Top 15 (of 75) for females are both rich and poor counties, but most of them tend to be in the mountainous northern tier, especially toward the west. On the other hand, the top 15 for men are spread a little more evenly around the state. However, most of the bottom-ranking counties tend to be in the relatively flat areas in the south and, particularly, the east, which is a major production area for rice, cotton, soybeans and milo.

[ProgressiveEconomist]

11. Blocking MIDDLE CLASS TAX CUTS: IMO it's also fair to say the 7 who sued

are blocking their state's share of hungreds of billions of dollars worth of middle-class tax credits (ie tax cuts) for healthcare. See http://www.democraticunderground.com/1002890826 for details.

[flamingdem]

12. Lawrence O'Donnell saying now that most states won't implement new Medicaid option

Even California!

That someone should tell people on Medicaid that they just lost their insurance?!