Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

December 2, 2008 11:44:00 AM CST

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Uninsured Cancer Patients Die More Often

Posted Dec 20, 07 4:26 PM CST in Science & Health 

(Newser) – Cancer patients without health insurance are 1.6 times more likely to die within five years of diagnosis than the insured, the AP reports. A new study by the American Cancer Society examined records for 600,000 patients under 65 in 1,500 US hospitals and found that 35% of the uninsured were dead after five years, whereas only 23% of those with private insurance or Medicaid had died.

Forced to pay out of pocket, the uninsured are less likely to get the regular screenings and quality treatment that can catch cancer before it grows out of control. "Our national reluctance to face these facts is condemning thousands of people to die from cancer each year," the president of the Cancer Society concluded. The AP estimates that at least 20,000 of the 56,000 people in the US who die each year of cancer are uninsured.

Source Associated Press

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Senate Dem Unveils Broad Health Reform

    Nov 12, 08 7:21 AM CST
    Senate Dem Unveils Broad Health Reform Barack Obama made health care reform a key plank of his campaign, but even before he's been inaugurated Congressional Democrats are introducing legislation to transform the system. Leading the charge is Max Baucus, the Montana senator who leads the finance committee. His plan, which he'll introduce today, guarantees health insurance for all citizens—by expanding Medicaid and Medicare, easing purchases of private insurance, and changing rules for employers.
    More »

  • McCain Health Plan Would Shrink Medicare, Medicaid

    Oct 6, 08 12:05 PM CDT
    McCain Health Plan Would Shrink Medicare, Medicaid John McCain’s health care plan, based on tax credits, would be funded by cuts to Medicare and Medicaid, which analysts say could amount to some $1.3 trillion over a decade. The move would allow McCain to uphold his pledge of a “budget neutral” health strategy, the Wall Street Journal reports, but the cuts appear to run counter to campaign statements that suggest tax increases would pay for the plan.
    More »

  • Medicare Fudged Fraud Figures: Report

    Aug 21, 08 8:50 AM CDT
    Medicare's boasts of having reduced fraud by billions are misleading, a draft report obtained by the New York Times finds. Auditors were told to ignore procedures that would have accurately measured fraudulent claims for medical equipment, the draft report says.   Proper methods would have revealed an estimated $2.8 billion in fraud in 2006, instead of the $700 million reported to Congress. More »

  • Clinton Pitches Cap on Health Insurance

    Mar 28, 08 8:01 AM CDT
    Clinton Pitches Cap on Health Insurance Hillary Clinton has proposed putting a cap on premiums in her universal health care plan, limiting them to between 5% and 10% of family income, the New York Times reports. The average cost of a family policy bought by an individual last year was $5,799, or 10% of median income, but some ranged up to 16%. More »

  • US Braces for Explosion in Knee and Hip Surgeries

    Mar 7, 08 11:34 AM CST
    US Braces for Explosion in Knee and Hip Surgeries The number of hip and knee replacements performed in the US will explode in the next several decades—knee operations surging fivefold and hips doubling—as aging baby boomers opt to stay out of wheelchairs, the American Academy of Orthopedic Surgeons estimates. The pricetag will reach $65 billion in less than a decade, most of it borne by Medicare and Medicaid, reports Time magazine. More »

A patient in San Francisco undergoes chemotherapy.   (Getty Images)
Nancy Hayes, 43, left, undergoes a digital mammogram as Beaumont radiologic technician Shayrn Schymick takes notes.   (KRT Photos)
Dr. Murray Rebner reviews a mammogram done using digital technology at Beaumont Hospital in Michigan.   (KRT Photos)
KRT BUSINESS STORY SLUGGED: CPT-MED-CANCER KRT PHOTO BY MILBERT ORLANDO BROWN   (KRT Photos)
Cancer patients Ellen Walsh (L) and Dallas Chilton talk as they receive chemotherapy treatment at Cape Fear Valley Medical Center June 17, 2003 in Fayetteville, North Carolina.   (Getty Images)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Threads (
1
 of 3)

Tags

cancer • health insurance • Medicare • Medicaid


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other Science & Health Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »