Report indicates uninsured may suffer poorer health outcomes.

Another tidbit of the "Really...You don't say?!" category.

WebMD (2/24, Zwillich) reported, "The Institute of Medicine (IOM) says its latest report shows overwhelming evidence that a lack of health insurance has direct health effects on children and adults." The report "lays out broad evidence that people without insurance suffer worse health outcomes and tend to die more quickly than similar people with coverage." For instance, according to the report, "uninsured adults with heart failure or who suffer a heart attack are more likely to die than comparable patients with coverage." The report also indicates that "widespread lack of insurance may even have a negative effect on the access to healthcare of fully-insured people," because "health providers tend to focus their attention on 'well-capitalized' areas." And, "as the number of uninsured rise, providers may take flight, leaving insured and uninsured alike without easy access to service."

Modern Healthcare (2/24, Vesely) added that the IOM urged "Congress and the Obama administration...to act by next year to solve the crisis of the uninsured." The report notes that "safety net services aren't enough to prevent avoidable illnesses and premature deaths."