By Lisa Zamosky Whether or not you have health insurance could
be a matter of life or death. That’s the message of a recent
report by the consumer advocacy organization, Families USA.
According to the report, “Dying for Coverage, the Deadly
Consequences of Being Uninsured,” people without health
insurance are 25% more likely to die prematurely than people who
do have coverage. In 2010, that translated to more than 26,000
Americans between the ages of 25 and 64 dying prematurely
because they did not have health insurance. That breaks down to
nearly 2,200 people each month and a total of 134,120 people
between 2005 and 2010. The report cites a number of all-too-
familiar reasons for people’s lack of insurance. In some
instances a pre-existing health condition blocked them from
coverage. Many were simply unable to afford a health plan, a
matter only made worse by this seemingly never-ending economic
recession. Cost is a Barrier The report lays out a number of
sobering statistics: - Adults without health insurance