Study Finds Lack of Health Care Resulted in 2,266 Avoidable US veteran deaths

[7redorbs]

The number of US veterans who died in 2008 because they lacked health insurance was 14 times higher than the US military death toll in Afghanistan that year, according to a new study.

The analysis produced by two Harvard medical researchers estimates that 2,266 US military veterans under the age of 65 died in 2008 because they lacked health coverage and had reduced access to medical care.

That figure is more than 14 times higher than the 155 US troop deaths in Afghanistan in 2008, the study says.

Released as the United States commemorates fallen soldiers on Veterans Day, the study warns that even health care provided by the Veterans Health Administration (VA) leaves many veterans without coverage.

The analysis uses census data to isolate the number of US veterans who lack both private health coverage and care offered by the VA.

"That's a group that's about 1.5 million people," said David Himmelstein, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and co-founder of Physicians for a National Health Program who co-authored the study.

Study Finds Lack of Health Care Resulted in 2,266 Avoidable US veteran deaths

[zyfoxmaster]

it's crazy how misguided our priorities are in this country. Help those who do nothing, and ignore those who do everything. All while completely disregarding the program that has the potential to bring in infinite revenue and bring our country, and the world together. The space program.

[7redorbs]

true