Uninsured Pennsylvanians More Likely to Die

Two working-age Pennsylvanians die every day due to a lack of health insurance. That's according to the group Families USA, which is releasing state-by-state reports on how a lack of coverage impacts people's health. Ron Pollack, the organization's Executive Director, says people who lack insurance are more likely to die because they tend not to seek preventive care and are less likely to visit a doctor when they don't feel well. He also says people who lack insurance are also less likely to take medications or take less than prescribed.

Pollack says Families USA has not completed all of the state reports, so no side-by-side comparison is available. But he says Pennsylvania's numbers are comparable to other states his organization has analyzed so far.