What are the consequences of being uninsured?
A common myth about the uninsured is that there are no serious health consequences to lacking health coverage-specifically, that uninsured people can get the care they need from community health centers, emergency rooms, and public clinics. In reality, the uninsured must often delay needed medical care, or forgo it altogether. Health consequences of being uninsured include the following: • The uninsured are less likely to have a usual source of care aside from the emergency room, and they are more likely to rely on the emergency room for routine care. Compared to those with health coverage, uninsured adults are four times more likely to use the emergency room as a regular source of care, and uninsured children are five times more likely to use the emergency room as a regular source of care. Reprinted with permission. Copyright 2003 The New Yorker Collection from cartoonbank.com. All rights reserved. • Uninsured adults and children are less likely to receive preventive care, such as ann
