Over 2,500 people can thank universal health care in Massachusetts for catching life threatening illnesses in time to save their lives. The state’s 2006 law, a precursor for the Affordable Care Act, shows that broad coverage decreases mortality rates.
Researchers from the Harvard School of Public Health looked at data from the CDC and Census Bureau to compare mortality rates before and after the 2006 law was enacted. They estimate improved health coverage has prevented 320 deaths per year – one life saved for each 830 residents who gained insurance through the law. Since 2006 that would be approximately 2,500 lives saved.
In a statement from HSPH, researchers found that counties with the lowest health care coverage benefited most, as did minorities compared to whites. The highest declines in mortality came from preventable and treatable diseases such as infections, cancer and heart disease.
Time magazine criticized the study saying researchers did not have direct access to individual health records and couldn’t directly connect new healthcare access with a decrease in mortality rates.
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick wrote in a recent Huffington Post Op-Ed that, “Over 90 percent of our residents have a primary care physician. Primary care is less likely to be delivered in expensive emergency rooms. Preventive care is up. Health disparities are down among women, minorities and low-income people. Most importantly, on many measures, we are healthier.”
Many consider the Massachusetts model a precursor to “Obamacare” (ACA) and are watching the state closely as an indicator for what could happen at the national level. Policy wonk, Ezra Klein of the Washington Post writes, “The national reforms, unlike the Massachusetts reforms, included major investments in comparative-effectiveness research, electronic health records, accountable care organizations and pay-for-quality pilots. If any or all of those initiatives pay off, they could dramatically improve our understanding of which treatments work and force the health-care system to integrate that new knowledge into everyday treatment decisions very quickly.”
As a physician what do you think of the ACA? As newly insured patients arrive in waiting rooms around the country is early intervention and prevention having an impact on patient outcomes? Have you saved a life from someone recently covered under the ACA? We’ll be discussing this and more inside Sermo. If you’re an M.D. or D.O. please join the conversation.
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