What Are the Dangers of Being Uninsured?

As of 2010, 46 million Americans report that they have no health insurance. Of those, 20 million are employed. The cost of health insurance has risen astronomically since 2000. People who once took coverage for granted are now going without. However, being without health insurance carries serious risks.

Time Frame

• The difference between a healthy individual and someone desperately in need of medical care is no longer than the split second it takes for cars to crash at highway speed or for cells in the body to start reproducing out of control. If you have avoided getting health insurance because you're healthy, think again. You may be taking too much for granted.

Financial Ruin

• A single night in the intensive care unit of a hospital can cost thousands of dollars. Imagine what the bill would be if you needed that kind of care for weeks on end. Uninsured people who are caught off guard by a medical crisis are often unable to get back on their feet, financially speaking. Many are forced into bankruptcy.

Death

• Even if you get yourself admitted to a hospital without medical insurance, you're still not out of the woods. A recent study found that uninsured patients were 49 to 52 percent more likely than insured patients to die while hospitalized following a heart attack or stroke.