Study: Uninsured, underinsured more likely to have severe COVID symptoms

(CNN) – Those who don’t have insurance or are underinsured are more likely to become severely ill if they get coronavirus, a new study says.

The research published in the Journal of General Internal Medicine found that more than 18 million Americans who are at an increased risk of a severe form of COVID-19 have little or no insurance.

That could cause them to delay care because of concerns over the cost.

The result could be more severe symptoms and a greater spread of the disease.

The authors of the study write that the underinsured or uninsured tend to be people of color, people who have limited family income and people who live in rural areas.

The same holds true for states with Medicaid expansion. In them, residents are 52% more likely to be inadequately insured when compared to people who live in states that had expanded Medicaid.

The study included researchers from Harvard Medical School, the City University of New York at Hunter College and the Cambridge Health Alliance.

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