No Health Insurance? This May Hurt
Reported April 16, 2010
(Ivanhoe Newswire) — That pounding pain in your head may only get worse if you don’t have health insurance. A new study shows people with no health insurance are less likely than the privately insured to get proper care for migraines.
Nearly 12 percent of all Americans are plagued by migraines, which are characterized by severe headaches and even nausea.
Neurologists usually recommend one of two types of drugs for those afflicted, but essentially claim many people are not being given access to those drugs when migraines strike. The most commonly prescribed drug types are “triptans” such as sumatriptan (Imitrex) or dihydroergotamine (Migranal).
“The tragedy is that we know how to treat this disabling condition, but because they are uninsured or inadequately insured, millions of Americans suffer needlessly,” study author Rachel Nardin, M.D., of Harvard Medical School, was quoted as saying.
For the study, researchers analyzed data from two federal surveys which provide a representative sample of all U.S. visits to doctor’s offices, clinics and emergency rooms between 1997 and 2007. A total of 6,814 visits for migraine pain were analyzed.
Researchers estimate more than 5.5 million Americans suffer needlessly from migraines.
Source: Neurology, April 13, 2010
