Lack of health insurance is associated with as many as 45,000 deaths annually, according to a study published online today by the American Journal of Public Health. The study by researchers at the Cambridge Health Alliance found a 40% increased risk of death among the uninsured based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. Previous studies by the Institute of Medicine and others have shown that people with health insurance are more likely to get the health care they need and to have a regular source of care, the authors note.