A not-yet-peer reviewed Yale University study has found that adoption of universal health coverage in the United States could save $1.04 trillion and 114,000 lives every year.

According to a news release from the Yale University School of Public Health (Matt Kristoffersen, Universal Health Coverage Could Save $1 Trillion and 114,000 Lives Every Year, Yale Study Projects, August 13, 2026):

“The model identified five major sources of savings: lower pharmaceutical prices, Medicare-level payments to providers, reduced administrative overhead, less fraudulent billing, and fewer avoidable emergency department visits and hospitalizations. Even under more conservative assumptions about drug prices and fraud reduction, the researchers projected that the savings would reach at least $663 billion a year. Both figures account for an estimated $304 billion in additional spending to meet unmet medical needs, reimburse care that now goes unpaid, and provide universal dental coverage.

“A universal healthcare policy would also save tens of thousands of lives, the researchers project. They estimate that adequate coverage for all could avert about 62,863 deaths annually — and that nearly half, or 29,631, would be among people who already hold insurance. These are the underinsured: the more than 45 million working-age adults whose deductibles and cost-sharing put care beyond financial reach anyway. Reversing coverage rollbacks and other health policies enacted since 2025 would avert a further 51,311 deaths each year, the researchers project, bringing the annual total to 114,174.”

The preprint of the study, “Projected economic gains and lives saved under universal healthcare in the United States,”

Breaking News

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World Health Systems Facts is a project of the Real Reporting Foundation. We provide reliable statistics and other data from authoritative sources regarding health systems and policies in the US and eighteen other OECD member nations.

Page last updated August 19, 2026 by Doug McVay, Editor.