This Common Story

Eve (nyceve) Gittelson at Firedoglake has a timely reminder of what the reform fight is really all about.

Susie Madrack at Suburban Guerilla received the following email about a Facebook death announcement. It arrived via an old friend.

My commentary. This is Murder by Spreadsheet writ large.

Late this afternoon I was gobsmacked by a Facebook announcement that a high school friend had died. I tracked down the story, and it is an absolute textbook example of everything that’s wrong with our health care system - so knowing that we share a passion for this topic, I’ll share it with you.

She was 49 years old and in good health, other than a propensity to develop bronchitis. A couple of weeks ago, after a trip to Disneyland, she came down with a terrible flu. After running a high fever for four days she knew she should see a doctor, but she didn’t - no insurance. Her husband, who owns his own business, had cancer a year and a half ago and is not insurable on his own. She originally had insurance through her job, but had been placed on disability after developing carpal tunnel syndrome (she was a transcriber). Eventually she was no longer eligible for insurance through her employer, other than COBRA, which she could in no way afford - her husband’s business had been hard hit in the recession.

So. She waits six days before finally dragging herself to an urgent care clinic, but the wait is so long and she feels like shit on a stick so she goes back home. Eventually ends up in ICU with pneumonia, and, as it ends up, tested positive for H1N1. By then the infection had gone too far, her organs started failing, and after a week in the hospital she died this morning, leaving a teenage daughter and a husband who don’t know what hit them. As though grieving isn’t enough of a burden, imagine the hospital bills they’re going to face. This man is certain to lose his business, his home, and anything else he ever had - on top of losing his wife.

It’s heartbreaking, completely unnecessary, and absolutely infuriating.

This is the reason we fight. Don’t give up, don’t get sidetracked, don’t be swayed, never forget. This is about people’s lives.

Say it again:

This is the reason we fight. Don’t give up, don’t get sidetracked, don’t be swayed, never forget. This is about people’s lives.