Got An Illness in America? Welcome to Bankruptcy…
With all the current talk about a posible, sorely needed systm of universal health care in the USA, it’s interesting that a report by Harvard Medical School just published says that 62.1% of bankruptcies in the United States are because of a health care issue.
That is absurd, my friends. I knew the number would be high–but 62%?
It is also important to point out that OF those 62%, guess what percentage actually HAD health insurance when their illness happened?
78%. Let me say that again. 78% of the people who ended up having to declare bankruptcy–many of whom would have lost their houses, etc., as a result–HAD HEALTH INSURANCE at the time they (or a family member) got ill.
This article will be published in the August issue of The American Journal of Medicine.
Obviously, I think this report blows huge, gaping holes in the idea which many of us hold about people who declare bankruptcy. I too thought until I came across this story that most bankruptcies were related to people being irresponsible, living well beyond their means, etc., and that’s obviously not the case.
The conservatives like to imply that everything in the world is, well, under an individual’s control. Let’s see how they spin that one with this upcoming report. I can hear it now.
“People who have illnesses should be responsible enought to have them in countries where their health care is reasonably priced!”
This situation MUST be changed, it cannot be allowed to continue. No one should have to worry about losing their house because their child or their spouse gets cancer.
If you don’t agree, please tell me why. And what your fears are, about the possibility of changing our so called “system” so that people don’t have to lose their  decent credit history, not to mention possible loss of their home, because of an illness.
Before you say, well, these people should have availed themselves of charity or indigent care–I’m here to tell you, having been in this situation, (the only thing which prevented me declaring bankruptcy – not that I owned any assets – was my parents gift of paying some of the bills for me,) is that there is nowhere near ENOUGH charity to even come close to meeting the need of affordable healthcare, it’s nowhere near enough in this country, and certainly not enough in other countries, either….
We have to do something. Â Yes, WE have to…. not “someone has to do something.”
June 6, 2009
Tags: bankruptcy, compassion, Congress, health, money Posted in: Insane
2 Responses
I’ve always considered the US to be the ultimate throwaway society, but having to choose between throwing away your house or throwing away a loved one seems to undermine American’s dearly cherished belief that they have the best of everything in the US. But, as Americans love being number one I guess being number one for medical bankruptcies in the world fits right in there.
“…having to choose between throwing away your house or throwing away a loved one seems to undermine American’s dearly cherished belief that they have the best of everything”
Great summation PCH
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