Majority of Americans one major disease away from financial disaster

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

When staying alive means going bankrupt
Health insurance didn’t keep cancer-stricken California woman solvent

By Mike Stuckey
Senior news editor
MSNBC
Updated: 6:17 a.m. ET Aug 15, 2007

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Aldrich’s situation is "asinine" but increasingly common, said Dr. Deborah Thorne of Ohio University. Thorne, co-author of a widely quoted 2005 study that found medical bills contributed to nearly half of the 1.5 million personal bankruptcies filed in the U.S. each year, said that ratio has likely worsened since the data was gathered.

Bankruptcy in the light of large medical bills is “unfortunately the only choice many people have," she said. "They will never in their lifetimes pay them off.

“To talk with these people again and again is so frustrating. They’re such thoughtful, kind folks who are being set up by the system we have now. What’s most appalling is they’re ashamed.”

Like Aldrich, Thorne said, three-quarters of the individuals in the study who declared bankruptcy because of health problems were insured.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/20201807/

Universal health is the winning issue for Democrats. As this article points out, being insured doesn't stave off bankruptcy. In fact the woman in this article staved it off longer than most, since many are not able to afford Cobra if they become unemployed.

Healthcare is not a factor in bankruptcies in the more enlightened countries with universal health.

Lose your health, lose your job, lose your insurance, lose your house, go bankrupt. How many zillions of times does this sad refrain have to play in our country? How many American families are living this tragedy daily? How many small businesses go under because of the crushing cost of healthcare or simply do not provide it all for their employees? And yet the Republicans continue to be the paid shills of the for-profit healthcare industry. The jig is up.

[aquart]

1. Yes, it's a winning issue. Why aren't they running on it?

[ramapo]

2. Fear, lack of spine, payoffs, apathy

Everybody complains but there remains a strange apathy about health insurance. The 1990's propaganda that undermined the Clinton plan still resonants. The lobbies are fierce and contributions depend upon a certain "understanding".

[Brigid]

3. I wish I knew.

But here's one idea that ought to have some legs. I can't believe that no one (that I know of) hasn't thought of this before.

http://blogs.usatoday.com/oped/2007/08/patients-its-ti.html#more

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

4. Well, at least this was fairly prominent on MSNBC today.

Not too much interest here (today anyway.) Oh, well . . .