In the USA, some one dies every 12 seconds for a lack of health care insurance. I posted this on my Face Book page. Excuse me if this is redundant.

I guess that it's a matter of perspective. While the US Congress is chomping at the bit (and rightfully so) to rake Toyota over the coals for the 34 deaths (in the US) since 2000 (that's in ten years, folks) attributed to faulty brakes, etc. they continue to keep their thumbs well up their collective butts when it comes to health care reform. An estimated 45,000 Americans die every year for lack of health insurance. Why aren't we outraged?
http://www.reuters.com/article/idUSTRE58G6W520090917

There aren't any cute little puppies involved?

Who says we aren't?

good points and good article, thanks for posting it zap!

Here's a guy that's outraged:

http://www.nbcnewyork.com/news/local-be ... 52787.html

At last, a democrat with balls (or, as they say in Brooklyn where he's from, chutzpah)!


mikey

I think big numbers, without specific stories, make people's eyes glaze over; they can't get a handle on it -- like not seeing the trees for the forest. That, and power in the wrong places.

To look at the current Toyota scandal from a slightly different perspective: in the last decade, 21,110 people have died in Toyota vehicles. The vast majority of those people died because of faulty drivers, not faulty vehicles, yet we are now obsessed with the faulty vehicle. Faulty drivers, for the most part, continue in their faulty ways (see http://www.slate.com/id/2244929/pagenum/all/#p2 and http://www.aolnews.com/opinion/article/ ... l/19345264).

Leaving aside Toyota, over 40,000 people die each year in car crashes (see Wikipedia and NHTSA) and a 2005 study found that car crashes kill 400 times more people than what we call terrorism (http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/34352.php) . And, of course, it's terrorism that seizes our imaginations. (Not that the two are mutually exclusive -- this man didn't die, but clearly he was the victim of domestic terrorists -- http://imaginenocars.blogspot.com/2010/ ... se-of.html .)

And the numbers of deaths from car crashes don't even come close to the number of deaths from pollution -- estimated at 3 million per year (worldwide) in 2002 (http://www.earth-policy.org/index.php?/ ... 2/update17) -- half of that 3 million figure is attributed to pollution from vehicles.

I don't mean to hijack the outrage over health care inequities, or to go all linky; I'm just musing on why we become outraged over one thing and not another and why we don't see possible connections -- like I wonder how many of the people killed by car crashes didn't have health insurance or how many of the people who died of pollution-related causes would have received better care with insurance (or better insurance)?

Captain Zap, you posted this:

In the USA, some one dies every 12 seconds for a lack of health care insurance.

Actually, your arithmetic is off. Someone dies every 12 MINUTES, NOT SECONDS, to come up to 45,000 per year.

I'm still outraged, however, to think that in the six hours while those politicians were yakking away at the Blair House Summit today, 30 people died because they didn't have health insurance.


mikey

You're correct, Mikey. My faux pas. But even with my arithmetic error corrected the number is terrible at any sum. Five people an hour is still pretty horrific. I really can't fathom what's going on in the Congress members heads where they can be so cavalier about people's lives hanging in the balance.
One Republican senator's claim that US has the best health care as evidenced by people coming here for medical procedures from countries that have universal health care may be true. But that isn't even the issue. The issue is to be able to afford it. I'm sure those coming from other countries for medical procedures have enough money to pay for them. What good is having great doctors and hospitals if you can't afford them or the health insurance (provided the insurance company allows you) to access them?

Right, we have the best health care system THAT MONEY CAN BUY, but God help you if you're poor. Capitalism has always been kind to the 1/10th of 1 % at the top of the pyramid; for all the others, not so much.


mikey

We pay more of a % of GDP than any where else. It should cover all.

Well this is just a little of topic... about a Senator Morse I had never heard of before today.

Came from Common Dreams written by a Norman Solomon: called Numb and Number.

http://www.commondreams.org/view/2010/0 ... nt-1435844

In response to Eileen's comments - which are very good too along with everyone else AND the good Capt. who brought this all up - maybe it's because they don't regard the truth, the reality, of the situation. Indeed, not seeing the trees!!

My wife has numerous health issues. One of the reasons I ended up in the job I got booted out of last year is due to my need for health insurance. I wasn't comfortable with risking losing that when they shut down the facility I had previously worked at so I transitioned to the one I recently got the boot from. Currently I'm on COBRA which costs me around $500 a month - and I am thankful I can still cover that cost for now as there are many who have nothing to help in this area. BUT, if I don't find a full time job with benefits within a couple of months then things are going to get real interesting. She is currently on oxygen after having spent 16 days - 3 of which were in ICCU - for pneumonia/pleurisy/empyema from which she nearly died. Full cost for her meds each month is well over $500. Like I said, I'm fortunate to still have insurance - there are many who face much worse with no insurance.

Some friends of mine have no insurance. (This happened a while back) One of the family members had an illness/health issue that landed them in the hospital. When they got the itemized bill - which they had to request - they went over it with great scrutiny. Through their diligence they got a $2000+ bill cut by about 65%. It was fortunate for them, but should folks HAVE to jump through those kind of hoops to make sure they are fairly charged? I would say an emphatic NO!! - maybe even a hell NO!!

In some ways it seems to boil down to GREED. Why should a 15 minute office visit cost $165 - which is the going rate where I live in central Iowa - as an example? It reminds me of the $300 hammer that the Air Force or someone had paid for that I heard about years ago. Can humans BE humane? The optimist in me hopes so, but the realist says NO - not in this area at least.

Thanks Capt. for bringing this up.

So sorry to hear about your wife. Hope all goes better for her & your job situation. Prayers just said for you both. For those not on insurance, try seeing if some local hospitals have a free medical plan. With Mike & I not having insurance cuz it was more than we could afford & couldn't get it due to being diabetic, we got on a free medical plan at a local teaching hospital. It has been a life saver with free medical and $4 prescriptions...

That's great that it worked out for you and Mike. Unfortunately some folks aren't in a good place for that kind of help - but it never hurts to check out the option if it exists. I think it's just wrong to not offer insurance due to pre-existing conditions. I understand the risk end of things, but that's no reason to disregard folks in your situation Cheryl. It's just not right.

I agree with ya. And it is wrong not to offer folks medical insurance for pre-exisiting conditions. The reason I mentioned the free medical was incase someone needed it. Folks need healthcare and it's sad when they don't get it. Hopefully they'll get the healthcare stuff revamped in this country. And I hope they get it right...