Reply #30: I went six years without insurance,

[eyepaddle]

and I have a number of chronic non-lethal (usually) conditions, such as asthma, poor eyesight, etc. I had a decent job, but alas with zero beneifts, all I got was the paycheck. My asthma meds were running about $160 a month (so I did the ol' take half the dose trick) but those were some BIG checks I had to write. All the workers at the pharmacy just looked shocked when they saw how much my bill was and did double takes looking to find the information on my "insurance."

After about three years of this I just told one horrified looking pharmacist "hey I'm one of those 44 million, most of us just go without." I said it mildly, and it wasn't directed at her--but I could see her reaction from somebody putting human face on that "44,000,000."