55 Americans will die from lack of health insurance today

[rurallib]

I am sorry that Michael Jackson died today.
And sorry to use his death to do this, but statistically speaking 55 of our fellow Americans will die due to the screwed up healthcare system.
That means 5 will die during this 2 hour period.
Flame away.

[Selatius]

1. Everybody knew a piece of him in some way, even if it was only his music.

When he passed, it was bound to invoke some attention.

However, sadly, of the 18,000 who die each year prematurely due to lack of access to health care in the US, most people do not know them. We only know of it when it is someone we know and love dies. Then we get angry, but the anger has no real vent and fades into a dull pain and resignation that the system, if it is to change at all, will not change for a very long time or at a glacial pace.

[anigbrowl]

2. Obvious flamebait is obvious

[madrchsod]

3. hard to flame the truth........

[shireen]

4. the invisible people ... thanks for recognizing them. nt

[LaurenG]

5. That is an awful statistic - but did you really have to do this now? nt

[Bucky]

7. Context sucks, huh?

[LaurenG]

8. Actually Bucky the statistic affects me personally

I am supporting someone with life threatening health conditions without health care so I know how scary this is...

[Bucky]

10. Well, first off, my deepest sympathies

I know what it's like to be hanging out there without health care because of its exorbitant price. People in my extended family hide their having to choose between medication and food. Perhaps I misread it, but it seemed like you objected to someone highlighting this tragedy that confronts millions of citizens in the world's most prosperous nation. My feeling is that it's not highlighted enough.

[LaurenG]

15. I agree that we need health care for everyone now.

I am desperate to get help for my sister and I'm in health care, and I can't get anyone to help her, so it is heartbreaking and personal. I wait everyday for help, she can't even get disability after nearly 2 years of waiting so we are screwed at my house, at least for now.

However, I feel badly that we can't mourn a man who made a lot of people happy without politicizing it. That's all... :(

[rurallib]

9. Well I feel I did.

While I feel sorry for Jackson's family I have never known him nor anyone like him.
However I do know lots of folks who are in great danger daily due to no fault of their own because of the health care system.
These folks live in daily fear of bankruptcy because of medical bills or death because of a lack of treatment.
1/3 of all the people you see on the street are uninsured or under-covered or will be rejected for a claim.
There won't be any clamor for them, just a life or lifestyle ended way too soon.

[Bucky]

6. Thank you.

[sentelle]

11. Did MJ

have Health Insurance?
Is that why the paramedics didn't get there sooner?

Just asking....

[bigwillq]

12. Very sad.

But people can mourn for both MJ or Farrah or Ed McMahon, and still have equal sympathy, and anger, for those who will die from not being insured.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

13. Maybe if those 55 people had sold more albums they could have afforded health care.

[WonderGrunion]

14. This isn't flamebait at all

It's important to remind everyone that statistics are actually people camouflaged as numbers.

[tinrobot]

16. Truth to power.

[Shallah Kali]

17. Health Industry Lobbying Tops $1.4 Million Daily - link

http://undertheinfluence.nationaljournal.com/2009/06/health-industry-lobbying-tops-1.php

http://www.commoncause.org/atf/cf/%7Bfb3c17e2-cdd1-4df6-92be-bd4429893665%7D/COMMONCAUSE_HEALTHCAREREPORT2009-1.PDF

[Phoebe Loosinhouse]

19. Using the 55 figure in the OP, that 1.4 M would have been about 25K apiece

Probably MORE than enough to have paid for their premiums and possibly their lives.

[Catshrink]

18. that's the issue.

[Forkboy]

20. Why assume the people talking about MJ don't care about this because they talk about MJ?

Enough with the self righteous, patronizing bs already, people. I don't even like MJ in the slightest, but that doesn't mean I'm not capable of following multiple news stories in one day. This kind of manipulative shit belongs in high school.