In the last few days three things happened that graphically illustrate why health care reform cannot wait, and that those of you who think you are secure with your health insurance should rethink your sense of security.
Friday October 2 – The US Department of Labor announced that the economy lost 263,000 jobs in September. This brings the number of jobs lost since December 2007 to 7.2 million. Most of these people probably obtained their health care coverage from their job.
Friday October 2 – All Johns Hopkins University employees who are enrolled in the Blue Cross HMO was notified that the university (the largest private employer in Maryland) was dropping the plan from the set of options for health care coverage, leaving them to select from other more expensive options.
Saturday October 3 - New York Times communist, Nicholas Kristof, reported on the case of David Waddington, a 58-year-old wine retailer in Dallas. As reported by Kristof, “Mr. Waddington has polycystic kidney disease, or PKD, a genetic disorder that leads to kidney failure. First he lost one kidney, and then the other. A year ago, he was on dialysis and desperately needed a new kidney. Doctors explained that the best match — the one least likely to be rejected — would perhaps come from Travis or Michael, his two sons, then ages 29 and 27. Travis and Michael each had a 50 percent chance of inheriting PKD. And if pre-donation testing revealed that one of them had the disorder, that brother might never be able to get health insurance.”
Still feel secure about your health care access?
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