Thousands of Americans die every 9/11 due to lack of health insurance

[Proud2BAmurkin]

If we're going to fetishize and wallow over tragic 9/11 deaths, let's focus on them for a change.

[TallahasseeGrannie]

1. Thousands?

Honestly?

[Democrat 4 Ever]

2. I read the figure somewhere (sorry, I don't remember where)

that every year 26,000 people die from lack of health insurance and access to health care. I remembered this figure because one of these days I will be one of those statistics. Just stuck with me.

We have got to elect Democratic candidates. Eight times as many people a year die from lack of health insurance as one day in September. If those figures are correct - 130,000 people have died since 9/11 just from no insurance - where is the outrage?

[TallahasseeGrannie]

3. Sobering figures

[Hugin]

5. Good point! I think this warrants a 'crockuganda' expose on the...

A-ll B-ullshite C-hannel!

Good job!

[jdlh8894]

4. Not sure what your point is.

Would you rather be standing in line at a free clinic or in line trying to go down steps at World Trade II when the plane hit?

[Generic Other]

6. That's not the point

The point is that no one cares about the deaths caused by terrorists in the government who refuse to give us universal healthcare a basic human right that citizens in this country who have worked their asses off for so many generations have a right to expect.

[jdlh8894]

8. Still don't see the point

My understanding is that Medacaid covers those that have no insurance ,and that it is funded by tax dollars. Am I wrong?

[Lindacooks]

9. Yes you're wrong.

Medicadi has limits on adult eligibility.

"Over 45 million Americans were without health insurance in 2004. Since 2000 the number of uninsured under the age of 65 has grown by six million. Employer-sponsored health insurance has decreased by five full percentage points, covering 66% of the nonelderly in 2000, but just 61% in 2004. Public insurance, both Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program, has filled this gap for children but not for adults - who accounted for all of the growth in the nubmer of uninsured since 2000."

http://www.kff.org/uninsured/7451.cfm

Oh, and the number of children who are uninsured has now started growing, thanks to the chimp and his 'compassionate conservatism'.

[RaleighNCDUer]

13. Yes. You are wrong.

Medicaid covers many poverty clients, but most people who lack insurance are the working poor.

There are tens of thousands who cannot afford health insurance who do not qualify for Medicare or Medicaid. They don't fit the age requirements, or the income requirements, but neither can they buy independent insurance.

That was one of the welfare reform problems - if people got off welfare and got a low-wage job, they'd no longer be eligible for government health - either medicaid or medicare - but the low wage job would not offer insurance and private insurance was out of reach.

My sister is a licensed massage therapist, and makes a decent income - better than I make as a state employee. But I get health insurance. She gets paid by medicare by some of her clients, but she, herself, has no insurance because private insurance would suck up nearly a third of her income and she couldn't live on the remainder. Because of her income, she is not eligible for government assistance. She is one catastrophe away from being destitute.

[Democrat 4 Ever]

7. How can you equate the two? Of course I don't want to be on a

stairwell in the WTC. But I don't want to die from a completely curable disease just because I can't afford reasonable health care, either. And FYI - I don't have a free clinic in my neck of the woods - good for you if you do.

My point is people are dying. Neither way is very pleasant but if one death could be prevented shouldn't we be just a tad outraged that our government officials just step over the bodies on their way to cashing their special interest checks?

[jdlh8894]

10. To the OP

People die every day. Whether it be by illness ,accident,suicide,etc. Why try to blame something that we have no control over?

[Name removed]

12. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[jdlh8894]

14. ?

Do you have any control over your health care?

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

16. So, Jdlh.

We just spent hundreds of billions of dollars on Iraq. Because a bunch of idiots think that Iraq had something to do with 9-11.

If we'd just spend a fraction of that money we'd save the lives of thousands, and thousands of Americans.

You do care about Americans, don't you buddy?

[Name removed]

18. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[jdlh8894]

19. Yes I do

More than you will ever know. You made a nice post,but there was no answer to my question.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

20. Well, if you do...

I mean, if you really do, not just saying you do because it makes you look better...

Then you'd be fully supportive of national health care. And you wouldn't pretend that you don't understand this thread.

[jdlh8894]

21. Look better?

Not my intention at all. (But I will say,for a 53 yr old Hippie,I look pretty good)

[RaleighNCDUer]

15. National Healthcare woud give us exactly that control.

The private insurance companies who fund the campaigns against national healthcare are what we have no control over.

[Proud2BAmurkin]

17. I'd rather be going down the WTC steps than agonizing from cancer pain

I'd rather have a building fall on me than 6 months of agony

[G_j]

11. 18,000 Americans die for lack of health ins. every year.

(probably the most accepted figure, but I bet it is much higher)
link: http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/healthcare/2002-05-22-insurance-deaths.htm