http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411588_uninsured_dying.pdf

http://tinyurl.com/qx76sw

In 2002, the Institute of Medicine (IOM) estimated that 18,000 Americans died in 2000 because they were uninsured. Since then, the number of uninsured has grown. Based on the IOM’s methodology and subsequent Census Bureau estimates of insurance coverage, 137,000 people died from 2000 through 2006 because they lacked health insurance, including 22,000 people in 2006

Other important figures:

52 Million Uninsured Americans By 2010

25 Million Adults Are Underinsured; Number Up 60 Percent In 4 Years

But you’re right, it is quite sobering and I hope people don’t lose sight of that no matter what their position is on health insurance.

If you really cared about having a discussion instead of flaming me, you would have found out that actually, I am angry as heck about the Obama plan and like you, am disgusted with most politicians. So now, how are you going to insult me since I agree with you?

Or, with your rank and file answer to what I directed to last week, is it more important to support policy by a party, or support a policy that makes sense to those affected by it? Your reply to what I offered was lame and rude, and that is dissappointing from one running a blog that is allegedly raising concerns for those invested in health care/mental health care issues.

In the end, blogs are opinions, and like opinions being like anal sphincters, everyone has one but you don’t necessarily want to hear it. This is a gray debate, and the extremists on both sides just ruin it for the majority in the middle.

Screw democrats and republicans. They are out of touch with the needs of the many. And the voting public is either too clueless or have an agenda that is outside true reality to rise up and do better.

Or maybe you will impress me with a well thought out rebuttal or elaboration of what Dr Coburn has written. Doubtful, but hopeful.

Skillsnotpills
board cert Md and independent voter

Here is the link on the 18 million

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/healthcare/2002-05-22-insurance-deaths.htm

It actually might be more since I think this report refers to 2000. You know things haven’t improved.

Why is that so hard for you to believe that since about 45 million people are uninsured?

And please don’t give me the argument that people chose to go without. Even if they can afford it and are choosing not to, if god forbid they have a major illness, the companies will find some excuse to rescind their insurance.

I’ll give you that his statement that hospital’s charge nothing is a bit clueless, that in fact hospitals do charge, but the real end point is do they collect.

But, for Dr Bremner to dismiss so trivially the comments of a specialist who provides care to those who are indigent and in need as children, to me, shows how entrenched and rigid on this issue he is. And that is both sad and pathetic, and probably should wake me up to reconsider visiting this blog site hereon.

I know in my heart depending on the government to be in control of health care is a poor choice. In the end, health care decisions should be between patient and physician, and third party involvements should be few and far between. I won’t be back to see what opinions follow this, but I hope readers who read on see what is based on reason, and what is based on extremism.

Good luck to you all in this moment of potential disaster. pray for hope and reason prevails!