Broken Health Care System - How Many More Have to Die?

Until now I have been fairly quiet on Health Care Reform, but no more. I am constantly bombarded by other people's opinions.  For instance, one opinion that I seem to hear alot is:  I don't think I should have to pay for someone else. WAKE UP!!! You are already paying for health care for the uninsured!

Here is my story. On February 10. 2003 I got a call from my sister who sounded horrible. She was at work (note: I said she was at work) . I suggested she see a doctor. She responded that she could not go to the doctor because of she did not have insurance.

On February 14, 2003 I got a call that my sister had been rushed to emergency. That evening she was put on life support were she remained for 6 weeks and eventually died. Long story short, my sister contracted pneumonia that turned septic in her body. Her final hospital bill was $635,000. After she became incapacitated, Medicaid decided to insure her. Medicaid picked up less than half of the bill. In other words, we the taxpayers picked up about half her bill through Medicaid. The rest of the bill was written off by the hospital.

And, how do you think hospitals and doctors recoup the money they write off? I can tell you -- FROM YOU AND ME!! They do this by raising costs. So we all end up paying for the uninsured. Did my sister have the right to life? Of course she did! By the way, my sister was only 51 years old. She left a disabled daughter who has Cerebral Palsy. Who do you think would have paid for her care, if I didn't take her?   Again, ALL OF US because she would have gone into a state facility.

 We need to stop the needless dying of our fellow Americans and stop over paying for the uninsured.  I don't think President Obama's plan is a panacea for our country's broken health care system, but it's a start. How many more people have to die unnecessarily  before we get health care reform?