Stop the presses! This just in from Yahoo News. Incredibly, lack of health insurance keeps people from getting care–Diabetes Care Thwarted by Unstable Health Insurance: Study
Among patients with continuous insurance, 48 percent received at least three lipid-screening tests during the three-year study, 25 percent received three or more flu shots, 72 percent received three or more blood glucose screenings, and 19 percent underwent three or more screenings for kidney damage.
Patients with interrupted or no coverage received far fewer of these preventive health services, the investigators found.
“Our study shows that patients need continuous health insurance coverage in order to ensure adequate preventive care, even when that care is provided at a reduced cost,” study author Rachel Gold, an investigator with the Kaiser Permanente Center for Health Research in Portland, Ore., said in a Kaiser Permanente news release.
Even if consigning our fellow citizens to blindness, amputation and early death is the right thing to do in Aynrandia, it’s very bad for the USA. Diabetes, for unclear reasons, is now an epidemic. If the disease were not so ubiquitous and gradual people would be more afraid of it. If mercy is not a word we are allowed to use in political arguments, consider enlightened self-interest. Preventive care today can keep people healthy and working. Neglecting public health leads to suffering and depletes our national strength.
Kmareka.com 
One of my comments from another blog:
Just hours ago, I spoke with two people who both have BCBS “cadillac” health insurance. Some of the best policies you can get (without being in congress), and both pay about $80-$100 per week for this. Both people are also filing for bankruptcy this week, due to medical bills.
As soon as you or a dependent becomes seriously ill, the out-of-pocket costs will far outrun your ability to pay.
There’s huge profit made in the business of death and disease.
No matter what the political arguments about healthcare are, it’s still immoral to bankrupt these people for being sick or dying.
The system does not care what your opinion of the cost is. The lobbyists and corporate executives have no interest in your well-bieng. The system only cares about perpetuation of the status quo and maximizing profits.
The two I mention above are not irresponsible people. They have worked hard, made their payments on time and been good Americans. One is a liberal, the other is an evangelical conservative.
The ‘system’ does not discriminate.
Doctors can discontinue your care when it becomes bothersome and time consuming. Health insurance providers can discontinue your coverage.
It is an immoral and out of control monster.
I’m sorry to hear that. Add ‘stupid and wasteful’ to immoral. I know that you know firsthand how much labor it takes to care for people. Giving more care to prevention is the right and smart thing to do.
If only we had a public option!
D’oh!
For sure. Let’s rename it the ‘American Strength and Security Option’ and try again. Don’t want the Canadians to start something while we’re all coughing and sneezing.