The Reel Feel For 9/26/09: Could Having Health Insurance Have Saved Her Life?
A story quickly becoming a national one sadly is the story of Kimberly Young.
Now Kimberly was basically a few months older than me, and I can sort of relate to her story. But what was her story? As the title suggests, it is a sad one. Especially when I have to use the words "was" instead of "is."
From KYpost.com, via the incomparable TPM and its LiveWire.
Young, just like me, was a recent college graduate. And just like her, I have no health insurance at this point because of being a freelance journalist at this point.
For those who can't here or see the report on the KYpost link, here is the basics of the story.
Young, who was reportedly a very healthy young lady, contracted the swine flu (H1N1) somehow, someway. Now Young was working a bunch of jobs after she graduated from Miami University (the Ohio one) in December 08. Those places she was employed through, including this one, didn't provide something very crucial to what every employee should be given, you would hope:
Now who honestly knows if having health insurance, and even affordable health insurance for proper care, would have saved her life.
Who knows?
But if having health insurance or some sort of access to health care would have saved her life, including the fact that she was normally a "fit" individual, then this is just the latest devastating case of how immoral, pathetic , and shameful our health system is.
Tears and prayers to that family in their grief. The swine flu epidemic still is rampant no question.
But the duration of an immoral system (let's not even get into the fiscal crisis it has presented us as well) has lasted way younger.
And you never know what could happen, especially if you don't have insurance in this country. Like I do, at the present time.
(For another perspective on this, here is Steve Benen.)
Now Kimberly was basically a few months older than me, and I can sort of relate to her story. But what was her story? As the title suggests, it is a sad one. Especially when I have to use the words "was" instead of "is."
From KYpost.com, via the incomparable TPM and its LiveWire.
Young, just like me, was a recent college graduate. And just like her, I have no health insurance at this point because of being a freelance journalist at this point.
For those who can't here or see the report on the KYpost link, here is the basics of the story.
Young, who was reportedly a very healthy young lady, contracted the swine flu (H1N1) somehow, someway. Now Young was working a bunch of jobs after she graduated from Miami University (the Ohio one) in December 08. Those places she was employed through, including this one, didn't provide something very crucial to what every employee should be given, you would hope:
One of Young's jobs was at Oxford's Bagel and Deli Shop. A manager there declined to answer TPMmuckraker's questions about whether health insurance was provided to employees.
Now who honestly knows if having health insurance, and even affordable health insurance for proper care, would have saved her life.
Who knows?
But if having health insurance or some sort of access to health care would have saved her life, including the fact that she was normally a "fit" individual, then this is just the latest devastating case of how immoral, pathetic , and shameful our health system is.
Tears and prayers to that family in their grief. The swine flu epidemic still is rampant no question.
But the duration of an immoral system (let's not even get into the fiscal crisis it has presented us as well) has lasted way younger.
And you never know what could happen, especially if you don't have insurance in this country. Like I do, at the present time.
(For another perspective on this, here is Steve Benen.)
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