Stupid Headline of Day: Uninsured Twice as Likely to Die from Cancer than Insured

[ShaneGR]

Well color me confused. Let me get this straight, if I have cancer and I have insurance I can go to the doctor and I live. If I don't have insurance and can't afford insurance I die twice as much. AMAZING! WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT THAT COULD BE TRUE? Wow, hardworking journalists really figuring out this stuff eh? lol

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/22332573/

[Deep13]

1. I read that in Duh! magazine.

Or was it in No Shit Quarterly?

[ShaneGR]

4. Actually, that was in "Tell Me Something I Don't Already Know Weekly" nt

[lisainmilo]

2. Oh My!

:rofl:

[ailsagirl]

3. What's that again????

:crazy:

[BridgeTheGap]

5. Let's see - is there a connection? Hmmmmm? n/'t

[Lisa]

6. so now there's a scientific journal called "Annals of the Stunningly Obvious"?

Wow, I really must subscribe.

[flashl]

7. ...

DU Post here
After reading the entire article, you will find the following:

There are also people who are underinsured, Brawley said. While these people have access to care, high co-pays and deductibles make the care unaffordable, particularly high-priced chemotherapy drugs, he noted.

"Where it becomes frightening and morally reprehensible is people who have significant pain and can't get narcotics and other pain medications they need, because they can't afford them," Brawley said.

People don't realize they are underinsured until after they have gotten sick, Brawley said. "There are a substantial number of Americans who don't realize they are a cancer diagnosis away from economic disaster," he noted.

...

The remedy to the problem is "making sure that everyone who wants health insurance can get affordable health insurance," Brawley said. "In this country, we need to have an open conversation about this issue."

One expert thinks this study highlights the need for a health insurance program that covers everyone.

"Sadly, many Americans must face the challenges of cancer with no insurance coverage, or with Medicaid, which is often grossly inadequate as coverage," said Dr. Steffie Woolhandler, an associate professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School and a co-founder of Physicians for a National Health Program.