Hit 'Em When They're Down

We all know someone who is living with cancer or who has succumbed to it. My mom died from lymphoma in 1991.  She spent a year in treatment and was never able to work again.  

Back then, most coverage protected a cancer patient from financial ruin by covering most of the cost of treatment, and that was true for my mom.  She was also lucky because she was able to go on temporary disability with her employer and maintain her coverage at a reasonable cost.

Those days are over.  Today, most policies don't protect the cancer patient from financial ruin. Many jobs do not afford disability status, which means your employer can terminate you AND dump you into an expensive COBRA policy.

Undergoing treatment is bad enough -- but having to worry about bankruptcy and possible homelessness while living through chemo, radiation, etc is beyond imagination.

This video from the Kaiser Family Foundation tells the real story of cancer patients struggling to get and pay for the care they need.  It's worth watching.   We or someone we love could be standing in their shoes tomorrow.   It's past time to do something about our broken health care system.

Can't Afford That Root Canal? You're Not Alone.

There’s nothing worse than having a tooth ache and not having the money to go to the dentist. In tough economic times, dental care, eye exams and glasses are luxuries for a growing number of unemployed Americans.

Relief came to more than 1,000 people in Knoxville, TN this weekend at the Remote Area Medical free clinic where more than 1,000 teeth were pulled. Hundreds more received free eye exams, glasses, and medical screenings.

All services were donated by 350 volunteer health care professionals, students, the Tennessee State Guard and others. Lenscrafters donated the new eyeglasses.

Remote Area Medical – Pioneers of Free Health Care – operates free clinics across Appalachia throughout the year. For more information, go to www.ramusa.org.