My mom died because she had lost insurance when she was laid off and wasn't able to get it again because she had preexisting conditions. Even though she felt like absolute crap, she didn't go to the doctor until it was too late. They still wouldn't do anything because she had unpaid medical bills from a previous situation. She was waiting for a 401k payout to pay off the past bills so she could go to an appointment to try to pinpoint the issue. She died on either Saturday night or Sunday morning. The check arrived Monday. While the test wouldn't have made a difference at that point, if she hadn't been denied insurance, she would have gone to the doctor almost a year earlier and would have been able to do something about it.
The real kicker is that she died in November 2013. Obamacare took affect in January 2014, and she was lined up to get insurance then because insurers could no longer deny her coverage based on her preexisting conditions.
I could say a lot more on this topic but apparently the grief and pain of thousands of people isn't enough to change the mind of those staunchly opposed to universal health care.
I'm so sorry to hear that. It really is sickening how many people don't see health coverage as a moral issue, and would rather protect lower taxes for the wealthy and insurance companies instead of actually caring for and preserving the lives of citizens. I wouldn't be surprised if the number is actually much higher than 13%, but many aren't even aware that someone they know has died due to being unable to afford a treatment that they needed. I will go so far as to say that opposing one's right to treatment that they medically need is immoral.
