Medicine
If you're a fan of competitive cycling, like I am, you may have read Lance Armstrong's compelling memoir "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life." A little-known fact is that soon after being diagnosed with a highly aggressive form of testicular cancer, Armstrong, having recently switched cycling teams, found out that his new sponsor's health insurance would not pay for cancer treatments because they considered his illness to be a pre-existing condition. Even though Armstrong was a wealthy world-class athlete, the cost of these treatments would have nonetheless rapidly depleted his considerable savings. Fortunately for him (and us), a personal appeal to his sponsor resulted in a quick reversal of the decision, permitting Lance to undergo arduous treatment, emerge a survivor, and win the Tour de France 7 straight times from 1999 to 2005 and finish 3rd in a comeback this year to raise awareness for his cancer foundation.
Most uninsured or underinsured Americans aren't so lucky. In contrast to public perceptions that the 47 million uninsured are either unemployed and destitute (and therefore actually eligible for Medicaid) or young, healthy people who choose to be uninsured to save money (see this recent Washington Times editorial), 3 independent national health surveys have found that 2/3rds of the uninsured are employed adults, more than half of whom earn less than 200% of the poverty level (less than $37,620 for a family of four in 2003). For example, although Wal-Mart recently came out in support of an employer mandate to provide health insurance, in 2006 they only provided insurance to 46% of their employees.
- Poverty And Uninsurance Diverge: So Let’s Solve The Problem!
. Wyandotte and Johnson counties form the Kansas side of the Kansas City metropolitan area. Wyandotte, mainly Kansas City, KS, where I live, is an old “rust-belt” inner city, packing-house industrial city, and is the poorest county in Kansas. Johnson,...
- Medicaid Expansion Is In The Eye Of The Beholder
To supporters of the Affordable Care Act, legislative expansion of the Medicaid program is a welcome financial and health care bonanza for states and uninsured patients. To the ACA's detractors, Medicaid expansion is a hostile government takeover...
- Pink Ribbons Don't Cure Breast Cancer
"I used to believe that a mammogram saved my life," begins breast cancer survivor Peggy Orenstein in a revelatory New York Times Magazine story that every woman (and man) should read before making personal decisions about screening for cancer. Although...
- End The War Metaphors For Cancer Screening And Treatment
Like millions of cycling fans all over the world, I was very disappointed about revelations that 7-time Tour de France champion and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong had been using banned performance-enhancing substances for most of his career, despite...
- Guest Blog: Two Steps Forward For America's Health
Danielle Ofri, MD, PhD is the author of three books about her experiences as a general internist at NYU School of Medicine and serves as editor-in-chief of the Bellevue Literary Review. The following post originally appeared on her blog on May 27, 2010....
Medicine
Who are the uninsured?
If you're a fan of competitive cycling, like I am, you may have read Lance Armstrong's compelling memoir "It's Not About the Bike: My Journey Back to Life." A little-known fact is that soon after being diagnosed with a highly aggressive form of testicular cancer, Armstrong, having recently switched cycling teams, found out that his new sponsor's health insurance would not pay for cancer treatments because they considered his illness to be a pre-existing condition. Even though Armstrong was a wealthy world-class athlete, the cost of these treatments would have nonetheless rapidly depleted his considerable savings. Fortunately for him (and us), a personal appeal to his sponsor resulted in a quick reversal of the decision, permitting Lance to undergo arduous treatment, emerge a survivor, and win the Tour de France 7 straight times from 1999 to 2005 and finish 3rd in a comeback this year to raise awareness for his cancer foundation.
Most uninsured or underinsured Americans aren't so lucky. In contrast to public perceptions that the 47 million uninsured are either unemployed and destitute (and therefore actually eligible for Medicaid) or young, healthy people who choose to be uninsured to save money (see this recent Washington Times editorial), 3 independent national health surveys have found that 2/3rds of the uninsured are employed adults, more than half of whom earn less than 200% of the poverty level (less than $37,620 for a family of four in 2003). For example, although Wal-Mart recently came out in support of an employer mandate to provide health insurance, in 2006 they only provided insurance to 46% of their employees.
- Poverty And Uninsurance Diverge: So Let’s Solve The Problem!
. Wyandotte and Johnson counties form the Kansas side of the Kansas City metropolitan area. Wyandotte, mainly Kansas City, KS, where I live, is an old “rust-belt” inner city, packing-house industrial city, and is the poorest county in Kansas. Johnson,...
- Medicaid Expansion Is In The Eye Of The Beholder
To supporters of the Affordable Care Act, legislative expansion of the Medicaid program is a welcome financial and health care bonanza for states and uninsured patients. To the ACA's detractors, Medicaid expansion is a hostile government takeover...
- Pink Ribbons Don't Cure Breast Cancer
"I used to believe that a mammogram saved my life," begins breast cancer survivor Peggy Orenstein in a revelatory New York Times Magazine story that every woman (and man) should read before making personal decisions about screening for cancer. Although...
- End The War Metaphors For Cancer Screening And Treatment
Like millions of cycling fans all over the world, I was very disappointed about revelations that 7-time Tour de France champion and cancer survivor Lance Armstrong had been using banned performance-enhancing substances for most of his career, despite...
- Guest Blog: Two Steps Forward For America's Health
Danielle Ofri, MD, PhD is the author of three books about her experiences as a general internist at NYU School of Medicine and serves as editor-in-chief of the Bellevue Literary Review. The following post originally appeared on her blog on May 27, 2010....