The plight of young, uninsured Americans
[cnn-photo-caption image=http://i2.cdn.turner.com/cnn/2009/POLITICS/03/07/young.uninsured/art.breeweightroom.cnn.jpg caption="Bree Honey, of Maryland, is just one of many young Americans going without health insurance."]
(CNN) - They're generally healthy and have a long life ahead of them. The health insurance industry even calls them 'the young invincibles.'
So, what's the problem? Young adults, ages 19 to 29, are the largest age group of uninsured people across the country.
For Maryland resident Bree Honey, all she can do for her chronic back pain right now is to exercise at the gym where she works, and take Tylenol PM instead of other medicine she needs.
"I'm definitely working out right, to try and keep my strength up and to help my immune system right now. ... It's the best thing I can do for myself," Honey said.
Why? She has to put all her money toward expensive drugs for her depression - without health insurance.
"I am buying my own prescription drugs by myself. ... And I have to pay for that out of pocket every single month. So it's very difficult on me," she said.
At 20, she's too old to be covered by her parents' policy since she's no longer in school. She makes too much to qualify for public health care, but can't afford private insurance - and doesn't yet qualify for coverage at her new job.
The mighty USA dosen't care about its people any longer... and its a shame.
The GOP should be paying attention to the plight of young americans without health insurance. These young people are the same people who defeated them in the last 2 elections. Take a hint GOP, do something to help those folks, or you will meet a crushing defeat in the 2010 and 2012 elections.
maybe AIG needs to create an health care segment to their company, with 13 million people needing coverage, this would help both the insured, and perhaps put AIG on a more secure financial footing..afterall the people are continuing to bail them out, how about a little common sense here..
Government should not be running health care. This is the government that has bankrupt social security and Medicare, and the state of the VA hospitals is horrible.
Do you really want them telling you what Dr. you can see, and when, and what meds you can take. Have you seen the problems that they have in Europe, France, Canada where they have to wait for months to be treated.
The UK just told patients with stomach and breast cancer that they can't have medications for it because they cost too much. This is how you want your health care???? I sure don't!
Ok, 60% needs health need. 40%, Drurg's, Alohoe, Baby's, Guns, and likeing the County/Fed Hotel!
The Gillibrand-King affair will kill all the other political news. So who cares?
The problem is that we do not have enough doctors. we need to make medical school a 6 year program that is free to qualified high school student untill we have the number of doctors we need. every other contry does this and we import those foreign doctors to works here.
I have Medicaid and it sucks. I have been looking for a replacement internal medicine doctor since December. The 2 previous doctors were incompetent to say the least. My next appointment is April 20th, almost 3 months after i scheduled it! If we get a new health care system, i want to choose my hospital, and be able to take medicine that hasn't been pre-prescribed by Medicaid. I HATE BEING SICK!