Last Wednesday (9/23), Kimberly Young, 22, a
recent graduate of Miami University in Oxford,
Ohio, died of swine flu.
On Friday, the Dayton Daily News reported that
Young put off seeking treatment because she had
no way to pay for it. "That's the most tragic
part about it. If she had insurance, she would
have gone to the doctor," said Brent Mowery, her
friend and former roommate.
("Reported swine flu victim remembered for her
passion," Dayton Daily News, 9/23/09;
http://www.daytondailynews.com/news/dayton-news/reported-swine-flu-victim-remembered-for-her-passion-315472.html)
Now TPM notes that Young was a constituent of
Rep. John Boehner, who's in the forefront of
the GOP's crusade to thwart healthcare reform.
Their judicious summary is worth quoting:
"It's by no means confirmed that Young's death
was caused by a lack of insurance. Even assuming
the accuracy of what her roommate's mother said
-- that she resisted treatment because of the
lack of insurance -- there's no way to be sure
that timelier care could have saved her. (The
mother did not give her last name to the news
channel, making it difficult for TPMmuckraker to
contact her ourselves. And Young's parents' phone
number is not publicly listed.)
"Still, if Young's lack of insurance did
contribute to her not seeking treatment sooner,
it would be hard to find a starker or more
compelling example of the need to fix our broken
health insurance system. And the fact that she
was a constituent of the man who's leading House
Republicans' in their effort to block reform only
underlines the point."
("Boehner Constituent May Have Died of Swine Flu
Because She Lacked Health Insurance,"
http://tpmlivewire.talkingpointsmemo.com/2009/09/boehner-constituent-may-have-died-of-swine-flu-because-she-lacked-insurance.php?ref=mp
So is there any quantitative evidence that swine
flu is more dangerous here, where millions don't
have health insurance, than it is where
healthcare is regarded as a human right, and
everyone's
insured?
Yes. A friend has sent me this:
The HFR (hospitalization fatality rate) in
Canada, which has universal healthcare, is
reported to be 5.43%.
1400 hospitalizations
300 ICU
76 deaths
76 รท 1400 = 5.43%
(See paragraph
#6:
<http://www.canada.com/news/national/Health+officials+must+assume+worst+case+scenario+with+swine+Expert/2033774/story.html>Health
officials must assume 'worst-case scenario' with
swine flu: Expert)
The HFR (hospitalization fatality rate) in the
United States, which does not have universal
healthcare, is reported by the CDC to
be 9.42% since the 2009-2010 flu season data was
initiated on August 30, 2009, and 7.40% since the
H1N1 outbreak began in April of 2009.
He adds:
A simple crossing of a border produces 37% to 71%
more deaths from H1N1 per hospitalization.
That border is between the United States and Canada.
(See image #3, U.S. Influenza and
Pneumonia-Associated Hospitalizations and Deaths
from August 30 - September 19,
2009: <http://www.cdc.gov/h1n1flu/updates/us/>CDC
2009 H1N1 Flu | 2009 H1N1 U.S. Situation Update)
Both parties better listen up. Universal healthcare is the only way to go.
MCM
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