I just received an hysterical call from my daughter who is 24 years old. It seems that her best friend was just diagnosed with stage two breast cancer. I found out that her friend ignored the lump in her breast she found this summer because she had no health insurance. She just landed a job that provided some, and went to the doctor.
My daughter has many friends that are artists, graphic designers, musicians, and fashion designers. She attended the Md. Institute College of Art, and graduated with a class full of talented and creative souls. She was lucky that the job she has includes health insurance and even luckier that she is employed in NYC where there is an association that tries to offer some type of health insurance to this perpetually underinsured group. The Freelancers Union is the only option for many of her friends, since many of them are considered freelancers (or permalancer if they work there for years) even if they are working the same hours as the permanent employee sitting next to them.
However, one must still carve out the money for such coverage, not easy when starting out in NYC in a creative career that low-balls bids and stalls as long as possible to pay them what they are rightfully owed. This is on top of college loans that rear their ugly head as soon as the ink on the diploma is dry. So, lumps that are found are ignored. Coughs linger and turn into pneumonia. Routine check-ups, immunizations, and oral health care are skipped.
So a 24 year old gets a diagnosis of stage 2 breast cancer. She had to make a choice about going to a doctor without insurance. Since she was already living on ramen noodles with two roommates in Brooklyn, what was left to cut out of her budget? She couldn't afford to even pick up the lowest option @ the Freelancer's Union. So she waited.
We watch over our children worrying over them as they move through each of life's stages. It is supposed to be a relief when they graduate college and make their way into the world. Instead, this country tells its kids that they are not a valuable resource and that spending money on a public option is not worth the return on investment. These kids trusted the incoming administration to keep their promises and worked their fingers to the bone to get them elected. They are still waiting.
This morning, my daughter's best friend found out she has breast cancer. We need to do better.