Twelve-year-old Deamonte Driver died of a toothache Sunday.from The Washington Post; full story at link.A routine, $80 tooth extraction might have saved him.
If his mother had been insured.
If his family had not lost its Medicaid.
If Medicaid dentists weren't so hard to find.
If his mother hadn't been focused on getting a dentist for his brother, who had six rotted teeth.
By the time Deamonte's own aching tooth got any attention, the bacteria from the abscess had spread to his brain, doctors said. After two operations and more than six weeks of hospital care, the Prince George's County boy died.
Deamonte's death and the ultimate cost of his care.... could total more than $250,000....
As a country, we should be ashamed that even one person dies from a treatable bacterial infection. As a country, we should be on our knees begging God's forgiveness that a child died of a bacterial infection caused by an abscessed tooth.
That child could be yours or mine; that parent could be you or me. It takes so little to be kicked out of the privileged land of the insured and into the ranks of the serfs who have to wait for their handout from the feudal lord. One job loss. One extended illness. One financial hardship.
Deamonte Driver could be any of us, or any of ours.
Think really hard about this when you go to the polls.
I am so frustrated that our country won't take care of the sick in our country, but will send money all over Earth for everyone else. My son needs to have his tonsils taken out, but we can't afford it. The upped our insurance so much that we can hardly afford it. My husband had to get a second job just to pay the monthly fees. Then the deductible is so insane that we can't even get a minor surgery done for our 4 year old. I am fed up with how the US handles healthcare or should I say how the won't handle it, but instead allows the HMO's and PPO's to handle it. But they like money so much they just raise the prices! I must say I am sick and tired of big businesses running the USA rather then the people!
ReplyDeleteI'm even more frustrated that our government takes so much money in taxes that people can not afford a $80 dentist visit. And yeah agree on the money overseas part too. This woman died because she was off medicaid and was in "waiting" of sorts: http://dentalcool.blogspot.com/2009/11/michigan-lady-without-medicaid-dental.html
ReplyDelete