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My husband just had a friend who died of prostate cancer at age 60. I assure you this person had the best health insurance avaliable in US today. There is a very good chance that if he had seen a doctor for regular screenings that he would be alive. I agree that people delay treatment and even go without treatment due to lack of health insurance. There is however a group that delays treatment due to a fear of doctors and medical things in general. My husbands friend was one of those. His symptoms had tobecome very alarming before he finally got himself into a doctor. Then it was to late. One thing that came out of this is that frightened my husband and he got himself in for a checkup. His friend died a very difficult death and it was a very terrrble thing for his family also.
Oh the high deductibles! My DH during one year of cancer treatment had over $15,000 in copays and deductibles. I had to get a PT job in addition to my FT job to help cover those costs plus be there for him. It was really tough for us all. I wanted to cry when I had to leave him for job #2. But it taught me to save, save, save as not to be in that predicament again.
HM2VikingRN, RN
4,700 Posts
http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm5621a5.htm?s_cid=mm5621a5_e