http://The daily kos Maybe this is why I'm for John Edwards: Single payer medical insurance now: The American healthcare meltdown has lodged itself right in the heart of upper middle class Manhattan. What is known as the Upper East Side. What is known as one of the most wealthy zip codes in the United States, 10021.

A roomful of college educated, hard working American citizens. The folks whom Bill Clinton used to descibe as the ones who "work hard and play by the rules".

I was invited to a birthday celebration last night. A group of the supposedly privileged among us. There was an uninsured Wellesley graduate, another uninsured Vasser graduate.

An acclaimed and self-employed uninsured artist. This woman is represented by a major Manhattan gallery.
A freelance writer and editor (has edited several well known books), uninsured.
A recent college graduate, uninsured and now too old to be on her Bush-loving parents health insurance.
A sixty-four year old semi-retired former teacher, waiting and hoping she stays healthy until she becomes eligible for Medicare in about a year.
Her boyfriend, a computer programmer, lost his job and his insurance. Can't afford the COBRA payments. Kinda winging it.
So in a room of about fifteen people, over half, maybe two-thirds, allegedly squarely middle class people had no access to basic healthcare.

Are all these people stupid, lazy, immoral, idiots, jerks, irresponsbile or garden variety victims of our broken system?

Lest you think this grotesque reality is unique to the Upper East Side of Manhattan, not having access to basic healthcare is a malignancy which has metastasized across our nation and burrowed deep into the fabric of our society. This doesn't even begin to address the working poor who can't afford med. ins.
medicinal Reviewed by medicinal on . What, No Medical http://The daily kos Maybe this is why I'm for John Edwards: Single payer medical insurance now: The American healthcare meltdown has lodged itself right in the heart of upper middle class Manhattan. What is known as the Upper East Side. What is known as one of the most wealthy zip codes in the United States, 10021. A roomful of college educated, hard working American citizens. The folks whom Bill Clinton used to descibe as the ones who "work hard and play by the rules". I was Rating: 5