Who are the underinsured?
The problem of the underinsured is “the sleeping giant of the US health care crisis” [said EINO in 1996, way before Moore’s “Sicko” dealt with this issue.]. There are several classes of underinsured, all of whom can be threatened by not being able to obtain absolutely necessary and urgent medical treatment. It is the sleeping giant, because it includes virtually all of us, hard-working, basically healthy Americans. Sleeping giant because it is unrecognized and virtually unmentioned in the popular press. Any worker can easily find themselves temporarily out of work and then suddenly ill (or one of their family) who then has a pre-existing non-insurable major, on disability and the with cancelled employer-based insurance but with a chronic condition, which they subsequently will find no insurer is willing to include in coverage. Charity care has never been able to fill the gap with high quality care and specialist referral. Even after the promises of GW Bush charity care has never entere
