Bankruptcy changes will effect cancer survivors

The changes passed in the Senate will make it more difficult for those who have cancer and are not fortunate enough to have good health insurance. I know survivors who have 30K+ in medical bills with insurance. Those who have no insurance would have medical bills in the 100K+ range.

In addition, survivors undergo routine CT scans to watch for a recurrence. These scans run in excess of 1K and are required every three months in my case. How can the average middle-class American be expected to survive this financially?

I am surprised no one is speaking out about this issue from a survivor's point of view.

To read more about the bill that is going to the house, click here

Here is an editorial from the Houston Chronicle:

"In principle, borrowers ought to honor financial obligations. This
bill, however, bails out aggressive lenders and treats hardworking,
financially distressed Americans as deadbeats. Credit card debt has
climbed over the past decade, with senior citizens, middle-class
families and minimum-wage earners making up a growing percentage of
the insolvent. Other studies link personal bankruptcies to medical
setbacks and the absence of affordable medical insurance.

Most of these aren't deadbeats; they're average people who have fallen
on tough times.

Responsibility works two ways. In an era of easy credit, lenders share
blame for personal bankruptcies. Industry practices such as
skyrocketing penalties and fees — the fastest-growing revenue source
for credit card companies — increasingly mire borrowers in debt.

Bankruptcy is a serious national problem. But before Congress changes
the laws, lawmakers should ask themselves whether they could meet such
an inflexible standard.

Just look at the federal budget, and you have your answer."

http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/editorial/3075552

It's probably a lost cause, but I'm still contacting my House representatives and asking them to vote against this law and writing my local papers to put a voice out there for cancer survivors.

The Dangers of Smokeless Tobacco

USA Today had a good article today about Smokeless Tobacco (aka Dip, Chewing Tobacco). Here's an excerpt:

The American Cancer Society says that smokeless tobacco users are 50 times more at risk for developing various cancers than those who don't use. Nearly 9,000 people die every year from oral cancer. Seventy percent of regular users develop lesions in the mouth, according to medical experts, with about 3%-4% developing into full-blown cancer. Pat Sullivan, who won the Heisman Trophy in 1971 at Auburn, was one of them. After three rounds of chemotherapy and 34 radiation treatments, Alabama at Birmingham's offensive coordinator is free of the cancer that ravaged his throat.

Read the full article here