Names of the Dead

My older sister, Vonnie Petrin died of colon cancer in 1966. It was a shame, because of the lack of a health insurance plan. She was on Basic Health Plan of Washington State. They automatically took her off, because she supposed turned 65 and was suppose to get on Medicare. However, they had her birthdate wrong. Medicare refused accept her, and The Basic Plan of Washington refused to accept her back. She went without any medical care until she was declared terminal. Then Hospice Care of Washington took over. Vonnie was denied xray services, medicine, & surgery. She had no choice but to stoically accept her fate. It was a cruel ending to a life of service to her 7 children. I could not believe that two health plans were dueling over why they would not provide any medical care for her until each had proven who was right. It is a vile story being played out daily throughout this country. When you are on the outside of the medical services available, it seems you are helpless. When you are fortunate enough to have good medical care it all seems too easy. Thus we become complacent and rather non-caring in our attitudes toward those without any way to obtain medical care that makes sense. Something better than always going to emergency care centers in Hospitals. You are invisible to all those others Americans who have medical care or provide medical care.