In my state, Influenza is now supposedly "Widespread". The number of reported cases approach a tenth of a percent of the general population in some areas. The news media, however, apparently does not find this to be terribly newsworthy. Their stories are focusing in another area; the effect of influenza on hospital admissions.
WFSB News, located in Hartford, says that ten percent of emergency room visits are from people with influenza symptoms. In the previous two seasons, the percentage never topped eight. Over nine percent of hospital visits are from patients with pneumonia. This percentage usually does not top six percent. Of course, WFSB is a CBS station and, as such, is part of the mainstream media. Therefore, these high percentages are attributed to a seriously terrible pandemic, something on the order of the Black Plague, perhaps. I see a different story, untold.
Democrats are not focusing much on the CBO report estimating that tens of millions of people will lose their health insurance under Obamacare. This statistic, however, hit my family and a few others whom we know personally. Our insurance premium doubled for Year 2013 to 12% of our income. Unable to afford the expenditure, we had to switch to an Obamacare-friendly catastrophic plan. (Long story. Needless to say, if we want a doctor's office appointment, we have to pay the entire thing ourselves.)
Now, I have needed medical help once for influenza, and other members of my family have had pneumonia problems several times over the years. We did not once go to the hospital. Who needs to? The doctor's office can diagnose and lay out a treatment plan with no problem at all. So who goes to the emergency room for something that can be treated at the doctor's office?
People who cannot afford healthcare.
We already know that healthcare spending is on the decline, yet the cost of actual healthcare has not waned. This piece of information fits into the same puzzle. Obamacare was supposed to lower healthcare spending. Now we know how.
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