I often ask myself are the deaths from breast cancer up because of the insurance companies and I'm beginning to think the answer is yes. I have always had insurance but if I still had Blue Cross PPO and had to go through all those treatments I would be bankrupt. These past 5 years I have an HMO and now they are even telling me what I can and can't do. Where is the freedom there? How many people are denied treatments because their HMO says no? How many people are terribly stressed trying to figure out if they are covered by their insurance or not? How many people are saying they had to buy food and can't afford insurance? Do you realize that there are uninsured people who call the paramedics once a week to take them to the ER for something minor? Do you know how long you might have to wait in the ER because of this? And we are paying for it! My daughter (she's 25) pays $240 a month, $2500 deductable in insurance because she has a pre existing condition, allergy induced asthma to cats, which has only gotten better over the years but the insurance company doesn't care, they just keep raising those premiums. My girlfriend who went through treatments for cancer 20 yrs ago pays $350 with a $4,000 deductable. So her insurance kicks in after she pays $8,200. Is that fair? She has been cancer free for those 20 years. I'm sorry