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This is a true story about a man and woman I know. It’s an American tragedy, similar to those faced by millions of Americans each year because of our costly, inefficient for profit healthcare system.

The woman is a small business owner who operates her business out of their home. That’s her only option, since could not afford business lease and mortgage or rent both. Last year she learned she had cancer and needed surgery, chemo, the whole nine yards.

He was employed as the senior accountant at a company that provided their health insurance. He tells employer of wife's cancer. Two days before her surgery he is let go. No reason given. He never received any negative feedback from his employer about his job performance before he was let go. Forced to start paying for COBRA Insurance (that is, continues on his former employer’s policy, but now must pay full cost of premiums), which more than doubled their cost.

He couldn't find a job in his profession right away (he's over 50) so he went to work for a major supermarket chain store because they offered health insurance after 90 days.

Wife goes through surgery, radiation, chemo, etc. Post treatment, she is required to take an expensive drug for the next 5 years to prevent recurrence of cancer. Money drain is so bad she has to put up #Gofundme site. Also receives some money from charity to help cover medical expenses.

Man quits supermarket job because he finds a 6 month gig job in his field that promises health insurance if they decide to continue his position after 6 months. Takes job because pay is much better. They continue with expensive COBRA insurance because that was their best option. ACA exchange policies in their state were far more expensive, and they already had met their deductible under COBRA. Any ACA exchange policy they chose would have increased premium costs and they would have been back at square one.

After six months, gig job ends, contract not renewed and so the man goes back to work at same major supermarket chain store as only option to get cheaper health insurance while he looks for job in his field. Becomes known as great employee, and is named employee of week award for customer service. One day, he goes on break. Gets drink and tries to scan it at self-checkout. Drink won’t scan. Calls over head cashier. She tries to get it to scan. Drink simply won’t scan. They continue to talk about situation. After a while, both forget he hasn’t paid for it and he goes on break and cashier he spoke to about this issue returns to work.

Security calls cops on him. Cops arrest him, handcuff him and perp-walk him out of the store, even though cashier backs up his story, even though he has money to pay for drink. Why? Company policy. Police take statements, view store video, decide no crime committed and release him without any charges, but …

Store manager says he is suspended for violating company policy. Nothing she can do. Promises to do her best, but his case is bumped up to corporate because – company policy. Two days go by, and then he receives word that sorry, but can’t have his job back. ZERO TOLERANCE says corporate means ZERO TOLERANCE. So, he loses job and chance at cheaper health insurance.

Man and woman cannot afford to continue paying COBRA policy and mortgage on their home and her place of business. These are the choices facing them. She risks return of cancer because can’t afford medical care, or she risks losing business. What would you choose?

This is happening every day in America. The fact we do not have cheap universal coverage like every other civilized nation on earth means people are making terrible choices like this every day. People who have insurance still end up using Gofundme to beg for money to cover the high costs of their medical crises like cancer, kidney disease, autoimmune disorders, heart disease, diabetes – you name it. People must stay at low paying jobs because they can’t risk losing crappy healthcare by opening their own business, or looking for a better job.

US people pay more for their healthcare than anywhere else in the world. And our healthcare outcomes are getting worse, not better. People avoid going to doctors because of high deductibles. People are turned away at ER departments, and are refused care if providers think they can’t afford the cost. This happened the other day in Florida to an African American mother who died from complications after giving birth because paramedics refused to take her to a hospital in their ambulance because they were concerned she couldn’t afford their bill.

These are preventable tragedies, but we are not preventing them because politicians refuse to pass single payer. Why? Because they depend on large donations from #BigPharma, large insurance companies and other for profit health care providers. We could have better, cheaper care like the people of Canada, Denmark, Norway, England, France, Germany – the list goes on and on – but corrupt politicians in both parties refuse to pass a bill that would give us true universal coverage. We know #SinglePayer would save us money. Yet still these bribed, corrupt political parties refuse.

For all of you who oppose #MedicareForAll because it’s “socialism,” or because you live comfortable lives and you don’t see or care about the suffering of millions of your fellow citizens, how do you live with yourselves? I hope you never have to face the choices so many other Americans face every day because we don’t have cheap, universal healthcare as a human right.