I couldn't agree more that our health care system is badly broken and it's because we allow the companies paying the medical bills to make a profit. In fact, they are contractually obligated to try to make as big a profit as they can for their shareholders. That is just fundamentally at odds with receiving good quality care. And we should all be up in arms about it. There are a lot of people that think things would be worse if health care were run by the government but the fundamental difference is there wouldn't be that root-level conflict of interest between profit and good care. Yes, government programs can be messed up, but they could hardly be more messed up than our system is right now.

That said, my insurance company has been remarkably good, so far, about paying for everything, including out of state second opinions on things. Maybe it's because I was diagnosed with two cancers at once and they know if they mess up with me I could become a really good newspaper story about the heartlessness of insurance companies, I don't know. But I have really not had to do much fighting with them about coverage. And for that I am *extremely* grateful!

Nelie