Names of the Dead

Russell Edward Lane, 34, and my best friend, died Aug. 2, 2006, in Springfield, Missouri. - - Russell died of a heart attack because he had no health insurance, and didn't qualify for low-income assistance due to the fact that he earned too much money, $10 per hour as a house painter. He was too rich by government standards for public help, too poor and in the wrong industry for private insurance through his employer. - - In the months before he died, Russell felt light-headed and his legs hurt when he climbed ladders at work. He couldn't breathe well, and had no energy. Sure signs of heart trouble. - - Always a smart man, Russell sought help from the local medical clinic. However, because he had no health insurance, the clinic made Russell wait weeks before treatment to approve him for cash payment, the money for which Russell had in his bank account. - - During that wait, Russell felt worse and worse. Finally, a trip to the emergency room provided X-rays that allegedly showed his lungs were healthy and there was no chest blockage. - - Yet, Russell died within a week, still not approved for the local medical clinic's cash-for-care plan. - - His autopsy revealed seven small blood clots inside Russell's lungs, one of which had broken away and caused a massive coronary failure. Those problems could've been discovered if he received proper medical help. - - Sadly, Russell died merely because he had inadequate health care. If he had the same insurance coverage provided members of Congress, he's still be alive today. - - Thanks to incorrect advice received during an ad hoc emergency room X-ray visit, and the poor policies of a local medical clinic which refused to provide care for a man in need who had cash rather than formal health insurance, Russell Edward Lane died well before his time. - - In his wake, Russell left a fiance and her two children, as well as friends and family, all who wish Russell was here today, making us all laugh and brightening our lives with his smile. - - To those who failed to save Russell by refusing to provide adequate medical care, thanks for nothing. I hope you never have to see your loved ones die because some medical clinic bureaucrat will not accept cash money instead of insurance for treatment.