Does having health insurance determine whether you live or die?

My nephew had a minor motorcycle accident and while his injuries are not life threatening, he was on a blood thinner that has kept him in the critical intensive care unit since the tuesday after Mother's Day, with kindey failure, the heart enlarging and a blood clot in one of his lungs. Well he has very good health insurance and his mother is a retired RN. My nephew is in one of the major trauma hospitals in central NJ and is fighting for his life. Since he has been in the ICU almost all of the patients that were there since he arrived and some that came after him have died. Many of them (because this is an inner city facility) have no health insurance and no family members that can be at the hospital 24/7. I honestly feel that if my nephew didn't have a constant family presence and the fact that my sister-in-law is a RN, he would have been dead days ago and would not have received the attention he has. What is your opinion?
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So sorry to hear of your nephew's accident. I will be praying for his speedy and thorough recovery. Thank goodness this boy IS insured and that he has family and friends who love him and a mother with medical knowledge. Sadly, there truly are countless children and adults who are un(der)insured, and who may not receive the same level of service that your nephew has received. However, if their situation is truly life threatening, then a hospital can NOT deny treatment (they must stabilze). If, however, their condition does NOT (quite literally) immediately threaten life or limb, the hospital can (and frequently does) deny treatment until suitable financial arrangements are secured. For good or ill, the bottom line is that the all mighty dollar drives American healthcare. One way to empower yourself in this situation, is to get involved by lobbying your congresspersons for any changes in health care that you think would have possibly benefited the children whose deaths you witnessed during your nephew's stay in the ICU. Perhaps, when your nephew has fully recovered, he would have an interest in joining you in your efforts, as well.
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