If well known, well off, high profile people like Lederman get wiped out by ill health and no one cares just think how much worse it must be for the more average person. I really enjoyed his "God Particle" book. RIP.
My dad, making an upper middle class wage in a low cost of living area with good insurance, was almost bankrupt by the end of it. He had to borrow money from his siblings to bury my mother. On top of that, he is the kind of guy that makes /r/personalfinance proud. If someone like him that shuns most luxuries and makes a top 10% salary in the US can have his bank account decimated in under 2 years, I shudder to think about the 90% of people that make less than him and have less self-control.
As a society (US) we HAVE to solve this problem. Our healthcare system is a disaster from top to bottom.
absolutely crazy what we have become here. and i thought this stuff was only happening in 3rd world countries (like russia) where world known scientist live in poverty conditions.