Snappy newsletters. Simple Facebook sharing. Spirited comments. Sweet features are waiting… GET THEM NOW!

Did Our Health Care System Kill Jay Bennett?

Musician's death has scary implications for the rest of us

By Evann Gastaldo,  Newser Staff

Posted May 26, 2009 12:06 PM CDT

(Newser) – The death of 45-year-old musician Jay Bennett, former member of the band Wilco, is “intolerably sad”—but its implications about our current health care system are also “downright scary,” writes the Cajun Boy on Gawker. Bennett, fired from Wilco in 2001, sued the band’s frontman earlier this month for $50,000 in unpaid royalties—possibly because he needed money to cover a hip replacement surgery.

On his blog last month, Bennett confessed he was bedridden, unable to move forward with the surgery because he was “among our nation’s under-insured” and would need to pay out-of-pocket. “We hate to get all political at the time of a man’s death,” writes the Cajun Boy, “but if a well-established musician/producer couldn’t afford the health care he needed, what hope does that leave for the rest of us?”

Jay Bennett is shown in a photo from his MySpace page.
Jay Bennett is shown in a photo from his MySpace page.   (MySpace)
Jay Bennett is shown in a photo from his MySpace page.
Jay Bennett is shown in a photo from his MySpace page.   (MySpace)
Jay Bennett is shown in a photo from his MySpace page.
Jay Bennett is shown in a photo from his MySpace page.   (MySpace)
Jay Bennett is shown in a photo from his MySpace page.
Jay Bennett is shown in a photo from his MySpace page.   (MySpace)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
To report an error on this story, notify our editors.
A snapshot of the day's best news stories.
 
COMMENTS
Showing 3 of 4 comments
voiceofreason
May 26, 2009 6:17 AM CDT
Look, if your waiting for a perfect solution then you got a long road ahead of you. I see no reason to continue to use a failing health care system is not perfect. We need to move foward now, and work out the bugs as we go... your Voice of Reason has spoken.
Snowleopard
May 26, 2009 6:01 AM CDT
If you read the article, it says that that problem is that he's "under-insured". I know a few people who have paid thousands each year in insurance, and then they get hurt, and the insurance doesn't cover such a large percentage of the costs that it still practically bankrupts them. The problem is that the more insurance companies deny service to people, the more money they make. There shouldn't be a profit motive to deny treatment.
Snowleopard
May 26, 2009 5:58 AM CDT
I agree. I hear so much about the long waits and bad service in canada, but I call BS... I've been to the doctor there a couple of times, including once for a broken arm, and the treatment was as good if not better than my experiences in the US (phoenix and portland).

More Newser Stories

Health Reform Insured 2.5M Young People

Book Scuttles Obama's Health Care Story

129M Americans Have Pre-Existing Conditions

Major Health Care Reforms Kick in

Bastards! Health 'Reform' Isn't Worthy of Name


NEWS FROM OUR PARTNERS
Other Sites We Like:   24/7 Wall St.   |   Betty Confidential   |   BuzzFeed   |   Cracked   |   Fark   |   Timelines   |   The Frisky   |   Geek Sugar   |   NewsOne