They say an apple a day keeps the doctor away; yeah well so does having no medical insurance. Many of you reading this right now may be thinking I?m only kidding but the alarming fact is that 43.6 million American?s are walking around right now with no medical coverage at all. That is nearly 16 percent of our nation who sacrifice their annual physicals and rely on self-diagnosis of minor ailments, which may be indicative of bigger problems. I only know this because I?m one of those who haven?t been to the doctor since my college housing required it and I have yet to jump through all the hoops it takes to obtain a reasonable coverage program.

Is this possibly the latest hobby for thrill seekers? The latest craze for those who like to live on the edge? No, in fact I would emphasize the fact that with no medical coverage I?ve become quite the germophobe and will rarely be found without my two best friends instant hand sanitizer and my big ol? can of Lysol. The time I spend each week on WebMD and the money I lay down for my vitamins is a story for another day. The sad thing is I was never like this prior to acknowledging the huge out of pocket costs that accompany an uninsured visit to the doc. I was never afraid of cutting my hand open on a piece of unbroken glass or to nervous to drive during rush hour traffic in fear of risking an accident which would surely involve major injuries.

So maybe I?m exaggerating a little on that last one but the point here is with no medical insurance, you can either watch your back or pay the gianormous fees that doctors are allowed to charge. Of course you will then have to watch your back from all the creditors who will be out to get you and just might do things to you that doctors can?t fix. What is even more worrisome is the types of occupations that do not offer medical coverage these days and the growing number of people being required to insure themselves. A brief study (involving me walking around the mall with a clipboard- and looking very official might I add) exposed that its not just part time retail workers who have to scrounge the bottom of the bargain barrel for leftover HMOs.

The list included occupations ranging from a drycleaner?s store manager (who had to buy her own coverage) to a fellow writer for a local newspaper. Respondents who toped the list however included a pre-school teacher (I was under the impression that a job of that service would most definitely merit some form of benefits) and a construction worker (but as long as he never gets sick and only gets hurt on the job he?s perfectly safe)!

We are so lucky to live in a country where all the best technology and medical research are at our dispose; unfortunately the flip side of that coin makes these resources virtually inaccessible to so many of us. Lets face it though, not all ailments just ?go away? and Nyquil may indeed help you get your Z?s but it certainly won?t do the trick against any form of meningitis. Sometimes, you just have to break down, throw up the white flag and make a visit to the doctor or even worse, the dreaded emergency room. Now I?ve had my fair share of jaunts to the ER and don?t get me wrong, I would never complain about the care and attention I received, the doctors and nurses in those places put up with more than I could ever imagine. But from my experiences I will say that the ER is one of the few places where even in today?s politically correct atmosphere, judgments fly and assumptions are a way of life.

Sure there are some alternatives such as a doc-in-the-box or free clinic but in the absence of insurance even these can get pricy. For those out there who weren?t in the mood to wait out that stabbing pain on the right side of your lower abdomen or didn?t have enough chewing gum in the house to fashion your own cast when you broke your ankle don?t be afraid to reach out and ask someone for some assistance.

Find someone to contact because aside from becoming Canadian citizens and signing up for their free health insurance it looks like our only other option is to sit tight and wait for Congress to come to our rescue with a bill forcing employers to cover their employees (better not hold our breath on that one). For more information on who you may contact, just follow the link and I wish you all the health (and hand sanitizer) in the world.