how precarious things really are

When I wrote Picasso Burns, a few people asked, "Don't they have insurance?" or "Can't he ask for help?" Perhaps I was at fault for not being crystal clear about the situation, but I wanted to leave some things to the readers to figure out. At any rate, I had a situation very like the The Political Gets Personal--A Rant in mind when I wrote it. This is the reality we're living in today. Although the writer and her husband aren't in the same financial situation as the couple depicted in "Picasso," they very well could be. With insurance caps at $100,000 and no access to Medicaid or other similar programs, where exactly is the money supposed to come from? And how, exactly, does someone in this situation ask for help? "Hey, can you spare a half million dollars?" This was exactly the thought I had in mind at the point when Mrs. Andrews asks James if there's anything she can do to help. When the problem is that freaking huge, what can one possibly say?

At any rate, I'd urge all of you to read the rant. And if you have any ideas on options for this couple, let's hear 'em.