There is a very good piece by Jeffery Levi in the Huffington Post discussing how our fragmented public health care system may not be able to serve the unemployed if the flu outbreak spreads.  “If large numbers of Americans start getting very sick and start flooding into hospitals and health care facilities, our system will really be in for a test. Our health system could be overrun in a very short period of time,” writes Levi. The risk to individuals without health coverage becomes a risk to everyone if the uninsured can’t get prompt treatment.
 
If you are uninsured and either you or a family member has symptoms of the flu contact your local health department for further information and be assertive about getting treatment if you need it.
 
—Reggie James, Director of Consumer Union’s Southwest Office