At least twice in the week before his fatal heart attack, Chilton experienced shortness of breath and chills while cutting grass. But he did not seek medical attention, Kersting said, in part because he had no health insurance.
Alex Chilton Was Uninsured At The Time Of His Death
The artists and freelancers are particularly hit hard by the cost of health insurance. Since they don’t have an employer through which to purchase health insurance, they’re pretty much screwed (except for the Freelancers Union). Hopefully the “health insurance exchange” will help alleviate the financial barrier to health insurance.
This is the second legend in the music world in the past few months to die uninsured– Vic Chesnutt was also uninsured and faced huge medical bills.