Ed Hinerman, a life insurance specialist with the Hinerman Group, was posed an interesting challenge recently. For years he has successfully found affordable life insurance for many adults with type 1 diabetes, but he had never been asked about life insurance for children with Type 1 diabetes until now.

After speaking with underwriters in the top 40 or so companies, he found a discernible lack of interest due to lack of data. Companies would say that they couldn't consider someone with type 1 diabetes until they were either age 15 or age 20. A peer in the industry told Ed the knee jerk reaction was because insurance companies haven't done mortality studies on children. They simply don't have any data upon which to base the pricing for products. Uh oh!! That coupled with the fact that there really isn't any financial incentive for them to study and create products for a relatively small market that would produce relatively low premium, kind of sets the tone. Well, now the war has been defined and the battles are becoming clearer.

When Ed contacted the ADA for assistance in this matter - hold your breath (it's a shocker!) - they turned a cold shoulder on a diabetic's need. What if the diabetic's parents were doing what so many families do - and trying to buy a whole life policy to help pay for their kids college someday? It's really not fair! Here's where fair begins -- Ed asked me to gather some facts it will take to get the insurance companies attention. Does anybody have any idea of the mortality rate of children after being diagnosed with type 1 diabetes?

Bottom line. Life insurance companies make big money and for them to cut and run from children just because it might not make them more big bucks, or because they really haven't done their homework and aren't interested in doing it, isn't acceptable. Game on! I hope we can make a good showing, at the very least - hit one out of the park for the fans. Thanks for inviting me to play, Ed!

After living with diabetes for over 50 years, and witnessing few changes in the treatment of the disease, Brent Hoadley has written Too Profitable to Cure.

Distressed that the cure is no closer now than when he was diagnosed, at the age of 14 -- Hoadley took it upon himself to find answers. He notes the current state of healthcare for those who suffer from chronic diseases, and contends that profit, not humanitarianism, is driving American healthcare. As an entrepreneur and an investor, he is aware, and appreciates the profit motive that drives capitalism. However, he feels the bottom line should not interfere with the pursuit of a cure. With pragmatic drive, he identifies culprits and urges activism as a countermeasure.

Diabetes is only one shining example of the pharmaceutical industry's criminal pursuit of profits. Patients' health, patients' lives, patients' freedom-all are fair game in the quest for limitless wealth and unbridled power.

The question of evening news and print advertisement for pharmaceuticals is posed. Is this marketing speaking to doctor's in lieu of doctor's reading unbiased research? Or does this research derive from the very company making the pill? Hoadley reveals pharmaceutical sales reps now supply more education to physicians than they obtained in medical school. In other words, Big Pharma has climbed to the top of the totem pole; medical professionals stubbornly cling to their subordinate position; and the poor patient (pun intended) supports the entire structure. Do I need to tell you that the support is vulnerable and under attack? Whether it can remain viable is, or should be, a question of great concern.

Too Profitable to Cure is available online through Hoadley's site. Scott Strumello had turned me on to Brent Hoadley after he posted an Open Letter to Eli Lilly and one of the comments left was from Mr. Hoadley, himself. Definitely worth checking out! Thank you to Scott for the great find and to Brent Hoadley for putting it into words for us!