Who controls our healthcare?

Here in America, pretty much the Insurance company dictates the kind of healthcare you get.  In an ideal world, the healthcare professional makes that decision but reality is far from ideal.

Take my friend Jasmine's situation.  Jasmine had a strong family history of colon cancer so her doctor strongly advised that she gets a colonoscopy at the age of 43.  But her insurance company would not pay for it since 50 and older is the "approved" age for an insurance covered preventative colonoscopy.  A year later she developed some lower GI symptoms so her doctor ordered a colonoscopy.  It was discovered that her colon was almost entirely blocked by a big tumor that turned out to be malignant.  It was surgically removed 3 days later but the cancer has already metastasized to the liver and lungs.  Even with aggressive Chemo and Radiation therapy post surgery, the cancer on the liver and lungs did not respond.  2 years later since the initial discovery of the colon cancer, Jasmine passed away from respiratory arrest.  The metastasized cancer on her lungs just occupied much of her lungs that she could not breath properly.  She went to bed one night and was comatose the next morning.  She died later that noon.

The sad thing about Jasmine's story was she got a colonoscopy too late.  Had she gotten the colonoscopy a year before the discovery of the cancer, she could have gotten the cancer removed earlier before it metastasized to her liver and lungs.  It could have very likely saved her life.