Cancer may not understand about insurance, but hospitals and doctors don't seem to care whether or not cancer understands about insurance. They don't provide care to people who can't pay for it. That's why about 18,000 people in the US die each year for lack of health care coverage.

He has a much better chance of getting the care he needs, if he does have something serious, if he waits until his trial period is over to get a diagnosis than he does if he gets one now. If his insurance company finds out about a diagnosis that happened before the end of the trial period, they won't pay for his care, and the cancer wins anyway. If he waits until after the trial period, then he has a fighting chance of getting his insurance company to pay for it, although that's hardly certain.

JtS and I are without access to insurance because of pre-existing conditions, so I live with this reality every day. I definitely am hoping that Obama's health care proposals succeed.