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Someone else falling through the cracks in our health care system
Posted: Nov 29, 2009
Someone diagnosed with acute gallstones and no insurance. Specialist is refusing to do surgery unless she can pay for the surgery up front. Shameful. 
falling through the cracks - ll
[ In Reply To ..]Why is that shameful? Doctors are just like everybody else. They like to be paid for the work that they do. Just like YOU!!!
It is shameful because no American should - Colleen
[ In Reply To ..]be without health care because of lack of insurance or money. This person needs surgery, is in pain and has to report to ER's for "bandages" of pain meds instead of treating the problem. THAT is SHAMEFUL!
The patient can't go to another doc that would treat him/her? - Backwards typist
[ In Reply To ..]I'm sure that's not the only doctor that does surgery.
It is a shame that some docs put money above care, but it happens; then again, maybe the doctor is afraid the patient would sue if something were to go wrong if he treated him.
Something else to think about...his malpractice insurance. Maybe there is a clause in there that doesn't allow him to treat patients without insurance.
I'd like to know the WHOLE story before I really make a judgment on it.
The dictator was still looking. Having said that, - Colleen
[ In Reply To ..]it apparently was the "policy" of that office to not do surgery without the money up front. I guess my point was that, IMO, this should never happen. No one should ever be refused care due to lack of insurance or inability to pay cash. If no other doctor is found, this pt will just have to continue to go to the ER, which could easily end up costing as much or more than the surgery to fix the problem. IMO, people should come before profits.
People before profits - Backwards typist
[ In Reply To ..]I agree with that statment but after reading the health care bill, it still does not put people first.
It still protects drug companies and insurance companies. It doesn't even protect the doctors from malpractice suits (sp-sorry long day)).
Malpractice/uninsured patients - NJ
[ In Reply To ..]I don't see the connection...?
NJ
So who is going to pay? - anon
[ In Reply To ..]Do you have the money to send him to get this surgery? I don't, and neither do a bunch of other Americans who are not employed or spend a ton of money on health insurance for themselves and their families. AND it should not be our responsibility to take care of every American who won't get health insurance. As one poster said he should find another doctor. There are other options for him instead of just telling the country he is refused care because he doesn't have insurance.
Family, credit cards, charity. In our town there was a car wash and someone was having a bake sale/yard sale to collect donations for some girl whose family does not have a lot of money to help pay for her surgery.
It's sad that this happens, but raising my insurance premiums so I can help pay for this guy is not the answer. What happens then when Julie, John, Mary, Roger, Bill, Steve, etc, etc. etc need surgeries? Raise my rates, again and again and again.
Socializing the entire health care system is not going to fix this problem. And even with the plan they have going there are still going to be millions without insurance. He need to find another doctor that will perform the surgery. They are out there. I used to work for a hospital in CA and we had patients who did not have health insurance (my transcription department was in the same office as the medical coders) and they were never refused treatment. There were a lot of them as most of the people in town were unemployed. So there are doctors and hospitals who will treat people without insurance.
Maybe this guy should have spent as much time looking for an alternative rather than running to the news media with this story.
You are entitled to your opinion. However, I think - Colleen
[ In Reply To ..]that it is our responsibility as Americans to make sure that all of our own are cared for. Other countries do it, and in a variety of different ways, but they find ways to make sure that their people are taken care of. To be living in the richest country in the world and still have people in situations like this IS shameful. It should not be happening, especially not here. Period. End of story.
Like Canada, they have great health coverage - .....in Montana!
[ In Reply To ..]nm
But that is NOT the end of it. There are other problems - not politically correct to address?
[ In Reply To ..]I work in a Dr's office. We see in certain families a sort of inherited view of complete satisfaction without self responsibility or any guilt to find ways to live off the Govt...over and over again. They find ways to use the system, and the working taxpayers pay for THESE people..over and over again. They continue to have children they cannot afford. Many come in with four or five kids, when they apparently could not even afford the first one. So, because we are such a caring country, the rest of us are to be responsible for children? Yeah, that's what we do, but SHAME on these so-called "adults". It should be a crime what THEY do. The truly helpless should be helped..and the truly poor can get Medicaid, but there is tons of abuse, also tons of frivilous lawsuits that the ambulance chasers advertise for...even on TV.. disgusting. These problems also need addressed to help the system.
I just don't think we'll ever agree on this and you are entittled to your opinion too - see message -anon
[ In Reply To ..]For me there are several factors that come in play with our system. There are people who can afford insurance but decide not to get it, and those who are poor and cannot afford it. There is also a lot of abuse in the system. There are also many many lawsuits that should not be happening but are.
There could be ways to help those who really need help. Actually I think there is - Medicare/Medicaid. And not every other country runs their health care the same way and what works for one country is not necessary good for another.
However, it is NOT our job (yours, mine, moms, dad, siblings, etc to pay for people who we don't know because they won't pay. I may be my brother's keeper, but I am not the keeper of some guy who I have no idea who he is who lives across the state that doesn't, won't, or can't pay for his own insurance. The government needs to find some solution to that, but again it is NOT, I repeat NOT our responsibilities as Americans to make sure we pay for everybody else who will not pay. Period. End of story.
P.S. - If you and others like you feel the way you do, then I suggest maybe they start up a separate fund and tax you and others who feel the same way you do an extra amount to help pay for those you are talking about it, but don't tell me it's my duty to pay for thousands and thousands of people I don't know, don't want to know, so they can get health care for free.
There are other options and congress needs to be looking at other options. Not taxing us more. Between all the other extra taxes we now have to pay I just don't have any more to give. Okay, now... Period...End of story.
I read an article last night ~ sm - Anoni~
[ In Reply To ..]Do you know that the US spends $300 million a year to support AIDS clinics, medications and patient suppot ~ in Vietnam alone? We send millions to other countries for healthcare as well.
Who pays for this healthcare for foreign countries? Yeah, we do.
Our country can no longer afford to be everything to everyone in the world. Let them fight their own wars and take care of their own people, and lets get ourselves on track.
It's sad when there has to be a big fight over homeland aid, but we as a population never are asked our opinions on foreign aid. I'm not without compassion, but I do believe that the job of the US government should first and foremost be to take care of the citizens of the US!
I didn't know this... - anon
[ In Reply To ..]I did not know we spent that much. I also didn't know we spend millions to other countries for healthcare. Guess that's why the other countries, as one poster wrote, "make sure that their people are taken care of" (yeah, with our money).
You are right on - we cannot afford to be everything to everyone in the world. We need to start withdrawing some of that money and start using that to pay for healthcare for our citizens. It's bad enough when I know my tax money is going to the most idiotic pork funds here (like Pelosi's marsh mouse, or building tunnels/bridges for turtles to safely cross the road), and it infuriates me to know that my tax money is being spent so someone can study why gay men in Brazil don't want to wear condoms after they've been to some bar, but to hear that we are sending other countries money for them to have health care in their country just really chaps my hide. I'm with you. I have compassion, but American needs to take care of our own citizens in this country. Not the people, government. Meaning withdraw all this frivilous money we sent to other countries, stop the war, stop sending Iraq money when they have a stockpile of it and don't need ours, and stop sending money to other countries so they can have healthcare while we do without. Use that money for the people who need health care here.
I agree to a point. If this is not one of those - people
[ In Reply To ..]who could have afforded insurance and chose not to purchase it. The US is full of irresponsible people who can well afford insurance and choose not to be covered.
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