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And just WHO is it that thinks that we should all have government health care?anneboleyn (1000+ posts) Sun Dec-19-10 08:19 PM
Original message
I can't believe this -- Medicaid is eliminating funding for organ transplants. "Go home and die."
This was discussed on 60 Minutes tonight, as part of a general story about the states and the terrible cuts being made across the board -- devastating our public education, pensions for state workers, and healthcare for the poor, elderly, and disabled. As another poster noted, 60 Minutes didn't address the corruption -- the rich, as usual, getting tax cuts and avoiding penalties while the poor and middle-class suffer miserably as the states make "hard decisions" -- "hard decisions" that always impact the poor and middle-class, of course.
In Arizona (this started in November), Medicaid will no longer fund organ transplants in a large number of cases, considering transplants to be "elective surgery." Yes, *elective surgery.* A 36 y.o. father who needed a heart transplant due to a childhood illness was told he needed to raise his own funding for the procedure, as Medicaid would now no longer pay for his heart transplant. Sure, a Medicaid patient will be able to raise his own funding for a heart transplant! I have no doubt that other states will follow AZ's lead in this matter to help "reduce costs."
Now go home and die, all of you poor and disabled.
This is an automatic death sentence. How can this happen? And people aren't in the streets here, in our own country, over these devastating, literal life-and-death decisions being made by our state governments? It's just so depressing. I know our healthcare situation is just terrible, but this I find especially dismal. It is a clear, open, brutal attack directly on the poor and disabled, effectively informing them that if they are in need of an organ transplant, they are not worth the money and should just go home, shut up, and die. I can't believe what is happening -- healthcare is being destroyed for the poor. And the slashing silently continues.
NOT the Republicans........it's the liberals who want MORE of this.
But of course they blame Republicans/conservatives because government doesn't have an open checkbook financed by "the rich".
Every other country that has largely universal/government health care has limits in place about what they will cover.......and mechanisms to decrease cost........like needing to wait for months for routine procedures as well as life threatening illnesses.....yet they think the US will be any different?Lithos Lead Moderator Donating Member (1000+ posts) Sun Dec-19-10 08:21 PM
Response to Original message
1. Just another GOP death panel...
Nothing new here...
This reinforces what conservatives have been saying, but they have to twist it to blame conservatives.
According to them it's a problem because the rich don't pay in enough. And as the costs go up and up it will get to the point that it is no longer affordable even soaking the rich..............leading to refusing treatment for costly cures and attempts to save lives. Unintended consequences and all that.
anneboleyn (1000+ posts) Click to send private message to this author Click to view this author's profile Click to add this author to your buddy list Click to add this author to your Ignore list Sun Dec-19-10 08:23 PM
Response to Reply #1
3. Yes, literally, a death panel. They are effectively telling these patients to die.
In these cases the denial of care leads clearly to death; they can't even argue that treatment is "experimental" or "unproven to be effective" or the usual nonsense.anneboleyn (1000+ posts) Sun Dec-19-10 08:24 PM
Response to Reply #2
4. I am truly horrified by how literal this has become. Be rich, or die.tblue37 Donating Member (1000+ posts) Sun Dec-19-10 08:40 PM
Response to Reply #4
9. Yet when Alan Grayson pointed out that this was the Repuiblican
health care plan--"Don't get sick--and if you get sick, die"--people squawked as though he had stepped on someone's mother!Newest Reality Donating Member (808 posts) Sun Dec-19-10 08:32 PM
Response to Original message
5. Another one of the flashing lights that
goes along with disturbing trends indicating that the human resources, (people) are falling in value as we speak. The value of non-wealthy, means-of-production units is depreciating quickly. Sell!
It is not hard to imagine that this is going to continue and increase to the point that we will see some less obvious method to the madness we assume.
Imagine rather quickly solving the problem of dwindling resources, climate impact and biosphere degradation, and then creating a virtual Utopia with what's left. Now, how would you do that? ;)anneboleyn (1000+ posts) Sun Dec-19-10 08:36 PM
Response to Reply #5
6. My thoughts also. The poor who can no longer work will essentially be put to death.
If they are so unfortunate as to need any healthcare from the great protection of the "state."That's right....more high quality government health care.truedelphi Donating Member (1000+ posts) Sun Dec-19-10 08:39 PM
Response to Original message
8. In California,if you are on County paid insurance, you are treated
quite well if dealing with the normal day to day stuff. If you fall and break a bone, or come down with pneumonia, you will be given good care.
But if you should need to see a specialist, there is a typical nine month wait, as "Anthem" Blue Cross doesn't provide enough specialists for this program.
So if you need a neurologist, you might end up having the stroke the neurologist might have prevented, had you seen them in time.
Same situation in terms of seeing the heart specialist.
And all the while Anthem gets to pocket the monies the state legislature allows them to have.
Originally Posted by m00
