Healthcare for victims of Aurora.

[nun]

I wasn't sure where to put this post, but as it poses a question about how we pay for healthcare I settled on this forum.

Here is an article about the issues with insurance and paying for the care of the victims of the Aurora shootings. Some without insurance will have costs reduced and paid for from Hospital and charity funds. Others with insurance will have co-pays waived. Is this the right thing to do? Should the way you received your injuries change what you pay for treatment?

No medical bills for some Colo. shooting victims - The Denver Post

 

[Texas Proud]

No, it should not.... But it does...

Look at all the help Joplin got because it had a big tornado... someone who had everything destroyed by a small tornado is in the same boat, but gets less or nothing....

 

[MichaelB]

From the article

Among the uninsured victims of the movie-theater attack is a 23-year-old aspiring comic, Caleb Medley, who is in critical condition with a head wound and whose wife, Katie, gave birth to their first child, Hugo, on Tuesday.

Unless this individual is wealthy there is no chance the bill could ever be paid. The hospital generates some favorable coverage by "donating" what it would never collect. It also speaks only for it's part of the cost, not any of the doctors, who charge independently.

Most health care providers charge "list" rates that are 2x - 10x higher than rates insurance companies pay. This multiple tiered pricing, with list prices sometimes ridiculously high, makes it all the more difficult for uninsured individuals.

 

[FUEGO]

Just another example that we (as a society) already pay for much of our citizenry's health care needs. It's just a matter of where the funding comes from.

As for the charity care, I recently learned that at least one of our local hospitals will waive hospital fees for those making up to 250% of the poverty level. That works out to around $67000 (that is 1040 Adjusted Gross Income) for a family of five. We just missed the cut off by a few hundred bucks and have to pay full freight (couple thousand $$) for the recent delivery of our son.

 

[haha]

If we step back a bit, it is actually absurd that individuals are ever responsible for their medical costs. Most of our exposures are in some large way generated by the society. The society should be on the hook when things go bad. Did we have maniacs going into public places and gunning down everyone they could find 100 years ago? Of course not, and this simmering rage found in too many people today is a result of modern, depraved social conditions.

We would have a quality, more affordable single payer system in place by now, if insurance and pharma and other corporate interests were not so good at shutting this down every time it comes up.



Ha

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Sure. I just don't want to pay for it.

 

[donheff]

We would have a quality, more affordable single payer system in place by now, if insurance and pharma and other corporate interests were not so good at shutting this down every time it comes up.

Ha

+1 As long as we have an idiotic health care approach providers might as well be able to garner good publicity by granting BS largess to high visibility casualties of the system.

 

[MichaelB]

Sure. I just don't want to pay for it.

I'd much rather pay for someone else's care than have them paying for mine.

 

[Redbugdave]

No, it should not.... But it does...

Look at all the help Joplin got because it had a big tornado... someone who had everything destroyed by a small tornado is in the same boat, but gets less or nothing....

Good point, Texas...Both sides suffered and lost their homes. The individual loss is equal between tornadoes, but since one got more attention and is larger, the outcome is far different. When it comes to pain and suffering, all is not fair.

 

[mh]

If we step back a bit, it is actually absurd that individuals are ever responsible for their medical costs. Most of our exposures are in some large way generated by the society. The society should be on the hook when things go bad. Did we have maniacs going into public places and gunning down everyone they could find 100 years ago? Of course not, and this simmering rage found in too many people today is a result of modern, depraved social conditions.

We would have a quality, more affordable single payer system in place by now, if insurance and pharma and other corporate interests were not so good at shutting this down every time it comes up.

Ha

Are the anarchist rampages of approx 100 years ago all that different ? They preferred bombs but other than that..

 

[samclem]

. . . society should be on the hook when things go bad.

I wish I could meet this Mr Society of whom you speak. I'd sure give him a scolding. It is well past time he went out and got a job and paid for everybody's needs, or at least the damage he's caused. He's a no-account deadbeat!

 

[M Paquette]

I predict that this thread will end badly. With bumper sticker sized aphorisms...

 

[Midpack]

As others have said, why should these victims be treated or publicized any differently than the victims of senseless, random shootings than take place all over the country weekly/daily? I suspect the friends and families are equally devastated. As a society we can be hard to understand...

 

[ziggy29]

As others have said, why should these victims be treated or publicized any differently than the victims of senseless, random shootings than take place all over the country weekly/daily? I suspect the friends and families are equally devastated. As a society we can be hard to understand...

We do seem to be rather selective when it comes to showing compassion.

 

[Bikerdude]

As others have said, why should these victims be treated or publicized any differently than the victims of senseless, random shootings than take place all over the country weekly/daily? I suspect the friends and families are equally devastated. As a society we can be hard to understand...

Gunshot victims are routinely treated at public Hospitals every day. No one is turned away.

 

[haha]

We do seem to be rather selective when it comes to showing compassion.

This thread points the way to a good solution. No compassion for anyone!

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Gunshot victims are routinely treated at public Hospitals every day. No one is turned away.

Why even surrogate babies for couples in other countries are taken care of. Since the baby was born in California. Hows that for compassion! I get a warm and fuzzy feeling all over about that.

 

[obgyn65]

I predict the same, unfortunately.

I predict that this thread will end badly.

 

[Gumby]

Waiting patiently.

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Anyone who brings out bacon is a scholar and gentleman/woman.

 

[NW-Bound]

Talk of bacon reminded me that I have not had prosciutto for a while.

Melon is in season. Need to get some prosciutto to go with it.

Hey, doesn't the photo below make your mouth water or what?

PS. This being the "Health" subforum, it occurs to me that the above dish is very low calorie, hence healthy compared to bacon. Why, if you could afford to get fat eating expensive prosciutto, well, that would impress me!

 

[Notmuchlonger]

Oh geez had so much of that in Italy. Do you know how hard it is to get good old American bacon in the Uk? Fortunately I had connections to visit a military base to procure such necessities.

 

[NW-Bound]

Yeah, but did you get fat? Don't tell me you can get it a lot cheaper in Italy than here in the US. I have been there too, though it has been a few years.

Anyway, you are right that sometimes while traveling, I would have a craving for cheap old greasy American food. McDonald's burgers tasted the best for me while in Europe. And I swear, after eating expensive Spanish ham for a few days, I craved regular American ham on a sandwich. But regular bacon, sorry, I have never felt the urge.

Hey, don't distract me from my immediate goal of "melon and prosciutto"! I am going out to get it tomorrow at Trader Joe's.

 

[Bestwifeever]

Thanks for contributing, everyone.

Porky Pig Cartoon Ending "That's All Folks!" - YouTube