Quote:
Originally Posted by Cimarron29414
tully,
My point in describing my relationship with this man is to enforce the fact that this is first hand knowledge. This isn't the "my brother's best friend's uncle worked at a hospital who knew a guy who came in and..."
For clarity, Randy is not homeless. He rents a room from a church. As for his bills, I could not pretend to know the exact details of how the hospital absorbed his medical bills. I could presume they were written off as an unpaid debt and that, consequently, those who receive treatment pay a higher premium for that treatment which "covers" his expenses. The fact of the matter is that, upon admission, they asked for his insurance. He didn't have any. They treated him anyway - with the best possible care.
|
Interesting story. I don't question it's truth. I would question how often that happens. Having worked with low income and no income people as a parole and probation officer I can say that's not the experience I'm used to seeing with the US health care system. What I'm used to seeing is people visiting the ER for just about everything since they can not be turned away for treatment. But that treatment is limited to making the patient stable not curing anything or long term care. Heck I've had guys on my caseload beg me not to release them from closed custody because they have a serious illness and on the street they will not be able to afford their medication(s.) Of course the answer to that is when the parole board says you leave... you leave.
I think your friend was very lucky. He may also have a collection agency or two after him. Of course if he has no reported income they'll have a hard time collecting.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cimarron29414
As for your assertion, your link provided the information I needed to better understand where you were coming from. I also agree, now that I understand where you are coming from, that my story doesn't have much relevance to your point.
I agree with you that a lack of health insurance coverage means that children with preventable issues don't get picked up in annual checkups and become serious health problems.
|
It's not just children. Many people fall into a gap where they make enough to not qualify for low income assistance. The US has the ability to provide the best medical care in the world. Many people do not have access to that care solely due to lack of ability to pay.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cimarron29414
I also agree that we should suspend ALL financial contributions to all foreign nations until our national debt is paid off and our citizens have the care our government previously committed to them (whether I agree if that's in their purview or not.) However, that means not a penny of federal money to Haiti, Somalia, the UN, Mexico, Iraq, Afghanistan etc. Are you okay with that?
|
Providing assistance to other countries should be way down on our priority list in my opinion. Should it be zero? Maybe, I don't know. I certainly think we should be taking care of our own people prior to trying to assisting other countries. From my point of view most of the time the US provides funding to other countries it comes with a price tag and often comes back to bite us in the ass. I mean we helped fund and train OBL and the Taliban when they were fighting off the Russians. Right now the US is providing Mexico with funds to help fight the "war on drugs." Under a plan called the "Mérida Initiative" the US has agreed to give the Mexican government something like 400 million to fight drug trafficking. It got it's name from the city where Bush and Calderón worked out the details of the plan in 2007. I live in Mexico. I was in Mérida yesterday. I have little doubt giving the Mexican government money and thinking it will have any positive affect is dreaming. If I had to guess I'd say at least 50% of any help provided goes directly to the drug gangs or people paid off by them. As long as there is a demand for drugs in the US there will be people ready to supply that demand.
All that said do I think we should help out during a natural disaster such as the Christmas day tsunami? Yes, but so should all other nations.