Medical Costs End 48-Year Marriage »
Posted By ameliog 1 year, 2 months ago in Business & FinanceRudy Friece and his wife, Emily, married within a year of dating. It was a simple civil ceremony at a courthouse in Liberty, Ohio on Rudy's 21st birthday.
Nearly 50 years later, following two children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren, Rudy Friece had to divorce his wife of 48 years (who has since passed away). The reason? There was no other way for them to afford her chemotherapy treatments, which wouldn't be provided to her if she remained married.
After learning from a friend that by dissolving their marriage Emily could qualify for Medicaid, the couple walked into a drugstore, picked up a guidebook on dissolutions and then marched into an Ohio courthouse in February 2005, their $75 divorce petition in hand. "He [the judge] told us, 'This was the first. I've never given anyone a dissolution that had been married this long,'" Rudy Friece recalled.
The Frieces are part of a small but growing number of elderly or low-income couples who have felt the need to dissolve their marriage in order to qualify for government-funded health coverage for a sick spouse.
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ameliog
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gwk2001a1 year, 2 months ago
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Just the kind of result you will see if you elect McCain. He wants to further deregulate health care and do away with employer sponsored health plans. This places, he says, the patient in charge & with a tax break everything will be OK. Have you ever tried negotiating with a giant health insurance carrier (insurance company or HMO or PPO) about rates? Look up "Contract of Adhesion". Have you ever tried to negotiate the price of an appendectomy or colonoscopy with a surgeon or hospital?
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McCain is out of touch with reality.
I worked in the Insurance industry for 30+ years and also as a regulator for nearly 10 years.
The current financial mess is enough to convince anyone with more than 3 brain cells that deregulation does not work.
It's time for a different approach-
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sd1 year, 2 months ago
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Just as an FYI most of the deregulation occured under the Clinton administration. Also health care is the largest business sector in the US and you want to socialize it? Really because the government (Dems and Reps) do such a good job at running everything else. Why not turn over my health to them? :) Good Day!
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MABARKER56781 year, 2 months ago
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Those with insurance don't get it.Wea re a middle-class family with excellent credit(thus far-that remains to be seen with what all is going on) and we cant afford insurane!My husband has his own buss.Don't qualify for help but have no money to buy our own,so I for one would like to see health care for EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!!
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katrina11181 year, 2 months ago
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Actually yes, I have negotiated rates with doctors, x-ray labs, and hospitals. I have done this for myself and my elderly grandfather. All were very accomodating. My grandfathers medical providers agreed to accept exactly what medicare paid and waived all of his co-pays. I myself had an MRI that was billed to me for $800 cut in half to $400. I've had co-pays for emergency rooms that were $100.00 cut in half. I do it all the time. So yes you can negotiate rates quite easily I must say. All you have to do is try.
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Cutwould1 year, 2 months ago
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Oh Please....since you can't blame Bush for this you try and push it on to McCain? Medicare rules like the one that is responsible for this sad story have been around since Medicare's inception...BT THE DEMOCRATS! You libs never get it right.
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URBS1 year, 2 months ago
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I agree. Let's not forget though that first salvo in this finacial mess is bad mortgage debt. The largest single reason for mortgage forclosure is medical debt followed by a predatory industry. My point is McCaine is really out of touch on even the prime first cause let alone the more recent issues.
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commonsenseamerican1 year, 2 months ago
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Blaming McCain for problems within the healthcare system show that you are both uninformed and brainwashed by the liberal media. One person cannot create this mess.It takes years. Hillary Clinton promised to fix the healthcare system but I guess she was too busy trying to keep track of Bill's extra curricular activities for 8 years and couln't accomplish what she promised. Anyway if you are dumb enough to elect Obama healthcare, the ecomony et al questions will be mute. The terrorists will be back and you won't have much to worry about. Remember, the Iranians held our hostages a long time when Democrat Jimmy Carter was president. It's funny how fast they were released when Republican Ronald Reagan was inagurated. Maybe you should brush up on your history and you will be able to get to the root of the problem.
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Georgia501 year, 2 months ago
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Why would you assume that the insurance industry would be the exact same animal whether it was employer-provided or not? Clearly there would have to be changes in the way health insurers do business. Rather than compete for business with the HR Director, who brings in employees held hostage to his or her decision, insurers would be forced to compete directly with the healthcare consumer. The paradigm shift would have them behaving more like automobile insurers than current healthcare insurers. And its likely that state insurance commissions would compel them to offer insurance products that were compatible to the employer-provided arrangements we now have.
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Standingtall1 year, 2 months ago
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Must everything be blamed on Macain? It was 12 years ago that my brother and his wife thought about getting a divorce so they would qualify for Medicaid. Guess who the President was?
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Yes, it was Clinton. The problems now were not brought on by Macain. -
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bigurn1 year, 2 months ago
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No. These people made conscious decisions their entire lives. They also made a decision to divorce. They have a personal responsibility, and there are other ways to achieve the same objectives without divorce. I owe them no sympathy.
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mamafig1 year, 2 months ago
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DEAR GWK,
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WHEN WAS THE LAST TIME YOU WERE IN CANADA WITH THE DREAM HEALTH CARE YOU SO DESIRE, I HAVE:
1. YOU CAN ONLY GET ONE REPLACEMNET PER LIFETIME...ONE KNEE, ONE HIP, IF YOU HAVE IT DONE EARLY YOU DON'T GET ANOTHER
2. YOU WILL WAIT OVER 3-4 MONTHS FOR AN MRI, EMERGENCY OR NOT
3. IF YOU HAPPEN TO GO THERE, TAKE A LOOK AT YOUR RECEIPT WHEN YOU GO TO ANY STORE, YOU WILL BE HIT WITH A TAX YOU WON'T BELIEVE. COST ME 10.00 FOR A 6 PIECE CHICKEN MCNUGGET AND 7.50 FOR A GALLON OF MILK...
SOCIALIZED MEDICINE IS NOT ANY BETTER THAN WHAT WE HAVE TODAY, IT IS WORSE. GO VISIT BE FORE YOU START YAPPING -
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jobeyjobey1 year, 2 months ago
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So let's do what Obama wants to do and have the government run it. Medicaid and Medicare is laced with waste. If we rely even more on government run medical programs and budget more tax dollars for the Medi's, we all lose!
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The answer to this issue is private insurance companies with capped rates, capped profit margins and standardized benefits with government oversight. Private insurers are more efficient with the premiums dollars than the Medi's are with our tax dollars. The government's only role should be to police the privates. -
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jamesalarson1 year, 2 months ago
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Of the comments I have read I am truly amazed at some people's stupidity. If you want GOOD doctors, you pay for them! If you want BAD doctors, go outside the U.S. where medicine is socialized, where people wait months for subpar (and that's being nice) treatment. Where do Canadiens and Europeans go for good treatment. They come to the U.S. because we have the best physicians. Tell me, why would a doctor go to an additional 4 years of school and then a minimum of 4 years of residency to get paid a median salary? There must be incentive and money is usually the greatest incentive. Doctors are paid what they deserve and socialized medicine is not the right course of action. Now, insurance companies and HMOs and the like could use some work but since when does government involvement help anything? The government's motto is "if it's not broken, fix it until it is."
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LovePugs081 year, 2 months ago
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This is a sad story, but they did what they had to do to get Rudy's wife the care she needed. If, you all think our health care is bad now let the Dems. get to working on it,then if you need an operation you may wait 6 mos. or more. Maybe, some of you need to look into the truth about the health care in Europe, and Canada. Not as great as the politicians would like you to believe. Some people have died waiting for their turn for treatment. I see one solution, stop buying stuff to keep up with the jones and save money so in case of an emergency you have some money.
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benrrts1 year, 2 months ago
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I have worked in the Medical Equipment business for 7 years. In that time I learned about Medicaid and Medicare on an intimate level. Trying to get coverage and provide equipment and services to people with severe disabilities and special needs through Medicare was pathetic to say the least! Yeah, Ohama might come up with a plan and... maybe it will work. Life is full of surprises and stranger things have happened. However, if you think for one minute that Uncle Sam is going to do a better job with your healthcare on the level you are talking about you are in for a rude awakening!
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If this government could not manage the industry in which I worked no better than allowing providers of complex rehab to operate with about 20 to 30 % profit margins what makes you think they will do a better job with everyones. My industry accounted for about 1% of Medicare Healthcare expense. The people I took care of needed it as much if not more than anyone else, yet they get screwed every day.
The same thing that has screwed up private healthcare is the same thing that screwed up our financial market. GREED. I hope whoever is elected will find a way to fix this other than Nationalized Healthcare. I can assure you the overall quality of care for everyone will drop just like the stock market has in recent days. -
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ChuckBarlow1 year, 2 months ago
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I agree deregulation was a huge mistake in banking and health care, but do not count McCainout just yet!
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Obamas socialized Ideal is worse, they tried what Obamas talking about in Europe, it was worse, they put a price on life, if they descided your life was worth saving you got treated, if not you suffered.
This artificial economy started in the Clinton administration and we are now catching the back lash of all this!
The asnwer is regulate medical insurance and allow elderly and low income to have medicaid if they qualify based on income!
Medical is high, Doctors have to have there Manion, Summer Home, Yaught, ferrari, and private collection of what ever art they have! -
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Nursedaybreak1 year, 2 months ago
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From and article by Stephen Holmes and
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dated September 30, 1999, "Fannie Mae, the nation's biggest underwriter of home mortgages, has been under increasing pressure from the Clinton Administration to expand mortgage loans among low and moderate income people."
The article continues to explain "the pilot program will encourage banks to extend mortgages to individuals generally not good enough to qualify for conventional programs."
So, I believe this is Bill Clinton's idea come to fruitation.
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propertymgr19681 year, 2 months ago
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It is a shame that a couple married that many years would have to do that, What is wrong with this world. I admire a couple for loving one another for years and sticking it out during good and bad. This world is going to hell in a hand basket. I fear for our children and grand children's future.. if they even get a chance to have one. My prayers go out to the couple.
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ddiamondgirl1 year, 2 months ago
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I think this is a true love story. The paper that said they were married,and the paper that said they were divorced, had no control over their heart felt love for one another.
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I have heard so many times that we live in the best country to live in around the world, but, when I look at all the injustice that we deal with personally every day I have to shake my head at the thought that WE have the best.
They have the power at the capital, we pay for their power, and I feel that some of us get the short end of the stick.
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VictoriaC1 year, 2 months ago
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If you read the full story you'll discover Emily was terminally ill and her treatment cost $2800 per week. Why spend that kind of money to treat someone who is going to die anyway? They could have stayed married and simply made her comfortable until her death. They could have spent whatever time they had left simply enjoying each other instead of her going to treatments that were at best simply delaying the inevitable.
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RODSGIRL761 year, 2 months ago
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When two people are married (especially for 48 years) you'll do anything to save your loved one. It may not seem rational, but love sometimes isnt.
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Besides, I think the bigger issue here is that regardless of whether or not she was terminally ill or not, look at what this couple had to do just to get affordable medical attention. This is happening everyday in our country. This happens to people that ARENT terminally ill. People in our country die that otherwise could have survived if only greed wasnt running our government. It's disgusting. -
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MedicalMisfit1 year, 2 months ago
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VC,
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Why are you so heartless? If this happened to your mother or father, you would fight for them no matter how old they were. You act as if she is supposed to give up just because she is in her late sixties or early seventies. You sound like you believe you'll never grow old or die. Get a grip. -
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BCTYPE3B1 year, 2 months ago
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VictoriaC, I am glad that my husband wanted to see me survive long enough to hold my grandson and granddaughter. You don't appear to be someone who has had a loved one face a terminal illness. You may not have even loved someone enough to want them to stay a little longer. There is a time to "call it a day", and there is a time to fight.
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caconley1 year, 2 months ago
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I lost a wife of 28 great years to cancer in 2006. When they are going to die you will pay any price to treat them. Just some hope that the next drug maybe the one that stops the cancer and keeps them with you a while longer. I know this mans pain and the loss he will feel. You can't know till it happens to you.
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marshaz1 year, 2 months ago
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I agree with VC. Practically, what she says makes perfect sense. The other replies were emotional responses to the situation, which is why it is better taken out of the hands of relatives. No one in my family liked to burden their relatives, if they became terminal, they would have pills by their beds to take care of it.
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By the way, I am older and have an illness that has a higher death rate than usual. If I had a terminal illness, there is no way I would want anything except pallative care. -
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gabbybird1 year, 2 months ago
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So heartless.. I hope you never have to find yourself in that position ever with the one you love. OR... if you are ever that ill, how would you want your loved ones to take care of you? Would you want at least comfort care, that includes pain control? It costs money! Or, would you want your loved ones to just let you die in a corner?
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me7101 year, 2 months ago
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You must have never lost anyone you loved dearly to cancer. I lost my mother almost two years ago and when you are in that situation you may feel differently. We were ready to do anything that might possibly prolong her life and keep her with us, and she fought desparately. In the end the cancer won, and I would not have changed one moment extra I had with my mother.
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LK1 year, 2 months ago
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WHERE ARE THE FAMILIES OF THESE PEOPLE I READ ABOUT, WHEN DID IT BECOME THE GOVERNMENT PROBLEM TO TAKE CARE OF EVERYONE? WHAT I DO KNOW IF WE HAVE UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE THEIR WILL BE MANY CUTS IN THE CARE WE NOW GET, YOU WON'T BE ABLE TO GET INTO A DOCTOR FOR 6 MONTH THATS A BIG DEAL IF YOU HAVE CANCER. A HUGE GOVERNMENT COST IS MEDICAID NURSING HOMES, WE COULD CUT THAT COST BY TAKING CARE OF OUR OWN PARENTS NOT PUTTING IT OFF ON THE GOVERNMENT OR LIMITING THE NUMBER OF BABIES YOU CAN HAVE ON MEDCAID LET THE FATHERS TAKE CARE OF THEM MEDICAID WAS FOR EMERGENCY NOT AN LIFESTYLE.
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Bldgmaker1 year, 2 months ago
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Right you are, why give treatments to someone who is oging to die anyway. I am currently undergoing chemo and I have a 16 year old and a 13 year old. I should just roll up in a corner and wait for death. What am I thinking? Why give anyone treatments for cancer? Why give anyone any treatments for any ailments? Hell if it costs to much to live and we don't ahve money to pay for health care like the Budwiser heriess and her hubby or the Texas oil tycoon, hell just let us all die.
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ndtinsp1 year, 2 months ago
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VC? You have GOT to be the most cold hearted, insensitive, ABSOLUTELY CLUELESS individual on this earth. You have evidently never found true love OR have actually faced death yourself. For you to even think that way, much less put on the "net" leads me to believe that you are: A) A complete blithering idiot or B) You are a masochist and love to be ridiculed and humiliated. My parents are celibrating their 50th annivesary this year by renewing their vows. I am walking my mother down the ailse. And I know that to this day, my dad would move heaven and earth just to spen one more minute, NO, one more second with her. YOU however have nevr felt that way, have you?
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blueyes12141 year, 2 months ago
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How Cold can You BE??? I would do anything, ANYTHING, to keep the man I love around as long as possible if that was his wish. No one, NO ONE, has the right to determine who gets medical treatment and why. How dare you make that comment. I pray to GOD that your partner never has to have you make that choice for him/her.
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Georgia501 year, 2 months ago
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VC,
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I can understand their actions, but I would not risk my wife's long-term financial stability over my own terminal illness. Plus, I had an aunt die of cancer. Damn doctors turned her into a well-worn pin cushion just to see if anything would work, merely to watch her wretched reactions. No way am I submitting to such ghoulish treatment, nor will I allow them to experiment on my wife that way. -
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EmmaJelly1 year, 2 months ago
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Incredible! Karma...
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It is amazing how little people give a damn. This story is heartbreaking, and worrisome.
Yet, everyone blames everyone else. Not in "my backyard" so to speak.
How many have I read that state "I am not paying for your insurance!"..
Are you the same people that walk past a child freezing in the cold, so hungry that is it undeniable. I bet you look away, and pretend the child or person doesn't exist!
We are broke, by we have a roof over our heads, clothes on our backs, and food. We have found, the less we have, the more inclined we are to give. Give we do.
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steppinepstein1 year, 2 months ago
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Just the kind of results you get when you put the government in charge of healthcare - Medicaid is a GOVERNEMENT run program. A vote for Obama is a vote for more of this insanity.
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Anyone who thinks the government can solve their problems needs to read this story.
God bless this man and what he did for his wife, I'm sure it broke his heart to disolve their marriage.-
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wishforfuture1 year, 2 months ago
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You are wrong, Stepping in it
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Obama is a sincere man who wishes to help this country. The Republican party is the one spending billions and billions in Iraq, forcing our young people to die for oil; don't you see that this is diverting funds that could go to healthcare?
THE REPUBLICANS are the ones who are mammoth GOVERNMENT spenders.
War is what is most costly. -
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HardLook1 year, 2 months ago
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I never believed in a piece paper or a metal around your finger to prove that you married or love someone. Those are the kind of actions that shows how much they cared for each other regardless of how long she had left. For all of you close minded ignorants who always complain about government runned programs should really do your research. Most countries around the world that provides free health care to their citizens; have their health system runned by the govermment. A feel examples, Canada, India, Britain and Brazil to name a few. Right now if you look at those countries their economy is a better shape than ours.
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AnGeLxOxBaBy1 year, 2 months ago
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I agree with the fact that Obama becoming the next president will have horrific consiquences for our country. Besides the fact that he obviously lacks the experience needed to run a country, his beliefs are totally unrealistic. His financial advisor is the one who managed to run Freddie Mac into the ground...his pastor is clearly a rasict...we don't need any more of these types of people in charge.
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seabird261 year, 2 months ago
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My pet peeve is when someone says "what is wrong with the world" when they read a story like this. The true question is not what is wrong with the world but what is wrong with this country. A lot of our already know the answer. What is wrong is government corruption that caters to the special interest groups/lobbyists and the Americans who do not speak out against it. When Americans take back our own country, only then will things get better. We just can't elect someone and think that they'll take care of our problems. They'll only create more. Take the power back. It really doesn't matter who is elected albeit McCain or Obama - the problem is still going to be there.
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longhorn10181 year, 2 months ago
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Really, people feel sorry for this. Whatever happened to saving money, case in point, had these people saved money they would not be in this mess and would still be married. It is sad that these people had to get divorced, but it is a consequence of their own actions. I grew up dirt poor, I am now very successful and this would never happen to me. This is what happens to ill prepared people that always count on others to do stuff for them. It is sad, but I don’t feel sorry one bit for these people, hopefully their two children, seven grandchildren and two great-grandchildren will learn a lesson from their parents/grandparents/great grandparents miss planning and incompetence.
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Heldragyn1 year, 2 months ago
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So what you're really saying is that you would have absolutely no problem paying all of your own medical costs out of pocket? Because that's what happened to them- their insurance stopped paying, her costs were going to start coming out of pocket. I'm so glad to hear you're so successful that you can affort weekly bouts of chemo without any sort of medical insurance- good for you. Now for the rest of us, on to the real world.
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HardLook1 year, 2 months ago
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If you can afford to spend an extra $11.200 per month on top of all the other bills; it shows one thing. Your family may have a foot hold in the Bush administration. They're they only ones who has made money when everyone else has lost. Look where they lived, look at their living conditions. Do you really think that people just choose to be poor or live in a less than desirable life? Ask anyone if they like not have enough money for emergencies or enough money to splurge. But again, your login name says it all.
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infoforu1 year, 2 months ago
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just a little more info for you. Had this couple had no funds she would have qualified for medicaid/medicare if she was a senior, however since there more then likely had a owned a home or had some retirement funds she would not qualify until the assets had been almost totally depleted. This inturn would have left the healthy spouse in poverty for his remaining years. The divorce came about to give a small chance for quality of life and treatment that would not leave her husband in poverty. There is more on the subject search for the internet and government sites ARM yourself with information You all will need it and you may be able to help yourselves and others you encounter upon lifes highway.
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mld1 year, 2 months ago
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My mom has a friend who had several strokes and her husband was on social security. She was completely disabled by her stroke with impairment of speach, walking, eating. The social security and state disability systems gave her the run around for years telling her she was not entitled to their programs. The hospitals would not help her with medical costs or prescriptions since her husband made $1300 a month. The couldn't afford insurance, medical costs or prescriptions. We tried to suggest he divorce her but she would refused.
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Since this time, she has had antoher stroke where the county hospital transfered out of the county to another county 80 miles away and she is not in a convelesent home with a feeding tube and her family has no way to see her. The county and state are still trying to dispute medical benefits to her.
Divorce would have given her the benefits she needed to have medical care. Now the state and county are fighting it out and the costs are quadruplicate in costs. It is shameful that a couple has to do this but given the alternative I do not believe anyone for doing this for the proper benefits they are entitled. If she were an illegal resident, medical would have been provided. Poor and uneducated have no where to turn for help without getting the run around for years or desparate measures such as divorcing a spouse... -
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seabird261 year, 2 months ago
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Ok - I just don't understand some of these people. Was your life better or worse before Bush became president? How about 4 years ago? Haven't you noticed that each year just gets worse and worse? What more do you need in order realize 4 more years of the same BS is only going to cost more people their jobs, homes, cars, savings, healthcare, education and whatever else the Republican party can take away from you to fatten their pockets? I'd rather take a chance with the next 4 years getting better than to know if McCain gets elected we're just going to get worse...
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longhorn10181 year, 2 months ago
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Actually my life has stayed the same, and has gotten better with Bush in office. For all the less educated people all of this credit crisis stuff started with the Clinton Administration, he wanted to give everybody the "American Dream" whether they deserve it or not, I hate to tell some of you this, but, not everyone is entitled to all the stuff they want. God forbid that people actually have to get out and work for stuff and deserve it instead of having it given to them. I know that it is a crazy concept but if you look out for yourselves you will be allot better off than sitting around waiting on the government or somebody else take care of you. The people in this world with all the money and happiness deserve it and worked for it. The poor and undereducated people get what they deserve, they have all the same chances in life and anybody else, if I started out dirt poor and worked myself up to a comfortable life then anyone can.
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Tea1 year, 2 months ago
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This has nothing to do with McCain....it is called GREED! Insurance companies are very greedy!! It is the CEO's of insurance companies that cause things like this to happen. Greed has gotten us where we are today! If everyone would stand together instead of constantly blaming the democrats or republicans, all people do is complain instead of doing something about it. Stop bumping your gums and run for office! For those who constantly complain about Bush, get off your behinds and run for office if you think you can do a better job! Remember when you point your finger at someone, three more are pointing back at you!
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lkosteck1 year, 2 months ago
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I completely agree that insurance companys are in the business to make and save money by any means possible (except for paying their CEOs reasonably).. even unto regularly denying claims that should by all rights be paid by them.. they will delay by any means possible and have the boatfull o' lawyers to keep you in the courts
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Diwiser1 year, 2 months ago
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If you are rich why don't You run for office. This country was soley set up and run by the rich day one. People came here so they wouldn't have to pay England so much taxes and the rest wanted to practice their religion. Now days we are almost as bad as the Mid-East always trying to force our personal religion on others. The icing on the cake that our president spends 400 million of our hard earned money on Iraq and they have 79 billion surplus oil that could be used so that all have health care. I have Ovarian Cancer and now my husband is out of work. Will I someday have to end my marriage because of the rotten greed of rich Ceo's and Oil Man? Now we are back to being a country of have and have not's. Bush single handly destroyed the middle class and most country's now laugh at us. Just take a trip out of the U.S. and you would change your tune our superiority in the world is gone.
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Diwiser
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MikefromNYC1 year, 2 months ago
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Instead of bailing out the big corporations of America. Use some money for Universal Health Care. Everyone will benefit including the government when people can get back on their feet and start working again. People working = Taxes.
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Come on folks, not every AMERICAN can afford medical insurance. A person that has a family making $10 an hour cannot afford $1000 a month for health care.
A trillion dollars for war, another trillion to bail out your friends that made this mess. Shame on you Mr. President Busch to the smallest politician all over USA for not helping out your fellow American-
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longhorn10181 year, 2 months ago
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MikefromNYC you are delirious, if a family that is making $10.00 an hour can't afford their lifestyle then get a better higher paying job. Nobody is preventing the people that can't afford stuff from getting better jobs and helping themselves out, but that is typical democrat thinking. If you want universal health care, go to Canada and quit complaining about America. If fellow Americans would help out themselves and stop being so lazy and greedy we would not have 3/4 of the issues we have in this country.
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klum711 year, 2 months ago
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I am so sick of liberals trying to push the idea of government run health care down our throat(s) and using sad situations like this to do it. I am equally as sick of the constant Bush and McCain bashing. McCain in particular is very opened-minded. What kills me about liberals is their incessant chatter about respecting differences; that is unless you are a conservative. Hypocrites. Do you people really think the government will actually provide health care better than the free market? It would be horrible. The market (when not forced by programs such as the Community Redevelopment Act( functions well. However, I will agree the regulations need to catch up with technology. Anyway, I am sorry for this couple, but God knew their intentions regarding their marriage. That is what truly matters.
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willottica1 year, 2 months ago
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Health Care in Canada is not "horrible", in fact, it's actually accessible. Sometimes you have to wait, but the same can be said of any triage situation.
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Free market health care doesn't work because when you need health care, you don't have time to shop around for it. You don't have the luxury of taking your business elsewhere if your leg is broken in 3 places. You also don't have transparent pricing that would LET you shop around.
Health Insurance doesn't work on the free market because there's a significant incentive to deny insurance claims. In fact, I've heard it said that some companies have a standing policy to deny the first claim no matter what, because 40% of people won't re-apply. Meanwhile, Health Insurance companies make outrageous profits without actually providing a service themselves.
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anioklyComment removed: Spammer
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bigmikeok1 year, 2 months ago
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There is nothing new in this story. It has been this way for the past 30 years. I guess I will be the old man in the crowd. I remember how people I knew would go ahead and give their houses and ranches to their children so they could collect Medicaid when they got older. Why do you think the amounts are so low? Yes, some people even got divorced, even that far back.
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Personally, I think these people kind of over reacted. They could have given their assets to their relatives or even take out a reverse mortgage on their property to get rid of the assets. There were other things they could have done.
Medicaid was never meant to be a good program. It was only a last resort to afford a last ditch safety net to those that desperately needing medical care and truly can’t afford it. The problem is that we all got old and then everyone wanted to use it.
Here is a news flash folks. The government does not have the money to take care of all of us. They never will. Even the socialist medicine countries in Europe have people that die every day waiting for the government to take care of them. Government is real good at taking money but very poor at handing it back out.
No matter who get elected president this year, none of this will change. The old 80/20 rule will still be in effect and someone will fall in the cracks. Personally, I will vote for the most qualified candidate based on their experience and record.-
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wenlee1 year, 2 months ago
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BigMike, you are right! The Democrats are big spenders and got us into this financial mess to begin with! Oddly enough, people are asking for more and bigger government spending with Obama. Did anyone stop to think how they are going to pay for this? I suppose in a year or so, they will ask us to bail them out of another trillion dollars! Socialized medicine does not work, just ask the Canadians who come to the good old USA for medical care! I was in Europe and people literally die waiting to see a doctor!
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reujack1 year, 2 months ago
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if anyone wants just and decent healthcare, i suggest they strongly consider leaving this money first nation. what is even sadder is the fact that people who are, at best, one disaster away from homelessness, defend this cold, greedy machine to (dare i say it?) the death... who is hustling whom?
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ccdka1 year, 2 months ago
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Universal Healthcare works because there are limits on coverage; patients do not get expensive medications just to extend their lives for only a couple of months. For instance, an elderly woman with terminal cancer would get $30,000/year in treatment and that is it. Now in the UK for instance, that $30,000 is going to go a lot further than in the US. In reference to VictoriaC's comment, chemotherapy is frequently used to lessen the discomfort from cancer (bone cancer can be extremely painful), not necessarily treat it. People between the ages 18 and 25 are the least likely to be insured and the least expensive to insure. The most expensive populations are already covered by medicare and medicaid. Providing things like vaccines to poor children means that these same children will be much less likely to have to use emergency rooms for very expensive care that tax-payers will pay for. There is a federal law preventing anyone from being turned away from ERs because women in labor used to be literally put on the street if they did not have insurance. All things to think about ...
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sapphire56541 year, 2 months ago
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VictoriaC...You obviously have no clue as to what REAL love is....let me inform you...Love is wanting to spend every waking hour with another human being. Love is having your heart ache so badly that it feels like it's going to burst right out of your chest just thinking about losing that special some one in your life. Love is being willing to die yourself for that special some one. When you have love that strong, yes one more day is everything! What a treasure this couple is! I hope some day you will know what love really is. You have a lot to learn!
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wiseenough1 year, 2 months ago
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Bottom Line is medicaid gets a majority of their monies back they will be paying for this lady's medical care. Medicare will pick up 80% and Medicaid will pick up the other 20%. Medicaid will take her life insurance monies after death. I know things are going good if not great for some of you in your jobs. I didn't think that I would all of a sudden in my thirties become disabled out of nowhere and went partially blind and lost my hearing due to an extremly rare disease there is no cure for in the world. Yes I had a great career I had private health insurance through my employer I had stocks 401k monies Retirement Funds it doesn't take long for all those monies to be gone you may want to think of what I'm saying those that think you will never fall from grace in this world.
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b52sbabe4ever1 year, 2 months ago
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Oh and let me guess, you want SOCIALIZED MEDICINE? Are you out of your Friggin mind? That is what you will get if you elect Obama. Yes, the health care system needs fixing, but we sure don't need to go to socialized medicine. What needs to happen is for the government to quit giving all these people who won't get up off their butts and work all of these free programs. They get brand new housing, free health care, checks for all of their illegitimate children, and yet they have brand new vehicles in their driveways. It is time for this crap to stop. It never will, unless people start standing up for it and pushing some buttons in Washington. Just vote for Obama and see what you get then. 48% tax increase, more government give away programs and we will be worse off as a country than we have ever been. I am so sick and tired of the Bush Bashing. I have one question for you. How many times have we been attacked since 9/11.....so shut up about Bush already. This health care system was screwed up LONG before Bush took office. I am almost 52 years old. This type of thing with the health care system has been going on for as long as I can remember. I had a friend who had a heart condition all of her life. She had health insurance until she and her husband married. Then no insurance company would touch her. She tried to get medicaid and disability, guess what? She couldn't because her husband made too much money. $18,000 a year. They had to finally divorce so that she could get Medicaid. The problem is the people ABUSING the system. It is those people who need regulating. Make their butts go to work and quit sponging off the system and taking away from the people that really need it.
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donna828001 year, 2 months ago
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VictoriaC: I find your stattement somewhat insensitive. To "YOU" $2,800 a week may "NOT" seem like much, but it is obvious that they loved each other. Just because they divorced didn't mean they did "NOT" love each other. I know just how they feel, because I was in an accident that left me permanently disabled in 2001 at the time I wasn't married just dating a wonderfu man. He moved in with me and my children and took on my care of daily needs, bathing me, cooking meals for all of us, laundry,etc. He did everything for me. He carried me to bed each night, and got me up each morning. He made sure I was taken to each and every Dr; visit. there were many times I told him that he needed to get on with his life and stop wasting it caring for me, but he said that "He was getting on with his life, by caring for the woman he loved" We later got married in 2005, and when my disability started, they said I didn't qualify for SSI of 950.00 because of his income. We talked of divorce as well because we were strugging to make neds meet but then decided that if we divorced I would lose the military insurance that me and the kids got after he and I married. So it wasn't really worth getting a divorce because I would be eligiable for medicare as well after 2 yrs on disability.So i have medicare and Tri-Care for Life which is what Is the military insurance is called after a person starts recieving Medicare. I also have asister that became disableed after she lost a foot to diabetis and her husband divorced so she could get Medicaid and the other benifits that she couldn't get while married. This is sad that people that love each other must divorce to get help when they are ill. I am glad he loved her enough to help her get Medicaid to help with her bills and care she needed until she died. Unless you have the means to spend 2,800 a month on these kinds of treatments or been in their shoes don't be so quick to judge what they felt was right for her and her family.
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