Healthcare Hostages Dying For Reform »
Posted By Newperson 4 months, 1 week ago in Political NewsJessica nearly died several times as a 10-month-old when her Wyoming pediatrician missed a diagnosis of Kawasaki's disease, and she was airlifted in cardiac arrest to Salt Lake City Primary Children's Hospital. The first bill was 26 pages long, totaled more than $250,000, and most was covered by her parents' insurance.
Today, at 16, Jessica's EKG looks like the "heart of a 70-year-old," according to father, Patrick Neary, a 58-year-old Montana banker. The mysterious virus left two giant aneurisms on her coronary artery.
Even with insurance, her out-of-pocket costs exceed $6,000 a year. And because Jessica has a pre-existing condition, her coverage can never lapse or she will be virtually uninsurable.
"In a sense, I am captive of a large company insurance plan," said her father, who has dreamed of teaching or starting his own business. Jessica is one of 70 heart patients, doctors and volunteers who are in Washington, D.C., today with the American Heart Association (AHA) for a Congressional Lobby Day Fly-In pushing for health care reform. These middle-class families report that they are dropped by their insurance companies when they get too sick, and are either denied coverage because of "pre-existing conditions" or face astronomical premiums.
Her father worries that she will have to pay for lifelong medications and one day might face double bypass surgery. Even under his plan, there are annual caps.
Read Full Story at abcnews.go.com »
312 Views Share Story 12 Comments Report
Submitted By:
Newperson
From the day we are born were all travelers just passing through. And i'm happy to have a wonderful loving wife to pass through ...
RSS Join the Discussion
+ Add CommentComments So Far: 12 (view all)
-
89%
Newperson4 months, 1 week ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
The contentious health care debate that has spiraled into a cultural war no one can predict the outcome. It's hard to say whether it will pass.But there are so many lives hanging on the balance of the out come.
Reply
All I can say is. I hope these people someday get the help they need.-
50%
BB644 months, 1 week ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
There are less than 10 million without insurance. If you push a single payer system, to reduce costs, it was pretty clear there would be huge restrictions and delays in treatment. In Canada or the UK, if this little girl came in for treatment, she would have most likely died. There are long waiting lines for major cases so unless she was admitted into one that specialized in this condition, they wouldn't have caught it.
Reply
Another group that needs to really think about this are people with terminal illnesses. AIDS, HIV and other illnesses where death will occur, treatments are severely restricted. Why spend the money if the patient will die anyway? Why do you think the UK has so many less octogenarians compared to the United States? Restrict, decline, delay are the ways to reduce long term treatment costs. Read the House bill, there are so many areas poorly defined it's actually sad.
-
-
100%
Charlson4 months, 1 week ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
None of the plans currently being proposed by the Blue Dogs or Republicans address the needs of those who don't qualify for Medicare or Medicaid and can not afford the high insurance rates for a decent coverage plan.
Reply
Plans that don't include health care insurance reforms should be thrown out of the bill. Pre-existing conditions clause, terminating coverage without cause, and denying claims for bureaucratic reasons should all be against the law. -
43%
BB644 months, 1 week ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
You know every liberal wants a single payer option yet none of them have actually been able to read the bill. The House option was draconian with the holes left for delaying, declining, restricting, and refusing treatments. The Senate one appears will never actually be written before it's passed because the Dems fear public opinion. I was polled last night by some lefty group talking about Obama's plan. They asked if I supported the plan. I asked what plan and where I could actually read it. It was clear the person on the phone didn't realize the President and the Senate have never released their plans. They talk about them but they've never let us read it. This is a scam to control 1/6 of the GDP. Apparently they've hurt our business and international positions it's time to take out health care. When do they ask for the re-education camps?
Reply -
-
20%
crwlonnie4 months, 1 week ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
No hospital can refuse service to someone who can not afford care. The Government option will hurt americans, hurt business, cut jobs, and will wind up costing us all more for less care and waiting lines for care. Nothing is free it's our money taken from us by a tax and spend Democratic Socialist majority. The government is not effecient and cannot run a business. Check out the losses at GM and Chrysler, the post office and Amtrak. If congress thought this care was so good then Obama and all the government would be waiting in line for the same care, but they have exempted themselves from the bill.
Reply-
100%
Newperson4 months, 1 week ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
YEAH YEAH i know and they are fireing up the death camps as we speak LOL.
Reply
What i would like to know is who makes the kool aid that the gop is passing out.
One more thing. The losses at GM ect. happened long before the gov. tried to give them a hand. -
100%
almos_vagyok4 months, 1 week ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
'Check out the losses at GM and Chrysler'? i believe that they got themselves into
Reply
a total mess without any help from the government. The government stepped in
only as a last resort to prevent the total collapse of the American motor industry.
And as far as the post office goes, I get mail every day, don't you? -
100%
miklkit4 months, 1 week ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
GM and Chrysler are dog companies that have been badly run for decades. Ford saw the problems coming and started working on them a decade ago. Don't blame the government when your own failures are to blame. The same goes for the banks too.
Reply -
-
-
0%
Endoscopy4 months, 1 week ago
This comment is below the standard viewing threshold View It »
Always the tear jerker horror stories. Why doesn't the congress just address the few issues that all agree on?
Reply
Because the liberals have to try and hijack the health care of the country and have it under the thumb of the government. It has failed everywhere except one small country where they have an over abundance of doctors. Every where else the health care is rationed. Too bad if you are old.
Add a Comment
Sign In With Your Propeller Account
Please keep your comments relevant to this story.
To create a live link, simply type the URL (including http://) or email address and we will make it a live link for you. You can put up to 3 URLs in your comments. Line breaks and paragraphs are automatically converted — no need to use <p> or <br /> tags.