Has anybody heard about this?

[conuly]

It's a rather disturbing editorial about Tirhas Habtegiris, who died last month because her bill for her hospital stay was unpaid (essentially).

I'm sure I heard about this somewhere before, but I must've blocked it from my mind. I only found it link-hopping today.

Comments

[peebs1701.livejournal.com]

Yet another reason to move to Canada. Oh man, my dad would die if he knew I was in favor of social healthcare.

[azarias.livejournal.com]

Any the people who were screaming their heads off over Schiavo are quiet on this because ...?

Oh, wait, silly me. Poor, a name indicating that she probably wasn't white ...

[atalantapendrag.livejournal.com]

OH MY FUCKING GOD.

I'd heard about that case, and it made me hurt inside. But that editorial! What reality does he live in?

And is there actually such a thing as "lifetime ventilator insurance"?


...

Can I opt out of the human race now?

[peebs1701.livejournal.com]

I'm sure Lloyds of London would cover it. :p

[darkpoole.livejournal.com]

I'm speechless.

If you ask people—and especially poor people—what their most dire needs are, you'll find that "guaranteed ventilator support" ranks pretty low on the list. OK, I haven't actually done a survey, but I'm going out on a limb here and predicting that something like, say, milk, is going to rank a lot higher up the priority list than ventilator insurance.

"Guaranteed ventilator support?" How about "basic health care when you need it to keep you from dying?" I think that would be pretty high on any list. And what's the "principle" here? If you don't have enough money to pay for health care after you pay for food and shelter, you should just die?

AAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!

[conuly]

Definitely wasn't. Most of the articles I've read indicated she only wanted to stay alive long enough for her mom to come over from Africa to say goodbye.

[conuly]

Better than dying because of a late bill.

[conuly]

Can I opt out of the human race now?

I don't want to be alone in here, so I'd have to say... no

[conuly]

If you don't have enough money to pay for health care after you pay for food and shelter, you should just die?

Yes, and decrease the surplus population. Obviously.

[mhari.livejournal.com]

I am not in the least surprised.

[leora.livejournal.com]

I agree that ensuring basic food, shelter, education, and preventative care should be prioritized higher. If we ensured all those, fewer people would need more drastic care. However, that just means I think we should work on those things first, not stop when we get them.

[l33tminion]

Well, they need to make sure there are plenty of beds free for the next Terri Sciavos.

[l33tminion]

Incidentally, that's the modus operandi of both aspects of the Cult(ure) of Life.

[deceptica]

The logic used in that article made my head hurt.

[peebs1701.livejournal.com]

Yet another reason to move to Canada. Oh man, my dad would die if he knew I was in favor of social healthcare.

[azarias.livejournal.com]

Any the people who were screaming their heads off over Schiavo are quiet on this because ...?

Oh, wait, silly me. Poor, a name indicating that she probably wasn't white ...

[atalantapendrag.livejournal.com]

OH MY FUCKING GOD.

I'd heard about that case, and it made me hurt inside. But that editorial! What reality does he live in?

And is there actually such a thing as "lifetime ventilator insurance"?


...

Can I opt out of the human race now?

[peebs1701.livejournal.com]

I'm sure Lloyds of London would cover it. :p

[darkpoole.livejournal.com]

I'm speechless.

If you ask people—and especially poor people—what their most dire needs are, you'll find that "guaranteed ventilator support" ranks pretty low on the list. OK, I haven't actually done a survey, but I'm going out on a limb here and predicting that something like, say, milk, is going to rank a lot higher up the priority list than ventilator insurance.

"Guaranteed ventilator support?" How about "basic health care when you need it to keep you from dying?" I think that would be pretty high on any list. And what's the "principle" here? If you don't have enough money to pay for health care after you pay for food and shelter, you should just die?

AAAARRRRRRGGGGHHHHH!!!!

[conuly]

Definitely wasn't. Most of the articles I've read indicated she only wanted to stay alive long enough for her mom to come over from Africa to say goodbye.

[conuly]

Better than dying because of a late bill.

[conuly]

Can I opt out of the human race now?

I don't want to be alone in here, so I'd have to say... no

[conuly]

If you don't have enough money to pay for health care after you pay for food and shelter, you should just die?

Yes, and decrease the surplus population. Obviously.

[mhari.livejournal.com]

I am not in the least surprised.

[leora.livejournal.com]

I agree that ensuring basic food, shelter, education, and preventative care should be prioritized higher. If we ensured all those, fewer people would need more drastic care. However, that just means I think we should work on those things first, not stop when we get them.

[l33tminion]

Well, they need to make sure there are plenty of beds free for the next Terri Sciavos.

[l33tminion]

Incidentally, that's the modus operandi of both aspects of the Cult(ure) of Life.

[deceptica]

The logic used in that article made my head hurt.