"My sister died today - WITH health care coverage, could not afford life-saving medicine"...

[Triana]

"Last Wednesday, my only sister was taken to emergency because of difficulty breathing. She's had a history of numerous illnesses ranging from lupus, seizures and osteoporosis but this particular visit was more related to her asthma, or so she thought. After being seen by the physician it was determined that her breathing difficulties were worse than anticipated as she was diagnosed with having a case of pneumonia. Feeling blessed to be able to get immediate medical care Karen was of the ranks of the fortunate known as the insured, meaning that she does in-fact have health care coverage which she acquired after being declared medically disabled after her thirty third seizure.

Yes, it took thirty three seizures, 5 appeals, 4 years and 3 lawyers but Karen Jones was finally declared disabled and was granted full disability which included full health care coverage, far from an easy feat but quite reassuring to Karen as she continued on through life. Unable to work due to her disability, Karen lived alone off of the $563 disability check each month as best she could, regularly robbing Peter to pay Paul, but all along able to make ends meet from check to check, and doing so always with a smile."

MORE...


http://blacks4barack.blogspot.com/2009/09/my-sister-died-today-with-health-care.html

[Lugnut]

1. K&R

How many times must this scenario be repeated before we say ENOUGH?

[Triana]

2. We've Already Had Enough...but our "representatives" (ie: the representatives of the mercenaries..

...that we call "insurance companies") are willfully NOT listening - the only thing that talks with them - is money. Combine that with a complicit media and GOOPers who only want Obama to fail and be a one-term prez, and - well, there you go.

This scenario probably plays out hundreds, thousands, or even millions of times a day - but nobody "up there" is planning on doing anything about it - aware as they are of it - THEY are not affected so it's easy for them to ignore.

[indepat]

5. It will never be enough for those eaten up with 'puke values

:P

[shireen]

3. beyond heartbreaking

i am stunned ...
:cry:

[Altoid_Cyclist]

4. I've been sitting here for five minutes too numb to even know what to type.

It's possible that there are already statistics kept on this, but I think that when they say so many people die from diseases a,b,c etc. each year that they should also include how many are killed by insurance companies and their co-conspirators. This would include politicians bought and paid for by the insurance companies, the lobbyists relaying the money and any other enablers that place so little value on human life if it would harm the bottom line.

[Shallah Kali]

6. How do they live with themselves excusing their acts as just doing their job

as being a good business person by protecting profits for the stockholders? How many amongst them would object, call 911, maybe even physically fight against someone stealing medicine from a sick person then live with denying coverage, helping find new ways to deny coverage, lobby congress to let them deny more coverage and raise the level of permitted profit higher and higher and higher? How can they limit their compassion and any basic human decency they have to such a small select group such as immediate family and the corporation they work for and tell the rest of humanity to go join the polar bears on a melting ice floe?

[rustydog]

7. Why aren't these stories in the mainstream?

Why isn't this the topic of Healthcare forums?
Mywife has been denied medical treatment because the insurance company does not believe your o2 level dropping to the 80's is something to worry about.

Death panels exist, they were formed by insurance companies and are being viciously defended by the Republican party.

[Shallah Kali]

9. Exactly. the MSM treats baldfaced lies as respectable news, ignoring the real deathpanels

People who have to fight tooth and nail for healthcare even WITH insurance

People who have to choose between food, shelter & heat, and medicine, cutting their meds or alternating days trying to make them last

Americans should not have to put coffee cans in convenience stores to raise money for their kid's transplant surgery or car washes so gunshot victims can pay for their surgery http://scienceblogs.com/thusspakezuska/2009/08/who_needs_health_insurance_whe.php

I knew the GOP powers that be are a bunch of heartless scum eveidenced by just about every act of either years of bush rule. I am shocked and appalled at the number of poor and middle class who are supporting them in this.

rustydog I am so sorry for your wife. so sorry.

[lib_wit_it]

20. The Rs don't give a shit unless it happens to them.

[williesgirl]

8. I'm so sorry about your sisted and enraged about how and why she died. Obama is a real

disappointment on this issue. He's shaken my faith in my own judgement since I was an early supporter and donated over $1,000 of my disability money. If he doesn't come thru with a strong public option and allow Medicare and the public option to negotiate drug prices with the pharmas, I may never get involved in a political race again. I still won't vote for a Repuke, but no more hard work or money from me.

May your sister rest in peace. rec'd

[leftyland]

10. I am so sorry for your loss. :-( nt

[hedgehog]

11. I've never understood this business of forcing a percentage co-pay for

prescriptions on people. Doctors go through how many years of medical school and residency, and I'm supposed to ask, "Hey doc, are you sure I need that? Can't we get something cheaper so the insurance company's profit will go up?"

Al the co-pays are based on the premise that people enjoy going to the doctor and love to pump themselves full of prescription medication.

[hedgehog]

12. The worst part of this is that if she had been admitted to a hospital,

her medications would have been covered!

[maglatinavi]

13. Karen Jones

I must say that the physician that didn't hospitalize her should be deprived of his license to practice. Anyone with the conditions of Karen should have been placed inmediately in the ICU. I am really angry reading this post, but I know it happens all the time. A very dear friend recently died after being sent home by her physician with orders for oxygen. The providers of oxygen said she didn't need it and she died in her sleep. She had asthma anong other conditions. She was cianotic at the time and was cianotic when she died. I am so angry ... so many persons dying unnecesarily because of the greed of medical providers and the frigging insurance corporations. I had need of a med that cost $150 and the insurance (Plan D to cover prescriptions) didn't cover it. I only get social security and couldn't afford it. I am so upset reading how this lovely woman was treated I think my blood pressure is going up and am having tatychardia. Sue the hospital, the physician and the insurers~:grr:

[Horse with no Name]

15. Doctors don't--or should I say--aren't ALLOWED to admit patients

just because they have pneumonia. It used to be standard diagnosis for hospital admission, now the standard is to send them home on antibiotics, steroids and breathing treatments and say a couple of prayers.
I am sorry for the loss of your friend, however, the INSURANCE companies dictate who gets oxygen and who doesn't.
IF the person does not demonstrate an oxygen saturation of 88%, insurance will not pay for it so the oxygen provider cannot give it unless the person is willing to pay cash. Of course, your saturation is most likely to be higher when you are up and around, and the time to check it is when it dips during the night.

Our system is broken and the REAL death merchants are the insurance companies.

[lonestarnot]

16. I wish I had been there advocating for her with the damn stupid doctor who sent her home with

pneumonia. Had he insisted on sending her home w/o medication, knowing she couldn't afford it, he would have needed a bed too. Certainly sounds malpracticish to me.

[Horse with no Name]

14. This is a sad commentary on the state of our healthcare

and unfortunately, this scenario plays out way too often across this country.
I am underinsured and I pay a hefty sum each month to be that way.
I went to pick up a prescription the other day and my CO-PAY was $70. So figure in the $30 that I paid at the doctor, 2 other meds with $30 copays, and the latter with a $70 copay...that is $160 for ONE visit--for someone with insurance.
It is fucking nuts.
May Karen Jones RIP. A sad, sad poster-child of a broken system.

[donheld]

17. I'm so sorry for your loss

[glinda]

18. Awful. I am really sorry about your sister. This should never happen to anyone.

[madmax]

19. There are no words

I'm so sorry for Karen and her family. This is just disgraceful. How many others? How many more?

[pleah]

21. K&R