and citing one unfortunate case doesn't change that.
Happens to be the law, in fact; if you can't go anywhere else you can go to the most expensive source of medical care and after triage receive that care. Yet every time someone brings that up I recall the story of the Chicago man who came to the ER with chest pains, was diagnosed with indigestion, given Alka-Seltzer and discharged, then made it as far as the hospital before collapsing and dying of a heart attack.
Sounds like a misdiagnosis/or busy doctors not spending enough time on a patient. Which happens to people with insurance too. I can't tell you how many times doctors have blown off legitimate questions I have about my health because they might require more time and effort to address than just writing a prescription. I have to be rather insistent sometimes, and it turned out to be a good thing in one case.
The man in that case never saw a doctor, because he was never admitted. It's the kind of thing that, my second year with appendicitis, when it was ready to rupture, put my mother in the following conversation with the free clinic that had repeatedly misdiagnosed me:
"You need to take him to the county hospitals ER. "
"What if they won't admit him?"
"They have to admit him."
"Read my lips: WHAT IF THEY WON'T ADMIT HIM?!"
Ultimately she got a referral to insure they would, in fact, admit me, and after three hours of triage they examined me, informed me my appendix could burst any moment and put me in a room until a surgeon could get there. Actually, as I later learned, an intern who operated on me while students watched from the gallery. The county paid for that one, all that got paid, and it's probably best not to examine too closely how; I'm pretty sure the hospital committed fraud to get paid. Even then they wanted $700 from me for anesthesia the county considered an optional expense, as if I wouldn't have gone into shock and died without it. But without the referral I'm pretty sure the point, as my life, would be moot.
Citing ONE case as proof that our system is fucked up is faulty logic, especially when we don't know all the details. How do you know they were just trying to get rid of him because he didn't have insurance? Or is that just you, being you and jumping to the conclusion that will best support your argument?
How 'bout two...?
He was HAVING a heart attack when they "treated" him and they didn't catch it. Because they were just trying to get rid of someone who didn't have insurance, and did. Permanently. Incidentally, you don't ride in an ambulance for free either. One of the problems with our system as that the places that "must" provide those without insurance more than the basic care a clinic can provide are also the most rather than least expensive.
Which wasn't my point. My point was that what she said about her friend "flat out being denied treatment" if she were in the US is utterly false.
The guy was never admitted nor examined; they gave him an OTC med and sent him on his way instead. We're not talking about misreading a complex test result here; the man was having a heart attack, which would have been easily caught by the exam he was denied.
Honorbound and honored to be Bonded to Mahtaliel Sedai
Last First in wotmania Chat
Slightly better than chocolate.
Love still can't be coerced.
Please Don't Eat the Newbies!
LoL. Be well, RAFOlk.
Last First in wotmania Chat
Slightly better than chocolate.
Love still can't be coerced.
Please Don't Eat the Newbies!

LoL. Be well, RAFOlk.
For Europeans who don't understand why Americans are against ObamaCare
- 03/09/2009 04:24:35 AM
1325 Views
I'd be happy to tax top "earners" more and suffer Europes economic "collapse. "
- 03/09/2009 04:30:31 AM
770 Views
The US will never work with socialism.
- 03/09/2009 04:40:21 AM
839 Views
Re: The US will never work with socialism.
- 03/09/2009 04:58:47 AM
837 Views
I don't think the mistrust of the government is really all that overblown
- 03/09/2009 05:04:34 AM
752 Views
It's advanced beyond what it was during the Revolution, I think.
- 03/09/2009 05:18:22 AM
795 Views
I would say it's grown with the government
- 03/09/2009 05:23:52 AM
777 Views
The key is that government shouldn't be heavily involved in personal lives.
- 03/09/2009 05:58:39 AM
808 Views
Re: I don't think the mistrust of the government is really all that overblown
- 04/09/2009 03:30:23 AM
724 Views
How much more can we really tax the wealthy??
- 03/09/2009 04:41:14 AM
704 Views
A lot; before Reagans "reforms" we already taxed them less than any other industrialized state did.
- 03/09/2009 05:06:00 AM
800 Views
I hear a lot of socialism coming from you.....
- 03/09/2009 05:19:08 AM
659 Views
Re: I hear a lot of socialism coming from you.....
- 03/09/2009 05:40:32 AM
748 Views
Nice non-answer answer.....
- 03/09/2009 05:52:04 AM
755 Views
You want detailed answers that require detailed data I don't have.
- 03/09/2009 06:06:55 AM
811 Views
Here are some facts and analyses.....
- 03/09/2009 02:40:22 PM
882 Views
The Heritage Foundation, huh?
- 03/09/2009 03:01:17 PM
887 Views
- 03/09/2009 03:01:17 PM
887 Views
The non-working wealthy? Please quantify.....
- 03/09/2009 03:31:58 PM
838 Views
So you accept the CBOs assessment the House healthcare bill will be $1 trillion over the next decade
- 04/09/2009 03:02:13 AM
748 Views
You're so full of shit on this issue I don't know where to begin.
- 04/09/2009 03:15:55 AM
848 Views
Re: You're so full of shit on this issue I don't know where to begin.
- 04/09/2009 03:59:21 AM
937 Views
Less than 200 people were said to be US persons with Swiss accounts
- 04/09/2009 04:16:24 AM
735 Views
And yet account for many millions of dollars; what does that say...?
- 04/09/2009 04:21:57 AM
731 Views
It's statistically insignificant and your hyperbole is reminiscent of screaming guests on CNN.
- 04/09/2009 02:07:31 PM
668 Views
Well, look at this way:
- 04/09/2009 02:24:03 PM
795 Views
That's not a solution.
- 05/09/2009 02:39:12 AM
805 Views
The Soviets weren't socialist, or even communist, so it's a false comparison.
- 05/09/2009 03:09:06 AM
743 Views
Okay, now you've just gone into Kool-aid drinking territory.
- 05/09/2009 04:32:07 AM
866 Views
Communist THEORY is predicated on democratic participation at every level,totally absent in the USSR
- 05/09/2009 04:55:00 AM
980 Views
Ever heard of the 20-80 rule?
- 04/09/2009 04:28:54 AM
657 Views
Top earners? Please define.....what income and how much more? *NM*
- 03/09/2009 04:52:25 AM
506 Views
That would be open to definition, and should change with inflation.
- 03/09/2009 05:13:02 AM
911 Views
What is your justification for taking over 50% of anyone's income?
- 03/09/2009 05:28:22 AM
865 Views
That's a good example of why I say the rate has to be set to cost of living.
- 03/09/2009 05:50:16 AM
889 Views
Still no comment on the fact that 40% of Americans don't pay any income taxes?
- 03/09/2009 02:32:12 PM
796 Views
To what 40% do you refer?
- 03/09/2009 02:42:55 PM
657 Views
Dude, you are not making this easy.....
- 03/09/2009 03:38:01 PM
696 Views
No one "gets money from the IRS. "
- 04/09/2009 02:55:02 AM
702 Views
Actually with EIC you can get money back that you never paid in.
- 04/09/2009 02:56:43 AM
696 Views
It MIGHT be possible with the EIC, but in practice few people get more than they paid.
- 04/09/2009 03:43:36 AM
749 Views
I don't know, I've known plenty of people that have gotten more back than they paid in
- 04/09/2009 03:46:29 AM
822 Views
Yet another example of your ignorance on tax policy.
- 04/09/2009 03:19:39 AM
651 Views
The word I notice is "welfare"
- 04/09/2009 03:57:01 AM
776 Views
I wouldn't say that's what it means....
- 04/09/2009 04:02:40 AM
763 Views
It's what welfare means to me...
- 04/09/2009 04:32:17 AM
771 Views
I was just talking about EIC as a form of welfare, not welfare welfare. *NM*
- 04/09/2009 04:45:13 AM
441 Views
It's a credit for people who file a return on income that's been taxed.
- 04/09/2009 04:19:57 AM
702 Views
It is only for the WORKING poor, yes.
- 04/09/2009 02:12:55 PM
690 Views
Mean it may be, but hardly illegal.
- 04/09/2009 02:31:16 PM
714 Views
No real comments, just 100% agree with you....plus the $12 trillion is terrifying to me. *NM*
- 03/09/2009 04:33:39 AM
332 Views
Excellent post - the US government is not capable of running HC.....
- 03/09/2009 04:40:19 AM
643 Views
It depends on your level of cynicism
- 03/09/2009 05:38:53 AM
812 Views
when have they ever cut the fat?
- 03/09/2009 08:35:36 PM
739 Views
This doesn't make sense to me.
- 03/09/2009 08:33:18 AM
751 Views
The key phrase is "should be. "
- 03/09/2009 09:38:15 AM
924 Views
In fairness, most Europeans don't seem to realize what ObamaCare is.
- 03/09/2009 02:34:01 PM
789 Views
As far as most people I know are concerned, opposition to ObamaCare isn't the issue.
- 03/09/2009 11:04:36 PM
883 Views
It's hard not to be horrified with a government as wasteful as ours
- 03/09/2009 11:24:59 PM
660 Views
For Americans who don't understand why Canadians like their public healthcare.
- 04/09/2009 04:23:11 AM
780 Views
Correction
- 04/09/2009 04:44:32 AM
764 Views
Re: Correction
- 04/09/2009 05:05:11 AM
881 Views


*NM*