Comments on: Chronic Hip Pain

By: Wendell

Wendell — Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:57:57 +0000

All jobs don’t have insurance for one, and with preexisting conditions as a limitation many people couldn’t get it even if they could afford it. If you get sick enough for along time you can’t work, so then no insurance. I have been turned down by blue cross ins with no reason given. This happened when I was much younger and healthy. Yes and some countries do provide housing for you if you are unable to do it for yourself!

By: Reese Vaughn

Reese Vaughn — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 16:05:30 +0000

Since his accident and subsequent job loss were caused by an uninsured, undocumented worker, perhaps the Open Borders people would like to pick up the tab for his surgery. And really, Noah, I hope you’re not a doctor practicing with that Ayn Rand mentality.

By: Steven Zeitzew

Steven Zeitzew — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 15:54:06 +0000

At the VA this man would have access to care. There are robust services for eligible veterans, including those who are unemployed or homeless. In fact one way for an honorably discharged veteran to become eligible is to become impoverished or disabled. This man would have access to subspecialty surgical care and rehabilitation it they were indicated. Sure the VA has problems and imperfections that can be criticized, but it is not accurate to imply that this man would not have access to the treatment he needs. Even the formulary is done in an intelligent way, reviewed by pharmacists and physicians based on what is in the best interest of patients, and with the ability to request off formulary treatments when there is medical justification. The formulary is not limited in a way that limits the ability to provide needed care. Perhaps if we had mandatory military or equivalent service requirements for all we would gradually provide access to care for many who will have earned it by virtue of their service. I agree that we should constructively criticize and improve the VA, and agree the VA is underfunded, but I don’t find your inaccurate criticism constructive in this case.

By: Chris

Chris — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 15:22:10 +0000

For the most part, I don’t like single payer systems and don’t think they would work here, but it really does break my heart to hear stories like this. The guy had a job and had insurance, and then he lost his job (very possibly due to the complications he was having) and also his health insurance.

It’s very unfortunate that his orthopedist didn’t work with him more closely to get the operation. Throwing him to the wolves to get an H&P and then walking away was a bit cold. Agree with the above comments that sending him to an academic center is probably his best bet.

By: Gene

Gene — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 13:51:54 +0000

Really, Noah? Clothing? A job loss means that suddenly your clothes combust? And there are plenty of jobs out there that will cover basic needs like food and shelter that DO NOT OFFER INSURANCE. Your argument smacks of the “I’m not paying for THEM” mentality. The poor in the country get Medicaid, the wealthy either self pay or have excellent insurance through their jobs. The working poor get CRAP insurance, if any.

I know a blue collar carpet installer who works like a dog to support his family. He and his wife have four boys and he won’t let them play sports because he’s afraid they will get injured and he won’t be able to pay for it. All four births paid fully IN CASH. His company caps its employees at 45 to stay below the required insurance population. He makes around $50,000/yr, the median household income for that county. His family is otherwise completely healthy. And he CANNOT AFFORD private insurance.

We MUST figure out a way to divorce health insurance from employment.

By: Jos

Jos — Thu, 20 Dec 2012 13:38:17 +0000

Apparently, Noah, you’ve not experienced the flip side of your argument. I’m glad that’s the case. As a career counselor to transitioning service members, I help people make informed decisions about unemployment insurance, finding work, and taking care of their families in the event of a transition problem (like a long turn-around between leaving the military or maybe homelessness). Unemployment insurance has a place in a society that proclaims its “civilized state.”

Ironically, most of the people who argue against unemployment aren’t aware that we all pay taxes into the unemployment funds, including the people who lost their jobs in the first place. They paid to use that money while they worked; that is why it’s called Unemployment INSURANCE. But I assume you do know that, and I assume that if you ever were unfortunate enough to need it, or COBRA, you would know it was available.

By: Noah

Noah — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 23:35:04 +0000

“If you lose your job your healthcare vanishes.”

Of course. But so does food, shelter and clothing. You can’t have these without a job. Life and its sustenance requires activity. You cant sit around without a job and survive.

So this is an argumant for universal job care and universal shelter care. Universal everything care?

By: Gwen

Gwen — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 21:46:53 +0000

I am here to say how good the VA health care system has taken care of me personally. I am 100% service connected and am able to get everything I need from the VA. I have had emergency abdominal surgery there with a colostomy bag, and had that reversed there. I get every medication I take from there. I have been in the system since ’99. Personally I think having a system like the VA throughout the USA would not be such a bad thing. Sure things would be run on the bare minimum. I am able to go to see a Psychiatrist. I just had a Tympanoplasty last week! I get all my needs met and am quite thankful every day that I get to go to the VA for my health care. I would be sunk without it.

By: Gene

Gene — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 17:45:32 +0000

Agreed, Hash. The VA system sucks. And Medicaid is an underfunded mess. There just has to be something better than the for profit, bureaucratic nightmare system we have now.

By: hashmd

hashmd — Wed, 19 Dec 2012 16:22:09 +0000

The problem with a national system of healthcare is that the only real Federal example of how they would run it is the VA system. Ask a Vet how happy he or she is with that system. The VA around where I’m at only has a clinic to cover 40 mile radius, only sees the vet once a year (if they remember), and basically only covers a limited formulary of meds. I, as an FP, have to coordinate the rest. All the specialty care goes on Medicare here locally, I see them on Medicare. The VA is an inefficient, underfunded system just like Medicaid is.