Mom of girl with CF spends $100K/yr on Dr bills, gets laid off, but says no to "socialized medicine"

[El Pinko]

***"We hate the idea of the costs of health care being spread evenly among all citizens. It's better if those with money get care, and then let the broke people use the emergency room"

(SHHH! Don't tell moron mom that indigent care costs for emergencies are paid for by the hospitals and insurance companies - IE the insured pay for them anyway, but they pay emergency room prices for catastrophic care instead of the MUCH lower prices of regular Dr. visits and preventive care.)

Anyway, here is the story about the stupid woman - I'm sure you all know a ton of people who think just like her.


http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/10/01/MN90135K88.DTL


Health care reform guides undecided voter

Elizabeth Fernandez
Wednesday, October 1, 2008


(09-30) 20:05 PDT -- Diana Heppe hasn't decided yet whether to vote for Republican John McCain or Democrat Barack Obama. She's biding her time while exhaustively researching the candidates. When the Livermore resident finally chooses, her vote will be guided to a large extent by their plans to reform health care. Heppe is a registered Democrat.

"But with age, paying taxes and having children, I've become more conservative," she said. "I don't think we need some type of socialized medicine. We have to put patients, and their doctors, back in charge of health."

Heppe worked in the mortgage industry until she was laid off a year ago. But she's long held another full-time job: Caring for the health of her daughter, Tara, now 9, who has cystic fibrosis, a hereditary, life-threatening disease affecting the mucus glands that can cause frequent lung infections.

"It's a constant struggle with the hospitals and insurance companies just to get the bills straightened out," Heppe said. Tara's medical bills run about $100,000 a year. The fourth-grader has dual coverage through her father and through her mother's domestic partner.



***Picture caption is not an actual quote. Parody of the mother's mindset by El Pinko™.

[SharonAnn]

1. Oh, so her mother isn't even covering the current insurance. Other people are!

Sounds like socialism to me.

She'd be better off with Universal Health Care but I guess she doesn't think so.

[El Pinko]

10. She looks like she and her hubby will be having obesity-related diseases before long...

What if their health problems leave them both unable to work? Who will cover daughter's treatment then?

Of course, they will come running to medicaid, which in their entitled minds will not count as "socialized medicine".

[Name removed]

19. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[El Pinko]

20. Rather than hating the ignorant...

...why not hate those that are making them ignorant?

[SoCalDem]

18. Yep.. and the people in the insurance "group" with her husband and her partner

are "footing the bill" via higher premiums..even if THEY never even GO to a doctor..

For AGES, we had ZERO co-pay for medicine, and yet no one at our house ever got prescriptions.. and NOW my huband's diabetic, and some of his meds come with a $75 CO-PAY.. ...

People like this woman just don't "get it"..and they never will..UNTIL hubby or partner lose their job and their insurance..

[Kittycat]

2. I'd like to slap some sense in to her.

What is she going to do when both households lose their homes trying to care for her daughter? Idiot.

[amdezurik]

3. it's a kind of magical thinking

*POOF* the ER bills just vanish!

[antigop]

4. They'll change their minds if they lose coverage n/t

[Lifetimedem]

9. Exactly

I wonder how she thinks people without duel insurance preserve the life of their children? Or maybe they are not important.

Wait until the insurances that DO stand between her and her doctor refuse to pay for a new procedure or med..

She is dumb

[SammyWinstonJack]

5. Stupid doesn't even begin to describe this woman.

:banghead:

[Name removed]

6. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[Dogtown]

7. "Heppe is a registered Democrat."

So's Fred Phelps.

Doesn't mean they've ever voted for a democrat, unless it was to upset a primary.

[antigop]

8. Be sure to watch the PBS P.O.V. Documentary-- Critical Condition

http://www.pbs.org/pov/pov2008/criticalcondition/
>>
What happens if you fall sick and are one of 47 million people in America without health insurance? Critical Condition puts a human face on the nation's growing health care crisis by capturing the harrowing struggles of four critically ill Americans who discover that being uninsured can cost them their jobs, health, home, savings, and even their lives.
>>

[Kerrytravelers]

11. This poor girl. I feel so sorry for her. Clearly, her mother has let the thugs of this country beat

her down. Some people take the beating and let it drive them to hopelessness, while others see the injustice and how it affects their family and get mad and fight.

This is just sad.

[Canuckistanian]

12. That is astoundingly ignorant.

"We have to put patients, and their doctors, back in charge of health"

As a Canadian citizen that's EXACTLY what I have.

But Americans have these huge corporate institutions called insurance companies between them and their doctors. And they PAY for that "privilege".

My government doesn't make any decisions about my health care, only my doctor and I. The only thing government does is pay for it.

[SidDithers]

17. Yeah, that line jumped out at me too...nt

Sid

[laundry_queen]

35. I can't tell you what a pet peeve of mine that is.

If I hear one more ignorant comment about "I don't want the government telling my doctor how to treat me" I'm going to puke.

As a Canadian, I can to to whatever doctor I want, in any province I want and have it covered. My doctor makes all the decisions about my care, not the government. As you say, they just pay for it, the end. How many Americans can go to any doctor they want without some insurance company or HMO telling them that they aren't covered, that doctor is out of plan?? ARGH! Or they whine about arguing with insurance companies about this and that procedure and whether they are needed or covered. Guess what? If my doctor says a procedure is necessary, then I get that procedure! Yeah, that 'socialized medicine' is a bitch.

I have had numerous arguments online about this but those who are anti-health-care for everyone just hear what they want. I guess they prefer paying inflated premiums, huge co-pays and spending hours upon hours on the phone (and paying for the privilege!) as well as having limited choices. :silly:

[chicagoexpat]

13. It builds character

I fear how we're destroying all our soldiers and vets characters by providing gummint run health care for'em

y'know, like John McCain, his character is clearly lacking

[kenny blankenship]

14. As it shreds bodies

Americans have a seriously masochistic attitude that makes them their own worst enemies at times.

[brentspeak]

15. This woman is Exhibit A on how the corporate media has brainwashed the public

[redqueen]

16. Ignorance is the root of so many problems. (nt)

[Rosa Luxemburg]

33. the problem of many of the electorate

[Oregone]

21. Why does socialized health care == people not in charge of their health?!?

Im heading to a free immediate care clinic this morning, paid for by the government, because my wife is sick (we are choosing the closest of the numerous ones around us, being that we can goto any). Otherwise, Id leave more of a response.

[Gormy Cuss]

22. The article doesn't say that the family pays that amount for her care.

It says that the bills are about 100K per year. Given that the child has coverage from two different plans (and that the mother stated that much effort is expended arguing about the bill) it may be that only a small portion is out of pocket.

Either way, why someone who spends so much time arguing with multiple entities now over payment would be afraid of dealing with only one payer is beyond my comprehension.

[El Pinko]

24. You're right - sorry for my careless wording of the headline.

NT

[yellowdogintexas]

39. and with a CF child, you can bet they are making a fair share of trips to the ER

when the opportunistic bacteria swarm in at the slightest provocation and your kid that was perfectly all right this morning wakes up in the night with a seized up chest.

her premiums for that dual coverage would be a lot lower if the group were 46 million people.

And don't even think about getting coverage on new insurance if those men lose their insurance, unless you take the COBRA or get new coverage within 60 days, that child is pre existed into the next solar system .

These people just don't get the fact that even if the managed care is 'running her daughter's medical care, not the actual doctors' that if she didn't have this her daughter would quite possibly have been dead at age 2.

rant off

[antigop]

23. Does that mean she thinks Medicare should go away? n/t

[raccoon]

25. Amen--Medicare is a limited national health plan. nt

[antigop]

26. I bring that up to anyone who tells me they don't want "socialized medicine"

Blank stare-- every time.

[4lbs]

27. Someone should tell her that all members of Congress get their healthcare...

fully covered by the federal government. Any illness or medical issue is 100% paid for, with low cost to them.

Ask her if she would like that kind of health care plan. If she says yes, then tell her that Obama wants exactly that, to give the 47 million uninsured/underinsured the exact same health care plan he's getting right now as a member of Congress.

Then, everyone else in the US has the OPTION of going with that health care plan, or they can stay with the one they already have.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

28. Why You And Others Are Slamming This Woman In Such Ways Is A Mystery. It's Also Disgusting.

Some of you all continue to make me ashamed to be associated even in minuscule ways to you. What the fuck did this woman do so wrong to deserve such hatred? She isn't 100% for socialized healthcare? That's it? I didn't see anything else in the article that was anything less than benign. So just because she is torn and searching for the best ways to improve healthcare, and isn't on board yet with the concept of socialized healthcare, you all turn on her and spew such hatred? How fucking undemocratic is that????

God bless her, and may those of you spewing your hatred wake up one day and recognize how disgraceful and disgusting your knee jerk attacks on good people are.

[ljm2002]

30. Oh c'mon...

...this is a political discussion board, and this article is interesting because of the politics of health care.

Health care in this country is so far beyond broken it's not even funny. And I, along with many other people, are starting to get beyond angry at wilful ignorance.

Now I'll grant that the woman lives in Livermore, and therefore is surrounded by a more "conservative" (so-called) population. But the fact is, that mantra of "socialized medicine" is just koolaid / i.e., propaganda that has been internalized without any further analysis. "Socialism Bad", "Capitalism Good" is the extent of the thought that goes into it. Given that, in my opinion, it is appropriate to get angry about people whose thought processes are so warped and corrupted that they consistently preach and vote against their own best interests not to mention the best interests of all the citizens of the country.

The anger may be focused on this person because this is today's prominent article on this hot-button issue. But the anger that most of us feel is broader, it is that the propaganda has worked its magic and we all suffer because people refuse even to give some basic analysis to the mess we are in.

This woman may not be stupid. But she is ignorant. If I were to meet her face to face, I would try to explain to her that Medicare is socialized medicine, that our Congress critters have socialized medicine already, that single payer universal health care is not "control of medical care by the government", that the current system is based on insurance companies making money by refusing treatment, that right now private companies control our medical care, that not only patients but doctor's offices have to spend valuable time and energy arguing about payments -- which has the effect of raising everyone's costs, and I would point her to the massive amount of information out there showing that we in the US pay more and get less for our health care dollar than countries with so-called "socialized" medicine.

But since I will not meet her face to face, and since we're on a political discussion board, I am at liberty to point out that she is ignorant if not outright stupid. And that is not a hateful remark, it is simply a true one.

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

34. There Is No Justification Nor Excuse For Some Of The Spewed Hatred Towards Her In This Thread.

It is disgusting and disgraceful and a sign of far more flaw in them than in her.

[ljm2002]

36. Hmmm...

...I just went back and re-read this thread.

One person called her an idiot. Seems fair to me.

One person pointed out that the mother and father of the child with CF are both on the fat side and may have obesity-related health problems in the future. Seems fair to me.

One person pointed out that Fred Phelps is also a "registered Democrat". That is true. I suppose you could say that the comment is a little over the top in that it implies she may be lying about her political party. Not exactly hateful though...

One person said they would like to slap some sense into her. In the context of a political discussion board, where we know that a literal slapping is not a real possibility, that seems like strong language but not hateful.

Maybe we just read these things differently. It is true that the reactions have been gut-level and strong. It was certainly my reaction to the article this morning, when I ran across it at sfgate.com, and before I even looked at DU. I read the headline, scanned the article, and I was like, WTF??? :wtf: I really am at the point of losing patience with people who refuse to think anything through.

Certainly this is an individual who has been dealt a rough hand with her daughter's debilitating illness. And she has my sympathy for that. Quite possibly she is well-meaning, but quite certainly she is not well-informed. That tends to get people here riled up. But I suppose you are right in one way, which is that if we confront such people -- especially those who are dealing with misfortunes like this -- rather than try and talk them down, we are unlikely to sway them.

The thing is, though, I doubt she reads DemocraticUnderground.

[El Pinko]

42. I saw one nasty post and it was deleted.

(rightly so)

[OPERATIONMINDCRIME]

43. Not Like You Called Her A Moron Or Anything.

:eyes:

This thread and those demonizing this woman disgust me and I'm sure many others as well.

[El Pinko]

44. Calling a dumb, ignorant woman is hyperbole, not "hate".

And I certainly reserve the right to sling a bit of hyperbole.

I'm a leftist bleeding-heart, so if and when she and her husband actually are uninsured and seeking help for their sick daughter and obese selves, my heart will go out to them, despite the fact that they don't deserve sympathy.

They are the ones who want others deprived of something as basic as health care, not me. So who's the hater - the one who wants people to die if they're poor, or the one who uses, evil, shocking, hateful, MUUURDEROUS words like "moron" on an internet message board?

[Name removed]

40. Deleted message

Message removed by moderator. Click here to review the message board rules.

[El Pinko]

41. Several people have pitied her for her stunning ignorance.

And expressed sadness that so many other Americans are equally brainwashed. Not everyone is expressing "hate".

Not surprised that DU's resident righty feels this way, though. I keep waiting for you to ever agree with the liberal or progressive position on ANYTHING - I guess I'll be waiting a long time.

Don't see what's so "good" about her desire to limit healthcare only to herself and others who can afford it, especially considering the outsized burden her daughter puts on the health care system. Seems like an entitled, selfish attitude to me.

[sakabatou]

29. Someone, get me my clue-by-four!

[Javaman]

31. wow, yet another mouth breather that votes against her own best interests...

If I had a dollar of everyone of these stories I would be living in the grand caymans.

[codjh9]

32. How f-ing stupid! Usually people get more *democratic* when faced w/hardship. n/t

[honkydonkey]

37. Wow, this family looks familiar

Due to a chronic illness, I find myself in the ER on occasion and believe me, I DO NOT want to go there. I have insurance thank God, at least for now. This family reminds me of the families I see in there with their kids running around with snot running out of their noses,coughing their heads off, barefoot on the nasty ER waiting room floor....while the parents talk endlessly on their walkie-talkie phones to whomever will answer their call. I didn't realize that San Francisco had rednecks. Very creepy. What we have here is so much like Appalachian Emergency Room on Saturday Night Live. http://www.nbc.com/Saturday_Night_Live/segments/6908.shtml

These people are just ignorant. I feel sorry for their kid.

[Vinca]

38. So what will happen to little Tara if dad and the domestic partner

also lose their jobs and have no health insurance coverage? Little Tara will be on Medicaid so fast she won't know what hit her. Love people like this woman. Socialism is bad until they need it.