Morality is not determined by the church you attend nor the faith you embrace. It is determined by the quality of your character and the positive impact you have on those you meet along your journey
And this is why ACA is just the first step. Universal health care like every FUNCTIONAL country provides is our goal. The US is all about illness management profiting the insurance and pharmaceutical companies, humans be damned. Suck out every last dollar they can. The ACA is one tiny step towards a country that values its citizens and promotes wellness.
This really needs to hit Obama's desk....how frigging shameful. All of this starting with the collapse in 2008....greed, pure unadulterated GREED!!!! When will it ever be enough? The rich bastards in Congress still trying to rape the 99%, how many horror stories must we read? This guy has more faith than all those religious fanatics combined or he wouldn't be here.
Reagan built this. "The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act" (EMTALA.) It mandated that “Hospitals provide care to anyone needing emergency healthcare treatment regardless of citizenship, legal status or ability to pay.”
He closed down all mental institutions and put them out on group homes and communities planned by his private sector buddies. It clogged up the prisons and put societies in harms way. He created universal coverage - hospitals hated it, and private sector had to pay for it. It paved the way to the most costly and inefficient health care system in the world.
But I too am a victim of circumstances similar to his: I got my Social Security number @14 years old -- because I WORKED. I put myself through post-high-school education and worked in my field for 20 years before the company I worked for was acquired in a hostile takeover by corporate raiders ...and I was "downsized." I worked several minimum-wage jobs for years and struggled to get health-care insurance.
...and then I had a heart attack and died (for 5 minutes).
Yes, the hospital treated me - brought me back to life - fixed me up.
And then I lost my house, everything - car, everything to the medical bills.
I still owe tens of thousands of dollars and the collection agencies gobble up my paychecks as soon as I get them.
I'm 60 years old and have heart disease and thus, very few people will hire me. (Except for min-wage labor).
Again: I'm not asking for any sympathy... I'm just relaying the facts.
I WORKED. I paid my dues.
And then the rich motherfuckers took everything I had.
I'm so sorry. I know your story and I hear you. I work every day with folks in the same position. It's disgusting. We should be better than this. Every time I hear about American exceptionalism, I want to vomit. This country feeds on consuming human beings for profit. It's my country, I love it, and I want it to be better. And I want you to feel better, have a home, have food on your table, and enjoy quality of life. Every other modern country guarantees it. Why can't we?
So many people believe that hospitals will treat any and all medical problems for free if the patient does not have insurance and cannot afford to pay themselves. What they don't realize is that the hospitals are only required to stabilize a patient, NOT treat them.
They will NOT provide any surgery that is not deemed necessary to preserve life, they will not provide treatment for any major diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc.
They will only keep the person from dying from that particular crisis. Everything after that is the patient's problem.
Thank you, as always, Gryphen. You have become my Huffington Post. What I used to read there, I now get here, while they are posting pictures of half naked celebrities. Ugghh!
I never understood why we're so cruel and inhumane to people who deserve much better? We're better than this. I wonder what kind of health care Prisoners in America receive? Do they risk losing their houses? And we keep paying for it.
And this is why ACA is just the first step. Universal health care like every FUNCTIONAL country provides is our goal. The US is all about illness management profiting the insurance and pharmaceutical companies, humans be damned. Suck out every last dollar they can. The ACA is one tiny step towards a country that values its citizens and promotes wellness.
ReplyDelete+1
DeleteOK that needs to go viral.
ReplyDeleteThis really needs to hit Obama's desk....how frigging shameful. All of this starting with the collapse in 2008....greed, pure unadulterated GREED!!!! When will it ever be enough? The rich bastards in Congress still trying to rape the 99%, how many horror stories must we read? This guy has more faith than all those religious fanatics combined or he wouldn't be here.
ReplyDeleteReagan built this. "The Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act" (EMTALA.) It mandated that “Hospitals provide care to anyone needing emergency healthcare treatment regardless of citizenship, legal status or ability to pay.”
ReplyDeleteHe closed down all mental institutions and put them out on group homes and communities planned by his private sector buddies. It clogged up the prisons and put societies in harms way. He created universal coverage - hospitals hated it, and private sector had to pay for it. It paved the way to the most costly and inefficient health care system in the world.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/business/on-investing-the-obamacare-portfolio/2013/10/03/1c4ca6ca-2c42-11e3-97a3-ff2758228523_story.html
First: I'm not asking for any sympathy.
ReplyDeleteBut I too am a victim of circumstances similar to his:
I got my Social Security number @14 years old -- because I WORKED.
I put myself through post-high-school education and worked in my field for 20 years before the company I worked for was acquired in a hostile takeover by corporate raiders
...and I was "downsized."
I worked several minimum-wage jobs for years and struggled to get health-care insurance.
...and then I had a heart attack and died (for 5 minutes).
Yes, the hospital treated me - brought me back to life - fixed me up.
And then I lost my house, everything - car, everything to the medical bills.
I still owe tens of thousands of dollars and the collection agencies gobble up my paychecks as soon as I get them.
I'm 60 years old and have heart disease and thus, very few people will hire me. (Except for min-wage labor).
Again: I'm not asking for any sympathy...
I'm just relaying the facts.
I WORKED.
I paid my dues.
And then the rich motherfuckers took everything I had.
I AM the 99%
I'm so sorry. I know your story and I hear you. I work every day with folks in the same position. It's disgusting. We should be better than this. Every time I hear about American exceptionalism, I want to vomit. This country feeds on consuming human beings for profit. It's my country, I love it, and I want it to be better. And I want you to feel better, have a home, have food on your table, and enjoy quality of life. Every other modern country guarantees it. Why can't we?
DeleteSo many people believe that hospitals will treat any and all medical problems for free if the patient does not have insurance and cannot afford to pay themselves. What they don't realize is that the hospitals are only required to stabilize a patient, NOT treat them.
ReplyDeleteThey will NOT provide any surgery that is not deemed necessary to preserve life, they will not provide treatment for any major diseases like cancer, heart disease, diabetes, etc.
They will only keep the person from dying from that particular crisis. Everything after that is the patient's problem.
Wow! Very powerful.
ReplyDeleteThank you, as always, Gryphen. You have become my Huffington Post. What I used to read there, I now get here, while they are posting pictures of half naked celebrities. Ugghh!
I never understood why we're so cruel and inhumane to people who deserve much better? We're better than this.
ReplyDeleteI wonder what kind of health care Prisoners in America receive? Do they risk losing their houses? And we keep paying for it.
Thanks for posting Gryph.
ReplyDelete-sjp