Let’s not also forget that there are never enough lungs available for transplant. So in addition to the person who died to supply this lung, there is likely someone else’s father, mother, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, grandfather or grandmother, or someone else loved by many people who will now not survive because this lung went to a ten year old girl. It’s a win-lose situation with no easy answers.
HHS Secretary Sebelius stood in the way by citing Obamacare rules so she was a One-Person Death Panel.
-If It wasn’t the Sec’y it would be a “faceless bureaucrat” in the future. Obamacare does have the Death Panel written into the law. Big Brother and Big Sister will decide who gets life-saving medical treatments and who will be left to take an aspirin and die.
“you limit the money supply and then you will have a bureaucrats deciding things and not the doctors”
I have news for you: Doctors haven’t been able to make unencumbered decisions since the early 1980s. What many people do not understand is that insurance companies have their own “death panels”. Whenever someone is holding the money, that person can decide if it will be spent, what it will be spent for, and how much will be allowed for that purpose.
Since I have a break in my schedule this aftenoon, I will use it spending between 45 and 60 minutes on the phone telling an insurance company drug plan why this patient needs the Rx I provided, and why their denial will harm the patient. This happens regularly; many times I am told to try other drugs first, and almost always those other drugs are not even in the same chemical category, and therefore will not work. But the insurance company believes somehow that it’s cheaper to pay for meds we know will fail, and then when it’s PROVEN to fail, they will allow what I wanted to use in the first place.
This has nothing to do with Obamacare, but it will not stop with it, either, since Obamacare relies even more heavily on the insurance companies than we do now.
Glad to see Mikey is still at it with the mindless bashing.
Mikey, in the real world we do not do things ‘just because it will make us feel good’. First, the transplant has a greater chance of failing because of her age. If the transplant fails, not only will she die, but the adult denied the lung may also die.
Second, the doctors on the panel have feelings, but they also know that transplanting an adult lung into a child had a greater chance of failure. And in this case, facts outweigh feelings.
Doctors should set the rules, well they actually did, and make final decision. Age shouldn’t matter as much as size. Try putting the wheel from a semi tractor on a VW!
The 10 year old girls insurance doesn’t cover lung transplants. Her bad lung was pre-existing condition, not covered. What’s the difference? In the second example we get to funnel millions to some top exec.
I do, too, as far as it goes. The problem with them is that people, as you know, often do not plan properly for the future. An HSA is no good if it does not exist or if it is underfunded. And then we’re back to people showing up at e-rooms without money.
Single payer is the only viable answer. There is no need to set up any more bureaucracy, just open Medicare up for all. Of course, it’s not perfect, but I can tell you that once you jump through all the hoops required so you can be accepted as a provider, Medicare pays what it says it will when it says it will. They also have never denied a claim of mine. This is not to say they are willing to pay any claim any time…..those days are long gone. It DOES mean that if the diagnosis is correct and the treatment plan is reasonable, I am not told that they know better than I do how to treat. The exception is Medicare subcontractors, which are…….private insurance companies.
I recommend you go to HHS website and subscribe to their e-mail newsletter. I think you will be impressed with their diligence when you read how many frauds they prosecute and how much money is recovered.
I have not said that I love Obamacare. It is not the answer, but is a bandage to stop the crash of the previous system. It will only hold the system together for a short time before the dam starts to break yet again. So we only have a short time to do better.
I don’t have a problem with “repeal and replace”. I do have a problem with those who state that, yet do not have—and plan to never have—a replacement. My feeling is that if you are unwilling to make things better, at least don’t make them worse.
Sorry to be so late in replying; a strong thunderstorm hit our area and internet went down. We’re lucky, though: many people have lost power, but we have not.
the unarguable fact is the 10-year-old girl would have died in a few weeks if Sebelius’ blocking of the possibility of a lung implant had been the end of the matter. But a federal judge ruled Sebelius’ decision moot and she was put on the list, and the operation was a success. -the Obamacare system follows medical care overseas. In Europe, the system has allowed panels and doctors to end the life of patients, and today Belgium is seeking to terminate the lives of handicapped infants.-Life is no longer sacred in Europe and soon will be no longer sacred in the USA, thanks to the Democrats and Obama.Already proved by Pro-abortionists like the one just convicted of murdering live born infants in failed abortions. He had trophy baby feet in jars in his filthy clinic! No respect for Life.
“Wrong. Kathleen Sebelius has a face, and an ugly one at that.”-All liberal women are unattractive. I realized that long before researchers at UCLA presented their study on the subject.
@ Ms Ima: And yet, she breathes! (Or at least she will [hopefully] when they take her off the breathing machine that she currently needs to stay alive.)
@ NeoconMan: I can’t help but wonder where in your own scheme of things you yourself would fit if you found yourself in a similar situation. (I’m guessing that your response is “Nothing like that will ever happen to me!” and/or “I’m a Special Snowflake! Surely the World will see fit to bend the rules for me?”)
^Careful, one possible cure for CF could very likely come from embryonic stem cells, don’t want to upset dt, and the others more concerned with eggs than kids, even if they do get some press once in a while when there’s an effort to turn it “political”.
Odon Premium Member almost 11 years ago
Don’t let the fact that “Obamacare” has nothing to do with this stand in the way of a opportunity to knock it, however inappropriately.
rockngolfer almost 11 years ago
The RWNJs find a way to blame Obama for something that he has nothing to do with. Proceed to the scrap heap of history.
wrwomack almost 11 years ago
Let’s not also forget that there are never enough lungs available for transplant. So in addition to the person who died to supply this lung, there is likely someone else’s father, mother, brother, sister, uncle, aunt, grandfather or grandmother, or someone else loved by many people who will now not survive because this lung went to a ten year old girl. It’s a win-lose situation with no easy answers.
disgustedtaxpayer almost 11 years ago
-If It wasn’t the Sec’y it would be a “faceless bureaucrat” in the future. Obamacare does have the Death Panel written into the law. Big Brother and Big Sister will decide who gets life-saving medical treatments and who will be left to take an aspirin and die.
I Play One On TV almost 11 years ago
“you limit the money supply and then you will have a bureaucrats deciding things and not the doctors”
I have news for you: Doctors haven’t been able to make unencumbered decisions since the early 1980s. What many people do not understand is that insurance companies have their own “death panels”. Whenever someone is holding the money, that person can decide if it will be spent, what it will be spent for, and how much will be allowed for that purpose.
Since I have a break in my schedule this aftenoon, I will use it spending between 45 and 60 minutes on the phone telling an insurance company drug plan why this patient needs the Rx I provided, and why their denial will harm the patient. This happens regularly; many times I am told to try other drugs first, and almost always those other drugs are not even in the same chemical category, and therefore will not work. But the insurance company believes somehow that it’s cheaper to pay for meds we know will fail, and then when it’s PROVEN to fail, they will allow what I wanted to use in the first place.
This has nothing to do with Obamacare, but it will not stop with it, either, since Obamacare relies even more heavily on the insurance companies than we do now.
PlainBill almost 11 years ago
Glad to see Mikey is still at it with the mindless bashing.
Mikey, in the real world we do not do things ‘just because it will make us feel good’. First, the transplant has a greater chance of failing because of her age. If the transplant fails, not only will she die, but the adult denied the lung may also die.
Second, the doctors on the panel have feelings, but they also know that transplanting an adult lung into a child had a greater chance of failure. And in this case, facts outweigh feelings.
d_legendary1 almost 11 years ago
Take what Sebelius didn’t say and add the words Obamacare and you get another right wing lie.
Dtroutma almost 11 years ago
Doctors should set the rules, well they actually did, and make final decision. Age shouldn’t matter as much as size. Try putting the wheel from a semi tractor on a VW!
joe vignone almost 11 years ago
The 10 year old girls insurance doesn’t cover lung transplants. Her bad lung was pre-existing condition, not covered. What’s the difference? In the second example we get to funnel millions to some top exec.
I Play One On TV almost 11 years ago
“So your point is what? I support HSA accounts.”
I do, too, as far as it goes. The problem with them is that people, as you know, often do not plan properly for the future. An HSA is no good if it does not exist or if it is underfunded. And then we’re back to people showing up at e-rooms without money.
Single payer is the only viable answer. There is no need to set up any more bureaucracy, just open Medicare up for all. Of course, it’s not perfect, but I can tell you that once you jump through all the hoops required so you can be accepted as a provider, Medicare pays what it says it will when it says it will. They also have never denied a claim of mine. This is not to say they are willing to pay any claim any time…..those days are long gone. It DOES mean that if the diagnosis is correct and the treatment plan is reasonable, I am not told that they know better than I do how to treat. The exception is Medicare subcontractors, which are…….private insurance companies.
I recommend you go to HHS website and subscribe to their e-mail newsletter. I think you will be impressed with their diligence when you read how many frauds they prosecute and how much money is recovered.
I have not said that I love Obamacare. It is not the answer, but is a bandage to stop the crash of the previous system. It will only hold the system together for a short time before the dam starts to break yet again. So we only have a short time to do better.
I don’t have a problem with “repeal and replace”. I do have a problem with those who state that, yet do not have—and plan to never have—a replacement. My feeling is that if you are unwilling to make things better, at least don’t make them worse.
Sorry to be so late in replying; a strong thunderstorm hit our area and internet went down. We’re lucky, though: many people have lost power, but we have not.
disgustedtaxpayer almost 11 years ago
the unarguable fact is the 10-year-old girl would have died in a few weeks if Sebelius’ blocking of the possibility of a lung implant had been the end of the matter. But a federal judge ruled Sebelius’ decision moot and she was put on the list, and the operation was a success. -the Obamacare system follows medical care overseas. In Europe, the system has allowed panels and doctors to end the life of patients, and today Belgium is seeking to terminate the lives of handicapped infants.-Life is no longer sacred in Europe and soon will be no longer sacred in the USA, thanks to the Democrats and Obama.Already proved by Pro-abortionists like the one just convicted of murdering live born infants in failed abortions. He had trophy baby feet in jars in his filthy clinic! No respect for Life.
SAStiner almost 11 years ago
“Wrong. Kathleen Sebelius has a face, and an ugly one at that.”-All liberal women are unattractive. I realized that long before researchers at UCLA presented their study on the subject.
reynard61 almost 11 years ago
@ Ms Ima: And yet, she breathes! (Or at least she will [hopefully] when they take her off the breathing machine that she currently needs to stay alive.)
@ NeoconMan: I can’t help but wonder where in your own scheme of things you yourself would fit if you found yourself in a similar situation. (I’m guessing that your response is “Nothing like that will ever happen to me!” and/or “I’m a Special Snowflake! Surely the World will see fit to bend the rules for me?”)
Dtroutma almost 11 years ago
^Careful, one possible cure for CF could very likely come from embryonic stem cells, don’t want to upset dt, and the others more concerned with eggs than kids, even if they do get some press once in a while when there’s an effort to turn it “political”.