Lack of universal healthcare - a sad story

[Texashiker]

Accident between a car and a truck left one child dead, one critically injured and the mom is in the hospital. The article said the mom was released from the hospital, but the grandmother told my wife the mom was admitted after the story was published.

http://www.kjas.com/news/local_news/article_5e4b2b6c-af7b-11e2-b9ee-0019bb30f31a.html

From what we were told, the family does not have health insurance.

I know this family. The grandmother visited with my wife and I while we were camping a few weeks ago. My wife and I used to go over to their house when the mom was a teenager.

The child that is in critical care had to have part of her colon removed and facial reconstruction surgery. From what my wife was told, the girls jaw was broken in several places.

Why dont we have universal health care? This has been a hot topic for decades, but nobody wants to do anything about it.

We can send hundreds of millions of dollars overseas, we can fight a so called war on terror that has cost trillions, but we can not provide basic health care coverage for our citizens.

 

[God Mode]

No coverage with the car insurance? Medicaid? Too wealthy to qualify? No safety net for children? Savage.

Move out of Texas. I've heard the most hateful things about liberals and free social care coming out of residents from Texas. Y'all are brainwashed until it happens to you.

 

[nextJin]

Luckily from what it sounds like they still got their health care from me and everyone else who pays for their own health care like responsible adults.

Tragic stories of suffering and heartbreak don't really affect the math.

 

[Nebor]

Wait a second, the OP feels like someone else should have paid for their health care... But it appears that someone else paid for their health care.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

No coverage with the car insurance? Medicaid? Too wealthy to qualify? No safety net for children? Savage.

Move out of Texas. I've heard the most hateful things about liberals and free social care coming out of residents from Texas. Y'all are brainwashed until it happens to you.

Texas is very strict on vehicles being properly insured. You must provide proof of insurance to get a vehicle inspected as well as for vehicle registration/tags.

http://www.tdi.texas.gov/auto/frvp_agent.html

What does Texas law require?
The Texas Motor Vehicle Safety Responsibility Act, in Transportation Code §601.051, states that a person may not operate a motor vehicle in this state unless financial responsibility is established for that vehicle. Transportation Code §601.002(3) defines financial responsibility as the ability to respond to damages for liability for an accident that arises out of the ownership, maintenance, or use of a motor vehicle. Most people do this by buying automobile liability insurance as allowed by Transportation Code §601.051(1). Texas law, under Transportation Code §601.072, currently requires minimum coverage of $30,000 per injured person, up to a total of $60,000 for everyone injured in an accident, and $25,000 for property damage. This basic coverage is called 30/60/25 coverage.

http://officialinspectionstation.com/webpages.asp?wpid=22

What to bring to your Texas Vehicle Safety Inspection

1. Proof of liability insurance: any current state insurance is acceptable.
2. Payment: Official Inspection Station accepts cash, check and credit cards (Visa & Master Card). Texas state law requires that payment is made whether your vehicle passes or fails inspection.
3. Photo ID this must be current and valid. If you are registering your vehicle in the state of Texas, you will need a photo ID in order to acquire your VI-30 or green sheet.

 

[God Mode]

Hah. 30k minimum coverage per person.

That covers the hospital administration fees and maybe a few pills of Tylenol.

Sucks when you're faced with no option or go bankrupt losing your entire life savings. Join the club.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

Hah. 30k minimum coverage per person.

That covers the hospital administration fees and maybe a few pills of Tylenol.

Sucks when you're faced with no option or go bankrupt losing your entire life savings. Join the club.

Better than New York's insurance requirements.

http://www.dmv.ny.gov/insurance.htm

A motor vehicle registered in NYS must have liability insurance. Insurance coverage must be a minimum of $25,000/50,000 for injury, $50,000/100,000 for death, and $10,000 for property damage caused by any one accident. New York State is a no-fault state. The liability coverage must remain in effect while the registration is valid, even if the vehicle is not used (except motorcycles).

 

[God Mode]

Better than New York's insurance requirements.

http://www.dmv.ny.gov/insurance.htm

My point is that 25k or 30k is a drop in the bucket for American medical care. Since Texas tells poorer people to pound sand when they need medical care, I assumed their minimum coverage for auto insurance would be higher.

You can try to compare NY and Texas all you want but NY does not throw people under the bus or rely on 'charity' which may or may not come.

 

[Incorruptible]

Universal healthcare is NOT the way to go. We need a free market healthcare system which would bring down costs and provide better quality healthcare.

 

[Genx87]

So they don't have car insurance? How about the guy who hit them?

 

[xj0hnx]

My point is that 25k or 30k is a drop in the bucket for American medical care. Since Texas tells poorer people to pound sand when they need medical care, I assumed their minimum coverage for auto insurance would be higher.

You can try to compare NY and Texas all you want but NY does not throw people under the bus or rely on 'charity' which may or may not come.

I don't think you know what you're talking about. I spent a week in the hospital when I was shot in San Antonio, and the bill was just over 15K, and was picked up by a charity that was around at the time.

 

[Hayabusa Rider]

You really don't know the issues yet? There's probably eleventy billion web pages dealing with UHC, and at least 3 or 4 might be useful.

 

[CrackRabbit]

Universal healthcare is NOT the way to go. We need a free market healthcare system which would bring down costs and provide better quality healthcare.

So what exactly do we have right now?

 

[Texashiker]

No coverage with the car insurance? Medicaid? Too wealthy to qualify? No safety net for children? Savage.

Car insurance is not going to be enough to pay the medical bills.

Wait a second, the OP feels like someone else should have paid for their health care... But it appears that someone else paid for their health care.

I feel that we as a society can do better than what we currently are doing.

I live in a rural area, to help support the hospital we pay a hospital district tax. The hospital serves an underprivileged area where the majority of the people probably do not have health care.

 

[Londo_Jowo]

So they don't have car insurance? How about the guy who hit them?

I suspect had either or both been uninsured it would have been reported as an uninsured motorist would have been in violation of the law.

 

[WHAMPOM]

Accident between a car and a truck left one child dead, one critically injured and the mom is in the hospital. The article said the mom was released from the hospital, but the grandmother told my wife the mom was admitted after the story was published.

http://www.kjas.com/news/local_news/article_5e4b2b6c-af7b-11e2-b9ee-0019bb30f31a.html

From what we were told, the family does not have health insurance.

I know this family. The grandmother visited with my wife and I while we were camping a few weeks ago. My wife and I used to go over to their house when the mom was a teenager.

The child that is in critical care had to have part of her colon removed and facial reconstruction surgery. From what my wife was told, the girls jaw was broken in several places.

Why dont we have universal health care? This has been a hot topic for decades, but nobody wants to do anything about it.

We can send hundreds of millions of dollars overseas, we can fight a so called war on terror that has cost trillions, but we can not provide basic health care coverage for our citizens.

When some one brings up this question I am reminded of a passage I read in Leo Frankowski's Cross Time Engineer series. Conrad marooned in the eleventh century, is speaking to a Royal about his own time and gets this response "What good are all your wonders if everyone has them?"

 

[God Mode]

I don't think you know what you're talking about. I spent a week in the hospital when I was shot in San Antonio, and the bill was just over 15K, and was picked up by a charity that was around at the time.

How is relying on charity better than a sensible healthcare policy? It is not guaranteed nor can it be sustained for the people of the US.

What would you have done if there was no charity available at the time? I find it hard to believe that a gunshot wound treatment and 1 week in the hospital was only 15k total.

Imagine if that gunshot wound became a chronic condition or damaged you so much that you couldn't work or keep your family safe anymore. The antiquated mentalities of some people is sickening.

 

[Incorruptible]

So what exactly do we have right now?

Are you actually suggesting we have a free market system?

 

[Texashiker]

When some one brings up this question I am reminded of a passage I read in Leo Frankowski's Cross Time Engineer series. Conrad marooned in the eleventh century, is speaking to a Royal about his own time and gets this response "What good are all your wonders if everyone has them?"

Access to health care should be a basic human right, and not a privilege.

Tragic stories of suffering and heartbreak don't really affect the math.

Our level of compassion is one reason why the human race has survived.

 

[CrackRabbit]

Are you actually suggesting we have a free market system?

Are you not?

 

[Hacp]

There is nothing stopping you from picking up the bill. That's what Universal Health Care really is. It forces other people to unwillingly pick up the bill. I'm sure there are plenty of people who feel that thy want healthcare for all. Well, they can start contributing to the local charity if they feel that way.

 

[Ventanni]

How is relying on charity better than a sensible healthcare policy? It is not guaranteed nor can it be sustained for the people of the US.

What would you have done if there was no charity available at the time? I find it hard to believe that a gunshot wound treatment and 1 week in the hospital was only 15k total.

Imagine if that gunshot wound became a chronic condition or damaged you so much that you couldn't work or keep your family safe anymore. The antiquated mentalities of some people is sickening.

I have to agree with you on this one. I, too, have a hard time believing that treatment for a gunshot wound and a week's stay in Hospital Inn was only $15k.

 

[Attic]

Costs should come down if the goal is to achieve quality universal health care. Spreading the bill is not an equal nor effective substitute for addressing the extreme cost of health care in the states.

Obamacare is at least a step rather than the collective covering of eyes and plugging ears to healthcare issues in the states, but the step had to be made wherever it could to simply get going... Even if it wasn't perfectly, or close to it, positioned.

 

[nextJin]

Our level of compassion is one reason why the human race has survived.

Actually history says otherwise, the strong survive.

Your grandpa can't live forever no matter how much you think other people should pay for him to live another 3 months.

 

[Texashiker]

There is nothing stopping you from picking up the bill. That's what Universal Health Care really is. It forces other people to unwillingly pick up the bill.

How did you get to work today? Did you drive on a road, how about a bridge, did you take mass transit?

Is it ok for the community to come together and support national security, bridges, roads, police, teachers, fire fighters,,,, just not health care?

My kids are grown and out of school. Why am I being forced to pay school taxes?

Actually history says otherwise, the strong survive.

The only way humanity has reached it current level is through cooperation on a community level.