17 year old girl dies because of private healthcare

[Victoria]

http://www.cnn.com/2007/HEALTH/conditio ... index.html

GLENDALE, California (AP) -- A 17-year-old died just hours after her health insurance company reversed its decision not to pay for a liver transplant that doctors said the girl needed.

Mark Geragos, attorney for the girl's family, said he plans to ask the district attorney to press murder or manslaughter charges against CIGNA HealthCare in the case. The insurer "maliciously killed her" because it did not want to bear the expense of her transplant and aftercare, Geragos said.

Doctors at UCLA determined she needed a transplant and sent a letter to CIGNA Healthcare on December 11. The Philadelphia-based health insurance company denied payment for the transplant.

On Thursday, about 150 teenagers and nurses protested outside CIGNA's office in Glendale. As the protesters rallied, the company reversed its decision and said it would approve the transplant.

Just another example of a corrupt, failed system. These kinds of stories happen every day in the United States. What kind of a country does not even care enough about its own citizens' well being to cover all of them, instead having corrupt corporations whose profits rely on denying medical treatment running the show?

The U.S. is the only industrialized nation that does not provide a universal healthcare system for all of its citizens.

[CmdrLuke]

Re: 17 year old girl dies because of private healthcare

I agree wholeheartedly. Forget the war in Iraq, healthcare should be free for all IMO.

[Mr_Gazpacho]

Re: 17 year old girl dies because of private healthcare

You guys think this is bad? Man, you should see Sweden. We used to have the best healthcare system in the world, now our current government wants to create a system "similar to that of the United States"... :(
Yes, they are SERIOUSLY considering implementing a private insurance system. No kidding.

[boredjedi]

Re: 17 year old girl dies because of private healthcare

You guys think this is bad? Man, you should see Sweden. We used to have the best healthcare system in the world, now our current government wants to create a system "similar to that of the United States"... :(
Yes, they are SERIOUSLY considering implementing a private insurance system. No kidding.

No system is perfect that's the sad part. Health care costs keep rising and rising. I think also Denmark wants to scrub their national health care system because the government is going broke on that aspect of it. From what I understood when I read about that a little while ago, not enough young people paying taxes to offset the massive amounts of older people retiring or retired.

Speaking of which. I'm going to have a talk with my local rep and make a big stink. Cigarettes cost about $2.30 but because of the federal and state taxes for health care, we smokers are paying $4.70 a pack in their so called "health care tax". Where the hell is our smokers health care cards and benefits? We are paying $141 a month and that's 1 pack a day smoker. That's $1692 a year. Don't even think that average worker pays that much for their private insurance. Or it's close to it.

[Victoria]

Re: 17 year old girl dies because of private healthcare

You guys think this is bad? Man, you should see Sweden. We used to have the best healthcare system in the world, now our current government wants to create a system "similar to that of the United States"... :(
Yes, they are SERIOUSLY considering implementing a private insurance system. No kidding.

No system is perfect that's the sad part. Health care costs keep rising and rising. I think also Denmark wants to scrub their national health care system because the government is going broke on that aspect of it. From what I understood when I read about that a little while ago, not enough young people paying taxes to offset the massive amounts of older people retiring or retired.

Speaking of which. I'm going to have a talk with my local rep and make a big stink. Cigarettes cost about $2.30 but because of the federal and state taxes for health care, we smokers are paying $4.70 a pack in their so called "health care tax". Where the hell is our smokers health care cards and benefits? We are paying $141 a month and that's 1 pack a day smoker. That's $1692 a year. Don't even think that average worker pays that much for their private insurance. Or it's close to it.

You can stop being taxed so heavily when you quit raping your body. In the meantime, you get to pay more for the privilege of having your lung cancer treated.

Smokers who complain about taxes on cigarettes to pay for healthcare are dicks. It is your smoking that causes a large amount of illnesses to have to be treated.

Dick.

[boredjedi]

Re: 17 year old girl dies because of private healthcare

You can stop being taxed so heavily when you quit raping your body. In the meantime, you get to pay more for the privilege of having your lung cancer treated.

Smokers who complain about taxes on cigarettes to pay for healthcare are dicks. It is your smoking that causes a large amount of illnesses to have to be treated.

Dick.

Most people already have health care through their work. Where's the fat tax? Tax fatty foods the same rate. Obese people are more an impact on health care costs and problems by very far than smokers ever have or ever will be.

I only started smoking seven years ago and so far I'm perfectly healthy. Dammit. My aunt who lived to 96 smoke like a chimney and you know what she died of? Old age. Not a lick of cancer anywhere. No it's not us smokers. It dicks that believe every bs the nannies hand them and allow the government ever increasingly to control our lives.

[CmdrLuke]

Re: 17 year old girl dies because of private healthcare

My dad just quit smoking last week.

[boredjedi]

Re: 17 year old girl dies because of private healthcare

My dad just quit smoking last week.

Don't worry. He'll be back. :)

[CmdrLuke]

Re: 17 year old girl dies because of private healthcare

My dad just quit smoking last week.

Don't worry. He'll be back. :)

Nah, I'm preety sure he's serious about it this time. It's not IMPOSSIBLE to quit.

[Mr_Gazpacho]

Re: 17 year old girl dies because of private healthcare

Boredjedi, think $4.70 a pack is much?

...

BWAHAHAHAHAHA!

around $8 over here!

[Mosheddy]

Re: 17 year old girl dies because of private healthcare

I dont complain about tax. I live in a socialist country where my health service is free and the government gives me money to do nothing. I don't smoke, drink or eat obsessively either so I can take this money and still sit on my moral high horse, knowing my minor actions arent really pulling the country down in any shape or form. Well i dont think they really care what i do with the money as long as it circulates within the country and we keep our strong currency. Which is why I import a lot of stuff from abroad

[boredjedi]

Re: 17 year old girl dies because of private healthcare

Where's the fat tax? Tax fatty foods the same rate. Obese people are more an impact on health care costs and problems by very far than smokers ever have or ever will be.

now thats progressive thinking

Well the way I look at it is that people are always doing things that impact other people in one form or another. To vilify only one segment like the way they are doing is just plain wrong.

Like with this one public service announcement from the anti-smokers nannies. A guy standing on a crutch with a amputated leg. Saying woe is me all because of cigarettes. Then he proceeds to say he's got diabetes. Holy mofo! Listen, the doctor I work for specializes in diabetes. I can tell you whether you smoke or not chances are you are going to lose a limb or two even your eye sight if you don't take care of yourself properly. I just shook my head at the stupid commercial.

[CmdrLuke]

Re: 17 year old girl dies because of private healthcare

socialist country

Hooray Communist ideals.

How Nazis kill a few million and are hated and Commies kill 100+ million and still get love is beyond me.

[CmdrLuke]

Re: 17 year old girl dies because of private healthcare

socialist country

Hooray Communist ideals.

How Nazis kill a few million and are hated and Commies kill 100+ million and still get love is beyond me.

Because we had a good reason.

[boredjedi]

Re: 17 year old girl dies because of private healthcare

Lenin > Stalin

Harrison > Lenin

Fail. It's "Lennon" come on.

Lennon was a hippie