the makeout hobo

Personally, I've never paid much attention to the health care issue... I have coverage from my parents' job as long as I stay in school, and I always figured there were more important issues to waste my time on. Well, as Tip O'Neil famously said, all politics are local, and this issue has certainly come home to me. I found out today that a good friend of mine, Lauran, was in an accident. She left something on a city bus, and when she ran back to get it before the bus pulled away, the doors closed on her hand, and the bus driver started pulling away. The bus ended up running over her foot and leg, and she had to get quite a lot of work done (and will probably need more). Now we're all hoping she can sue the city transit for at least the cost of her medical bills (which I understand are well into the several thousands, and that's even before the plastic surgery she'll probably need on her leg).

Of course, there's always the chance that she won't get money out of the city, and that will leave her with more debt than i really want to imagine. There is no way she'll be able to pay off even a good portion of the medical bills, especially considering she'll be out of the work force for a while, and wasn't exactly making the big bucks with her job at the mall anyways.

Looking at health care and at my friend's problems, it just makes me even more firmly for governmental health care assistance in some form. There needs to be something, as I'm seeing it, to cushion people when "**** happens". After all, not everyone is going to be able to get coverage, and not all coverage plans are going to help you when you really need it (after all, that'd cost money the HMOs would rather keep). And as I'm seeing it, some form of governmental assistance is the best way to make sure people like my friend don't fall through the cracks. Thoughts?

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The Makeout Hobo is real, and does indeed travel around the country in his van and make out with ladies... If you meet the Makeout Hobo, it is customary to greet him with a shot of whiskey and a high five (if you are a dude) or passionate makeouts (if you are a lady).Vague is a man of honor

BubbaBob

I don't mean to sound cold and uncaring, and I really do feel for your friend, but I have to ask why this incident justifies your suddenly supporting nationaliqed health care where all of us have to pay for her accident.

I didn't forget something on the bus, but you want me to pay, with tax money I earned, for HER leaving sonething on the bus.

I didn't make the unwise decision to try to reach into the bus at a dangerous moment, but you want me to pay for her poor decision.

How do you justify this? What happened to personal responsibility?

BB

Marilyn Monroe

Firstly, accidents happen, and since the bus is partially responsible for negligence, if Lauren had Health Insurance they would sue the city for the money, you better believe it. Insurance isn't going to pay for an accident.

Secondly, I think we all pay for those who aren't insured one way or another. If our insurance pays then all our premiums go up because that's how insurance works. The more it's used, the more it goes up. If Lauren can't pay her debt, the government is going to have to pay the hospital. Somebody has to guarantee payment somewhere, and it's going to be the taxpayer, or if not them the people who are working will pay by having higher hospital bills to make up for the hospitals losses. We are going to pay one way or another, so why not just have money set aside for it to begin with, so you don't have to rob Peter to pay Paul?

Thirdly, I think insurance is a bad system. They don't want to pay. They would rather we didn't use our health insurance so they can collect the premiums, and make huge profits. The more people use the insurance, the less they make, so premiums keep going up and up, and we keep paying more and more out of pocket. This is what I've been experiencing. How many HMO's have gone out of business? Bunches and bunches. The way it's going to me all insurances will eventually stop offering health care cause there's not that much money in it. So we'll all be paying out of pocket. This may take 50 years, but I would bet it will happen.

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metreon

Self-interest would be a strong reason to approach national health-care as a solution. Look around the world: all countries that have some form of nationalized or universal care have lower per capita costs. More often than not they also report more doctor visits per capita, more surgeries, more hospital days. Adminstrative costs for those systems typically run half to 1/3 than that in the U.S., and overall costs usually run half to 2/3.

Moreover, the notion that litigation should produce a reasonable outcome to cover expenses is naive. Most metropolitan areas with transit systems also have a stable of trial lawyers that specifically deal with getting such claims thrown out. If it is simply a case of she says they say, the victim will end up being victimized twice.

So, the advantage of national care would be: immediate trauma care with no concern about who would pay. The current system: finding out you are underinsured or have a high deductible, then spending months in litigation while you are in a cast and then most likely getting less than you need to cover the hospital bills, and oh yes, you also have a lawyer bill now.

the makeout hobo

The bus driver should have stopped when he realized someone was stuck in the door (which operate on hydraulics, i believe, so if they're stuck, you're stuck). But regardless of blame in this instance, from which i understand from a few friends of mine who were there at the time seems to fall on the bus driver, there are going to be a large number of accidents where it was decidedly not the victim's fault, where the victim is completely unable to pay the bill. I'm sure is could easily be you, BB, in some sort of accident. There should be some sort of system, some sort of safety net, to make sure that people in these situations aren't stuck in debt for the rest of their lives, and that they don't get shoddy treatment which can cost more in the long run. Regardless of how it's financed, there should be some sort of safety net, and if you have a good idea on how it should be set up, I'm listening.

donc

I’m surprised your friend isn’t tripping over attorney’s wanting her to sue, she not only has a suit against the transit authority, but she has a suit against the maker of the door on the bus. Those doors have a safety feature inside that is supposed to come open when they inadvertently close on something or someone. Next time your on a bus when you get off the back door ,when the door closes stick you hand between the soft rubber of the two doors, not only will the doors open, they lock the air brakes where the bus cant move.

the makeout hobo

Really? I'll mention that to her. I'm hopping over there today to bring her some movies and books and what-not, and to hang with her for a while, because being holed up like that sucks.

jallman

While I acknowledge that this situation sucks for your friend, I have to raise the question: Why is this justification for me to pay for your friend's health care?

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the makeout hobo

Society has a duty to at least help make sure that certain needs are met if the person is unable to provide for themselves, since it contributes to the overall common weal of society.


And, because if you get run over by a bus and you need assistance, she'll pay for your's.

talloulou

Given that crap often doesn't work like it's supposed to I highly recommend not doing this.