Why do we need universal healthcare? Here's an example of why...?

Question

California teen dies after insurer reverses transplant decision

The Associated Press
GLENDALE, Calif. - 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. Nataline Sarkisyan died Thursday night at about 6 p.m. at University of California, Los Angeles Medical Center. She had been in a vegetative state for weeks, said her mother, Hilda. "She passed away, and the insurance (company) is responsible for this," she said.

Nataline had been battling leukemia and received a bone marrow transplant from her brother. She developed a complication, however, that caused her liver to fail. Doctors at UCLA determined she needed a transplant and sent a letter to CIGNA Healthcare on Dec. 11. The Philadelphia-based health insurance company denied payment for the transplant.

CONTD
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. Despite the reversal, CIGNA said in an e-mail statement before she died that there was a lack of medical evidence showing the procedure would work in Nataline's case.

"Our hearts go out to Nataline and her family, as they endure this terrible ordeal," the company said. " ... CIGNA HealthCare has decided to make an exception in this rare and unusual case and we will provide coverage should she proceed with the requested liver transplant." Officials with CIGNA could not immediately be reached for comment Thursday night.

http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/103-12212007-1459982.html

No Ricky T. She never got it. They waited too late.

Sway, as usual, we'll take this gollden moment to point out that you're why the GOP is going to go bye bye this next November. The nation and the world are tired of your's masters' callous indifference to the fate of the average working family.

Sayonara!

Answer 1

"SOOOOO, noone dies in other countries? interesting"

What a cheap defense. How much brain power did you use? Obviously, not much. If we ever get Universal Heathcare, maybe you can get a brain transplant. After all, I would gladly pay more taxes so that people don't suffer.

What makes me better than you is that I'm not greedy.

Answer 2

It's cute you think the democrats can win anything in '08 but I digress.

Since you are obviously clueless about how State Run Big Ol' Government health care works let me help. Unless Nataline had a very close, very influential friend in politics she'd be in the same shape she is now. That Cigna board that decides risk vs necessity and then calculates probable survivability before they approve a procedure would be replaced by a board of appointees, some doctors others political hacks. This board would report to another board that would examine age and assign a worth to the candidate.

And never mind that the marrow transplant caused the liver failure of the fact that she was in a persistent vegetative state. Your vaunted Universal Health care would have passed her by on those facts alone. Nice try but next time try to come armed with some facts instead of a sad little emotional appeal that is meaningless.

Answer 3

What makes you think the government would pay for the transplant? "Universal healthcare" does not translate into "government pays for everything no questions asked". In fact, in many industrialized countries universal healthcare covers less than does garden-variety private insurance. I have many friends in Western Europe and Canada. I know that people die waiting for months and even years to see specialists whose lack of availability is the direct result of underfunding by the "universal healthcare" system. I know that these governments don't give epidurals to women in labor to relieve the pain, unless there is a complication besides the pain itself -- in the US, virtually all medical plans cover elective pain relief in child birth, and notably, Medicaid is one of the rare exceptions. I know that in most "universal healthcare" countries, a cesarian section is performed only if it is clearly a matter of life and death OF THE MOTHER -- even the baby is permitted to die, rather than perform the surgery; again, because this "universal healthcare" does not cover the cost of a c-section that isn't absolutely necessary to save the mother. Examples abound. In all likelihood, government-sponsored healthcare will cost more to average taxpayers than private insurance and cover less.
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I know you are all worked up about the evil, evil insurance company that denied the transplant. But has the newspaper reported CIGNA's reasons for doing so? I mean, before you get outraged, it is a good idea to consider all sides. I draw your attention, however, to the following language: "SHE HAD BEEN IN A VEGETATIVE STATE FOR WEEKS[.]" A vegetative state -- you know what that means? It means, she would have gotten the liver, but remained a "vegetable" -- and most likely would have died soon afterwards anyway. Meanwhile, another potential recipient, who could have lived a full life for decades with this new liver, would have died. Insurance companies must make difficult choices -- and when all factors are considered (and I know I will get thumbed down for this like there is no tomorrow), transplanting a liver into someone with PCV *and* leukemia is a waste of a liver.

Answer 4

All the pros and cons need to be weighed and analyzed regarding universal health care, or any alternative health care plan for this country. Of course our current system needs a LOT of work, I couldn't agree more! It's hard to get insurance, it's hard to keep it, it's hard to get decent coverage, health care is so unbelievably expensive, and many fall through the cracks in our system undeservingly. However, don't we have great quality health care? Would the quality be sacrificed? Would we be waiting on extremely long lines? What happens when there's no competition in the industry?
Also, some candidates have proposed plans to force everyone to be covered. How does that help? I don't see how that solves anything. The coverage itself is extremely expensive, and you're going to force people to get it?
How will it be paid for? How would universal hc be paid for?
There are so many questions that need to be asked, and need to be answered, and we really need an objective study done in countries that have other plans in place and see the ups and downs that occur with it. We can't just listen to slanted marketing.
I really hope we find a better solution, a way to improve on our system, fix it, something, without sacrificing what's good already.

Answer 5

The National Healthcare System in Britain is hoping to get to the point where they can see patients in fewer than 18 weeks for surgery and specialist diagnostics. Patients are denied life-saving surgeries for a number of reasons such as smoking or being overweight, or simply for being old. The recovery rate for cancer is lower in Britain than it is in the US. Although Britain has universal healthcare, more than one-third of the physicians there purchase private insurance.

Answer 6

definite they are. of direction, in international locations with usual healthcare, we by no potential get to work out a doctor. at first, Obama can no longer carry in usual healthcare, a fact that many human beings (jointly with people who voted for him) seem to no longer recognize. He desires to make coverage greater accessible to all. 2d, of direction usual wellness-conceal sucks. it is the reason we in Western Europe have it. we expect of, hmm, our healthcare device sucks. i be attentive to, we could keep it. i assume this is the comparable with Japan and Canada besides. fact - the country spends greater on healthcare consistent with guy or woman than the different united states of america contained in the international. fact - the U. S. has bigger dying expenses for toddlers elderly decrease than 5 than western ecu international places with usual wellness insurance. meaning that a ineffective American 4 365 days old could have had a greater efficient possibility of lifestyles in the event that they have been born in Canada, France, Cuba, Germany, Japan and so on, all of that have usual wellness insurance. in fact, what's a doctor?

Answer 7

She was not a victim of having no coverage...she was a victim of the bureaucratic nightmare that is now the health care industry.

Do you actually think that bureaucracy will get better in a government run system? Are you one of the one's who was critical fo FEMA's response proceedures? Do you not realize that most of the national health plans proposed by both parties put further powers in the hands of administrators and lawyers instead of doctors and patients.

Reform is necessary, but I do not believe that further ceeding our accountability to the government is the answer. If we lived in a world where a working class familiy didn't already give 30% of it's income to taxes, perhaps they could afford to have a actual relationship with a private practice doctor and local coverage...instead of having to wait for a fax from Philadelphia...

Answer 8

So she got the transplant that Cigna said wouldn't help her, and she died anyway.

Sounds like they knew what they were talking about.

And if socialized medicine were the norm, she would have died waiting for approval for a transplant, to come at the speed of government.

Answer 9

I read that this morning...Cigna should be ashamed of themselves!!!!!

Answer 10

So you think the government, our government, would have prevented it? You apparently haven't dealt with them yet.