82 Year old Woman Takes on the Health Care System in the USA

[ClayZ]

http://seattlepi.nwsource.com/national/214026_nome01.html




"When you pay Kaiser insurance month after month for 50 years like I have, you expect to be treated like a good patient and a human being," Nome said the other day from her hospital bed. "If I had known that Kaiser would take me for only a couple of days and then would expect my family to take care of me, I would have paid my family what I paid for insurance."

[PROGRESSIVE1]

1. ..

[Warpy]

2. what a country

Even if you're insured, you can go broke from the copays, and if you're unable to live independently, you lose everything you ever had in life. You're also forbidden any help in ending it, and gawd forbid you get something painful. Tough it out, honey.

The rich are about to find out via the next pandemic that spreads from uninsured and/or underinsured people to THEM that spending on public health is a good thing.

Richest country in the world, my ass. We're like Bostwana if you're not insured or if you need long term care.

[Conservativesux]

5. You said it. Marcus Welby is dead. Long live Marcus Welby!!!

Get used to more poverty, sickness, bankruptcies and displaced homeless people, until we fix this broken healthcare system we are stuck with.

[shantipriya]

17. what a country!!!

I agree. What a country? And the Repugs think this the best country in the world; also they think this is the greatest "Democracy" in the world. If that is the case,then tell me (I am addressing the Repugs)why don't we have universal health care in spite of the fact that majority of the people(about 60%-70%)are in favor of universal health care?Democracy,my foot!!!

[paineinthearse]

3. This reminds me.........how is Granny D? nt

[Conservativesux]

4. Kaiser Permenente: the worst kind of HMO there is!!!

Kaiser HELLth insurance.

I wouldnt spend dime-one on those crooks !!!!

[Bellamia]

15. Spell health.;>)

LOVE YOUR VERSION , 'hellth,' brilliant, wish I'd thought of it.
Can't wait to use it in emails, so bye-bye and thanks!!!;>)

[NVMojo]

6. Most stupid Americans think we live in fecking HappyassLand!

You go, girl!!!

[KittyWampus]

7. Hospital Offered To Send Her To Others Places & SHE REFUSED

apparently, she also expects the hospital to fix her home which was supposedly damaged in 2 storms.

This woman may not be mentally ill by clinical definition... but she has definate problems.

She went in for treatment and when treatment was over she refused to get discharged or moved to another facility.

"Besides the San Leandro facility, Nome said the hospital offered to send her to only one other place, in Livermore, which she thought was too far from home"

[merwin]

9. Uh, they said 'suitable care center'. That's code for 'Not a hospital'.

[Bozita]

8. On Saturday, my daughter was in ICU -- Her HMO sent her home today

Can't walk, but home she came.

I met a doctor who was being laid off after nine years at this hospital. It's not a doctor surplus; it's a lack of insured patients.

[ClayZ]

11. I hope your daughter is doing better tonight.

Things just are not how they used to be. Hospitals kept you there until you were able to care for yourself.

I think this woman is holding a "One Woman Protest"! More Power to her.


These folks with the Insurance Company's interest above human interest are going to back themselves into a corner.

I hate dealing with them!

[TygrBright]

12. There may be a silver lining...

... in this damnable situation.

Even though your daughter undoubtedly needs more care, she may be safer OUT of the hospital.

Hospitals are becoming death traps, as they were in the 19th century before the imposition of effective infection control procedures.

Between the evolution of antibiotic-resistant germs, and cost-cutting that has compromised hospital cleaning and maintenance, the rate of opportunistic infection among hospital patients is soaring to rates no one wants to talk about. And the death rates are stunning.

I have lost two friends in the last five years, both of whom went into the hospital for relatively routine, low-risk procedures, and both of whom endured a hell of agony from hospital infections before they died, weeks later.

Your daughter's untimely release might turn out to be providential.

pessimistically,
Bright

[Gyre]

10. Yeah, whatever.

The potty old grifter paid for HEALTH insurance; not long term care insurance. I'm sure she couldn't care less about the distinction (which isn't difficult to grasp), but I believe she's trespassing and feigning ignorance.

Gyre

[Commie Pinko Dirtbag]

16. Name-calling helps you make your argument SOOOOO well.

Not.

[Sivafae]

13. There is more to this story than just giving up a bed

<snip>
The current mess began in August 2002, when Nome's legs suddenly broke as she was washing dishes. She said her bones had been damaged by blood-thinning medicine prescribed by doctors at Kaiser.

After several weeks, the bones were finally set, and she was admitted to a nursing home. Disputes about the quality of her care led to a lawsuit by Nome against Kaiser and the Greenbrae Care Center alleging neglect and abuse.

The only thing not in dispute is that Nome lost the use of her legs and was brought back to Kaiser in January 2004 for a psychiatric evaluation. She said the transfer was against her will.

Nome was found to be in good mental health, but the care center refused to take her back, purportedly because she did not pay her bills.
<Snip>

So they gave her medicine to "help" her, but because of that medicine her legs just broke one day. Excuse me? How do your legs just break one day while your doing dishes.

She was transfered, then she sued them for neglect, and then they tested her for mental illness. That is shitty!

[ClayZ]

14. She is not going to roll over to the will of the corporations!

I admire her!

I think I will write her a card!