Comments on: The Recession's Impact: Closing The Clinic

60 Minutes: Bad Economy Leaves Cancer Patients Without Health Insurance In Dire Straits

[kennjohnsen]

Dreamland4ever.....you sure live in dreamland.....and like most your folks, you live there forever.
I have a hell of a lot of complain about government running medicine.

[kennjohnsen]

Why all the hullabaloo about the chemotherapy......it does not help, all the people I seeing around me are dying regardless of how much chemotherapy they get. It just make them more sick. And that is also what the statistic says. It is a waste, if you want to live, you got to take the situation in your own hand.

[davidcc472]

This story made me very angry. Why does America feel they have to help all the other nations when we have the sick in Las Vegas going through this. Thank you 60 Minutes and Scott Pelley for doing such an important story for our nation to take notice of. Keep doing these great economic stories. I thought the DHL a couple of months of ago was dramatic, but this made sick in my stomach. Good work Scott Pelley, you deserve an award for this important piece...

David

[badkabuki]

i'm an employee at UMC, and i must say this doesn't come as much of a shock.

we, as employees, were made aware of the oncology clinic cutback (and many others) very shortly after the economic "crash" in september.
the blame is, of course, laid upon the medicare and medicaid programs, and the federal
governments requirement to disperse the funds proportionately throughout the
las vegas hospitals (every hospital besides UMC is a "for-profit" hospital) .

hence, much less money for UMC.

for myself, the reaction of the county and state to the financial crash moving towards "cut back" was unbelievably rapid.
almost like an excuse; to close services, and hopefully, the entire UMC system.
conjecture? speculation?
maybe.
however, it is a wonder...for myself..... how it was the University Medical Center of
Las Vegas had attained the national spotlight of " hit - hard - by - the - economy" crap
and gained a segment on 60 minutes.
when 60 minutes comes knocking on your door and you are not celebrity, icon, war, or world
do-gooder..... then trouble must be a'brewin'

the point? yes, i think the american health care system is awash in multitudes of inequities, greed and tragedy.....i'm pretty sure i see it all the time from my humble little corner in the
hospital. i see the triumphant and gray victories too.

i have always, regardless of socialist/capitalistic/communist/BSist medicine been under
this, i suppose, naive idea of what a hospital means........

according to websters.......
an institution providing medical, surgical, or psychiatric testing and treatment for people who are ill, injured, pregnant, etc. on an inpatient, outpatient, or emergency care basis: often involved with public health programs, research, medical education, etc.: in British English, usually without an article when preceded by a preposition

anything there about ....recession? lack of funding?
implicit or not, the idea and practice of "hospital" is to help humans in time of sickness and
trauma

i believe that one University Medical Center of Southern Nevada, that has
survived the recession of the early '90's and the "great" recession of the early '80's,
has no excuse to cop out when the "chips" are down. and i direct that to the great
state of Nevada, Clark County, the Clark County Commission, Gov. Gibbons and
all the residents residing under the 75 years of exemplary care and service provided by UMC.

p.s. i don't think many of the employees at UMC knew of the 60 minutes spot more than
a day before it occurred ...... say anything?

[freshtls]

Please 60 minutes....do a full hour on the different health care plans being used in Belgium, Japan, Canada and England. the OECD has some fabulous statistics. Belgium's compulsory insurance plan is based on our DRG Medicare plan. Please do this comparison (unbiased please) and mention that at the end of WWII we were planning on having compulsory insurance but the AMA had a fit and hired a marketing firm to use scare tactics such as using inflammatory words like "Socialized Medicine" when we just finished defeating Communists. You will find that while they are not perfect, Japan and Belgium have good care and systems and physicians still make lots of money as they have fee for services. Please, you are the only ones who could do this, explain it in detail and be unbiased about it. We need the American people to hear the truth of these things as something has to change. Thank you.

[faslehood]

To " TruthDoc" What is the truth? Did Cathy Silver's go to the Government or the Media for a compassionate and emergency funding for these cancer patients. Did she make any attempt to make any compassionate care out side this clinic for these patients? I saw administrator with out any compassion for these people. And for her actions are crimminal. What happen to the safty net? Is Cathy Silver a doctor? If by chance she is. Go look at the Hippocratic oath of a doctor. This situation could have been prevented if a proactive administrator did a few phone calls for help. Freedom is only what you invest in. I would never go to the state of Nevada. It kills the sick. What stays in Vegas dies in Vegas.

[NevadaRes]

TruthDoc,

Let me help you with a little "truth". Kathy Silver's pay is a matter of public record. She earns $250,000. This amount is LESS than the previous CEO's pay. The administrative team has not had a pay raise or a COLA for over two years. UMC is now (since the show was taped) on a pace to loose $90M. (Due to further state Medicaid cuts and Union Contracts). Come up with some ideas instead of a silly rant!!!!!!!!

[faslehood]

"To dearmland4ever I understand". PBS had a story on health care in other nations. Now, the state of Nevada sholud have gone to Washington and ask for a emergency funding for this issue. Like I have said before. If the Government fails to protect the people that are sick. Then there is no Government to defend. Wake up! But this issue of what is happening in Nevada is not new. Understand that there are 57milliom plus Americans with out any health care at all. 10,000 Americans die each year with out proper access to basic heath care needs and still no one notices it. Now, 60 minutes could have gone further on this story in other states and nations. The media is under corprate control to a degree. But our Nation has failed its self by not taking a lead in this issue. The Government has failed 100% to lead on financial, medical issues. But "We The People" have failed as well, for not taking responsibility. For not going after our Government and its responsibility toward its own people. The excuses we all have, is that we are too busy in life with our own problems. But "Freedom" is only what you invest in. I am a full time Care Giver, for my 80yr old Mother. The things that I have to fight for, my own Mother and her rights for medical assistance is pathetic. The war needs to begin on your local politicians door steps on health care and human services. Get organized!Show up with signs at your local state rep's, Congressmen and Senators offices in your States. And demand action or resign. Programs have been cut accross this Nation on people that can not afford it. We have, what you call, the working class that are becoming the poor, that make to much money to get medical assistance. And can not afford health care insurance for them self's. That is the turth of the American dream. Try to live a simple life today. If 60 minutes wants a interview on that, let me know. Ignorance is bliss.

[kosansh]

I think best is hurl few shoes in public meetings at your local politicians. This is the only language they understand.

[europe70]

I was struck by the amount, $72 million, that is the short fall in the Nevada budget for this one hospital. The reason why is because, immediately after this segment, CBS gave a news update, finishing with the box office ticket receipts of the weekend's lead movie, Fast and Furious. It was exactly $72 million !!!!!

In other words, we Americans frittered away in one weekend exactly the amount that would help keep cancer patients alive in Nevada for at least a year. Where are our priorities???????

[JArroyo786]

After seeing the episode about closing the chemotherapy clinics in Nevada I was so angry but not surprised. I am an RN and an oncology nurse as well. I am aware of how much those treatments all cost and how many people have benefitted from the treatment. So here we have hard working people that have the misfortune to get cancer. Then they can't get treatment because they can't afford it and the clinic has to shut it's doors due to budget cuts. However, we do seem to have plenty of money to give to AIG, the auto industry and every other poorly run company that threatens to fold up if we don't give them a handout too. Hmmmm....could someone please let President Obama know about this. If he knew about it he'd do something, right? Maybe he'll write a check to the Nevada clinic after his hand uncramps from writing the checks for AIG.

[dreamland4ever]

Falsehood: I agree with you. If you ask anyone with socialized medicine how it is working in there country, they never have a complaint. We only hear bad things about it from our news media. Hm mm , wonder why that is?

[erad9397]

Your story on closing the clinic is a sad comment on our state of affairs.Socialized medicine has become even more important to us than ever.We should be the leader in socialzed medicine not the last to put it into effect.Greed has taken us all and will almost destroy our country.The women with two kids and no insurance was a desgrace to our nation.If 60 minutes didn't get her help where would she and her kids be?We have to bailout ourselves and not the banks who have created this mess.How many Madoff's will be found?I hope this story will have much larger results.How can I help?
Mike Myers
1123 Ruth Place
N.Bellmore,NY 11710
5165822084

[dannaso]

This story broke my heart. Shame on us!! One of the richest countries in the world and we let something like this happen to our citizens. If we can afford to help other nations why can't we help our own folks here in the US that are in dire need. I find this to be a moral outrage.
Also if we can bail out banks by printing money then why can't we print money to help finance basic medical care for people with cancer and other diseases?

[faslehood]

This is not a campaign for socialized medicine. WAKE UP. People that are against it, worry about control of there own health. Our insured medical system is failing for you. Who do you think controls your medical system today. Lobbyist's, HMO's that dictate terms toward care and fee's. These are for profit insurance, share holding companies that invest in to health care system for profit. This system as it stands today is a socialized net work of greed for profit over the patients needs, rights and comon care. I have seen at least 12 hospital close over the last 8yrs in the TRI state area. I had a hospital right around the corner form our home, with emergency room that is no longer a hospital. But a medical facility that can no longer provides any emergency services. It has left a gap in our neighborhood for emergency services in our area. Profit of the living. If that isn't socialized and controled care net work for profit. Wake up. We as a nation can create a socialized system of care for all income brackets. What the state of Nevada did was crimminal and a death sentence for cancer patients and others. Manipulation is your insurance company to keep it under there control and manipulation for profit over care. I had a friend of mine, her brother had cancer, Lost his job because of it and his insurance. And then he lost his home that he lived in for 12yrs. No one in Europe will ever lose there home over any medical bill. Why? Because they do not have medical bills. There Nations and communtites chosen to live. Ask any one in Europe if they will trade are Medical system of care over there's. And the answer is no... If your are afraide of change, you must get involved now and make a difference to create a system of free medical care for all. How to pay for it all. You must change the whole tax structure and base it on a percentage type system. But this is just an idea. There are other ways. But the failure to do nothing, will fall upon the 10,000 that will die this year with out proper and access to medicial care. For I am a full time care giver for my mother and I have done my own research. For I am not insured. And there are alot more of us coming in the future of a older population. Who is going to care for it all. Better start thinking before it is to late. Ignorance is bliss.

[Solarrays247]

This program was nothing more than a campaign ad for nationalized health care. It was emotional manipulation to get your viewers on board for the next "change" in this administration's agenda.

Is closing of cancer treatment centers a national widespread problem? How about you make like journalists and do the research to find out rather than ask the opinion of a single hospital administrator. Why is this hospital out of money? Was it mismanaged? Did they lose some funding? Where's the real journalism? This was nothing more that a propaganda piece by the liberal media - what else is new? You are absolutely shameless. Talk about fear mongering!
Posted by Frank_Lee at 2:09 PM : Apr 7, 2009

Emotional?

Manipulation?

Campaign ad for nationalized health care?

Where's the real journalism?

Fear mongering?

Absolutely shameless?

Propaganda piece by the liberal media?

Did I include all of your high points, Mr. Frank Lee? Do you have health insurance, Mr. Lee?
Do you have a good paying job, Mr. Lee?
And do you think that Nevada is the only state going through a financial/economic emergency right now?
Have you ever attempted to see the "big picture" , Mr. Lee?

And when did a fellow human's life cease to be important to you?

[jart3]

When I went on Social Security Disability there was a 2 year wait until I was able to get Medicare.
By this point, I was in financial ruin!

[jart3]

For those of you complaining about Harry Reid and why he doesn't step in...
Did you stop to consider that the Nevada State Legislature and the Governor have the ultimate power in this situation and have made the budgetary choices that have consequences like the cancer clinic closing and people dying.
For those of you blaming the entire problem on Illegals...
An illegal must wait 5 years to be eligible for public assistance (medicaid, financial, foodstamps). These folks pay taxes! If they do get help it is through the ER which cannot turn anyone away and I admit that is expensive. It's easy to blame the "illegals"...many in my area have returned home to their own countries because of our economy. Don't assume that anyone speaking Spanish is an "illegal"! I see such racism!
The real issue is that Medical care is not being provided for a majority of US citizens. If you have insurance through work, denied claims, super high deductibles, limits of coverage all limit your access to care while insurance companies are for profit! If you are unemployed, COBRA is out of reach because of high cost. If you are without health insurance, pre-existing conditions, cost of individual policies may be prohibitive. If you are covered by Medicare or Medicaid, Dr's may not take you because of low reimbursement rates.
The story here suggests Cancer foundations. My experience in asking for help from a foundation was not very good. When they say they provide "information", they mean it, they do not pay for individual care. True they do "research"...but that seems a long way off for a cancer patient facing financial ruin today.
Our health care system is in shambles. Is the lesson here...don't get sick? I'm sure there are a lot of Conservatives out there ready to point the finger and say "it is your own fault", We must change Health care in this country and NOW!

[Frank_Lee]

This program was nothing more than a campaign ad for nationalized health care. It was emotional manipulation to get your viewers on board for the next "change" in this administration's agenda.

Is closing of cancer treatment centers a national widespread problem? How about you make like journalists and do the research to find out rather than ask the opinion of a single hospital administrator. Why is this hospital out of money? Was it mismanaged? Did they lose some funding? Where's the real journalism? This was nothing more that a propaganda piece by the liberal media - what else is new? You are absolutely shameless. Talk about fear mongering!

[paxeterna]

I was so disturbed by this story, but I thank you for doing it.

Here's the question that wasn't asked: if they can print money in DC for the banks and the people who run them - and have run this country into the ground - why can't they print money for hospitals and clinics and their patients?

This is a moral outrage.

I think the people of America who are hurting - most of the middle class - either because of unemployment/underemployment, a health issue, lack of insurance, foreclosure - whatever -should bundle up their unpaid - and un-payable - bills and send them to Washington, to Timothy Geitner and all the inside cronies now running the ship further into the ground - and tell them to pay up.

"Main Street first" is not even on the horizon.\

It is a very, very sad day in America.