Comments on: Canceled Cancer Patient Awarded $9 Million

California Insurer Will Begin Using A Review Panel Before Dropping Policies

[solothinker]

This is fantastic. I wished they gave her 84 million. Until the health companies lose more when they don''t provide treatment for their policy holders this will never change.

[erasmus6]

"There are a lot of problems with meds and mistakes do occur..." posted by b-easy63

I am not talking about MISTAKES. I am talking about the medications being deliberately made with ingredients that are not what they should be. And I am also not talking about people getting the wrong dosage.

The fact is that all hospitals have bacteria and germs. Here they are inspected but of course it isn''t possible to totally stop infections. But it is even worse when you have hospitals that are privately owned because there is no one looking over their shoulder until AFTER there is a problem. By then the problem is out of control.

The U.S. hospitals have major problems with infections. It has been stated many times in articles on this website that if you go into the hospital, you may not make it out alive. There are people dying from these infections.

[cyndilu9]

This is an outrage. Single Payer Universal Health Care for ALL US Citizens NOW. Support HIllary Clinton as this is exactly what she and John Edwards were talking about. Even if you HAVE health insurance in the US - you are not safe. The minute you get sick...they dump you. Its a sick system. Health Care should never be for Profit....humans cannot be trusted to the do the right thing by their fellow man. Make them establish pay for Universal Health Care and everyone is covered - it''s the only way and the way that France, England, Germany, Canada, and the list goes on....does things. Wake up America!

[erasmus6]

Posted by b-easy63 at 02:33 PM : Feb 23, 2008

Please don''t make out that doctors are still leaving Canada because they aren''t. Years ago some left but most have returned. They did not like being told what they could and couldn''t do when it came to a patients health. A person''s health should be more important than MONEY.

[b-easy63]

I think what people hope and think UHC will be here and what Hilary and others has in mind are worlds apart--because if you have ever been under a social health system--it is easy to see, that private services being simply paid for by government tax payer money is not going to change much--except who gets paid when--and who does the paying. The deaths, law suits and even refusal to pay certain things--will probably NOT change. And the people will still have NO say.

[b-easy63]

Posted by erasmus6 at 01:57 PM : Feb 23, 2008

I agree with some of what you say, however:
1. Hospitals are inspected by numerous government agencies, for care, cleanliness, etc several times per year. In addition, they also have accredation inspections, health inspections, etc. Any time there is a death not due to natural causes that points to improper meds, dosage, sanitation (systemic staph infections), or patient care, the FDA and other agencies are immediately notified and become involved.

2. As for cleanliness--Walter Reed (the hospital overrun with filth, rats and roaches with patients lying in unchanged bedding) is a government military hospital of world renown. Filth and poor care can also occur in Government controlled and owned hospitals.

3. There are a lot of problems with meds and mistakes do occur--from giving the patient the wrong ones to the wrong dosage to the products being adulterated at the point of mfg. The Government won''t be able to change these facts. Most stem from human error, or not caring--think when the government is paying the bill that companies will care more? The government is already a consumer and patron of most pharmaceutical companies.

see next post

[b-easy63]

Posted by standlee5 at 12:28 PM : Feb 23, 2008


I think you should read up on how many Vets are denied care or have to wait also the same for Medicare patients. Read up on the VA trying to not pay for anyone with post traumatic stress disorder, of them ignoring cancers in people for years and of them making brain injury patients wait for years to be treated. Because if you think we will be better off and the same cuts, drops and abuse of patients will not occur under the government---then you have not been paying attention.

It will still go on and what will you do? Did you people not just read the following stories on CBS (within the past month)

1. What the SS disability is doing to people

2. The case about the soldier with skin cancer who died because the Army doctors refused to treat what they knew and his family CANNOT sue or seek redress

3. The VA not treating soldiers returning with Brain injuries and leaving them to seek treatment out of their own pockets from private hospitals--NOT to be reimbursed

4. The cases of PTSD that the VA tried to disown so they would not have to pay for them

5. the dropping of people from Medicare rolls and the curtailing of treatments for some with little to no recourse (this article was not from this year, but was in conjunction to the horror stories about Bush''s new prescription plan for Srs)

THINK. Would it really be better now? Or would we all simply have a fresher hell to our lives, than the ones we face now?

[b-easy63]

My question is, 1,600 is a huge number. What took them so long to respond to this?

Posted by thgdriver at 11:50 AM : Feb 23, 2008


The same thing that will take her years to see a dime. The insurance company can have this tied up in court for years while they attempt to have the ruling overturned. The judge knows this, Patsy''s lawyers know this and Patsy will learn this. Patsy, if you read blogs, then make sure you have a will that is notarized that assigns any proceeds from the court case to your heirs. Because in cases like this, deep pocket defendants have known to drag cases out for years until the plaintiffs are dead--then demand a new case--which ends up being dismissed or the award greatly lowered due to the complainant no longer being alive. Happens all the time. The judge awarded so much, because due to yearly court costs and lawyer expenses, Patsy will be lucky to get 1 million dollars--unless she and the company agree to settle. If not--she could end up winning the case but get nothing.

[b-easy63]

There is also the problem of shortage of medical professionals, and the system also outlaws private funding. It may be an admirable system, but its evolution is not unthinkable.

I''''m sure that there can be a middle ground some where, one where we are not forced to choose between one extreme and the other.

Posted by sigotratando at 09:52 AM : Feb 23, 2008


There are no shortage of Canadian doctors. My doctor is from Canada and has many friends here also from Canada--they are leaving Canada because, according to my doctor--they can''t make a living wage in Canada and are not paid much. It was like nurses here. When my husband first found out my sister was an RN, he was really sorry to hear that. (his sister is an RN in Holland). He thought she was on the bottom of the economic ladder and that, due to her being a nurse--she was just a glorified butt wiper. He was amazed not only with her salary, but that she was very conversant in pharmacology, could discuss intricacies in patient care and drug interactions and could actually debate with him the merits and potential problems of using certain biologics and drugs in children. Because in Holland, nurses are not paid very well at all--which is why, in many countries, they are only too eager to come to America and work for half the salary of an American educated nurse.

[b-easy63]

All MBA''''s should be looked into....its a degree people who aren''''t intelligent enough to get a real University Degree pursue.....

Posted by FloydZepp at 06:37 AM : Feb 23, 2008


MBAs are post bacclaureate degrees. Masters in Business Admin. Those who get them are usually in corporate situations where they are considered the icing on the cake and often are the ticket to higher positions. Many who get those degrees have bachelor (4 year degrees) in Chemistry, Physics, Microbiology, Business, Accounting, English,Advertising, etc in essence ANY bachelor degreed individual can pursue an MBA. And many who do are not business majors. It all depends on what company one works for and what your company deems is the next tier for those who want to be groomed for Senior management. (the big bucks)

I agree that they may just be "fine feather" degrees for many--but they still require a bachelors in a field before you can pursue one.