[ RadSafe ] Question

[Brennan, Mike (DOH)]

Howard, what would your local hospital do if someone working a minimum
wage job with no health care benefits showed up at the ER in need of a
heart transplant?  Indeed, if someone needs a heart transplant (and
isn't as rich and connected as Dick Cheney) some panel somewhere decides
where that person fits on a priority list, and every year many people
die because they aren't high enough on the list to get one of the
limited number of organs available.

I approve of a discussion of health care in this country (though this is
not the appropriate forum, and this is the last post I will make on this
thread), but if you are going to compare Obamacare to Bush era health
care coverage, fairness dictates you compare it for people with no
coverage as well as for those who have good plans.  And if you want to
use the "death panel" argument (yes, I know you didn't say "death
panel", but if implying that wasn't your intent, you failed), then you
need to address the panels that (quite legitimately) ration scarce
resources, such as organs, and the insurance company employees whose job
it has been to cancel people's insurance because they were costing too
much.  

Mitt Romney had nice things to say about Israel's health care system.
Maybe we should look at theirs as a model.

Done now.

-----Original Message-----
From: radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu
[mailto:radsafe-bounces at health.phys.iit.edu] On Behalf Of Howard Long
Sent: Sunday, August 19, 2012 4:38 PM
To: The International Radiation Protection (Health Physics) MailingList
Cc: radsafe at health.phys.iit.edu
Subject: Re: [ RadSafe ] Question

Heart transplant, muscular dystrophy AND dialysis - what do you think
the Obamacare panel will do?
What do you think any European health care would do (my brother in law
is waiting many months off work in pain in London to get disc surgery
available at the Oklahoma Surgery Center for $9,900 total cost).

If this extremely rare survivor were my neighbor or a member of my
congregation, I would give personal support - and not expect more
medical miracles.

Howard Long, Family Doctor

howard.long at comcast.net

On Aug 19, 2012, at 11:27 AM, JPreisig at aol.com wrote:

> Dear Radsafe:
> 
>      My brother has a friend with Muscular  Dystrophy who is a young 
> man who has had a heart transplant.
> Right now. he has a problem with fluid buildup in his lungs, he is 
> getting frequent dialysis, and he is
> able to use a wheelchair.  I'm sure his situation is not good.   Any
of you 
> doctors and/or scientists
> have any suggestions for Medical treatment and/or new cures for
dystrophy. 
> He received Hospital
> care in Philadelphia (Jefferson???) and made it out of the hospital
alive.
> 
>     Thanks for any help you can offer.
> 
>     Joe Preisig
> 
> 
> 
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