Where's the Outrage Over the REAL Death Panels in Arizona?
By anniepa
@anniepa (27955)
United States
January 6, 2011 12:22pm CST
While some have been complaining about the so-called "return of the death panels" regarding Medicare, there have been actual people dying due to a real death panel in an Brewer's Arizona! Two people are already known to have died because they were denied payment for much needed transplants. Arizona stopped paying for organ transplants on October 1, 2010 for patients covered by the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System. I've previously heard there had been a total of 99 patients affected by this cut, which actually was the result of inaccurate information regarding the success rate of transplants. There was one man who needed a liver and a friend had been killed and his family wanted this man to have his liver; he was being prepped for the surgery when it was discovered he wasn't covered so the liver went to someone else.
I've seen several of these patients along with their families on TV and they're NOT your stereotypical Medicaid recipients. The ones I saw were young husbands and fathers who had worked hard throughout their lives until their illness made it impossible to do so.
http://www.blogforarizona.com/blog/2011/01/governor-grim-reapers-death-panel-claims-another-life.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+BlogForArizona+%28Blog+For+Arizona%29
Some Arizona lawmakers are reportedly going to revisit this issue next week. What Governor Jan Brewer will do about it remains to be seen since she could have done something to reverse this cut before these two people died but refused to.
Annie
2 people like this
8 responses
@gewcew23 (8007)
• United States
6 Jan 11
The excuse for denying these transplants is because of the Arizona budget shortfall. Though I have hear that Arizona is sitting on enough money, left over from the stimulus money that the state received, to pay for these procedures and then some. This is a sign that Gov. Jan Brewer suffers from both a lack of knowledge and compassion. Good going Arizona, you know how to pick winners.
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
7 Jan 11
If she'd have used the stimulus money for this it would not only have been permitted, Arizona would have gotten more funds from the federal government. Arizona sure does know how to pick winners...I'd say they're second only to SC - sorry, lil, but you've got some real winners down there, too.
Gewcew, I think for some these days "knowledge and compassion" are two things politicians aren't supposed to have. The dumber and cold the heart, the better, and I don't think there are many dumber or colder-hearted than Jan Brewer.
Annie
@Taskr36 (13963)
• United States
7 Jan 11
"If she'd have used the stimulus money for this it would not only have been permitted, Arizona would have gotten more funds from the federal government."
This comment just shows that you have absolutely no idea what earmarks are or how they work Annie. If you get an earmark to pave a road, you don't get to say "I'd rather use it to provide medical help to someone." Either you spend it paving that road, or you don't spend it at all. As Lil said, many states wanted to spend stimulus money differently than the earmarks dictated and they were ALL denied.
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
7 Jan 11
Actually AZ is just about bankrupt. Only California ranks above them on the scale of fiscal problems. They have deep budget problems. Sure they may have stimulus money sitting around...but they can not use it on what ever they want. The federal government put a lot of guidelines on that money. They can only spend it on certain things.Like unemploement benefits, road and bridge maintance and improvement..etc. So the feds pretty well tied her hands on that stuff.
I know my state found out pretty fast they could not use the stimulus however they wanted. Our govenor asked Obama if he could use it to pay off our massive state debt. Obama told him no. Other states have asked the federal government if they could use it on other things that were really needed too...all were told NO. So blame the feds for that one. They tied the states hands too hard when it came to how they could spend the money.
She could have all the compassion in the world...but if she can't find the money to pay for it...who is she suppost to do it?
@gladys46 (1205)
• United States
6 Jan 11
Anniepa, it is absolutely clear to me that "conservatives" are intently focused on remanding and repealing all progress that has been made for THE PEOPLE ... that they are pro protecting the very wealthy's tax breaks. How they have convinced all too many that extending Bush's tax giveaways for millionairs and billionairs is somehow just is mindbloggling. According to the behavior of "conservatives" deficits only matter if the masses are served by government.
Witness how many "conservatives" collected billions to campaign for those DC seats .. ah, the government that they truly despise, they go further,to courts of law to demand those seats. Makes you scratch head and go hmmmm!!
1 person likes this
@anniepa (27955)
• United States
7 Jan 11
You said it, gladys! I think some of these conservatives would just as soon if all the people who have lost their jobs and health care along with the rest of the poor, the sick and the disabled would just go away...in other words, just die. Billionaires will continue to get their tax cuts that for some amounts to millions of dollars each year but a state can't cover organ transplants for people who will die without them.
Annie
@laglen (19759)
• United States
7 Jan 11
Annie, that is very fair and balanced of you to show what Obamacare will look like. This is precisely what the Democrats voted in last year. Turns out Government can NOT take care of everybody. HHmmm maybe we should go back to taking personal responsibility and taking care of our selves. Novel idea.
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
7 Jan 11
[
em]lol[/em] I really do not think that is what she meant!
em]lol[/em] I really do not think that is what she meant!1 person likes this
oh....
But it was a really good argument against obamacare......
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
7 Jan 11
True Annie has changed her mind. As far as Jan Brewer goes I think every State (the whole country) should follow her handling of the illegal immigration situation.
anniepa do not admonish me for making an of topic comment as you opened the door when you commented "I've never wanted anything that Jan Brewer stands for for the whole country!"
@xfahctor (14118)
• Lancaster, New Hampshire
7 Jan 11
http://abcnews.go.com/Health/Health_Care/medicaid-cuts-make-organ-transplants-unaffordable/story?id=12177059
5th paragraph:
"The reductions made by the Arizona state government were approved by the federal government, according to an Aug. 11 letter from Gloria Nagle, associate regional administrator for the Division of Medicaid & Children's Health Operations."
@sierras236 (2739)
• United States
6 Jan 11
Great example on why not to have the single payer system. End of life counseling is already available to those who want it. Churches, hospitals, doctors, hospice, lawyers, and so many other people who provide those type of services. The objection came in when Medicare was going to provide extra funds to doctors for this type of counseling. It smacks highly of political manipulation and interference in patient/doctor privacy. Since the doctors would have to reveal the subject of confidential information directly to the government in order to obtain compensation.
@sierras236 (2739)
• United States
7 Jan 11
How is not relevant? The Federal government won't be any better than State governments when it comes to doling out Health Care.
1 person likes this
@lilwonders456 (8214)
• United States
7 Jan 11
They won't be any better the insurance companies either. With the insurance companies they can deny a procedure that someone needs to live...if we have socialize medicine you will have the government doing it. That is the plain truth of it. I don't know why people don't see that.
@bobmnu (8157)
• United States
7 Jan 11
This is what happens when you let the Government run the Health Care. The Insurance Co will tell you up front what is covered and what is not and not and if you don't like it you can change insurance companies. I realize that changing is not always the easiest thing to do but you have the choice. When the government runs it you have no choice.
@whiteheather39 (24403)
• United States
7 Jan 11
Why weren't these patient covered under Obamacare?
Arizona is losing hospitals due to illegals needing health care. ObamaCare is the loser. His health care didn't come through but we are sure going to pay for it this year and some with their lives.
