Posted on 10/14/2012 5:09:00 AM PDT by Acton
An editorial writer at The New York Times (Nicholas Kristof) makes an impassioned plea to vote for Obama because a friend from his youth and days at Harvard (Scott Androes) is dying of cancer:
"Yet for all his innate prudence, Scott now, at age 52, is suffering from Stage 4 prostate cancer, in part because he didn’t have health insurance. President Obama’s health care reform came just a bit too late to help Scott, but it will protect others like him — unless Mitt Romney repeals it.
If you favor gutting “Obamacare,” please listen to Scott’s story. He is willing to recount his embarrassing tale in part so that readers can learn from it.
I’ll let Scott take over the narrative ...."
Kristof includes several paragraphs written by his friend, Scott Androes, which indicate that Androes feels like he "blew it" and feels like a "damned fool." Androes says, "I would have bought insurance if there had been any kind of fair-risk pooling." Androes also says, "I didn’t go see the doctor because that would have been several hundred dollars out of pocket — just enough disincentive to get me to make a bad decision."
(Excerpt) Read more at nytimes.com ...
Ironically, ObamaCare doesn’t solve the problem that moved him to not get health insurance. ObamaCare doesn’t make insurance cheaper or more broadly accessible, it merely mandates you get it, or pay a fine - either way, the individual is now merely being forced to shell out what they already couldn’t afford, or at least think they can’t afford - which Mr. Androes could have already done without ObamaCare, if he’s had the foresight to do so.
the hospital paid for the charity by jacking up the bills of reponsible people who got sick. under commiecare, according to 0, he would have gotten no treatment, just a pain pill. socialism kills and liberalism makes people mean.
When I went thorough cancer treatment, my hospital roommate had low income and no insurance. The hospital took her in as a charity case. She got the same level of care I got, which was world class. Under Obamacare, we would both get substandard care. Maybe we’d have been better off not having the surgery, but taking the pain killer. We’d have both been dead five years ago.
Not only that. Whose to say that some bureaucratic panel wouldn't tell him to take a hike. His cancer is too far gone and it would be a waste resources. I take it he's a white male and I'm sure there is some young, homosexual, illegal alien who needs a sex change surgery and that money would be better spent on him/her.
Or
They will allow treatment but it will start six months to a year from now after he is already dead.
Has Sally Struthers put on a costume? Uhhhh never mind.
It also sounds like he didn't go to the doctor from 2003 to 2011. Either he had an extremely virulent prostate cancer (which is often the case if you get prostate cancer before 50), or he carried it a long time, and a normal physical would have caught it years earlier, when he would have had a chance at cure or long-term survival.
Would he have even gone to the doctor every year or two if he was insured? Maybe.
Why is it sad? He made bad decisions and is paying for them
That is the fruit of the liberal tree. Do not weep for a fool, even a Harvard Grad fool.
Strange that the product of the so called most prestigious schools are the most stupid. I had an MIT engineer work for me serveral years ago that was dumber than box of sticks.
Low Cost Solution: Require “Three Little Pigs” story in Harvard curriculum.
All FReepers are sorry for the misfortune of Mr Kristof’s friend. Could Mr Kristof write in a similar tone about babies who are being destroyed by “partial birth” abortions?Does he have the courage to witness such a thing? If Obama is re-elected he will be forced to pay for them!
Andros, sometimes people just die. We don’t get out of here alive.
Great catch! I was wondering when someone would point that out!
People like “Scott” make me sick.
I pay my expensive COBRA because I don’t want to foist my potential problems off on someone else. He was acting like a petulant brat.
What is the answer for him? I don’t know, that is not my expertise and I have not spent any time, but I will say, I don’t want to pay for this dude’s irresponsibility.
It does if you’re a communist. Fact.
Like a lot of guys, Scott began experiencing symptoms which were hard to distinguish from noncancerous prostate problems. He was at the age when the prostate can act up. So he ignored it expecting it would go away.
Scott would have gotten cancer with or without insurance. He should be allowed to die in dignity rather than being shamelessly exploited by his “friend” who is a political hack costumed as a gay newspaper columnist.
I am with you Cuban Leaf.
My sister now has colon cancer, no health insurance. For years my mom paid for my sister’s kid’s health insurance. I have a lawyer Democrat friend who makes good money, no health insurance. Would rather buy other stuff, she is a hard working single mom responsible for her own mother, who does have health ins and she has some (4) irresponsible grown kids who she subsidizes, but still, she should have health ins. There a many millions more just like them, living “off the land” so to speak, they freak if they are going to die.
Not me, if I got diagnosed, I would just say to myself “well, you have to die from something”.
Guess we both took the common sense and personal responsibility course.
I teach it It on third Thursday night of every month at 8pm EST /s
Good Post:
Anyone who expects Obamacare to stop Prostate Cancer is worse than an idiot.
So the benefit of Obamacare for Mr. Andores would be that he would have had to get insurance or face a fine.
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