South Carolina to Cover Obesity Surgery Next Year(Govt.workers)

Fox News/AP ^ | August 13, 2010 | Fox News/AP

[sodpoodle]

Obese government workers in South Carolina can get stomach-shrinking surgery through the state health plan under a pilot program that starts in January.

The state's employee insurance plan will cover gastric-bypass or Lap-Band surgery costs for 100 people statewide on a first-come, first-serve basis, said Stephen VanCamp, director of the employee insurance program.

The surgeries - which involve either surgically creating a smaller stomach or shrinking intake with a belt-like, adjustable device - cost about $24,000 each. Lawmakers required the test program in the 2010-11 Budget as a way to address the state's growing obesity problem. The Budget and Control Board was directed to create it as part of workers' benefits plan for 2011, which it approved Thursday.

[sodpoodle]

Feeding the beasts of bureaucracy - one bite at a time;)

[Darkwolf377]

on a first-come, first-serve basis

That's what got them so fat in the first place.

[circlecity]

How long before they start paying for boob jobs and botox injections. But hip replacements for seniors are just a luxury we can’t afford.

[Oldeconomybuyer]

bttt

[PalmettoMason]

The Legislature funded the program, as well as an additional $19 million in costs next year because of the new federal health care law - largely for extending coverage to dependents up to age 26 - so employees' monthly health premiums will not change. Nearly 394,000 public workers, their dependents and retirees are covered under the state health plan.

Great.

Just effing great.

[sodpoodle]

Now that’s funny;)

This topic could probably be merged with the *Food Stamp Cuts* thread.

You have to wonder how many folks who don’t work, but just shop & eat; have morbid obesity as a result of the generous food stamp program.

[Mr. K]

If they made this mandatory I would support it

Maybe they could move faster if they weren’t so full of blubber

[Mr. K]

If they made this mandatory I would support it

Maybe they could move faster if they weren’t so full of blubber

[ebersole]

Many private, non-government insurance carriers also cover gastric bypass and lap-band procedures

[Darkwolf377]

You have to wonder how many folks who don’t work, but just shop & eat; have morbid obesity as a result of the generous food stamp program

What always astonishes me is how the lefties are the ones who want abortion on demand, for any reason the mother wishes, and are always prattling on about euthenasia being needed due to "quality of life" decaying...

...AND they're the ones who want to shovel money at the nonproductive members of society, who sit around and merely sustain themselves between elections. The libs see most people as Voting Meat and nothing more.

As for the subject of this piece, it's astonishing--people are just going whole-hog and getting whatever they can get from the system now, and when it collapses, well, it'll all collapse on someone else, so who cares?

[sodpoodle]

***The libs see most people as Voting Meat and nothing more.***

Bumper sticker!!!!!

[sodpoodle]

and............*Liberal Livestock*

(sheep to the slaughterhouse)

[Darkwolf377]

And yet, most libs are vegetarians. IRONY! :P

[ThePatriotsFlag]

My Email to my State Senator:

Dear Sen Davis ... WHO is behind this? What is your stance on it and how can it be stopped immediately? We're going broke in this state and we are going to spend money on this? Have people in Columbia lost their minds?

[Slings and Arrows]

SC ping!

[feedback doctor]

South Carolina has a conservative Governor, and a RINO (i.e. socialist) legislature. Gov Sanford tried to use the “stimulus” money to pay down state debt. The legislature sued in Federal Court to make him use it for “education.”

They do not want to take responsibility for their drive to socialism so they appointed a “tax commission” to come up with new taxes.

Here is the newspaper article on that: http://www.postandcourier.com/news/2010/jul/22/taxing-ideas/

Here is the actual tax commission proposal: http://media.charleston.net/2010/pdf/traclistdraft_072110.pdf

[sodpoodle]

ping

[elcid1970]

My boss stands about 5 foot 8 and last year tipped the scales at 325 lb. In the past ten months he managed to diet himself down to 275. Not bad, that’s fifty pounds gone.

But then this month he had the stomach stapling job; done orthoscopically, everything went OK except that he has lost a pound a day since (260 now) and is physically unable to take in enough to maintain weight. He is all but saying “What have I done!?”

Some of my unfeeling coworkers have dubbed our boss “The Incredible Shrinking Man” and are waiting for his voice to change.

Me, I’ll deploy my `suicide diet’ whenever there’s a PT test or weigh-in or required Army school looming. Lose a pound a day, no cutting necessary.

[Mister Da]

My neighbor had this surgery done a year or so ago. He is a retired guy with a pension, but not a public employee.

He has lost a bunch of weight. Before, he looked like a pumpkin. Now he looks like a slightly overweight guy. A huge improvement. His diabetes has improved substantially, & he is obviously healthier.

This surgery likely saved his life, & will save our overburdened HC system the future care he would have required had he not had the surgery. This is what health care is SUPPOSED to do. This was money well spent, IMO. If his insurance covered it, I have no problem with that.

Whether or not public employees receive exorbitant pay & benefits is another matter. But I rather pay for lap band surgery than pay for amputations, blindness, & total disability as a result of uncontrolled obesity. Do the math for yourself.

[upchuck]

Pardon me while I update the headline to reflect stone cold reality:

South Carolina Taxpayers to Cover Obesity Surgery Next Year(Govt.workers)

South Carolina
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