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October 01, 2009

Comments

Excellent post, Lindsay. Most people like the single payer systems we have in place now. Of course, when Medicare was first proposed, we had scare tactics similar to what we hear now.

Conservative love this Ronald Reagan quote: "Freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. We didn't pass it to our children in the bloodstream. It must be fought for, protected, and handed on for them to do the same, or one day we will spend our sunset years telling our children and our children's children what it was once like in the United States where men were free."

Except no one mentions that Reagan was talking about Medicare.

I've commented previously on the extensive testing I had to go through to qualify for a kidney transplant. I was diagnosed with ESRD in 1995 and at that time was covered by insurance through work. After going on dialysis, Medicare paid secondary to my work insurance primary for a certain number of months, then Medicare became the primary payer. After 39 months I got my transplant with Medicare as primary payer at a Medicare-approved hospital. Medicare paid for my immunosuppressants for only 3 years, but fortunately by that time I was 65 and, thanks to a federal law passed during the Clinton administration, a transplant recipient reaching Medicare age who had a transplant paid for by Medicare can receive immunosuppressants under Medicare Part B. Unfortunately people not yet eligible for Medicare are cut off after 36 months and left to find their own coverage. A recent NYTimes story--don't have a link--illustrates the foolishness of this. I'm so glad to hear Jennifer Nix has coverage for her drugs--wish everybody did.

I didn't know that program existed, and am very happy to hear it does. Not because I need it (my kidneys, knock wood, work just fine) but because there should be programs like that.

Kidney transplants are routine and effective, and their ROI can't be overestimated. It's almost an exemplar of how the benefits of government-subsidized healthcare far outweigh the costs.

WARNING: DO NOT CLICK ON JESURGISLAC'S LINK!!!!!!!! It is extremely disgusting! I'm assuming that the imposter is back.

Bookmarked for ridicule when Medicare goes bankrupt in 2014.

Because government can spend money better than the people who actually earned it....

"If your kidneys failed tomorrow you won't be left to die because you can't afford dialysis or a transplant."

Because the free market has never ever been able to meet the demands of millions of people who want a product.

Because the free market has never ever been able to meet the demands of millions of people who want a product.

I think, John Eden, if you read the sentence you cited in your comment slowly and carefully, you might notice the flaw in relying upon the "free market" to solve this particular problem.

DaveC: WARNING: DO NOT CLICK ON JESURGISLAC'S LINK!!!!!!!! It is extremely disgusting! I'm assuming that the imposter is back.

Yep. All over some threads. :-(

Where is the kitten? Taking the weekend off?

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