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http://scallywagandvagabond.com/201...nd-sent-to-jail-for-free-medical-health-care/

He robbed the bank for $1. Didn't use a weapon. He's now getting the healthcare he needs.

It's an interesting read and a sad reminder about how fucked up our healthcare system has become.

It is pretty mess up. So a good citizen (like the man in the article) who follow the rules and try to go to the correct channel and was denied healthcare, but he can commit a crime and get everything he needs for "free" (the difference is that he lost his freedom while in jail of course)

The problem with doing that is the whole losing your freedom thing, along with a side of anal rape.

It's not a new technique. In bitter winters some homeless commit crimes just to get a night in the precinct's cell. It would be interesting to find out why medicare and social security/disability wouldn't cover him, and what his retirements plans were during his 17 years working for coca cola.

I don't agree with the author that it's a sad commentary on the state of our social care system. It may have been an easier/better option for him (or the only option, possibly) but it's an interesting story - not a daily occurrence for hundreds of people, never mind thousands or millions.

Ooooh is this where I get to insult the American "health care" system?



Don't blame the man and in fact applauld his creativity.

stienman said:

It's not a new technique. In bitter winters some homeless commit crimes just to get a night in the precinct's cell. It would be interesting to find out why medicare and social security/disability wouldn't cover him, and what his retirements plans were during his 17 years working for coca cola.

I don't agree with the author that it's a sad commentary on the state of our social care system. It may have been an easier/better option for him (or the only option, possibly) but it's an interesting story - not a daily occurrence for hundreds of people, never mind thousands or millions.

Click to expand...

I would love to hear the story on that also. I mean 17 years in a company should have some sort of retirement plan somewhere right?

I don't want to be too quick to blame him, but it's not like old age is unexpected.

I dunno.

On one hand, people should plan for the future, rather than living so much in the present with instant gratification coming before future comfort. I can feel bad for their choices, but I can't justify making the working class bankroll their retirement.

On the other hand, we are a wealthy "first world" country, and we should be able to carve some sort of inexpensive living arrangement for the poor and destitute.

But then it gets messy. We're extending human life significantly every year - but it's not an inexpensive extension. Once you get to your 80s and 90s, your medical bills alone - in order to continue living - are easily one to ten thousand dollars a month depending on how and in what ways your body is breaking down.

As humans we have adopted the concept that human life - any human life - is of infinite value. Therefore we can't talk about weighing our options regarding a lucid 92 year old man who outlived his reasonable, planned retirement, and is now receiving round the clock care and treatment. If he hasn't signed a DNR you pretty much have to treat him.

What happens to our "wealthy" society, though, when health care is universal, and the baby boomers start consuming, on average, 500-1,000 dollars a month purely in medical care?

As much as I'd like to live in a perfect society where everyone makes reasonable plans for retirement - even that's not enough the way we are extending our lives.

So we can't take care of those who can plan for the future, nevermind those that can't or don't plan for the future.

I guess countries that have universal health care must have adopted an end of life treatment plan or boundary. I'd be curious to know how they handle it.
Added at: 14:01
Oh, and in the interest of full disclosure, the gov't is buying my groceries*, and my retirement plan is to have lots of kids and leech off them when I'm older. Assuming none of my engineering effort prove particularly fruitful, that is.

Huzzah!

*It's been about a year since we started food stamps, but it looks like I'll be making enough this month that it'll be ending soon. Not having a problem getting contracts, just having a problem getting contracts where the client actually pays me. Too many falling through at the last minute...

the problem would be when is the cut off date? when the person no longer productive member of society? what age will that be? when a person can't sustain on their own medical/pension/retirement?

Then what? Do we just stop treatment and let them die?

Even if I *wanted* to plan for the future I couldn't. With no savings and barely breaking even/going into the red every month It's very hard to put away for retirement.

Time to march our old people into the mountains like they did in the old days.

Or maybe have the family members start caring for them as they do in the other countries of the world.

I, uh, wasn't being serious Dave.

If only we had some kind of "Panel" that could judge when someone should go to their "Death".

I don't know what you would call it though.

Espy said:

If only we had some kind of "Panel" that could judge when someone should go to their "Death".

I don't know what you would call it though.

Click to expand...

Republican Medicare Overhaul

Espy said:

If only we had some kind of "Panel" that could judge when someone should go to their "Death".

I don't know what you would call it though.

Click to expand...

kinda scary since those people on the panel will be pretty powerful. Maybe limit no one over the age of 45 can be on it

Better yet, put a gem in your hand that glows when it's your time to go. Of course, if you don't like it you can run.

sixpackshaker said:

Republican Medicare Overhaul

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Thats alright I guess but I feel like a smarter person, maybe someone who doesn't ascribe to the "lamestream" media's views, could really nail the name. If only we knew someone like that.

We should call them Mama-Grizzly panels.

Krisken said:

We should call them Mama-Grizzly panels.

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Oooh. Thats pretty good.

Send our fogeys out to conquer the galaxy.

I'm all for that.

I think whenever someone votes to go to war the first people on the front lines should be their family.

Just sayin.

Krisken said:

I think whenever someone votes to go to war the first people on the front lines should be their family.

Just sayin.

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Soon as we're 75, you betcha. I'll be first in line.

(Have you read the book?)

No, I haven't. Sorry.

I hope he was not in Texas, doctor visits for inmates just went from $3 to $100.

Krisken said:

No, I haven't. Sorry.

Click to expand...

The first book (the one pictured) is ok, trying a bit too hard to be Starship Troopers, but the next two books in the series are pretty good.

The premise is that Earth is being artifically kept in a perpetual state of Next Sunday, A.D. by the Colonial Union (the government of the humans who live in space/on colonies). The Colonial Union is at war with every single other species in traveling distance (and there's upwards of 4-500 of them), and in order to fuel this perpetual struggle for territory, they keep Earth largely in the dark about the state of the galaxy at large, and the only way to get off planet is to enlist in the Colonial Defense Forces. You sign a letter of intent at 65, and are recruited at 75. After that, you go up to the space station and nobody ever sees you again.

What really happens from there is, due to espionage and conquest, the CU is way, way ahead on technology than what earth is. They have the ability to regrow you a new body from your own DNA, but alter it to superhuman standards complete with intracranial computer (BrainPal!(tm)), Captain America-like strength and reflexes, artifical SmartBlood(tm) which is immune to disease and many times more effective than regular blood both at oxygenation, clotting, etc... and they can then transfer your consciousness from your old, broken down body into this new permanently 22-years-old superbody to fight the screeching, chittering hordes for interstellar real estate. Then, in 10 years you can retire and they'll put you back in a 20 year old regular human body (also grown from your own DNA), and let you become a civilian colonist. Or you can re-up.

So it's basically the plot of Avatar, except with less blue furry sex and you get to live forever if you don't get yourself killed.

AshburnerX said:

So it's basically the plot of Avatar, except with less blue furry sex and you get to live forever if you don't get yourself killed.

Click to expand...

Is there any way to get that, AND blue furry sex?

GasBandit said:

The first book (the one pictured) is ok, trying a bit too hard to be Starship Troopers, but the next two books in the series are pretty good.

The premise is that Earth is being artifically kept in a perpetual state of Next Sunday, A.D. by the Colonial Union (the government of the humans who live in space/on colonies). The Colonial Union is at war with every single other species in traveling distance (and there's upwards of 4-500 of them), and in order to fuel this perpetual struggle for territory, they keep Earth largely in the dark about the state of the galaxy at large, and the only way to get off planet is to enlist in the Colonial Defense Forces. You sign a letter of intent at 65, and are recruited at 75. After that, you go up to the space station and nobody ever sees you again.

What really happens from there is, due to espionage and conquest, the CU is way, way ahead on technology than what earth is. They have the ability to regrow you a new body from your own DNA, but alter it to superhuman standards complete with intracranial computer (BrainPal!(tm)), Captain America-like strength and reflexes, artifical SmartBlood(tm) which is immune to disease and many times more effective than regular blood both at oxygenation, clotting, etc... and they can then transfer your consciousness from your old, broken down body into this new permanently 22-years-old superbody to fight the screeching, chittering hordes for interstellar real estate. Then, in 10 years you can retire and they'll put you back in a 20 year old regular human body (also grown from your own DNA), and let you become a civilian colonist. Or you can re-up.

Click to expand...

sounds pretty interesting. I might have to pick it up now.
I like the idea of waiting until 75 to be recruited. I mean when you are that "old" (since we are talking about cloning and such) that person have a lot of life experience and probably can make better decisions (we hope) hehe

Ravenpoe said:

Is there any way to get that, AND blue furry sex?

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Well, you could always dye your hair blue. And by hair I mean all of it. ALL of it.