Every once in a while a story comes along that actually makes you feel good about being a member of the human race.

mr_a: Every once in a while a story comes along that actually makes you feel good about being a member of the human race.

I wouldn't go that far. It reminds me that there is a good chunk of people out there who are genuinely good people, however, and provides hope that others will emulate these selfless acts in their own small way.

Skail: mr_a: Every once in a while a story comes along that actually makes you feel good about being a member of the human race.

I wouldn't go that far. It reminds me that there is a good chunk of people out there who are genuinely good people, however, and provides hope that others will emulate these selfless acts in their own small way.

Well, add to that the fact that ANYONE in the wealthiest country to ever exist has to sell their possessions to pay for medical treatment, and it says a lot about us collectively.

/Still, good on those people who helped out

That's an excellent scam idea.

Step 1: Fake cancer pics and diagnoses
Step 2: Post eBay listing claiming to sell everything to pay for illness
Step 3: Profit from suckers

Jesus. Everyone involved sounds like a class act.

I hope every single person involved in this lives a very happy and fulfilling life.

What a great story. It's a shame that things like this are so rare. But society/religion/politics/asshole co-workers/douches like Howie Spankowitz who need to politicize every story, etc., make it almost impossible to care about people in unfortunate situations.

Still, dental and medical care should be a free for all, courtesy of the taxpayers and I'm not a commie.

Cue the simplistic libertarians claiming this is how healthcare should work - with individuals paying for themselves, and crippling bills paid off by charity.

Healthcare in this country is a fukcing disgrace. Americans spend more money per capita on healthcare than (almost?) every other nation in the world, yet enjoy worse outcomes and die earlier.

All while building up crippling individual debt as healthcare corporations make themselves and their execs huge amounts of blood money.

Fukcing appalling.

pureobscure: society/religion/politics/asshole co-workers/douches like Howie Spankowitz who need to politicize every story, etc.

This is already political. In no other developed nation in the world would this even be possible, let alone likely. It is entirely due to politics that this family was even put in this position. Howie was just pointing it out to the blind idiots who just assume the rest of the world is the same as the good ole USA! (USA! USA!)

make it almost impossible to care about people in unfortunate situations.

Oh, so you cannot be political and care about people? I guess you are Republican then.

pureobscure: What a great story. It's a shame that things like this are so rare. But society/religion/politics/asshole co-workers/douches like Howie Spankowitz who need to politicize every story, etc., make it almost impossible to care about people in unfortunate situations.

That makes no sense. Sounds like a pathetic cop out to me.

A quick note to any rich potential benefactors/benefactresses: I burned my thumb a little the other night.

Half of all personal bankruptcies in the US are due to medical expenses

Cashew: Still, dental and medical care should be a free for all, courtesy of the taxpayers and I'm not a commie.

How about we start small. Let's say you pay my premium for the next year?

Thanks in advance!

mr_a: Every once in a while a story comes along that actually makes you feel good about being a member of the human race.


angrymacface sponsored me for a month of TotalFark and didn't even make me sex him.

I have to respect whoever did this. God Bless Them.

Good people need to let other good people know that we still exist.

/good people don't make the news or headlines
//there are exceptions

"We've really been blessed the last few years and we saw an opportunity to help," Donnia Blair said.

Oops! Never mind, they're Christians! Proceed with the religious bashing!

CavalierEternal1: angrymacface sponsored me for a month of TotalFark and didn't even make me sex him.

What??? He made me sex him and then only paid for HALF of my TotalFark! With money he borrowed from me and never paid back! I think I was used!

Dubai Vol: Half of all personal bankruptcies in the US are due to medical expenses

I know personally one person who had to do that before she reached 30. I also have gone around and around with my insurance company about my own medical bills, the things they consider "applied to my deductible" make me not want to ever go to see a doctor.

I'm going to have to have a hernia repaired soon and I am certain that a decent amount of that is going to come right out of my own pocket. I'd hate to think how much I'd have to rack up in bills so that my insurance company *wouldn't* be making obscene amounts of money off of me.

"Americans spend more money per capita on healthcare than (almost?) every other nation in the world, yet enjoy worse outcomes and die earlier."

Did you ever stop and think that maybe, just MAYBE, thing that the government has done contributed to this problem?

Here's a quote from an MD: "EMTALA also causes cost-shifting, the practice of doctors and hospitals trying to make up for the money they are losing on Medicaid and Medicare patients by increasing the fees of patients who have private insurance or who do not have insurance but do pay their bills. This raises the costs for responsible and conscientious patients, who indirectly subsidize the irresponsible and the unconscientious."

this story reminds me of how many rich people are out there that can throw away twenty grand just like that...i hate rich people

/btw im selling all my belongings on ebay to help pay for intelligent_man's penis implant

letstakeawalk: Sorry, no cosmeticals. Peace!

And-1: Healthcare in this country is a fukcing disgrace. Americans spend more money per capita on healthcare than (almost?) every other nation in the world,

Yes. Interestingly, a LOT of primary medical research also comes out of the US. Gee...I wonder who pays for that.

yet enjoy worse outcomes and die earlier.

Oh, bullshiat. The US is solidly up in the 76-80 year range, along with all the other industrialized countries.

Fark no the US med system is not 'perfect'. Nor is it #1. But then again...ALL medical systems are farked up in one way or another. Just depends on what criteria you want to look at.

But bashing the US is the pastime of choice.

karma judge rules +3

The moment the consumer is removed from the process of paying for the that which is being consumed, the price will skyrocket because there is no longer any built in control for the demand of the product. Order some pizza for the office, lay it out, and see if everybody gets a fair share. You will see people that get up to it first loading up to make sure they get "what they want" and fark the rest. Make the people pay for their medical coverage. If you want, you can force the taxpayer to give them the money to pay for it, but make them pay it. Give everybody an equal amount and make them shop around for the best price.

Cashew: letstakeawalk: Sorry, no cosmeticals. Peace!

I'm sorry, but I don't know what that word means... "cosmeticals"

That said, I'm a healthy single guy in my mid-30's, non-smoker, with no health issues to speak of. My premiums are on the lower side of average.

Who exactly, do you think should pay for my "free" health care? Based on your primary comment, you have no problem with taxpayers footing the bill - all I'm suggesting is we cut out the middleman (the Government) and let you, a taxpayer, pay for my minimal premium.

Please explain why you can't or don't want to spend more of your personal funds to pay for my healthcare.

Peace.

Whatever happened to letting Darwin do his job? Why get in the way with $20K contributions?

I have been SO fortunate to find many people who are willing to give a hand up. Some times it's paying a toll or sending a well needed email but there is something every day to remind me there is good in this world.
Once, someone even sponsored me for a Total Fark account....... but I was away that month and didn't get to use it! I never knew who did that but I still remember the sentiment! Thanks whoever you are!

Just beware of the story about the single mother who has octoplets, has no job, couldn't have a job because of the newborns, and lives in her parents house with 6 of her OTHER children. That's coming soon.

Ya Don't hear stories like this much, because, if they're legitimate needy people, with honest difficulties, the relief agencies have already stepped up to help them, and signed them up for the next ad campaign.

/cynical?
//o HELL yeah.
///I got cancer payments, but I don't need help
////I take care of my own problems

YouPeopleAreCrazy: Oh, bullshiat. The US is solidly up in the 76-80 year range, along with all the other industrialized countries.

77.2^{^} - better than just seven industrialized (OECD) nations (like Slovakia, Poland, Mexico, Czech Republic, Hungary, and Turkey). Worse than the remaining 20 developed nations, one-fifth of which are over 80 years, and the best of which (Japan) is over 81 years.

So not, not really bullshiat. Important difference.

Schadenfreude ist die schoenste Freude: That's an excellent scam idea.

Step 1: Fake cancer pics and diagnoses
Step 2: Post eBay listing claiming to sell everything to pay for illness
Step 3: Profit from suckers

Step 4: Deal with God, Karma or the spaghetti monster at some point in the future...

/everything's a wheel..it all comes around.

letstakeawalk: Sorry, I don't have much of personal funds to spend, if I had I'd give it to you, fellow Farker. I'm swedish so I'm not familiar with the 'premium' concept. I'm about your age but I smoke so maybe when I get lung-cancer I should pay the bill myself. How much is a lung?

Have a fairly low-wage, high prestige job and my last dentist visit took a good toll on my monthly finances, about $1000, wich leaves little or nothing for food, beer and cigarettes, but it's 21.15 Saturday night and I'm done arguing. (Managed to save a couple of bucks (swedish Kronas) for beer though. Wish you the best of healths. $1000? Peas but not for me!

letstakeawalk: Please explain why you can't or don't want to spend more of your personal funds to pay for my healthcare.

Americans on average spend a lot more for healthcare than any nation with a single-payer system.

15% of GDP. Next highest (Switzerland) is 11%.^{^}

Single-payer will likely make healthcare cheaper.

Once again, americans have to go begging on the internet for their healthcare...

These stories come out routinely, and everyone is always pinning about how beautiful and generous the human spirit can be when things turn out right, but no one has the balls to address the underlying issues.

Not to distract from the nationalized healthcare whaargrarbl, but:
sellers stuff , assuming it was more than one.

And-1: So not, not really bullshiat. Important difference.

What was said:
"Americans spend more money per capita on healthcare than (almost?) every other nation in the world, yet enjoy worse outcomes and die earlier."

What I said:
"The US is solidly up in the 76-80 year range, along with all the other industrialized countries."

77.2 is well within the 76-80 range I said. Unless you are using some other system of counting that we are not aware of.

The original statement of "die earlier" was in the same sentence as "every other nation in the world".
Those two, taken together, is absolute bullshiat.

Oh, and according to your graph, the difference between the US and the next 4 up is mere months. ~1%.
But "worse than the remaining 20" sounds oh so dramatic, doesn't it?

/again, lets just continue to bash the US in every possible way

I love health care threads on Fark where so many say so much on a topic about which they know nothing.

God Bless the Blairs.

*reads through thread, makes donation to cancer society quietly and steps out*

Here's part of the problem right here:

Link (new window)

$400 to warm a blanket??? I can do a Dutch oven for nothing!

Dubai Vol: Half of all personal bankruptcies in the US are due to medical expenses

As someone intimately familiar with the data Professor Warren used for her study, this statement is utter crap.

That's a beautiful story.

/something in my eye

And they say we need universal healthcare - pussies.

/I've got mine, so fark you attitude still #1 in America

Hey Seminole87?
You ROCK!
Thank you!

First, we have the good people in this story, who give what little they have to others that genuinely need it.

Then we have the people who use our tax money to buy corporate jets, furnish their office bathrooms with $10,000 toilets and $1000 shower curtains, and give their other rich friends and co-workers billions in bonuses.

The world is f*cking crazy.

From the website:

In 2001, we were blessed with our wonderful daughter.

In 2004, we had a baby who survived only 3 short months in the womb and just couldn't make it into our lives, but will live forever in our hearts.

In 2005, we were blessed with another daughter, who was stillborn & is now an angel whom we can't wait to see again someday!

In 2006, a beautiful son...

And in 2007, yet another beautiful, ever so spunky son!


Now the kids are sick.

STOP HAVING KIDS. You people aren't good at it. Adopt or something if you must have them. Your genes are defective.

leonel: "We've really been blessed the last few years and we saw an opportunity to help," Donnia Blair said.

Oops! Never mind, they're Christians! Proceed with the religious bashing!


U r farking twat.

I love these kinds of stories. And I really do think that there are far more good, decent people in the world than bad ones; it's just that the bad ones tend to get more press. In my own life, I've been lucky enough to meet some truly wonderful folks. Just this year, right before Christmas, I took my sons shopping for suit jackets at the Salvation Army. We're not dirt poor, but I can't afford to spend fifty dollars on a jacket they will wear for Christmas and Easter before they outgrow it. I economize where possible, and one of those economies is thrift shop clothing at times. Especially at Christmas, money always gets tight.

While I was shopping, a gentleman and his wife came up to us and he said, "Would you mind if I helped you with your shopping?" I thought he was going to offer an opinion on the jackets the boys were looking at. I told him, no, of course I wouldn't mind. He then handed me a Christmas card and told me, "God blessed us this year and we'd like to bless others in return." I thanked him and wished him a Merry Christmas, and then he walked away as I opened the card. That couple had given us two twenties in a lovely card.

I swear, I cried right there in the store. Such a beautiful, kind thing for a stranger to do for us. I only wish I knew who he was. (The card was unsigned.) My older son told me he walked up to several other people shopping with kids and did the same thing, and then just left the store.

NCP69: this story reminds me of how many rich people are out there that can throw away twenty grand just like that...i hate rich people



Being able to donate 20K does not mean you are rich. 20k is a relatively small amount of money.

It does however quite generous.

leonel: "We've really been blessed the last few years and we saw an opportunity to help," Donnia Blair said.

Oops! Never mind, they're Christians! Proceed with the religious bashing!

Only if they get in my face demanding that I believe in their god or try to change the law so that it conforms to their religious book. Otherwise, peace be with them, and good jorb.

Livin G Fab: Here's part of the problem right here:

Link (new window)

$400 to warm a blanket??? I can do a Dutch oven for nothing!

I have lived in two countries with universal coverage, paid for by tax dollars and I've lived in the United States where I was insured. The US is great if you have premium coverage.

I was covered and still paid out of pocket for a few things, and was (insurer) overcharged on numerous occasions. In Canada I pay more "taxes" but if I factor in that I don't pay to be insured, I actually see a larger percentage of income at the end of the month.

/sarcasm on

But, but the government... but, but spending my money for me is bad... but, but free market enterprises that run unfettered are far better than red tape government run hospitals.

/sarcasm off

YouPeopleAreCrazy: What I said:

What you actually said was that my post was "bullshiat". What I posted was factual. My link showed that you were wrong to call it bullshiat.

Oh, and according to your graph, the difference between the US and the next 4 up is mere months. ~1%.

Still putting the US well in the bottom half of developed nations.

But "worse than the remaining 20" sounds oh so dramatic, doesn't it?

Worse than the remaining 23, actually. So, even in the 1% higher bracket you would like to move to (which it is not in), it is still worse than the remaining 17. And in the bottom half. Is that better? It it certainly less 'dramatic'. Also less factual. But truthy.

So, you think it is a good thing to pay more and die earlier? Because no matter how much you fudge the figures, that is still what is happening

/again, lets just continue to bash the US in every possible way

Pointing out some problem in this country is "bashing the US in every possible way"? Sounds like you want to die early and see America suck. That is really pathetic.