A Miracle Cure For Those That Can Afford It?

[Flopper]

(CBS News) There is remarkable new evidence that stem cells can repair a damaged heart and the early goings suggest it is a powerful effect. The findings were presented at a meeting of the American Heart Association on Monday, but CBS News has been following this therapy for two years.
It is important to note that this is just the beginning of trials for this treatment and it is not clear where all of this will lead or how many patients it might help. CBS News correspondent Bill Whitaker reports on what happened to the very first patient who received this treatment....

Stem cells help regenerate damaged heart - CBS News

Also, recently there was news of a stage 4 lung cancer patient recovering in 4 weeks when treated with a cancer drug that was specifically engineered for the patient.

I wonder if these miracles cures are going to be available to the poor or just the wealthy. It seems the costs are going to be so high, very few will be able to afford them.

I saw the news about the stems cells growing heart muscle at a friends house who has a very serious heart problem and is one the 50 million with no insurance. He made the comment that this is just another miracle cure that people like me will never be able to afford.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

I saw the news about the stems cells growing heart muscle at a friends house who has a very serious heart problem and is one the 50 million with no insurance. He made the comment that this is just another miracle cure that people like me will never be able to afford.

Per conservative dogma this is an incentive for your friend and others to work harder so he can afford the treatment; if he’s unable to realize the income needed to afford the treatment, then it’s appropriate for him to die making such limited resources available to those more deserving.

Needless to say I disagree with conservative dogma, as I believe we as a Nation are better than that.

 

[Flopper]

I saw the news about the stems cells growing heart muscle at a friends house who has a very serious heart problem and is one the 50 million with no insurance. He made the comment that this is just another miracle cure that people like me will never be able to afford.

Per conservative dogma this is an incentive for your friend and others to work harder so he can afford the treatment; if he’s unable to realize the income needed to afford the treatment, then it’s appropriate for him to die making such limited resources available to those more deserving.

Needless to say I disagree with conservative dogma, as I believe we as a Nation are better than that.

I certainly agree. Unfortunately, there are so many people who just don't understand what it's like to suffer from a medical condition knowing there is treatment available but not for you.

 

[Oddball]

Yes, yes, yes....Everyone who invested in, worked on and brought such discoveries to fruition should just be handed a piece of shit to chew on and told to eat the costs for all their hard work.

 

[Shogun]

there is that compassionate conservatism for you. World hunger would be a thing of the past if there were a profit margin involved...

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

The concern obviously is that over time, as health costs increase, fewer and fewer people will be able to afford such treatment, or afford the insurance to allow it.

And of course insurance companies won’t even authorize treatment due to the expense.

 

[JDzBrain]

Per liberal dogma...not an EMBRYONIC stem cell in sight!

Liberals are so freakin' lost.

 

[Katzndogz]

I saw the news about the stems cells growing heart muscle at a friends house who has a very serious heart problem and is one the 50 million with no insurance. He made the comment that this is just another miracle cure that people like me will never be able to afford.

Per conservative dogma this is an incentive for your friend and others to work harder so he can afford the treatment; if he’s unable to realize the income needed to afford the treatment, then it’s appropriate for him to die making such limited resources available to those more deserving.

Needless to say I disagree with conservative dogma, as I believe we as a Nation are better than that.

Isn't that just sad? Really sad. Unfortunately state of the art medical treatment just can't be provided to everyone. The wealth of the world couldn't afford it. The alternative is to enslave the personnel necessary to make these miracles possible. Give them a stipend to live on, that's all they need. A nice little guaranteed income for "helping" make the world a better place where everyone is entitled to everything. This includes the people who invent and build the machinery, the devices that make these treatments possible.

In reality, medical treatment is like everything else. in the beginning it is unaffordable except for the fabulously wealthy. Then there are newer innovations, more production and the price drops.

 

[Katzndogz]

However if we weren't throwing millions of dollars down the toilet on embryonic stem cell research, proven not to work, in favor of supporting what does work, we would be moving along faster down the road of affordability.

 

[Flopper]

I saw the news about the stems cells growing heart muscle at a friends house who has a very serious heart problem and is one the 50 million with no insurance. He made the comment that this is just another miracle cure that people like me will never be able to afford.

Per conservative dogma this is an incentive for your friend and others to work harder so he can afford the treatment; if he’s unable to realize the income needed to afford the treatment, then it’s appropriate for him to die making such limited resources available to those more deserving.

Needless to say I disagree with conservative dogma, as I believe we as a Nation are better than that.

Isn't that just sad? Really sad. Unfortunately state of the art medical treatment just can't be provided to everyone. The wealth of the world couldn't afford it. The alternative is to enslave the personnel necessary to make these miracles possible. Give them a stipend to live on, that's all they need. A nice little guaranteed income for "helping" make the world a better place where everyone is entitled to everything. This includes the people who invent and build the machinery, the devices that make these treatments possible.

In reality, medical treatment is like everything else. in the beginning it is unaffordable except for the fabulously wealthy. Then there are newer innovations, more production and the price drops.

Heart By-pass surgery has been around a long time, yet the cost is likely to run between $50K and $100k and lots more if there are complications. Today, if you don't qualify for Medicaid and don't have insurance then you better have deep pockets or it's time to get your financial affairs in order.

 

[JDzBrain]

You must live in Canada Flooper...cause THAT is a load!

It is against federal law for hospitals to refuse treatment to critical patients.

Now under the socialized medicine practiced in Canada, people die every single day after waiting for months for treatment. Yep...THAT is the system we need in America....NOT!

There is a reason that MILLIONS of Canadians come to America for treatment every year...and it AIN'T cause it's free or cheap!

 

[Greenbeard]

It is against federal law for hospitals to refuse treatment to critical patients.

...hospitals participating in Medicare. You can kick Canada but the Canadian-looking component of our own system is what makes possible the feature you're touting about it.

 

[Flopper]

You must live in Canada Flooper...cause THAT is a load!

It is against federal law for hospitals to refuse treatment to critical patients.

Now under the socialized medicine practiced in Canada, people die every single day after waiting for months for treatment. Yep...THAT is the system we need in America....NOT!

There is a reason that MILLIONS of Canadians come to America for treatment every year...and it AIN'T cause it's free or cheap!

Not correct. Hospitals are required to provide emergency medical service to a point where the patient is stabilized and can be safely transferred. Hospitals are not required to provide critical care at no cost. They only have to provide emergency services. So if your doctor says you need bypass surgery, don't think your're going to walk into an emergency and get it unless it is needed to stabilize your condition.

 

[alan1]

It all boils down to people being afraid to die.
You can die from heart disease in 6 months, or die from something else later.

 

[Oddball]

there is that compassionate conservatism for you. World hunger would be a thing of the past if there were a profit margin involved...

There's that socialistic lack of compassion and consideration for the efforts and investments of the inventive and enterprising.

Why not just lock them up and force them to invent stuff? ...Worked so well for Stalin.

 

[uscitizen]

Yes, yes, yes....Everyone who invested in, worked on and brought such discoveries to fruition should just be handed a piece of shit to chew on and told to eat the costs for all their hard work.

They were not paid for that hard work?
And in many/most cases like this they were at least partially funded by tax dollars.

 

[Oddball]

Uh-huh...And who pays for the $1/2 billion worth of red tape and outright graft that the FDA imposes on the inventors of new medications and devices?

Talk about your blind fucking greed.

 

[C_Clayton_Jones]

It all boils down to people being afraid to die.
You can die from heart disease in 6 months, or die from something else later.

A non sequitur can be true, but it’s a non sequitur nonetheless.

And it boils down to a family’s provider providing for that family.

 

[Douger]

Useless eaters. Remember ! Gawd Blass murka !

 

[JDzBrain]

Not correct. Hospitals are required to provide emergency medical service to a point where the patient is stabilized and can be safely transferred. Hospitals are not required to provide critical care at no cost. They only have to provide emergency services. So if your doctor says you need bypass surgery, don't think your're going to walk into an emergency and get it unless it is needed to stabilize your condition.

Uh...wrong. A hospital MAY after stabilizing your condition, refuse to do a bypass if it is deemed necessary, but if they do diagnose it and refuse to do it, they must then transport you to a facility that WILL do the surgery...such as a county hospital who will work out how it's to be paid for later.

And just for the record, Medicaid is a state program with different qualifiers for different states. The primary one being a household income threshold that is loosely based on the poverty level in each state. If you are above that threshold and don't have insurance...you can just make the payments to the hospital that you SHOULD have been making for insurance in the first place instead of the payments on that F-250 pickup. ;~)

People have been setting up payment programs with doctors and hospitals for everything from toothaches to appendectomies for as long as they have been around. TRUST me...been there done that. Got the scares to prove it. And docs didn't have to have some government mandate to get um to do it.

THAT only became necessary when lawyers started running rough shod over the system and the government decided to start setting the prices doctors could charge for their service instead of protecting them from the predators and letting the free market work!

As Thomas Jefferson said, "It is error alone which needs the support of government. Truth can stand by itself."

What we have allowed an out of control government to put in place as health care over the last 60 years in this country is an ERROR!