OhIfIMust
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We'll never know the death toll, because we're too small and "unimportant" to be counted. But each loss is known and mourned, and the anger and desperation continue to mount.
Imustntrunaway
Something about the grapes being heavy for their vintage.
retrostone21
As a member of a corporation that thrives on death, I found as I worked there that death happened, and I was a part of it.
deadmanstar
idontwannayoucantmakeme
Just remember kids, everything wrong with capitalism is capitalism
Fatbellynsmokestomuch
This should be enough to get us to mass strike and march on the capital, till, insurance is a dead industry...but we. Wont
THEdrakespirit
These industries should not be any kind of "for profit" they run counter to what America espouses as their beliefs as a country . . . .
Life = Health care
Liberty = Prison system
Pursuit of Happiness = Education
LincLoud
I feel so sorry for those who suffer through jobs like these because they need them. I also feel sorry for those suffering through the health care system (that seems to function more like a vampire).
Bunnies007
That's fucking heartbreaking and infuriating in equal measure.
cadburyegg
Important to keep in mind that this was not a fluke, a one-off, or an extreme example. This is not someone who "fell through the cracks" of the system. This is by design. They want to delay your life-saving treatment in the HOPE that you die first, as then it becomes someone else's problem and they do not have to pay out for treatment. This is a business that profits off children dying from treatable injuries/illnesses. Period.
OhIfIMust
Yep. Even with places like the V.A., it's "Delay, Deny, Hope You Die."
triggrhaapi
It's stupid, but basically, they are trying to escalate him to Murder 1 which requires extenuating circumstances in NY, of which terrorism counts as one. They're not adding separate terrorism charges, they are trying to go after the most aggressive murder charge they can.
sadurdaynight
The concept of "in network" / "out of network" was already resolved for the cellphone industry. But, the healthcare industry still sticks with it. Ugh. Walled gardens make money.
Ikwilstroopwaffels
Fascism depends upon a militarized police who protect the in-group and control/subjugate the "out" groups. You voted for it, America.
imagine1day
Not all of us voted for it. Do NOT paint us all with the same brush.
LuminoZero
If every grieving family member killed the CEO that caused the death of their loved ones, this world would be a much better place.
GIMike1972
Better hope lots of people who are ready to kill (and so very, very easily armed with guns) don't end up having a terminal disease...what could POSSIBLY happen??!! Lordy lordy it's giving me the vapors!
freakshow314
So they've got to find 12 people to convict... 12 people who've never had a shitty time with their health insurance and providers... in NYC... oh boy!
AgnosticPaladin
They'll find 12 MAGA voters, easily. And explain to them that Soros was actually denying claims, with Jewish space lasers.
Vacationdad
I use to work at a health insurer and have dozens of similar stories. Most of them I have actively tried to forget because of what it was doing to my mental health. I have zero sympathy. Zero.
HuCared
This unnecessary death breaks my heart, too
Icantevenbruh
Is there data from health insurance companies that shows how many people die per year due to being out of network or other such things? They should be held accountable and data like this should be public knowledge
mentalproblemz
I can't wait for the open-call his lawyer should release asking for anyone that's been affected by the for-profit-care system to come in and tell their story to the jury. Man, you think they'd have a line all the way to Time Square, or all the way to San Fran waiting to go in and explain how what this man was allegied to have done was not a crime?
Donfolstar
Imagine how much better our healthcare would be if healthcare workers weren't constantly arguing with soulless profit seekers. M4A would be akin to a 50% increase in the number of healthcare workers overnight.
justadude41123
If you think it’s bad now, it’s only gonna get worse as these kinds of shenanigans are going to be refined to inflict more suffering for profit as punishment for turning Luigi into a folk hero. Until more CEOs fall, no chance will be affected
Cavalrysword
Thank you for quiting. I wish you well.
cgt9803
Trump is assembling an entire cabinet of Brian Thompsons, so a big fuck you to everyone who voted for this
RARusk
And an even bigger fuck you to those who couldn't be bother to vote at all.
StrandedonEarth
Fuck. Don’t wait for approval, do what needs to be done and fight the system afterwards. It’s broken, it needs to be demolished and rebuilt properly, modelled after successful systems in other countries. Oh, wait, but what about the shareholders… (/s)
SteveMND
Sadly, with a lot of specialized infusion-style medicine, hospitals and such don't just have that sort of thing lying around. They'd have to get pre-authorization for them to order it ahead of time, so even if the parents had just decided to not wait for approval and headed to the nearest hospital, they would likely not have had such specialized medicine just randomly available. It's a shitty system that gets you coming and going, and happily blames it on the bureaucracy when it fails.
BeardicPerformance
Unless it is immediately life-saving treatment, lots of hospitals and doctors won’t treat you until insurance has agreed to pay. So something that will kill you, but not like RIGHT THIS MINUTE, will go untreated if insurance refuses to cover it.
imagine1day
And that's not to mention conditions that won't kill you, but absolutely will disable you if they aren't treated, leaving you alive, but completely unable to support yourself.
Hatsodoom
Luigi did nothing wrong.
briham86
A better system would hold insurance companies criminally liable for withholding lifesaving treatment. A just system wouldn't have privatized health care at all.
therealalansmithee
When I call 911, they dispatch the fire department EMT crew, but they don’t do transport to the hospital, so their dispatcher calls for an ambulance that I have no say in selecting. Had to do this twice in the last year and both times had to fuss with insurance, because “all ambulances in(city of 6 million) are out of network.” Luckily, one helpful insurance rep explained that I just need to tell the ambulance company to resubmit the charge to insurance til it comes down to what I amy
therealalansmithee
Actually supposed to pay under my policy, which is $75.However, it was up to me to fight the $700 bill from the ambulance company.
Polymathena
Corporatism kills
EaNasirsExcellentHighGradeCopper
And its time for it to stop killing us, and to start killing the bastards that are the source of all the problems and the cause of this.
Segufixer
Cronyism is among our big problems.
5po0ky
You mean capitalism. Capitalism kills
spookyu
A significant amount of time and effort has gone into corporate structures which make peasants who are paid slightly more have to tell other peasants on behalf of the company "no" and then fight that battle as if their job depends on it. It does in fact depend on it, because saying "yes" might cost the shareholder's profits. Your wellbeing (healthcare, ability to eat, etc.) is ransomed to you in return for compliance and a salary which won't allow you to change anything about this dynamic.
VikingsAreNinjaPirates
And now they are using more AI so none of this human sympathy gets in the way of the shareholders buying another yacht.
ThailandExpress
euphoricopportunity
Well, bad incentives kill for sure. This idea that corporations only exist to profit the investor that was popularized in the 70s and 80s has got to go. Rentiér capitalism has got to go. The boards, executives, and investors need to be reigned in.
euphoricopportunity
At minimum.
Polymathena
Capitalism is a behavior. Corporatism is a system of control.
flacoloco
according to the US government, a corporation is a person, but it cannot be held liable.... how can I become a corporation?
bluejolt
We really need a case to go to the SC on Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad which granted corps personhood and Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. If it's gonna stand, then the inverse should be true, people having protection from liability, otherwise SCC v SPRR should be overturned. (I'd rather see the latter, and consequently overturning Citizens United)
championboilie
How did that occur, corporation being classed as a person?
bluejolt
1986 Santa Clara County v. Southern Pacific Railroad. In a nutshell, since stakeholders are people, a corporation is extended the rights of those stakeholders, specifically in regards to the Equal Protection Clause of the 14th Amendment. Unfortunately, that was the opening of Pandora's box leading to other extensions of personhood, notably, 2010 Citizens United v FEC giving Corps 1st Amendment rights regarding election meddling and campaign contributions.
Kyzyl
Health care does not respond to market forces.
It is wrong and bad to put profit motive behind the delivery of heath care.
4254
I am just fine leaving things that aren't on Maslow's triangle, to market forces, and letting the invisible hand do its thing. I am fine if rich people want to use their money to build museums, with their names on them. I am not fine with corporations running healthcare, utilities, and prisons for profit, and rich people controlling our government. Citizens United was a terrible decision for the future of the US.
nicelyvillainous
The problem is kind of that health care DOES respond to market forces, but health care NEEDS does not.
Which is why we end up with much less of a shortage for orthopedic surgeons doing knee replacements for rich old people, and cosmetic surgeons, but a big shortage of trauma surgeons to treat inner city gunshot wounds.
Private insurance just makes that issue 100x worse.
The big shortage, though, is telling people they have to bet $500k on medical school that they’ll graduate and like the job
Kyzyl
Another shortage is the amount of US FEDERAL GOVERMENT money for residencies. 100% of residencies in the US are funded by Medicare Part A. If you want more doctors, simply fund more residencies. There are always more applicants each year to residency programs than get admitted. Forcing US med school grads to do residency overseas.
Sumdumguy42
Because marketforces don’t apply. I can’t just pick a cheaper medical emergency if I can’t afford a cancer treatment.
Thornaxe
And you can’t pick a less shitty insurance provider if you hear horror stories about your current one. Biggest limiter of market force applying to healthcare is the disconnect between people consuming the services (employees) and the people choosing the services (employers).
SmashySashimi
Honestly, at this point the market doesn’t respond to “market forces”.
TheS4ndm4n
It does. Many people are simply confused about them. "the market" wants mom and pop stores to get replaced by big box stores and Amazon. Many people will say that's not what they want. But those people all buy at the big box stores.
Same with healthcare. You want non-profit healthcare. But you won't invest your 401k in a company that won't make a profit. And most people hate politicians that try to get you universal healthcare.
pareidoliaperson
How about a for profit CEO Bounty (the chocolate bar I mean!)? And this is not related at all, Dead or Alive was a nice game.
johneventually1
What are you going to do with the chocolate bars when you acquire them?
JustBoone
Eat Them.
OhIfIMust
Same with housing and utilities, but people still insist "fReE MArkEt!1!"
ElChupaNuggra
They can still have a free Market, just have a base line provided free of cost. And have a higher premium service if you're willing to pay for it. That way the rich can still feel 'special' getting their 'higher end' they 'deserve' by being wealthy, but having to pay for it instead of it being a 'free perk' of being rich.
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OhIfIMust
I'm not saying they're identical, I'm saying that neither is subject to normal market forces due to things like 1) the absolute necessity of the "commodity," and 2) the increased difficulty in being able to make easy choices (i.e., moving is not nearly as simple as deciding to shop at a different store,) among others.
OhIfIMust
(Plus, how many *renters* feel that they have a stake in anything?)
GhostBear3067
Working in the ambulance it feels like so much of my charting is spent documenting the call in a way to make sure the patient's insurance cannot claim the transport was not medically necessary. It fucking sucks and I hate it.
dragonsluvtacos
Same. And then, because I also work the billing side, I have to pick the ICD-10 and HCPCS codes that ensure the claim won’t get denied.
badmedic504
Brother, I understand! We are bogged down by post call reports, and I hate that we are manipulated into writing it so insurance covers it and the ambulance is reimbursed(see imagetrend). I'm burnt out on the calls that we are essentially a taxi for people. I cant stand medical necessity BS! I just want to use my training to help the sick or injured.
ijustwonamathdebate
Yo. Ghost. Your work saves lives! Yes it sucks and I feel the hate for it. And it is righteous.
But never forget that you are a fucking Hero saving lives. Because that's what heroes do! Well that and unnecessary paperwork.
sirava
A big part of why healthcare is expensive and inefficient is this. So much overhead that provides no benefit to anyone except the insurance company
OhIfIMust
The entire setup is parasitical.
Thornaxe
Yup. I’d love single payer. But in the meantime I’d settle for insurance being charged when they needlessly deny care.
rumepowat
Big ass fines to the tune of 10x or more the cost it would have been to treat someone depending on how well they can actually be slapped with the fines would probably do a lot of good. Has to be big enough that their actuaries can't write it off as an acceptable loss and continue as is.
rumepowat
Hell if it was actually % based like 1000% that might even work well to undo the cost inflation that they used to make the affordable care act profitable for them. Of course I'm sure they'd weasel around it by saying medical costs are a range. This case where we fucked up was actually only $10 but the same medical condition over here where we make profit and *didn't fuck up was $1000
JWarder
There is always the risk of fraud. Every few weeks there are reports of providers getting caught faking procedures or performing unnecessary procedures.
https://www.justice.gov/usao-sdtx/pr?f%5B0%5D=facet_topics%3A3936
sirava
I'm not saying don't document at all. There's a happy medium.
JWarder
Sure, but even with a single payer system EMS will still need to document encounters to get paid. Eg CMS.
But even if you don't care about how EMS is paid, that documentation is used by the EMS agency to identify training issues, local governments to verify the agency is meeting contracted quality standards, epidemiologists with state health departments watch for trends in the population, and the CDC to inform government policy. Detailed quality documentation is import for public health.
AgnosticPaladin
Any ideas on why that's not a problem in the vast majorities of civilized countries?
JWarder
Fraud exists outside the USA. https://www.cmaj.ca/content/185/1/16
AgnosticPaladin
Yeah, of course it does. For example, in my country, a few month ago they caught a few doctors giving fake diabetes diagnostics so they could prescribe subsidized Ozempic to patients who wanted to lose weight. The loses were a few thousand euros. And that's pretty much it, since we have single payer health insurance.
So, not that big a problem (and the doctors lost their licenses, and are awaiting trial). How does that compare with your system?
JiffyGee
I have the utmost respect for my neighborhoods paramedics. I woke up one night with my heart racing, like, went and got my watch and it was over 215 bpm. From a dead sleep. Drove to the fire station that was just behind our neighborhood. When they hooked me up to their machine my bpm was 230. They had to chemically restart my heart which is weird let me tell you. So went from 230 to 140 in a few seconds. Got a ride in the wee woo wagon. By some miracle that was covered. Same with my ER visit…
dragonsluvtacos
Being cardioverted while awake is a helluva thing. Glad you had help that close to you.
JiffyGee
that morning. How? I have no fucking clue. I blame my chronic migraines and reaching my deductible. According to my app I’ve hade 26 claims in a 24 month period. Hopefully I’m getting my moneys worth.
GhostBear3067
You probably got adenosine, side effect asystole. That stuff freaks us out too when we give it.
badmedic504
The sphincter clinching drug! Tell pts it's going to feel like your head is coming out of their butt. Don't worry, though, I'm puckered up too.
JiffyGee
I’ll take a little lightheadedness over my heart going 230 bpm for over half an hour any day.
GhostBear3067
A lot of people just straight up lose consciousness with adenosine since it is essentially turning the heart off and on again like we are meat IT.
JiffyGee
I can see that. It works. I just got a little dizzy so, just a closing of the program that wasn’t working through task manager, instead of a full reset.