(no subject)

An article on the origins of the bogus "death panel" thing: http://www.nytimes.com/2009/08/14/health/policy/14panel.html?_r=3&hp

You want to know who the real death panels are? The insurance companies as they now stand. The insurance companies who will not treat you if you have a pre-existing condition, will not cover you if it's going to cost them any money, and on a regular basis deny you the treatment your doctor knows is best because it's not "standard." "Standard" being "cheap."

My mother was diagnosed with cancer by an internationally renowned specialist out of network, and her insurance WOULD NOT ACCEPT that she had cancer FOR MONTHS because it was not one of their doctors who diagnosed her. A few short months later, she died of cancer.

Don't talk to me about death panels, Sarah Palin.

(no subject)

An addendum to the former:

While a little early for Talk Like a Pirate Day, this one is for all of us who pay ransom to health insurance companies because we know coming down with anything would bankrupt us: Go Ahead and Die, by the Austin Lounge Lizards

For the record, I'm not fond of the health care bill as it now stands. The fact that there *is* a health care bill, though, is so much fucking progress that I'm inclined to count my blessings. It's a government program; I never expected to be happy with it. Just because it won't be awesome doesn't mean it's not desperately needed. And if insurance companies provided the service that they're supposed to, without screwing people over right and left, there wouldn't be any need for this program. You dug your hole, folks; if you fall in, tis your own damn fault.