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In response to
"What good is cancer survival, if your family is homeless post-treatment? -- nm"
by
Beryllium
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My uncle died of cancer
Posted by
Scorpion
Aug 16 '09, 15:28
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They gave him 6 months to live as a hopeless case. And because of persisting treatment, even though doctors and VA [Veterans Administration] said it was hopeless, he lived 6 years. Long enough to watch his 2 kids grow some. It did rack up a lot of debt, and guess what, he was covered by VA. Let me make it clear: He was covered by VA, a government run health care program, and he still racked up debt saving his own ass for 6 years. Are you sure the government isn't going to fuck this up? Are you sure you aren't going to pony up out-of-pocket to save your own ass when it ~really~ counts? Are you fooling yourself? I've watched it first hand.
I would have happily gone homeless if he could live another 6 months. Hell, 6 days.
Is the government going to pay to keep treating someone with a statistically very low chance of survival? Considering our government is completely corrupt, and they will have high political pressure to attain savings, I don't want that choice in their hands.
What I can agree with is forcing insurance companies to not drop people who become sick, and to force them to take existing conditions. And extend insurance to everyone, as long as the government isn't in control of who lives or dies, what treatment my doctor can give me or what tests he can run on me to cure me.
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