My first cousin who is a couple of years younger than I and hails from Tallahassee is at heart a good ole boy who is kind hearted, devoted to his wife and family and has sevrved his country in the Navy and worked hard for the same firm over the past 30 years. He is by nature ( rural conservative thinking with a religious wife ) a GOP voter every chance he gets and he called me the other day to discuss that a little. He is struggling with his loyalty right now to the right because he has experienced a very tough personal situation with respect to his future finances due to matters completely beyond his control. Like many Americans he has worked hard, paid his taxes and paid his company and auto insurance insurance premiums steadfastly for his whole life. About two months ago his 20 year old daughter was involved in a very serious car accident in which she had to be life flighted to the hospital. Thankfully she survived her injuries and is expected to make a slow but full recovery. That is the great news.....and of course the most important news. The problem is he has been tagged for after insurance co-pays and other related expenses for a total of $96,000.00 out of pocket. He is a proud man.... and as I said a card carrying Republican but the enormity of the unfairness of his situation not to mention the true crisis of the expense is weighing upon him heavily and shaking his political beliefs. Do everything right....work hard......and still you get screwed in a time of serious emotional crisis for $96,000.00 He is just a hard working average American supporting a family.... not an investment banker, a doctor or a lawyer. What would the GOP propose to do to eliminate this kind of economic tragedy for the average middle class American? Do they even give a ****?
I don't believe Obamacare eliminates patient co-pays. And don't forget it's a crime under Obamacare to not buy insurance.
In Michigan we have a no fault law that would pay every penny for treatment related to auto accidents. Of course the trade off is that smaller injury suits are barred. Of course the law was opposed by trial lawyers and their Liberal Democratic allies. Here's my suggestion for your cousin. Forget working hard and paying all your bills. Vote for Obama, wait for the governement to pay all your medical bills and keep you alive with food stamps, free cell phones and a subsistance. Look at it this way, the cost of all this bounty will have to come from somewhere and the 1% surely don't have near enough. It of course comes from future generations who will have to service the debt we're running up. Let your daughter pay for it. After all, that's where his whole problem started.
Why do you have to make this a political issue? But since you did, what is Obama going to do and does he give a ****? He is going to run up the debt more in the next 4 years than he did in the 1st 4. He is going to lay that burden of paying it back on that little girl that has suffered enough. He is going to lay it at the feet of your children. He is going to drive the next generation into bankruptcy before they ever take their first loan. Me... I shouldn't care about that as much since I have a maximum of 40 years left on this planet. You have your life plus the lives of your children. You should be thinking about what the consequences are to them for what is done today.
Thanks for your clever and sensitive insight Gipper as always. I'll pass it on to him from a fellow Republican who cares deeply about other human beings.....par for the GOP course right? Hey I don't know if Obamacare would prevent this.....haven't done the research. I honestly don't know which side if any has the answer. I just know it's a true life circumstance my cousin is facing and that all Americans...rich or poor.... could face.....and it sucks..... and it's a harsh new develpoment over the past decade or so for those that traditionally have had good healthcare and have diligently paid to have that healthcare. But as evidenced by Gipper's answer many out there just don't care about that development from the human side of it and some out there have actually prospered by the encouragement of that development.
This accident occurred in Georgia where they do not have no-fault and it was a one car accident with no drinking involved. Good feedback so let's see where these new facts might lead to more answers.
That could be a good point Terry. I just talked with him last week about this and the totality of these medical bills is just starting to hit home so maybe he is a little shell shocked and doesn't yet know he extent of his liability. He said the life flight alone was $27,000.00
Obviously your cousin does since he is now on the political fence. A vote in the national election SHOULD be what is best for the country. As usual Dave, the question is always what's best for ME.
Most important thing is that his daughter recovers. I have never heard of anyone getting tapped for that kind of a bill if they had auto insurance and/or health insurance. And those without insurance usually can get some kind of help with their bills. Hopefully he is just shell shocked and confused. Often the stupid hospitals (or the life flight company) will send out a "bill" that makes it sound like you are going to owe what will eventually be paid for by insurance. Best wishes to her in her recovery.
Thank you Stu.. She had a softball scholarship that is now probably history.....my cousin spent many hours of his time driving her all over the place to play ball and it paid off.... and now this. He doesn't need the added heartache of being led to believe he owes $96,000.00 so I hope it's not reality.
I have a very good friend that her husband bought her a Harley for her birthday, they are avid riders. he took her out on a smaller bike to practice for her test. she flew over the handle bars and had to be airlifted in critical conidion... her car insurance took care of it since all their bikes were also insured a divit in the road caused the accident. She was in intensive care for 3 weeks. But her medical and car insurance handled it all as for the softball we all make sacrifices for our kids and there is no guantee's in life I would just be grateful for her to be alive. If the accident was not her fault an aty would be adviseable. But my friend is doing well and she is happy just to ride on the back of her husbands harley, Hers is still in the garage
Thanks all for the advice all and I am going to see if my cousin has traveled down that road with regard to personal spending caps, etc. but he is a smart guy so I think he probably has. To me it's like if you tell any airline these days that you need a bereavement fare to attend a funeral that statement alone sends off bells and chimes while they see just how far they can ratchet up your needed airfare. Hell I would never tell an airline I was looking for a bereavement fare the couple of times I needed one when I lived in Detroit. What a bunch of bastards.
Dont know the first time I flew was because my aunt had passed away in Seatlle Alaska airlines pulled out all the bells and chimes as you say to get my sister and I up there we also got a reduced fare. They also knew it was my first flight and I was very nervous they made me very comfortable
I suspect that was a long time ago Mrs. J...... It's a much different America today. More cold....unfeeling and full of greedy profiteering driven by companies forced to make cuts and streamilne their operations or go out of business. The airline companies survive by cutting out leg room, English speaking CSR's and gouging you with a very high airfare when you are at your most vulnerable such as bereavement fares. If I sound bitter and cynical I'm not.... just accepting the reality of what we have become as a nation.
So Dave basically you used the misfortune of your cousin without really knowing if he was on the hook for 96K to bash Republicans. Good objectivity.
:wink: wasnt that long ago the plane was not a prop plane was a real jet. I really wasnt one for traveling on a plane that is.... of course now its only to see by ND family. funny my brother is a pilot too. for fun that is. :roll: