Death row inmates at the federal prison in Terre Haute are routinely denied access to medical, dental and mental health care, the American Civil Liberties Union said Wednesday in a letter to a governmental official.
A yearlong investigation by the ACLU’s National Prison Project uncovered “grossly inadequate” conditions that “fail to meet constitutional standards and jeopardize the health and safety” of the more than 50 inmates awaiting execution at the prison, the organization said in a letter to Harley Lappin, director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
“The Constitution prohibits deliberate indifference to the serious medical needs of prisoners, including those sentenced to die,” ACLU attorney Gabriel B. Eber said in a news release. He called on officials to “do whatever is necessary” to correct the problems.
Associated Press – October 15, 2008:
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#62 “So, basically how all forms of private insurance work already?
You just made a convincing argument for UHC.”
Except the gov’t wil NEVER run it as efficiently as the private sector. See Medicare.
Thus it will cost more. Thus, people won’t buy into it. Thus, penalties for those Americans, up to and including prison, who don’t want it…
# – Lyin’ Mike
>>Universal health care only saves money by forcing
>>healthy people to pay more than they get back.
OVERALL, “people” (ie society) pay more than they get back.
You really don’t know anything about the concept of “pooled risk”, do you? Or are you just lyin’ again?
I’ve been paying health insurance premiums for over 35 years, and except for a couple of cracked ribs and a broken collarbone (and the occasional physical), I have gotten NOTHING back for my money. I’m paying for all the sickies out there. That’s OK, because I expect that if I ever need a heart/ lung transplant, or am diagnosed with cancer, or get shot to pieces by some whacked-out right-wing survivalist, others will pay for me.
With the increasing commercialization of the denial-of-health-care industry, where corporate (ie insurance) profits are directly proportional to the amount of medical care that is denied to those who need it, that’s becoming less and less likely.
And under McBush’s plan, if I ever found myself without insurance and tried to get an individual policy after being diagnosed with cancer, needing a heart/ lung transplant, or being shot up by the right-wing survivalist, I would be completely Shit Out of Luck.
Even now, a decent health care policy for me (as an individual) costs about $8000/yr. When I’m old and infirm, the cost will skyrocket.
Fat lotta good McBush’s “tax credit” of $2500 will do me, eh?
Look to the rest of the civilized world for some hints on how health care should be administered.
Not to a guy who doesn’t give a fuck about how much it costs, because his wife is so rich she could buy the whole hospital and all the doctors in it, if she wanted to.
#62 – O’Furniture
>>Except the gov’t wil NEVER run it as efficiently
>>as the private sector.
If by “efficient”, you mean maximizing shareholder value and executive income by letting people die rather than provide them with medical care, I agree with you.
The point has been made that anything good should be able to compete. That is the essence of the problem with ALL ‘universal healthcare’ schemes. There is not one that actually allows choice. Liberals are always clamoring on about choice, as long as it is a choice they like. If you don’t happen to agree with them and want to opt out of their scheme, you are evil/greedy/incompetent and must be stopped. All the ‘universal healthcare’ schemes are a fraud because they operate by force, which is the antithesis of what rights are about. You shouldn’t have to be ‘forced’ into your ‘right’ to healthcare. It is illogical.
Look at where the market is actually allowed to work freely, cosmetic and elective surgeries. Ten years ago, laser eye surgery was $10K an eye or more, if you could get it. Technology, innovation, and the free market have worked as they should and you can now get better outcomes for 20% of what it used to cost. That’s the way the system is SUPPOSED to work. Government interference has been the death of affordable healthcare. None of the naysayers on this blog have addressed the fact that healthcare used to be routine and affordable for all but the most destitute until Ted Kennedy gave us his HMO bill in the early seventies. Do you all deny this?
So what makes doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies different than other providers of important products and services? People need food to survive. Why are farmers allowed to make a profit? People need oil for transport and heating and most everything else they do to survive. Why are oil companies allowed to make a profit? People need a lot of things to survive. What makes healthcare so different that profit makes providers evil? No one has addressed this philosophical problem with ‘universal healthcare.’ If you really believe what you say, then we must nationalize all products and services necessary to survival. Ask the average Cuban or Eastern European how that worked out.
Lastly, ad hominem attacks on P.J. O’Rourke suggest that one hasn’t spent the time to analyze the wisdom of the statement. Do you realy think health care will be better, cheaper, and more efficient when it’s ‘free?’
Mustard==your masterful review has left me with little to rebuke the retards with.
Still, I will repeat to look at the partial list of savings that universal healthcare undeniably brings.
“For Profit” is not always good. Kinda like WallStreet. Is Wallstreet “efficient” in the way you for profits champion? I think it is.
#65–goef==so much BS and no pony at the bottom. I will bullet my response and you can pick up on a specific you want to demonstrate your expertise on.
1. Choice. I read some plans deny choice and others don’t. Coming late to the game, USA should be able to design its UHCP (Universal Health Care Plan) as it wishes. I believe choice can easily be provided. Like Universal Primary Education==its government provided but if you want to home school==go ahead. Issue about vouchers and what nought will be argued in the same manner.
2. Affordability. So before Kennedy healthcare was “routine and affordable?” I suppose you are talking about pre 1965 Medicare Act when doctors got paid in chickens and vegetables? You make the simplest of moronic errors: Post Hos, ergo Proctor Hoc. Lots of things have become more expensive since 1965. In healthcare, alot of it comes from high tech equipment not dreamed of back then. End of life and beginning of life saving techniques has also greatly added to the cost.
3. Uniqueness. “Basic” needs should be available according to most civilized people. Food==of course and it IS!! Water==of course and it IS. Shelter==of course and the effort to get us there brings us the current debacle because our politicians can’t honestly address the issue without the wingbats singing in chorus about taxes!!.
So that brings us to healthcare. Either you think USA is rich enough to provide this BASIC SERVICE to its people, like other western nations do at cheaper cost and better results, or you don’t.
4. Humor. PJ is a humorist. You know what that makes what he says don’t you? (Hint–its not “analysis.”)
#65 All good points. Don’t wait for point by point factual rebuttals. The closest you’ll is attacks.
#68 – O’Pinocchio
>>Don’t wait for point by point factual
>>rebuttals. The closest you’ll is attacks.
Tee hee! HAW.
I keep telling you, O’Pinocchio, read before you write. You’ll look a little less foolish.
#69 Mr. ‘turd said, “Tee hee! HAW.”
Yep. Good rebuttal. Thanks for helping prove my point.
disclamer: I don’t pay Mr. ‘turd to constantly help prove my posts.
#70 – O’Furniture
>>Yep. Good rebuttal. Thanks for helping
>>prove my point
O’Furniture, if I thought the left-wingers were as sleazy as the right, I’d think you were a ringer, sent in her to look like an imbecile and make the tightie-righties look bad.
NOBODY could be as dense as you in real life.
Could they?
I don’t think I’ve ever seen you make a valid point in your posts. You’re best known for your obnoxious “LOL!” stuck at the end of a post where you just made a complete asshole out of your self.
Put on the velour smoking jacket and fire up a doobie, dood. It will be better for you all around.
#65, geof,
You shouldn’t have to be ‘forced’ into your ‘right’ to healthcare. It is illogical.
Is it? I didn’t get a voice in where the roads were laid out around here. It wasn’t my choice where the nearest international airport is located. It isn’t my choice where the county seat is or even our State Capitol. It isn’t even my choice if I want to pay income tax.
But with any of these choices, I can always contact my local representative and tell him my concerns.
Look at where the market is actually allowed to work freely, cosmetic and elective surgeries. Ten years ago, laser eye surgery was $10K an eye or more, if you could get it.
It is called “Economy of Scale”. A better example would be CT scans or MRIs. 25 years ago both were very expensive and difficult to come by. Today every hospital has a CT scan and most have MRIs and the latest ultra-sonic 3D imaging. When cutting technology becomes mainstream, the cost comes down and the quality improves.
Government interference has been the death of affordable healthcare.
Very true. Our local hospital has under 30 beds. It does have a CT scanner, brand new MRI, Almost brand new 3D ultra sound machine, two full fledged operating theaters, and countless other, similar amenities. All this equipment is to steer business their way. Yet not one of these imaging technologies is utilized more than 10%. That is a lot of waste. Two other small hospitals within 30 miles of us have similar set-ups.
By the government failing to provide assistance in this area, the cost of operating this imaging equipment is included in every bill the hospital sends out. An area that can’t support ONE machine efficiently, has three. That cost is part of the reason ordinary people are being priced out of the market even when they have insurance.
None of the naysayers on this blog have addressed the fact that healthcare used to be routine and affordable for all but the most destitute until Ted Kennedy gave us his HMO bill in the early seventies.
That was before almost all of todays drugs, equipment, and procedures were invented. That was before greed took over the entire for profit health care industry.
So what makes doctors, hospitals, and insurance companies different than other providers of important products and services? People need food to survive. Why are farmers allowed to make a profit?
I can grow a garden if I feel like it. I can even sell what I grow to others. Many people do it this way. The regulations are open, marginal, and easy to understand. But I can’t prescribe a specific drug to myself or anyone else. I can’t accept money if I diagnose or treat someone else medical condition. I can’t even open a hospital without a license. Health care is a self governing oligopoly that jealously protects itself from outside intrusions.
Why are oil companies allowed to make a profit? People need a lot of things to survive. What makes healthcare so different that profit makes providers evil?
All private enterprise are allowed to earn a profit. Earning a profit is not the problem. It is the control we, as citizens, have over this industry. Self regulation does not work. When the insurance industry makes a profit by denying care or treatment to a person is the problem. When citizens are denied treatment because of a policy that no one knows about or has any input on is a problem. The evil part is your point but many won’t argue with your assessment.
If you really believe what you say, then we must nationalize all products and services necessary to survival.
Typical right wing nut argument. No substance or rational thought either.
By your point of view, shouldn’t all the roads be privatized too? How about the police, or fire departments, or tax collection? All of these examples, and many more, are already being run by governments. Areas where privatization has infiltrated, such as private prisons, garbage collection, water supply, and road maintenance have not shown any improvement over the government run departments.
Lastly, ad hominem attacks on P.J. O’Rourke suggest that one hasn’t spent the time to analyze the wisdom of the statement.
Ha ha ha, YOU brought O’Rourke’s name into the mix. I don’t see any ad hominem attack on him by myself or anyone else. In fact, I am the only one to mention him and I asked what is so special about him that makes his quote special. His quote is wrong no matter how you view it.
Do you realy think health care will be better, cheaper, and more efficient when it’s ‘free?’
Only the idiot right wing nuts are claiming health care would be free under a Universal One Payer Health Care system. There is no doubt it would be less expensive and more efficient than the current mess What is currently paid in premium contributions through payroll deductions, employer contributions, and co-pays would still be paid as premiums in some manner (taxes, payroll deductions, etc.).
I personally think Obama will be elected and the Democrats will have a field day with every piece of social engineering they can think of particularly programs that help them buy or coerce votes.
Unfortunately I don’t see many or any of these big federal operations working.
National highways/infrastructure, falling apart.
Social Security, a nation disgrace and joke being looted more each day.
National education, run by Unions and left wing zealots.
National immigration policy, hijacked by Democrats to buy votes and “Big Business” to supply cheap labor.
Federal Tax system, so complicated and screwed up NOBODY knows what it is doing.
This gives me confidence that Universal Health care will be a model of compassion and efficiency. Especially since the big insurance companies will go along with whatever Obama says.
#77
True/True/unrelated
#73 – Jeff
from the article “It costs the state about $50,000 per month, or $25.50 per child — an amount that was more than matched by HMSA.“.
Jeez. I had no idea that Hawaii was so destitute that it couldn’t afford $50K to insure that every child has access to medical care. Maybe they should jack of the sales tax on all those rich tourists!
In any case, your ceaseless bellyaching about how socialized medicine “will never work” notwithstanding, every place that has it is a shitload better off than we are.
#80 – Hannah
It’s like a fully functional erector set, compared with the nightmare “health care” system we have in the US.
80,
Ok,
going to the USA medical community to establish credibility??
SECOND link…
http://www.helpsuzanne.com/
SHE DIED..
ALSO, do you expect a Country to approve a UNTESTED/unproven drug??
3rd link..
READ CLOSELY…
A signal payment, and then a YEARLY payment and EVERYTHING is covered??
DONT you wish we could do that in the USA??
QUOTE:
For an initial annual fee of $3,500 per person(their children 22 years and younger are free), and $2,300 per annum for subsequent years, patients will be able to buy a health care package including unlimited visits with a family doctor, and counselling from a range of health professionals. Patients can phone up in the middle of the night and talk to a nurse, and if necessary, they’ll be transferred to a doctor. In Ontario, Don Copeman sees a huge potential market in the estimated 1.4 million people who don’t have a family doctor.
1.4 million that dont have a DOCTOR?? Ummm, NOT in the major cities there ISNT..
ANd its BASIC medicine, preventative..
QUOTE:
a procedure that was formerly available only in the public system in the province. Patients will be able to jump the public’s median wait-list time of 34 weeks, for a cost of $1,500-$3,000 per eye.
Umm, ok…and HOW much in the USA??
#77 – “If you have a comment, great. Just quit steering me to other sites in order to “get educated”. If you can’t put it in your own words, then don’t write it.”
Fusion, I’ve seen your name around here long enough to know that you must have passed by many, long posts I’ve written about this and other subjects. I post links because people often come up, ” … that’s just your opinion, back it up.”
Well, I’ve been backing it up. With previous links and more like this:http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/1340380/posts
These links have provided detailed examples of how countries with Socialized medicine have been abandoning it in favor of market based health care because it doesn’t work.
None of you have addressed the ‘free rider problem.’ That means, when health care is ‘free,’ every hypochondriac in the country will be in front of you in the endless lines that Socialized medicine cause.
If Socialized medicine is so good, let it compete with our ‘broken’ system and see how many people actually put their money where your mouth is.