Kidney donors may face huge medical bills because having one kidney may constitute a pre-existing condition under which coverage is denied, officials confirm.

A Texas hospital official said organ donors are told, but only orally, that having one kidney may be a pre-existing condition affecting insurance.

Philip Knisely, 53, of Austin, Texas, who donated a kidney to a co-worker a year ago, has received more than $18,000 in related medical bills, and said he was not informed that if he ever lost his employment-related insurance, insurers might consider his having a single kidney an uninsurable pre-existing condition, the American-Stateman reported Sunday.

Best health care in the world!




  1. Hmeyers says:

    @ Alfred

    I may a liberal, but I am a REAL liberal.

    This means I want results and the results must work and the results must be cost effective.

    I don’t see freedom as right wing extremism.

    I see freedom as the defense against incompetence.

    So I’m all for a health care solution, but certainly not a mandated one.

    That is, by default, tyranny because if I breathe I am supposed to buy it even if I do not want it or morally object to it.

  2. LibertyLover says:

    Germans pay 15% of their gross pay into their medical system. And it is $11B in debt this year.

    Can anybody find what others pay in other countries?

  3. Hmeyers says:

    @ Getsmart

    The amount of training to train doctors and nurses and build medical facilities is enormous.

    In economics, a “normal profit” means something merely pays for itself. This money must come from somewhere so even in a government solution it will be paid by taxpayers.

    If the government solution is a state-sponsored monopoly, and our government has a history of doing many things very poorly with enormous expenses to do it poor, shouldn’t you be concerned that they want to mandate your participation?

    If the system is GOOD, everyone would voluntarily opt in.

    That is the kind of opt-in I want.

  4. freddybobs68k says:

    #39 LibertyLover

    ‘So, because your insurance went up 40%, it’s ok to take from others to give you some relief?’

    Sigh.

    No, it is an example of how the US system has effected me. If you read the post I was responding to, you might have seen the connection.

    ‘Would you feel that way if your insurance would go up under FedCare but down under private?’

    What on Earth are you talking about? There’s more variables than that.

    It’s really simple. The US system costs more for less.

    ‘I don’t think it went up 40%. Sounds like BS to me.’

    Well you are incorrect. And that is a _fact_.

  5. Hmeyers says:

    @ Alfred

    Modern “conservatives” are anti-everything.

    The problem is that they should demand efficiency, not object to everything.

    Universal vaccination of children is a noble goal and no conservatives seem to object to that.

    In my mind, the problem isn’t the idea of a healthcare solution but the idea that the incompetent federal government will end up running it.

    Our federal government is very wasteful and does only a few things cost-effectively — unlike some of the small European countries which have much more efficient governments possibly due to size and connection to the constituents.

    I do not want to grant them a new monopoly.

    You cannot bypass economics.

  6. right says:

    The public option will pass and eventually, single payer will be in the works as well. Now that is the right way to go.
    And Alfred1 will be the first in line for it, the hypocrite. Let’s hope he Raptures soon so we don’t have to put up with his low IQ.

  7. SparkyOne says:

    What about those with supermumerary? Are they no longer insurable after giving a kidney?

  8. sargasso says:

    My employer’s medical insurance plan for their employees, covers all pre-existing conditions. The employer can buy a higher premium pre-ex medical, dental, surgical, accident and liability plan, but generally can’t be bothered.

  9. meh.... says:

    Hrm, maybe I’m missing some point, but I’m gonna say that those who say the government is taking over health care are idiots….

    They are regulating and adding a government option… IE making sure insurance companies don’t keeps screwing the public over and creating an option for insurance to people who can’t normally afford it.

    So this is bad why?

  10. Uncle Dave says:

    #55: Then stop bating/debating. For what it’s worth, a lot of people think you are deranged and perverse.

  11. Internet anonymity for the win! says:

    found my new name when posting.. I kinda like it….

    Wow.. I think I know why I can’t see nakedness or listen to cursing on prime time TV anymore…

    It’s always the select few that screw everything over for the rest of us because of “Their” beliefs…. err wait… that’s what this who topic of conversation is… Guess it’s my turn to vote for a government plan so that I can impose my views on people who don’t want them… YAY!!!

  12. Dave T says:

    As the greatest country in the world, we need to take better care of our citizens. Period. I don’t understand the argument about people worried about the costs. It’s ok to spend trillions to go overseas to take over a country that had nothing to do with anything, kill the guy’s kids, put him in a trial he couldn’t win, hang him and in the process kill more innocent people than he ever did. I guess that makes us better? Everyone complains about spending the money to give our people health care. Let’s put the money into helping the citizens of the United States be healthy and striving.

  13. qb says:

    #55 Alfred1

    From a couple of days ago:

    Alfred1 said “cya later…Hannity is on…Not White House Approved News….talking about Obama care…and filibuster…good stuff”

    qb said “@Alfred1, first thing you’ve said that almost makes sense. Hannity is far more feminine than Hillary.”

    Alfred1 said “This is DU…you aren’t grabbing your ankles at the local bath house…try to restrain yourself.”

    This sort of thing is pretty typical of you. I’ve disagreed with you, teased you, made fun of your opinions, thrown stones at religion, institutions, etc. However, I’ve never made once attacked your personal faith, sexuality, race, age, etc. Same with Dodd.

    I’m not whining, life’s not fair. A true conservative understands that, right? Secondly, it appears that your values are parochial and self serving, not universal. That couldn’t possibly be true, right?

  14. Dave T says:

    #62

    Agreed. Should have been: as “The Greatest Country in the World”

  15. tcc3 says:

    Alfred is driving the waaahmbulance again.

  16. MrMiGu says:

    Alfred,
    I find it kind of ironic that you are fighting for an unregulated country but are crying to the governing body of this site to control whats going on….

    you say you want to return the country so that it is run “by the people”. Your government is (supposedly) a democracy, so the people decide who gets to run it, and they have decided to vote in someone who chooses to improve your medical system, making it accessible to all. On the other hand, your current medical system is run “by the people that have money” and they are running it with the express purpose of maximizing profits.

  17. qb says:

    @MrMiGu, ironic no? I taught my kids never to say the “F” word. And by “F” word I mean “Fair”.

  18. jccalhoun says:

    how did I know that this thread would be all about Alfred1?
    If you pay attention to him he contradicts himself constantly and doesn’t remember what he says from one day to the next. I’m convinced he’s a troll and/or compulsive liar.

  19. Hmeyers says:

    This is what I call the Glenn Beck effect.

    Some really bad back and forth debate and then someone does something offensive and then Glen Beck embellishes his sob story.

    The next thing you know, the subject matter is so derailed you can’t remember what the topic was.

    What was this blog post about anyway?

  20. LibertyLover says:

    #48, ‘Would you feel that way if your insurance would go up under FedCare but down under private?’

    What on Earth are you talking about? There’s more variables than that.

    But it IS that simple when it goes up?

    Give me a break.

    ‘I don’t think it went up 40%. Sounds like BS to me.’

    Well you are incorrect. And that is a _fact_.

    Well, you’ve told me something was a fact before and lied about it.

    I’m not sure what to believe.

  21. freddybobs68k says:

    #71 LibertyLover

    Child.

  22. Mr. Fusion says:

    Alphie

    You called me a pedophile. You called me a Nazi, and a communist. And a few more things too. Yet, without a doubt, it is you who are the phony.

    I have been out most of the day. Yet you accuse me of writing things when I wasn’t even at my computer.

    Tell us, did you cry? Did the tears roll down your face because someone else gave you the exact same style of medicine you have been giving others? Do you not see the hypocrisy in what you whine about?

    Of all the trolls that frequent DU, you are the most worthless piece of shit imaginable. YOU are the one that needs to be banned. YOU who feel no guilt at continually telling people their brain is a pea on a four lane highway. YOU, who call us “statist” as if it is something bad. YOU, who can’t back up any slander you throw out. YOU, who insist that those who care about America are “budding Nazis liberal fascists”.

    Mr Fusion is a sick deranged person who posts filth on various names, to HIDE who he is, lest he be identified with the filth he puts out.

    Please give us an example of my posting under an assumed name OTHER than Mr. Fusion, which, incidentally is not my real name. Come on, you wrote it, back it up!

    Now, deranged? Really. Maybe you could point out a few posts showing my “deranged mind”.

    And yes, I have been ill lately. But we have a good insurance plan. Hopefully the prognosis won’t bankrupt us.

    As a hack driver you are also an independent contractor which means YOU provide your own health insurance. With your fat ass and age the only plan you might qualify for is Medicare. Yup SOCIALIZED medicine for Alphie.

    Asshole! I don’t even know your effen neighbor. And there is no way I would want to be near you by the way it sounds.

  23. Mr. Fusion says:

    #55, Alphie,

    ATTENTION MODERATOR…I PROTEST SUCH FILTH

    #54 teenie erections under rolls of flab….naked boy friends…:

    So which are you protesting, the erections or the rolls of flab. It is accepted you won’t protest the “naked boyfriends” since you post so much gay slanted material.

    Maybe if you used soap in the shower took a shower it wouldn’t be so filthy.

    😛

  24. Mr. Fusion says:

    #74, Alphie,

    the phraseology seemed very similar to you.

    The “phraseology”? Ya right. Not proof, only opinion.

    “Seemed”. That means it wasn’t actually, it only was close in appearance.

    “Similar”? Again, not a match. Close, but no cigar.

    So you accuse me without taking the time to look into it. As I said above, you slander others without thought or compunction.

    Ya need to be banned.

  25. Mr. Fusion says:

    #76, Alphie,

    Why is it I am alone in discerning the ability to disguise oneself as many, …

    Maybe because most of us don’t need to create new aliases to bolster our arguments. Apparently though, YOU know the trick. It stands to reason that maybe many of these attacks came directly from YOU in order to gain sympathy.

    Typical right wing nut trick. Create a diversion so others don’t see you have no plans or ideas.

  26. LibertyLover says:

    #72, Just tellin’ like it is, like all children do.

  27. tcc3 says:

    The Lady doth protest too much…

    The original insult mentioned a dog but nothing about kids or teenagers.

    Guilty “conservative” conscience?

  28. freddybobs68k says:

    #76 Alfred1

    I think you’ve got the wrong guy. Mr Fusion posts under Mr Fusion and that’s the end of that.

    In terms of people posting under different names – how do you stop it? This is just a blog, you want people to be able to post simply. You want them to be able to post anonymously.

    If people abuse this simplicity, ignore them.

    Tolerance is the key to many of lifes problems. Saying anything important, is probably going to be offensive to someone.

    The nazi/pedophile/hitler stuff is kinda sad. Unfortunately that said that is something you engage in yourself. I believe Jesus said something about planks/splinters and eyes that’s somehow applicable.

  29. Uncle Dave says:

    ALFRED,

    We are not revealing identities.

    You want us to censor those you disagree with or don’t like. Well, a LOT of people don’t like what you post. Should we censor you because of that? Or are you opposed to fair play?

    Just so you know, Alfred, banning you as a troll has been discussed, but shot down by John because you do make things lively around here. Take that as you will.

  30. LibertyLover says:

    #86, You mean he has a fan?!?!


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