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. Uncle Dave says:

    #84: You are correct about Fusion. He has been for a very long time. Far longer than Alfred, and far more civil.

  2. Uncle Dave says:

    #88: Not a fan, exactly. I think John sees Alfred more like the court jester who one tolerates because he is useful, in a way. For now.

    For what it’s worth, I respect that Alfred has fervently held beliefs. However, he is unwilling to engage in thoughtful discourse, devolving into spouting rhetoric and closed mindedness that leads to name calling those who think differently. Much as a child does who has yet to learn to function on an adult level.

  3. tcc3 says:

    Its a quote from a somewhat famous author.

    Reading is Fundamental. You should try it sometime.

  4. Uncle Dave says:

    Alfred, we have no way of doing what you are saying even if we wanted to. If people create additional identities, we have no way of knowing that or policing that.

  5. Uncle Dave says:

    #94: Or you could act like an adult and discuss issues rather than devolve into name calling.

  6. JimR says:

    Poo.

  7. Uncle Dave says:

    Alfred, I’m calling you out this time.

    In #23, you started calling Fusion names without him even having commented on this post. It wasn’t until #73 when he did.

    It’s looking more like your posts are those of a troll. I think it’s time for John to re-evaluate his stance on you.

  8. JimR says:

    Hey Mr. fusion, I hope you’re recovering well. I just had a good chunk of my right ear lopped off last week… basal cell skin cancer. No worries about coverage… I kiss my Canadian ground.

  9. qb says:

    Gee, people not using their real names in a public forum on the internet. Who would have thought?

    @Alfred1, there are no rules in a knife fight.

  10. Floyd says:

    Alfie said:

    “I believe the people who looked were bribed to look the other way, and not regulate…which caused the crash…”

    Probably true. However, those people in power that could have stopped Bernard Madoff, B of A, Wells Fargo, etc. but looked the other way were Republicans (the party of “don’t regulate”). and they’re not in power now for a good reason. Some of them are in jail (Madoff, for instance), but not all of them.

  11. canucklehead says:

    The rest of the developed world has figured this out. Why is it so difficult for Americans?

    (hint – one universal government run system – you will live longer and it will cost you less)

  12. right says:

    “Why is it so difficult for Americans?”

    Answer – Republicans, the money whores. They care not a whit about the people. They had 8 years(!) in power and how was the health industry for the people enhanced? Silence…..
    Well, they’ll be in the dungeons of the political backwaters soon and good riddance.
    And no, Wailin’ failin’ Palin’ll be trailin’ because she’s stupid. Right Alphie? Don’t forget our $25,000 bet.

  13. jccalhoun says:

    Only trolls call others a troll, in this circumstance…take that as you will.

    After the millionth example of Alfred1 doing exactly what he accuses other people doing, how can anyone take him seriously? No one can be so blind to their own behavior, can they?

  14. Hmeyers says:

    Maybe the guy who accidentally ejected himself from the plane was having a conversation with Alfred?

  15. AC_in_Mich says:

    I Actually think this was all pretty funny

    Half of these posts had to do with the simple fact that Alfred didn’t realize that “teenie” meant small and not teenager!!! That’s when he got caught up in the pedophile shit! and no one caught on!

    DOH!

  16. deowll says:

    Um so having the government run health care will fix this? They can of course cover such people but will they do it for less money?

    All they have to do is make this not be a preexisting medical condition along with a host of others. Of course that will cause costs to go up at least some.

  17. jccalhoun says:

    Alfred didn’t realize that “teenie” meant small and not teenager!!!
    So that’s what started this. I am now more convinced than ever that Alfred1 is an elaborate troll. Does anyone use “teenie” to mean a teenager?

  18. Mr. Fusion says:

    #99, JimR,

    Thank you.

    It is my experience from the Canadian system along with some familiarity of the Australian system that has me convinced single payer is the only way to go.

  19. Mr. Fusion says:

    #110, doill,

    Um so having the government run health care will fix this? They can of course cover such people but will they do it for less money?

    I guess the significance of that escapes you. It is similar to assisting someone at a accident and then being sued because they were hurt.

    A person who volunteers a pint of blood, an organ, or even just some of their time should not be penalized for it. The person giving of them self is a treasure to the whole country. Leaving that person vulnerable for such an unselfish act over money defies logic. People’s health should never be a money issue.

  20. bobbo, words have a context says:

    Banned??????? Should be very rare. I remain flabbergasted at how many people get sucked in by “the boys” and take it as a matter of pride that they pointedly do not respond to my own name calling conclusions.

    Troll: someone who creates responses by making inflammatory comments for the purpose of generating conflict??? As much as the still birth philosophy of the boys disgusts me, I think they are “true believers” and not trolls. Maybe the effect of both is somewhat the same: someone that cannot be engaged===BUT, for me atleast, “learning” that LIEBERTARIANS and bibble thumpers cannot be reasoned with is valuable to experience? Where else do you get it???

    I like the UNCENSORED part of DU. It might take a bit more work/discretion/thought==for that I compliment the staff at DU. Really a terrific set of postings the last few days. Been too busy to respond in more depth. I look forward to more causual time wherein the boys can continue to ignore me. Hah, hah.

    Back On Topic==on most issues, I am happy to let the majority rule, even when they are wrong==what else better implements living in a free society except the general concept of majority rule? To that end, I take comfort that some day single payer will come because the majority of Americans have been wanting it for a few years now. As our system continues to implode, that majority will only grow, grow to a size that will defeat the bumper sticker self destructing philosophies of Loser and Alfie. I submit to the system in recognition the alternatives express themselves to the degree they pragmatically exist.

  21. Uncle Dave says:

    #112: It would appear you are the only one who took it that way, which says something about you, I guess.

  22. Named says:

    Why, oh why is no one so delighted by the freedom loving, government hatin’ jesus worshipping AlfredENewman BEGGING FOR HELP from the editors? Shouldn’t he be espousing how great FREEDOM is to say what you will on the blog? Of course not. He’s a statist of the most dangerous type: Get the government out of his house and into everyone elses to make sure they’re are just like him.

    Come out of the closet Alfred. You live in America. You will be safe and may finally find your sanity.

  23. Dan says:

    Great! I guess I am screwed. 13 years ago I donated a kidney to my wife. Instead of her having to go on dialysis and having Medicare pay $100,000.00 a year for that honor, a one time $50,000.00 operation to give her my kidney will make me not have insurance if I leave me current job.

    The government just does not get it any more!!!!

  24. Mr. Fusion says:

    #115, Bobbo,

    I like the UNCENSORED part of DU. It might take a bit more work/discretion/thought==for that I compliment the staff at DU.

    In principle and concept I love the idea. As we all discover though, there will be those with certain mental maladies AND access to a keyboard that should be restrained. I don’t know if you were with us a few years ago when we had a gentleman from New York City who would post long passages about how some woman came to him in a dream and fornicated all night. Make that LOOOOONG and graphic. Repeatedly. I understand that he was banned. And the world didn’t stop but DU improved.

    As I heard someone on the radio yesterday saying football is a great analogy. An organized game functions very well, everyone knows the rules and trust in the final score. In a pick-up football game there are no referees to enforce any rules and they often fall into pure mayhem. People will cheat just because they can.

    What happened here is someone got tired of Alphie and posted something unflattering. Alphie deserved it in my opinion. Alphie, in kind, blew his little mind. Does this blog’s readers deserve the anarchy that ensued? No.

    This is the point where the management could have stepped in and laid down the law about personal attacks. While I disagree with Uncle Dave on this exact point I concede it is his to make and noticed that later Alphie was twice deleted for violations.

    The largest reason Liebertarians don’t want rules and regulations is because they wish to feel free to become the anarchists they usually have deep inside. Society as a whole though functions very well when we know the rules. Society usually fails when the rules are non-existent or unenforced.

    The vast majority of people don’t need to be policed. What they want are guidelines to follow. Of course, there will always be that small majority that stretch the rules as far as they can or stray beyond the rules.

  25. LibertyLover says:

    #120, The largest reason Liebertarians don’t want rules and regulations is because they wish to feel free to become the anarchists they usually have deep inside.

    You should learn about something before you start spouting lies.

    If you were to answer the question you posed to me, you might learn something about it.

  26. Mr. Fusion says:

    #121, Loser,

    If you were to answer the question you posed to me, you might learn something about it.

    Liebertarians want to remove all regulations that constrict THEM. Regulations they might benefit from they are content to leave as is.

    My question to you is still “Why do you hate America”. At your request, I will answer it for you.

    You hate America because you are a dreamer in your mother’s basement. You posed that you “own” a business doing municipal work making mega bucks. Yet you know nothing of running a business. Big, bad, government has denied you the opportunity to become super rich when you still haven’t finished High School. That society would want you to pay or contribute is pretty audacious in your opinion leading to your hate for America, what she stands for, and why you are and will forever be a failure.

  27. LibertyLover says:

    #122, You still aren’t answering the question.

  28. Mr. Fusion says:

    #123,

    And you are still a loser.

  29. LibertyLover says:

    #124, We’re all losers, so tell me something I don’t know.

    Why would you sacrifice others to save your wife?


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