My blood is boiling

[whatsthebuzz]

My father is 76 years old. Peripheral neuropathy has rendered him unable to walk very well, so he spends 98% of his time in a power chair. The condition runs in the family and was no fault of anything he did in life. None at all.

He was (still is) self-employed and has had private health insurance since about 1973. His insurance company (United Healthcare, the assholes they are) said a few years ago that he would have to change his policy. He and my mother. My mother, who is a survivor of breast cancer, was covered by the new policy. My dad wasn't, BUT the company said that if he paid $800 more a month they'd cover him. He agreed, as it was the only policy he could get. And he checked around.

So why is my blood boiling? A person on Facebook (friend of a friend just informed me that if my dad would have been man enough to get health insurance before being diagnosed with peripheral neuropathy, he'd be fine. My father has had health insurance since well before he got symptoms. He's been to the Mayo Clinic twice and goes to a neurosurgeon every few months. They can't do a damned thing for him. It's sad.

This prick on Facebook says "people like him" shouldn't have to pay for my dad. Uh, my dad pays for his own insurance. I told this guy that. He then said that things like this happen in the real world and to move on. And added that the deity Obama might be able to help my father someday.

If this was not talking about a family member, I'd let it go. But it's gotten me worked up as hell.

[LiberalLoner]

1. I don't blame you one bit for being angry. Maybe time to block that jerk.

I'm sorry for your Dad's pain - I hope so much that he can get better or that doctors can ease his pain.

What a hateful person that guy on facebook is. Better to just delete him or block him.

I really believe in karma - people who are so hateful usually always have a bad life due to their own actions. Don't know if that helps any but thought I'd mention what I've seen in life.

[wryter2000]

2. It would get me worked up if it was a stranger

In fact, your dad is a stranger to me and I am worked up.

I don't know what's wrong with people to behave this way. They can't have been brought up that way. If they've ever sat in a church, they've heard exactly the opposite message. The only thing that gives me hope is that the guy who threw the money at the man at that demonstration was honestly horrified later at what he'd done. I can only hope the rest of them wake up some time and realize what evil they've been spewing.

[Codeine]

3. They lost. Don't let them wind you up.

They are insignificant, and grow more so by the day. They are not the future, and their death throes should be cause for laughter, mocking, and disdain. Do not allow them to bring you down with them.

[JuniperLea]

5. You nailed it...

They are sore losers... elections have consequences... they keep saying they are going to take thier country back... from whom? The majority who took it away from them? Jeez...

[Dappleganger]

18. Well said.

Block the asshole and move on.

[leftstreet]

4. Why are you discussing your Dad's health condition on Facebook?

Not that you can't I guess.

Shouldn't you be trying to meet girls or something?

[lunatica]

7. One does not preclude the other

Some people can actually do many things in life, and all of them at the same time. Like have relationships with all kinds of different people on all kinds of different levels at the same time.

[whatsthebuzz]

8. Oh it was just a benign post

when the guy said something about how pre-existing conditions shouldn't be covered. I didn't give anymore details about my father, only to say that he was denied insurance. I don't give out health details like that to Facebook people unless I know them personally.

[liberalmuse]

6. He's not worth your anger.

He has nothing to do with your father and what he says amounts to nothing. FB seems to be where all the right wing pricks are migrating to. I only use it to keep tabs on my daughter who is out of the country, and collect old friends - many of whom I had lost contact with over the years. You find out why you didn't keep up contact real quick, LOL.

[elleng]

9. Take a deep breath.

Then another.

[whatsthebuzz]

10. It's already working

I am slowly calming down. Thanks for the words of encouragement.

[elleng]

15. Good.

:hug:

[Electric Monk]

11. Somebody posted this on your other facebook related thread

and it seems worth posting again

http://www.collegehumor.com/article:1803025

[whatsthebuzz]

13. I think that my problem is

that when I see politics on Facebook, I jump in like it's DU or RawStory comments. That's my fault, but true friends of mine say it shows I have a true passion for what I believe in.

[Toucano]

12. "people like him" shouldn't have to pay...

People like him should have to pay double.

I call it the Asshole Handling Charge.

[lumberjack_jeff]

14. Sounds like my brother in law... a few years ago.

Now he has MS, which I wouldn't wish on anyone, but it has forced him to confront a bunch of his stereotypes.

[whatsthebuzz]

16. I am sorry for you brother-in-law. n/m

[inna]

17. He should be completely covered through Medicare at his age, shouldn't he?

Why would he even need private insurance?

Am I missing something?

[whatsthebuzz]

19. I'll admit that I'm young and stupid

I don't know EXACTLY how Medicare works, but I know that my parents (both on Medicare now) pay premiums to United Healthcare. I'll say again that I'm not well-educated on this at all. Heck, I'm 35 and trying to absorb info like a sponge. I know my mom pays $300 a month for her cancer pills every month, even though she's cancer free.

[Big Blue Marble]

22. Most likely this a supplemental policy to Medicare.

IN other words, it is to pay for 20% of the coverage they receive under part B. That is coverage for doctors, medical devices, and out-patient
care. I know because due to my husband's health condition, we pay nearly 700.00 a month for the same coverage. And we
had the coverage when my husband became ill 6 years ago. These is of course in addition to the 200.00 we pay to Medicare
each month.

So even with Medicare, we pay $900 per month for health care coverage with Medicare!!!
How will we ever be able to fully retire? These costs will only go up.

[whatsthebuzz]

24. I finally blocked this asshat on Facebook

when he told me that the WMD in Iraq (the WMD? Huh?) was Bill Clinton's fault and GWB did "what he needed to do" to rid the world of a dictator. But the Iraq war was Bill Clinton's fault because the US didn't take action. Oh, because Clinton wasn't man enough to do it. (See the trend with "man enough" that he used?) And then a lot of the usual hatred about Obama yada yada. Then this prick called me a stupid college student. Uh, been out of college for quite some time now.

DU community, I thank you for your posts and for tolerating a newb to the community like me.

[IdaBriggs]

20. I lost a very old friend due to a Facebook War.

One of her friends started justifying selective euthanasia - you know, where gunshot victims who are gang members don't get treated (her example), and I got a tad bent out of shape. Told the "friend of a friend" I wanted to get on a death panel so I could make sure people of low moral character - LIKE HER - didn't get medical treatment. Then I called her a sick puppy. My friend got very bent that I was "judging" her friend - (because people bleeding to death, per the original woman, should not be treated unless they can PROVE they have health insurance) - and I wouldn't apologize. We defriended each other. I'm still not sure how the original woman plans on identifying bleeding undercover police officers from gang member riff-raff (for example) - perhaps she plans on putting yellow starts on all uninsured people?

I shouldn't have gone after the Idiot on someone else's Wall, but man, when someone starts talking about letting people bleed to death because of money, my blood gets boiling. I don't want ANYONE to think that kind of comment is even vaguely socially acceptable ANYWHERE.

[barbiegeek]

21. Print screen it,, hide your name, show his and email it out--humilate them

[jgraz]

23. We've raised a generation of sociopaths.

And they're busy raising the next one.