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| Having insurance 'going to be like Christmas' |
| 2010-03-23 |
| Durham, N.C. — Uninsured Triangle residents said Monday that they eagerly await the overhaul of the nation's health care system. "It's just going to be like Christmas," said DeCarlo Flythe, who lost health coverage for his family when he was laid off almost three years ago. "It's going to be great. You know, no worries (about) the bills. We are going to go ahead and pay our co-pay and be alright." Flythe, a diabetic, said he checked into buying a policy for his family, but he couldn't afford it. He recently landed another job, but the new benefits haven't kicked in yet. Wait till he figures out ObamaCare doesn't kick in for four years! "I worry day to day, honestly," he said. "I pray to make sure my child or my wife don't' get sick because, if they go to the hospital, we are looking at a couple of thousand (dollars in bills)." Flythe was among the patients Monday at the Walltown Clinic, a joint program of Duke University and Lincoln Community Health Center that serves the low-income neighborhoods near Duke's campus. The clinic serves 3,000 to 4,000 patients a year – 80 percent don't have health insurance – and charges co-pays based on what patients can afford. "People will come in and say, 'I suddenly don't have a job. I've lost my insurance. Can you help me?'" said Kaity Granda, a physician's assistant at the clinic. Norman Rucker said he hasn't had health insurance in almost 10 years because his employers haven't offered it. Never occurred to him to purchase his own? "I'm not a person who gets sick a lot, so I didn't think I'd need any medicine," said Rucker, who racked up about $100,000 in hospital bills over that period by going to the emergency room whenever he needed care. "I'm trying to pay them off. Collection agencies call me all the time." Doh! Rucker's wife has insurance, but the couple couldn't afford to put him on the policy. Now, he's excited he may also have coverage because of health care reform. "It'll make the world better. It'll make us all better, actually," he said. |
| Posted by:GolfBravoUSMC |
| #16 Blondie- The jibe at the daughter was unnecessary. As a young woman, my insurance rates are horribly high if I don't have insurance through a job (which is quite sexist, but that is another discussion. Heaven forbid I be fertile.). As a young woman with pre-existing conditions beyond my control it is absolutely impossible for me to get insurance without having my job. I checked out a lot of companies after college and none would give me insurance. When I leave this job I will likely have more problems as I work in the health industry and had a blood pathogen exposure. While nothing has come of it (and hopefully never will) the mere fact that I had to take an HIV prophylaxis means that I am not eligible for nearly all insurance policies. Think of what happens if a young women is raped. Simply going to the doctor and getting tested and treated counts as a pre-existing condition. I am not saying that I agree with this healthcare. I don't. BUT on the other hand I am coming from the other side of people who don't know what the answer is but know that our system drastically needs overhaul. I'm sorry but this is a very sore subject with me that lends itself to ranting. |
| Posted by: sjb 2010-03-23 22:08 |
| #15 I'm so excited that I will be able to put my 20 y/o daughter on my health insurance @ work. Hell, back in the '80s I was on my daddy's insurance when I was 20. Of course, I had to go to college full time....y'know, getting edumacated. BFD, honey. If you think this is something "new" you're not too hip to world. You're a pretty cheap date, ya know that? (Kinda like I bet her daughter is if she couldn't get covered until now....but I digress....) |
| Posted by: Cornsilk Blondie 2010-03-23 19:47 |
| #14 put my 20 y/o daughter on my health insurance I just dropped my daughter off mine two months ago - can I put her back? No! She bought catastrophic coverage for herself - too bad she won't be allowed to renew it and will have to buy full-coverage, which she can't afford, so she'll have to just pay the fine and buy insurance if something happens. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2010-03-23 19:25 |
| #13 how the hell do you rack up 100k in ER charges Cornsilk, it's not hard if you use it as your primary care physician at $1500 a pop. Of course you could use the urgent care clinic down the street for $50 a pop, but you'd have to pay that yourself. |
| Posted by: Glenmore 2010-03-23 19:22 |
| #12 A comment seen on Facebook: I'm so excited that I will be able to put my 20 y/o daughter on my health insurance @ work. Sorry that the "n" word & the Hitler reference were being thrown around by some who felt healthcare reform should've gone the other way. As I predicted on fb t he other day, the name calling has begun. Too often it's about wanting to be right, rather than what is best for the majority of people.Wish folks would really investigate what it involves & not allow Rush Limbaugh to explain, er, put his spin on it. Probably won't be the best thing for the wealthy, especially insurance execs." Darlin, it won't be very good for you, either. |
| Posted by: Deacon Blues 2010-03-23 18:31 |
| #11 Not any more Gomez. Acorn closed its doors. Now she gets perm unemployment! She hit the welfare lotto with Obama! |
| Posted by: 49 Pan 2010-03-23 18:00 |
| #10 The media has never revisited the exuberant woman who said her troubles were over now that obama was gonna pay her mortgage and buy gas for her car. I wonder why? She got a cushy job with ACORN? |
| Posted by: Gomez Threter7450 2010-03-23 17:52 |
| #9 If you're "not a person who gets sick a lot", how the hell do you rack up 100k in ER charges over 10 years? |
| Posted by: Cornsilk Blondie 2010-03-23 17:19 |
| #8 bill collectors call Mr. Rucker all the time for the hospital bills huh. Sounds like he isn't even trying too pay anything on them is probabl;y why. Alot of times if you even try too pay a little of a hospital bill they will either send your check back which means you are no longer responsible or work with you. Believe me been there done that many times. |
| Posted by: chris 2010-03-23 16:55 |
| #7 bill collectors call Mr. Rucker all the time for the hospital bills huh. Sounds like he isn't even trying too pay anything on them is probabl;y why. Alot of times if you even try too pay a little of a hospital bill they will either send your check back which means you are no longer responsible or work with you. Believe me been there done that many times. |
| Posted by: chris 2010-03-23 16:55 |
| #6 News flash for all the idiots who think this is like Christmas... There ain't no Santa Claus |
| Posted by: DarthVader 2010-03-23 16:26 |
| #5 Norman Rucker said he hasn't had health insurance in almost 10 years because his employers haven't offered it. Never occurred to him to purchase his own? No kidding, how entitled are these fuquewads, personal responsibility is totally alien to them. This is the kind of crap that makes me crazy!!! |
| Posted by: 746 2010-03-23 15:52 |
| #4 I talked with a young lady not too long ago. She and her husband are both college graduates and both work; yet they elected not to purchase health care insurance. She is an Obama supporter. She also thinks ObamaShamaHealthCare is going to be great. I got the impression she thinks it is going to be provided for free as a benefit of the government. God help our country. |
| Posted by: JohnQC 2010-03-23 15:51 |
| #3 The media has never revisited the exuberant woman who said her troubles were over now that obama was gonna pay her mortgage and buy gas for her car. I wonder why? |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2010-03-23 15:43 |
| #2 It may seem like Christmas to you ignorant fools, what you don't seem to know is you charged it all to your grand children's credit card. Or, do you care? |
| Posted by: newc 2010-03-23 15:39 |
| #1 You know... I'm still waiting for Obama to start paying my mortgage and keep gas in my car. It hasn't happened yet. But not to worry - Obama would never lie to me... I'm sure the payments will start any time now and maybe I'll even get reimbursed for past payments.... |
| Posted by: CrazyFool 2010-03-23 15:15 |