Rick Badie / My Opinion

By KIM

May 25, 2008 10:49 AM | Link to this

Thank you, Mr. Badie, for the service this article provides. While I would not want to think we will learn to be neighborly due to others’ hardship, we all can step up and help this family (and others) in need. I wish this family days of sunshine and life.

As for the situation with COBRA…how in the world can they afford the health insurance that COBRA provides? But for the grace of God, there goes (all of us)…

By They gave all

May 26, 2008 1:26 PM | Link to this

We need universal healthcare. The constitution says, “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness”. Tell me why dental and vision are not considered healthcare? Who separated them? Capitalism. The healthcare quagmire is proof that capitalism is necessarily corrupt and needs government oversight. The only people who want less government are the crooks. I’d want less oversight too if I had been stealing from the public till.

I say we round up all the crooks and hang them, after a fair trial, of course, on Utube, and set an example for generations to come about how in American you have to play fair or we’ll hang you.

It’s the only way to afford healthcare, and thats to stop thieves from stealing all the healthcare money.

By LT5000

May 26, 2008 6:59 PM | Link to this

It didn’t take long for someone to claim this story displays the need for universal healthcare. If we had universal healthcare, this guy would not be getting treatment, he would be still waiting in the queue.

Here is the funniest line of the story from Badie.

When we talked, Cindi, 43, had a hard time remembering the kinds of things reporters need to know for a story. Facts.

He does his best to ignore them in every other article he writes, now he’s concerned about them. Too funny.

LT5000

By SD

May 26, 2008 11:38 PM | Link to this

I appreciated the column about Chuck Peavy and wish only the very best for him and his family as they anxiously await a new heart. I wish you had informed your readers how very important it is for all of us to become organ donors. Surgeons can only use hearts from donors 35 years old and younger, which can prolong an already painful and very expensive ordeal. Thanks again for your timely article!

By Deborah Zachery

May 27, 2008 1:49 PM | Link to this

I know how Cindi feels, my husband has also been in and out of Emory and Crawford Long with congestive heart failure. Luckily for us I work at Emory and all of our children are grown and have recently left the nest. My husband and I have been married for 6 years and he is 47 years. We were looking forward to our empty-nesters years together, but instead we are hanging out at Emory and Crawford Long every couple of months. I just thank GOD for everyday he gives us. There really ought to be a support system for Congestive Heart Failure patients caregivers. Sometime we just need a break, or someone to talk to and family and friends are not always availabe for that purpose. God Bless you Cindi and Chuck.

By Deborah Zachery

May 27, 2008 1:50 PM | Link to this

I know how Cindi feels, my husband has also been in and out of Emory and Crawford Long with congestive heart failure. Luckily for us I work at Emory and all of our children are grown and have recently left the nest. My husband and I have been married for 6 years and he is 47 years. We were looking forward to our empty-nesters years together, but instead we are hanging out at Emory and Crawford Long every couple of months. I just thank GOD for everyday he gives us. There really ought to be a support system for Congestive Heart Failure patients caregivers. Sometime we just need a break, or someone to talk to and family and friends are not always availabe for that purpose. God Bless you Cindi and Chuck.

By Deborah Zachery

May 27, 2008 1:51 PM | Link to this

I know how Cindi feels, my husband has also been in and out of Emory and Crawford Long with congestive heart failure. Luckily for us I work at Emory and all of our children are grown and have recently left the nest. My husband and I have been married for 6 years and he is 47 years. We were looking forward to our empty-nesters years together, but instead we are hanging out at Emory and Crawford Long every couple of months. I just thank GOD for everyday he gives us. There really ought to be a support system for Congestive Heart Failure patients caregivers. Sometime we just need a break, or someone to talk to and family and friends are not always availabe for that purpose. God Bless you Cindi and Chuck.

By Bonedaddy

May 27, 2008 6:09 PM | Link to this

Hey,They gave all, the phrase “life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness” comes from the Declaration of Independence, not the Constitution. You should have paid attention in school instead of trying to figure out how to get over on the achievers in life. This phrase has nothing to do with capitalism either. You obviously are an underachiever to bash capitalism. I feel very sorry for the people in this story, and life isn’t fair (I lost a middle age brother this year due to illness, will probably lose another soon due to illness). People get sick. People have problems. People die. It is NOT the responsibility of government to solve your personal problems. Nobody said life was fair. Fairness was not guaranteed in the Constitution either, nor was “life, liberty, and the pursuit of other peoples stuff”. Dweeb.

By Moderator

May 28, 2008 9:59 AM | Link to this

Blog is closed for posting.

By Maxine

May 28, 2008 12:38 PM | Link to this

As a person who grew up in Canada I am telling you that Universal Healthcare is not the answer….for example, look up the female in Toronto that sat on a gurney in a hallway for FIVE days waiting for a room.

I wish this family all of the best….

By jimmy

May 30, 2008 7:23 AM | Link to this

Over the past few years I’ve come to believe that the United States is eventually going to have national health care. The political and economic winds are blowing in that direction and Chuck and Cindi Peavy’s situation is a prime example why.

Because I believe national health care is inevitable. Both of the Democratic presidential candidates favor national health care and if one of these candidates is elected president, the Democrats will probably control both houses of Congress and the White House. If this happens, the only thing that could prevent national health care would be the possibility that the Democrats will not have 60% of the seats in the Senate and therefore could not win a vote for cloture.

As I observe the trends concerning this issue, I’ve come to the conclusion that the discussion should shift from debating whether the United States should have national health care to having a dialogue about what type of system should be implemented. Either the Democrats will decide this issue in the face of weakening Republican opposition or the Republicans can join the discussion and have an impact on the eventual national program. It is up to the Republicans if they want to be part of the solution.

I’ve put some thought into the type of health insurance that should be adopted. What would be acceptable to most citizens, patients and the medical profession and yet provide a high level of efficient medical care. Can we avoid creating a new government bureaucracy? Is there a part for insurance companies to play?

Currently, insurance companies cherry pick policyholders by rejecting those with preexisting conditions. Individuals often fail to buy medical insurance but then attempt to purchase coverage if they develop health problems and need medical care. Both of these situations need to stop.

Many people use emergency rooms for their primary care and often do not pay for the care they receive. ER care is extremely expensive when used for primary care and when this happens, the public usually ends up paying the bill. In a way, this is our current national health care system. This has to stop.

I’ve come to believe that insurance companies do a good job when supporting primary care but I’ve read too many horror stories about patients with significant medical problems who had difficulty receiving the medical care their doctors sought. As a layman, I only understand what I’ve read but I’ve come to believe that insurance companies have too much power.

The medical profession, from doctors and nurses to the drug industry provides a high level of care but at tremendous cost. How can we protect the incomes and profits of this industry and yet control the financial burden to society?

If you have read this far, I assume that you might believe that my questions have competing goals and that no system can solve all these problems but to my surprise and I hope yours, Holland has implemented a National Health Care system that appears to do that.

In Holland, insurance companies have to accept everyone who applies for insurance. No one can be rejected. In Holland, everyone has to carry health insurance and the government provides this insurance for the poor. Everyone is insured.

Insurance companies compete with each other for policyholders and that helps hold down insurance rates. Doctors are not government employees and compete with each other for patients. Since insurance companies pay for medical care, there is no government bureaucracy running the program. The medical industry has to deal with insurance companies and doctors when deciding prices for their products.

There is no perfect system but if the United States if moving towards National Health Care, as I believe, we need to take a look at Holland.

If we had this system now, Rick Badie would not have written his article about Chuck and Cindi Peavy.

By Katie

May 30, 2008 10:10 AM | Link to this

A friend of mine was hospitalized for a short amount of time and was charged $75 for an asperin and $50 for the use of a blanket. Where do they come up with those numbers???

I too work at Emory and am lucky to have great medical coverage. I feel bad for those that don’t but I don’t think that universal coverage is the answer. I also don’t think people should use the ER for routine health care.

By LT5000

May 30, 2008 10:47 AM | Link to this

Katie,

Hospitals try to balance their budgets by using the people who have insurance and money.

This is to counteract the various dregs and illegals that come through the emergency room, get treatment, suck up resources and then skip out while not paying the bill.

This happened to me at Grady. They sent me a bill 3 years after treatment demanding more money. I was told that since Grady was an “indigent” hospital this is how they balance their budget. You can only imagine what sort of response that elicited.

I don’t believe in Universal healthcare either. It was just reduce the quality of everyone’s healthcare.

What should be done is a doctor walks around the ER and whoever isn’t in immediate need of care is given a card, with directions to the nearest Free Clinic. Unless they can produce money or an insurance card.

I have posted the statistics before and it is definitely not the “crisis” Rick loves to pretend it is. Too many cheese puffs and Michael Moore movies will do that to you.

LT5000

By LT5000

May 30, 2008 11:15 AM | Link to this

[Posting removed by moderator]

By Buck

May 30, 2008 10:39 PM | Link to this

Jimmy, move to Holland. For the rest of yo wanting to not be responsible for your own lives, move to Canada or Europe. You won’t be missed. If you can afford dubs for your pimped rides, you can afford healthcare.

By Michael H. Smith

May 30, 2008 11:23 PM | Link to this

For some strange reason after reading the Peavy’s unfortunate story, it seems very hard to identify this family as being irresponsible people who lived frivolous lives or pimping anything, including their ride.

You’re right about many of things in what you said Jimmy. The question, at least the main one, as pertaining to national healthcare or universal healthcare is not a matter of, if it will happen; rather, it is a matter of how it shall happen. That remains very debatable. Neither, the Democrats or the Republicans offer anything close to reasonable answers in this debate.

However, most assuredly the vast majority of the voters in this country will not accept the absurdity expressed in the context of some vaguely-veiled comments made on this blog that say in affect, “If you cannot afford to live, then you deserve to die”.

I am extremely distraught with many of my conservative colleagues who will stand up screaming and shouting, marching in protest, defending life from the point of conception in the womb, only to thereafter say, once that life is suckling upon the bosoms of world, it can go straightway to hell.

By Bruce Wilcox

May 31, 2008 1:16 AM | Link to this

Greetings Mr. Smith, again we agree on one of those few issues. A combination of private (profit motivated) insurance and a goverment system will happen some day.

Preventive healthcare is inexpensive compared to an emegency room visit, that alone will bring down healthcare costs.

Those who can afford private insurance can keep it, they can keep their private doctors and go to their private hospitals. When they see the price of what private insurance will cost them, they’ll need them.

True story, being a Fire Captain every night each house would get an update on each hospital’s emergency room, if they were full or ready or offline. Sure enough one private hospital closed it’s emergency room at 9:00 P.M. evey night and were offline. The only reason it had a E.R. was for Federal money.

We rank somewhere around 29th in healthcare in the world, the best is France, then England, Germany, and yes, even Canada beats us.

Time to wake up and smell the coffee folks, even the best insurance doesn’t cover everything, everyone needs a hand sometime, which hopefully will be a national healthcare system.

By Michael H. Smith

May 31, 2008 7:57 AM | Link to this

Please Mr. Wilcox, a combination of public-private self-insuring entities and private (for profit motivated) insurance companies, all under a system of government oversight shall happen some day very soon.

Government should never compete with any form of private enterprise in a capitalist country nor should government become the bed-maiden(sic) of commerce in supplanting its free-market responsibilities to a Corporate-husbandry (sic) that manages our resources and domestic affairs.

It is certainly a pleasant thought to think that government could actually earn money rather than to solely depend upon the means of confiscating our money.

However, if the government is to remain one “of, for and by the people” in lieu of “against its’ people”, then there shall never be in reality any “Federal money”.

Which might be good reason to rethink corporate taxation in this country, where money has always been represented in power and influence?

By jimmy

May 31, 2008 8:08 AM | Link to this

Buck, when you read my comment, I doubt that you understood it.

When you wrote, “Jimmy, move to Holland. For the rest of yo wanting to not be responsible for your own lives, move to Canada or Europe. You won’t be missed. If you can afford dubs for your pimped rides, you can afford healthcare.” You demonstrated a total lack of knowledge of health care in Holland.

It is a private sector health care system that is mandated by government. Doctors are self employed and insurance companies compete for customers. Insurance companies cannot refuse to cover someone but all citizens have to have insurance that they pay for with the exception of the poor who receive insurance through the government.

In the United States, at this time, the poor tend to go to ER for medical care and then do not pay for the care they receive.

That is far more expensive than what the Dutch do.

The problem I have with people like you is your inability to understand what others say. In a way, you are stupid. I hope you are able to understand that.

Have a good day.

By Bruce Wilcox

June 1, 2008 2:25 AM | Link to this

Mr. Smith, you always seem to look for the most complex answer. The example I offered is very simple to explain, if you do not want be to part of the national healthcare system, keep you private insurance. Companies may again offer a decent private insurance as a carrot to bait new employees. You can still enjoy the free enterprise system without punishing the people.

Do you want to see how quickly the health care costs in this country dive, just have national healthcare set it’s price, as they already do with Medicare and Medicaid and the insurance companies will have to follow suit.

Right now insurance companies tell the hospital how much they’ll pay, the government tells them how much they’ll pay. Right at this time there is at least one major HMO that will not do business with Gwinnett Medical Center. Does the system now make sense, of course not, but doesn’t have to be so hard.

There is no competition between government and private insurance companies. Get some leaders with real cajones, kick the lobbyists out and introduce real campaign reform, then my friend we can do anything.

At this time old Bob Barr doesn’t seem so bad.

By Michael H. Smith

June 1, 2008 12:21 PM | Link to this

The difference Mr. Wilcox between your complex approach on a national healthcare plan and my seemingly complex approach on a national healthcare plan is that your idea is an enhancement of the government controlled government provided multifaceted disaster that already exists, which is, basically the socialized medicine ideas being offered by the Democrats.

On company provided healthcare insurance don’t expect that to remain in existence for very much longer as we once knew it.

Do you want to see how quickly the health care costs in this country dive?

Absolutely!

Just have national healthcare set its’ price?

Then we’ll see just how quickly the quality and service in healthcare reaches dead bottom.

Right now insurance companies tell the individual how much they will pay. If they can get or afford insurance that is, and when they do buy a policy that individual is told by government in bed with the insurance companies that they cannot buy healthcare insurance in another state, across state lines.

Get some leaders with real American spines kick the lobbyists and the global internationalists out of power and then possibly reforms can be made.

By Bruce Wilcox

June 1, 2008 8:29 PM | Link to this

Mr. Smith did you ever really read my comments, the countries with scoialized medicine are far above the United States as far as health care. We ranked 29th in the world, a few third world counties are better than us, this is what you want to continue.

It is clearly a class war issue, one’s without insurance have to go to a emergency to have any care, one emergency room visit cost about the same as a private insurance plan for a year. The big difference is we pick-up the tab for them, make sense, no.

With a national healthcare system put in place, those who do not have insurance now would be able to have preventive health care saving this country billions. Check any study preventive healthcare is the best system.

Boo-hoo by the way, blame it all on the Democrats, who has ran congress up until two years ago, who is the fool sitting in the White House now? Take some respoinsibility for being an embarrassed Republican and the major screw ups your party has accomplished.

By Michael H. Smith

June 1, 2008 10:45 PM | Link to this

I’ve read your comments many times Mr. Wilcox and don’t agree with them or the rankings from the body that made the assessments, which I’ve also read.

But obviously you didn’t read my comments. I blame it all on the Republicans just like I blame it all on the Democrats.

Once again just for you Mr. Wilcox, maybe this time you won’t overlook the Inconvenient Truth ;)

Neither, the Democrats or the Republicans offer anything close to reasonable answers in this [healthcare] debate.

The Republicans [Bush]plan would penalize anyone with company healthcare coverage and the Republicans oppose [again Bush] bulk buying of drugs, buying re-imported FDA approved drugs, offer no alternative funding of individual healthcare plans(and I’m not talking about MSA/HSA tax deductions here, I mean real money put in an individual’s MSA/HSA), offer no laws allowing or to make it mandatory to allow individuals to form insurance pools in order to obtain group plan rates or self-insuring pools to form HMO/PPO alternatives, offer no laws against the insurance industry practice of “cherry picking”, no laws to end restrictive protected forced purchasing of healthcare insurance.

Did I beat-up on the GOP enough to suit your very fine discriminating distaste for “Roast of Elephant”?

You are not saying anything to me on this argument with, “Check any study preventive healthcare is the best system.” I’ve known that to be a fact for a very longtime. Must I say this again, this debate is not one of “IF” it is one of “HOW”.

My ideas would get rid of as much government and business control as possible with the goals of not raising additional taxes over what the government is already collecting in the many different forms and disguises used and reduce costs to businesses that can no longer afford to provide healthcare plans by returning control, provision and means of funding to every U.S. Citizen. Only then will the criteria of Universal be fully met in establishing national accessible, affordable, portable healthcare that you can never lose.

Oh this one is really rich Mr. Wilcox: It is clearly a class war issue.

Yeah so is amnesty for illegal aliens , guest worker programs and raising immigration levels just to fill every available job in this country. But hey, the liberals and Democrats can sure jump all over that old off-shore outsourcing.

How is one side of the “flat world” globalization issue Class War and the other side of that same issue not?

Oh, by the way, not providing healthcare to illegal aliens is one great way to cut costs to U.S. middle class citizens and to the under-insured poor citizens who must depend on indigent care. Last outdated figure that comes to my mind is the federal appropriation of $1.4 billion to provide healthcare for illegal aliens. I can find some more illegal alien tied-up money for you again by deporting that 27% non-citizen population now in the federal prison system. That’s alot of money that could be spent to properly treat the wrongly incarcerated mentally ill U.S. citizens in the prisons of this country.

Yeah lets talk Class Warfare, the one being waged against the class of Red, White and Blue by a bunch of turncoat internationalists in this country.

By Bruce Wilcox

June 2, 2008 12:58 AM | Link to this

Mr. Smith tell me why the middle and upper classes have health insurance and the poor or lower working class does not? If that isn’t the classic description of class warfare I don’t know what is.

Your “ideas” is basically what we have now, but by giving the private sector even more tax breaks, you really expect healthcare costs to go down? The very idea is laughable, drug and health care inflation rate is twice, nearly three times of any other industry. Free enterprise will save us, like it has been.

Since we blamed Republicans and Democrats equally in your eyes, there is no one else to blame but the illegals. Maybe doctors and hospitals should be fined or jailed for treating them, after all, they’re not really humans, they’er illegals.

Since you do not like what numerous studies have shown it’s easier to play see no evil, hear no evil…enjoy your playtime Mr. Smith.

By Michael H. Smith

June 2, 2008 2:51 AM | Link to this

You are completely wrong with this line, Mr. Wilcox:

Your “ideas” is basically what we have now, but by giving the private sector even more tax breaks, you really expect healthcare costs to go down? The very idea is laughable, drug and health care inflation rate is twice, nearly three times of any other industry. Free enterprise will save us, like it has been.

*My “ideas” would not give more tax breaks to the private sector, in reality, it would probably take alot of subsidies and protected profits away from parts of the private sector for reinvestment by U.S. Citizens in the provision and funding of their individualized healthcare plan that government has very little control over and neither would any business. There has never been anything like the hybrid system I’m proposing.

What is completely laughable is your ridiculous single payer government socialized medicine plans touted as Free Healthcare, that so many doctors rightly oppose according to the studies and surveys I do accept.

This one too is more of your non-sense:

Since we blamed Republicans and Democrats equally in your eyes, there is no one else to blame but the illegals. Maybe doctors and hospitals should be fined or jailed for treating them, after all, they’re not really humans, they’er illegals.

Maybe we should send illegal aliens back home where these human beings who broke our laws can get treatment in their country, by requiring doctors in this country to report any suspect contact with a sick illegal alien to I.C.E. so we can do just that sending back in a very humane manner; and use our giveaway healthcare money to help with funding the medical savings accounts of the working middle class and underemployed class of U.S. citizens in this country, so they can better afford buying their own healthcare services or insurance coverage.

I’ll certainly enjoy your absence, Mr. Wilcox.

By LT5000

June 2, 2008 12:03 PM | Link to this

Mike,

Ignore Brucie, he is a civil servant, He used to suckling at the government teat. He wants the government to take care of him all the time for every little want and need.

Here is an interesting report on the healthcare system. The dollar is broken down.

Once again 85% of Americans have health insurance and those numbers go even higher when time factors are explained.

Not to mention that anyone can wander into an ER and automatically get care. And there are free clinics as well.

http://www.ahipbelieves.com/media/The%20Factors%20Fueling%20Rising%20Healthcare%20Costs.pdf

LT5000

By Bruce Wilcox

June 2, 2008 12:44 PM | Link to this

My absence Mr. Smith? Now let’s see, that would make me a leftist, liberal Democrat illegal, I’m sure there are a few other adjectives you’d like to add, but are limited by posting rules.

Your hybrid system still doesn’t sddress the lower middle class or the poor. And it is not a new system, just another version of the healthcare saving accounts.

Most doctors I spoke with support a national healthcare system, do you have a clue how much staff it takes to process all the different insurance companies forms? Insurance companies dicate what they will pay for what, a private insurance company telling your doctor what test you can can have, neat little trick. Are you going to regulate insurance companies or continue to let them dictate your healthcare?

The lower middle class and poor will never be able to afford health insurance, rent and food are far more important. And as I pointed out above that insurance companies dictate the level of care you receive imagine what you’ll get with bargain basement plans.

You offer nothing new, just another prancing around the problem as always.

By Bruce Wilcox

June 2, 2008 12:51 PM | Link to this

LT did you read who hired the Price-Waterhouse study? The Insurance Industry, think the study was bias?

Fool.

By Bruce Wilcox

June 2, 2008 2:37 PM | Link to this

LT just answer the question fool, was the study paid for by the Insurance industry? So much for your Kool Aid drinking credibility.

By Michael H. Smith

June 3, 2008 1:54 AM | Link to this

Mr. Wilcox the only one dancing is you, so have a ball, knock yourself out.

By denyse

June 8, 2008 5:58 PM | Link to this

Today Chuck lost his long and hard fight! Please pray for Cindi and her family during this difficult and tough time. Cindi is part of a group The Gwinnett Mothers of Multiples and we send out our condolences and thoughts during this difficult time.