tblue37 (1000+ posts) Fri Apr-02-10 11:43 AM
Original message
Dead at 46 because he couldn't afford medical treatment
Another person, apparently a very decent man who went out of his way to offer homeless people a chance to work for him whenever he had a job, has died because he didn’t have money so he declined a trip to the emergency room when he really needed to be checked out:
A 46-year-old self-employed carpenter in our town died because of head injuries he suffered in a fight with a 36-year-old homeless man he had given a job to and had allowed to stay in his house for a while. The police knew who was responsible for the death because the man was able to tell them the name of his attacker when they responded to a call to his house after the fight.
Police don’t yet know the reason for the fight.
But here’s the kicker: the man would probably still be alive, except that he had no health insurance and couldn’t afford medical treatment, so when they offered to take him to the emergency room, he declined treatment.
http://www2.ljworld.com/news/2010/mar/31/lawrence-polic... /
Officers were called to the 800 block of Maine to investigate that incident on Sunday night and Fleming, at that time, declined medical treatment. He did, however, tell police the name of the man who attacked him.
When police were asked to check on Fleming on Tuesday, after he hadn’t shown up for work, officers found him dead inside his home. An autopsy performed Wednesday showed Fleming died of a head injury.
Moore said the fact that Fleming did not have health insurance might have kept him from seeking treatment for his injuries.“ He probably didn’t have the money to pay for an emergency room bill,†Moore said. “That’s probably why he didn’t go, and he probably didn’t realize how serious his injuries were.†{emphasis added)
mdmc (1000+ posts) Fri Apr-02-10 11:46 AM
Response to Original message
1. I have health insurance and cant afford medical treatment
The man would be alive if he had access to affordable medical treatment.
The truth is only access to affordable medical treatment could have saved this mans life. Health insurance would have saved this mans life, but also put him into bankruptcy.
So after this "reform" we have the 46 million insured Americans still praying the same prayer they prayed before health care reform: Dear God, please don't let me or anyone in my family ever get seriously sick. Because if we ever have to access health care for anything other than a cold or a check-up, it will break us.
He should have waited for 2014, the year your benevolent lord of all things decreed healthcare should start.
But I s'pose if the benevolent lord of all things had made the benefits kick in immediately then he would not have been able to collect taxes for 10 years to offset 6 years of spending and fool idiots like you.
So if this guy died it is because he is imposing upon Obama's financial fantasies and as such is obviously a racist and deserves death.
BailoutBill (11 posts) Fri Apr-02-10 12:53 PM
Response to Reply #1
8. Excellent point
TheDebbieDee (1000+ posts) Fri Apr-02-10 11:50 AM
Response to Original message
2. People with head injuries should not be allowed to decide
Edited on Fri Apr-02-10 11:50 AM by TheDebbieDee
whether or not they should go to the ER. The head injury itself makes it impossible for the person to accurately determine the extent of the injuries.
Police and other first responders need to be reminded of the fact that the judgment of a person with a head wound is impaired because of the head wound!
People who have no concept of emergency medicine need to be reminded of the fact that they are publishling absolute tripe on the internet.
proud2BlibKansan (1000+ posts) Fri Apr-02-10 12:20 PM
Response to Original message
3. I had a friend here who died a month ago because he didn't have health insurance
Hope this is a trend that will be ending soon.
Obamanaut (1000+ posts) Fri Apr-02-10 12:25 PM
Response to Original message
4. Perpaps had he not gotten into a fight, which necessitated in the
declined trip to the ER, this would be a non-story.
When comes to fighting, discretion is the better part of valor.
Maybe a gun would have been better.
Cheaper too.
madokie (1000+ posts) Fri Apr-02-10 12:29 PM
Response to Reply #4
6. What a stupid thing to say
the story clearly says he was attacked
boobooday (1000+ posts) Fri Apr-02-10 12:29 PM
Response to Reply #4
7. Notice the nature of the fight
He was attacked in his own home by someone he was apparently trying to help.
Homeless people have behavioral issues?
Who knew?
boobooday (1000+ posts) Fri Apr-02-10 12:28 PM
Response to Original message
5. He was just being a consumer in the free market
Making financially responsible decisions about his own healthcare, instead of allowing government to ram it down his throat and save his life.
Damnit.
There is no more free market healthcare, dipshit. You turdwads have been celebrating that fact for the last week, remember?
http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all&address=389x8073910
