Remain Calm! All Is Well!!!: Caring for the Afflicted
Posted on: August 2, 2012
- In: Open Thread | You Tube
- 8 Comments
Good morning, Widdershins. I have massive sinus congestion which I am assiduously treating with various decongestants. If i seem punchy, it;s probably med-related.
I’ve read a number of articles regarding the dead and injured in Aurora, and one of the overarching themes appears to be that many of these folks didn’t have so much as a drop of insurance of any kind whatsoever. No health insurance, no burial insurance, no nothing whatsoever insurance. Governor Hickenlooper of Colorado has set up the Aurora Victim Relief Fund, and more than two million dollars has been collected thus far.
While two million dollars sounds like a lot, I assure you that the average trauma case can run up to 25% of that figure, and many can cruise past the million dollar mark when it’s all added up. Therefore, unless millions upon millions more dollars come in, some victims will be stuck with some medical bills as well as figuring out how to provide ongoing care in the future. While I will never tell you not to donate to some worthy purpose, I will tell you that this fund will likely not keep up with the past, present and future expenses of the Aurora victims, and that a more far-reaching plan should be enacted.
When the Level 1 Trauma Centers were enacted, Dade and Broward Counties (FL) enacted a penny sales tax on gasoline, guns, bullets and knives to pay for the trauma centers. I’m going to suggest that we use this as a template, and build on it, state by state, so that we can provide care or decent burial to those affected by gun violence. Since we refuse to look into the causes of these all too frequent events, and we won’t do the easy things such as close the gun show exemptions, then perhaps what we should do is to collect the costs of care from those who employ the aforementioned implements of destruction. While it may not seem like a whole lot, adding a few cents per dollar can really add up, and at least the funds will be earmarked and readily available to the collaterally damaged. If we can’t keep ourselves from being shot, at least we can offer some hope of being able to pay for your care.
This is an open thread.
8 Responses to "Remain Calm! All Is Well!!!: Caring for the Afflicted"
August 2, 2012 at 9:08 am
It would seem that the recent tragedies in Aurora would shed some light on the current state of our gun laws and the dismal healthcare situation that goes hand in hand with the costs that go with the aftermath.
But no, it will last only as long as the next cycle of news outbreaks.
With both of us having worked in healtcare facilities all our lives, we are too familiar with the costs that can befall a family when a crisis strikes.
We can say one thing for sure: we will never live long enough to see UHC in our lifetimes.
August 2, 2012 at 9:23 am
chat, condolences on the sinus situation – it’s horrible. Go to the drug store, purchase some eucalyptus drops. Boil some water, insert drops, put towel over head and inhale steam. It usually cleans out the sinuses and relieves the pressure on the head. Good luck.
August 2, 2012 at 9:44 am
@1: It does seem to be a better way to go,
@3: I’ll give it a try.
August 2, 2012 at 1:58 pm
@4 Yes! We need to start treating guns like cigarettes and tax the heck out of them!
August 2, 2012 at 1:59 pm
Chat, a wonderful idea — thanks for sharing it. If only local common sense solutions could find root what a better world we could enjoy.
August 2, 2012 at 4:58 pm
Seems a very worthy thing to do. I can donate some. I can say it’s a better purpose than the ones from emails I’m getting lately about how the Dems in “safe districts” are holding on to their campaign funds and not sharing with their brethren who are in toss-up or close races. If the safe Dems can’t share with their fellow members, why should I have to donate?
August 2, 2012 at 5:10 pm
Pat@2 said:
We can say one thing for sure: we will never live long enough to see UHC in our lifetimes.
Sad, but true.
Comments are closed.
August 2, 2012 at 7:59 am
I love this idea. We need to keep talking about gun violence and I think hitting peoples’ wallets even in the smallest of ways will keep the light shining on the problem. This is a brilliant idea.