7 ms·

It's so sad that the country where Richard lived, worked and paid taxes for about 30 years can't provide for him. I'm glad to be able to help. But what happens

by bestham 13y ago

It's so sad that the country where Richard lived, worked and paid taxes for about 30 years can't provide for him. I'm glad to be able to help. But what happens to those that don't reach the front page of HN? No one enduring the stress of a terminal cancer should have to stress about getting ends to meet during their last months alive. EVER

paul_f 13y ago
This is certainly terrible news. I cannot imagine being in that situation. My thoughts with him and his family. Just to answer the question above, the US provides SSDI insurance as part of the social security program to cover people with disabilities who cannot work. And many (most?) professionals also have additional long term disability insurance to cover the difference between SSDI and what their normal living expenses are.
- kohanz 13y ago
  I think the point is that if the SSDI insurance (or any other safety net) provided enough for Richard, he wouldn't be asking for donations.
- benched 13y ago
  Yeah, that's the pretty answer, kind of like "Cops are there to protect you" or "Poor smart kids get scholarships." That stuff exists in theory, but whether it materializes for you is arbitrary. The government can fight you for any length of time to refuse or minimize benefits, or they can make you provide prohibitive amounts of documentation you can never fulfil. People have to get lawyers to get benefits. Or you might luck out and deal with an SS office that's more accommodating.
- Daniel_Newby 13y ago
  SSDI is heavily means tested. Almost no one under the age of 55 is eligible. Almost no one with a university degree is covered. Making $750 in any calendar month disqualifies.
deleted 13y ago
[deleted]
- clamprecht 13y ago
  That's probably much cheaper than the many weapons they're using to kill people, or to try to enforce the drug war. But yeah, I agree with your point.
- dtparr 13y ago
  Per the article you linked [1], the wifi is funded by a donation from the Fuhrman Family Foundation, not public funds. Additionally the quote from Bloomberg included substantially more than the Knicks and Nets: "Our new Harlem wireless network brings critical connectivity to residents and visitors, giving them 24/7 access to everything from education materials for kids, to information about Harlem’s rich history and attractions, to everyday needs like paying bills, checking library hours — or even just keeping tabs on the Knicks and Nets" [1] http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/largest-free-public-wi-fi-network-coming-harlem-2D11723755 http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/largest-free-public-wi-fi-...
piyush_soni 13y ago
In USA it's still much better. In many countries including India for example, people pay taxes for their whole life but if they lack money in the end, there's no health/food/shelter security - you are basically on your own. Legislative Bills are there, but they are just that - dormant bills. Nothing exists in reality.
- betenoire 13y ago
  That sucks in regards to India, but not an excuse for our politicians not to get their shit together.
- markdown 13y ago
  Here in Fiji we've always had universal healthcare. When people need surgery/treatment they can't get here, the government sends them to India (Used to be Australia/New Zealand, but not any more).
  - piyush_soni 13y ago
    Yeah. Thanks to India's affordable health care, we don't have to be dependent on this national scam called health insurance. We just go to doctors, they give us treatment, we pay money, that's it. I remember how here in US I had to go to a doctor to be told "You don't have any disease, that happens to everybody" (no diagnosis) and charged $400. Insurance paid $300, I paid $100.
    - halfdan 13y ago
      Right.. That "national scam" is working great all over Europe. It's cool when you can pay your treatments, but cancer treatments are in the 6 figure range - enjoy paying that from you bank account.
      - piyush_soni 13y ago
        The funny thing is, at least here in the US, even if you have medical insurance you are totally ripped off your pockets if you have something like cancer. Mostly, you just don't pay the price which was anyway artificially inflated by this scam I'm talking about. There was an article only a few days back about this guy who had his appendix treated: http://imgur.com/a/WIfeN http://imgur.com/a/WIfeN He had to pay $11k out of the total $55k bill, rest was paid by insurance. ($7000 for a CT scan? $4500 worth of Anesthesia? I'd be surprised if one still doesn't think these are artificially inflated prices) I'm not sure how much would he be charged if this whole insurance thing was not there - may be ~$11k? (Just for the curious: In India, that operation in the best of hospitals would have cost him may be around $1600 without insurance. With insurance, he'd save most of even that. )
joshmn 13y ago
My family is one of them (stressing about getting ends to meet). My momma, 55, otherwise ridiculously healthy, has terminal brain cancer among other things. She was diagnosed five days before her 55th birthday (10/25) this year -- [seemingly] out of the blue. While her and my father have insurance (through United Health Group), there's no smooth sailing because her treatments are so "specialized". I, at 22, cleaned out my savings and checking just to make sure that her treatments will be paid for, and additionally hire a wicked-awesome in-home PCA to make sure that she's living comfortably when I'm not able to be there. I won't get into the logistics of why my father / her husband won't pay for things. Never been so proud to eat Ramen Noodles. Edit: you guys make me tear up. Thanks for the support and kind words.
- suprgeek 13y ago
  Very inspiring post. I think it will be hard for me to look at Ramen Noodles and not think about this for a while. Paraphrasing from a a recent movie "Every one should live by a code...glad to know that yours is Family."
  - anilgulecha 13y ago
    May I ask which movie?
    - suprgeek 13y ago
      Fast and Furious 6
- zamalek 13y ago
  > Never been so proud to eat Ramen Noodles. That's one of the most powerful statements I have heard in a long time - I'm sure she's proud of you. Good on you.
- primitivesuave 13y ago
  That's so beautiful and inspiring, thanks for sharing.
- 13y ago
jcromartie 13y ago
There are homeless people out there with cancer who will die alone and without a hope in the world.
- bovermyer 13y ago
  And what are you doing to fix that?
- grecy 13y ago
  Not in almost all developed countries, they won't.
wtbob 13y ago
> It's so sad that the country where Richard lived, worked and paid taxes for about 30 years can't provide for him. I'm not sure why your first instinct is to think that he should rely on his country rather than on his family and friends.
- jtreminio 13y ago
  Because he paid taxes to his government, not his friends.
  - hueving 13y ago
    Not to be rude, but that doesn't obligate the government to provide that particular service. Just because I pay taxes doesn't obligate the government to provide me a house. Why is that the case for health care?
    - adventured 13y ago
      To answer your question seriously and without any implied political bent, the reason is: healthcare in the first world has become considered a right or entitlement. It's really no more complex than that.
      - hueving 13y ago
        >To answer your question seriously and without any implied political bent, the reason is: healthcare in the first world has become considered a right or entitlement. That's the thing though. It has only become a right or entitlement in the places that provide it. I'd wager people would feel the exact same way if their government provided housing when compared to countries that don't provide housing.
        adventured 13y ago
        It's a purely subjective priority issue, is what I was saying. All things that are entitlements only become such because they're first provided, naturally (can't have an entitlement without it first existing). I suppose your implication is meant to be that if it weren't provided, it could have never become an entitlement - that's true, but it wouldn't prevent the population from looking across the border or oceans and yearning for the entitlements others have in first world nations. No doubt entitlement priorities vary based on the development level of the country, the culture, and so on ad infinitum. There is hardly a social safety net in China for example, the population is heavily expected to handle its own savings. Most likely their population will gradually demand more entitlements, looking to copy what others have done. There are obviously all sorts of arguments that focus on bankruptcy, high costs, the burden of being without a job, and so on when it comes to healthcare - that sound far more reasonable than other entitlement arguments (eg should everyone be given a free yacht). America of course does provide free and or heavily subsidized housing (not free house ownership mind you), in every state in the union in fact (along with federal programs). Mostly it's a matter of what you qualify for, and where (varying based on what's available in your location, and what your income is, etc). I don't think all entitlements are created equal in terms of demand or import; the population of a country is going to regard some as far more important than others.
doktrin 13y ago
I couldn't agree more. It's a disgraceful situation. If or when I leave this country, it will be in no small part due to issues such as this.
- grecy 13y ago
  reddit.com/r/iwantout reddit.com/r/igotout

by bestham 13y ago

paul_f 13y ago

This is certainly terrible news. I cannot imagine being in that situation. My thoughts with him and his family. Just to answer the question above, the US provides SSDI insurance as part of the social security program to cover people with disabilities who cannot work. And many (most?) professionals also have additional long term disability insurance to cover the difference between SSDI and what their normal living expenses are.

kohanz 13y ago
I think the point is that if the SSDI insurance (or any other safety net) provided enough for Richard, he wouldn't be asking for donations.
benched 13y ago
Yeah, that's the pretty answer, kind of like "Cops are there to protect you" or "Poor smart kids get scholarships." That stuff exists in theory, but whether it materializes for you is arbitrary. The government can fight you for any length of time to refuse or minimize benefits, or they can make you provide prohibitive amounts of documentation you can never fulfil. People have to get lawyers to get benefits. Or you might luck out and deal with an SS office that's more accommodating.
Daniel_Newby 13y ago
SSDI is heavily means tested. Almost no one under the age of 55 is eligible. Almost no one with a university degree is covered. Making $750 in any calendar month disqualifies.

deleted 13y ago

[deleted]

clamprecht 13y ago
That's probably much cheaper than the many weapons they're using to kill people, or to try to enforce the drug war. But yeah, I agree with your point.
dtparr 13y ago
Per the article you linked [1], the wifi is funded by a donation from the Fuhrman Family Foundation, not public funds. Additionally the quote from Bloomberg included substantially more than the Knicks and Nets: "Our new Harlem wireless network brings critical connectivity to residents and visitors, giving them 24/7 access to everything from education materials for kids, to information about Harlem’s rich history and attractions, to everyday needs like paying bills, checking library hours — or even just keeping tabs on the Knicks and Nets" [1] http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/largest-free-public-wi-fi-network-coming-harlem-2D11723755 http://www.nbcnews.com/technology/largest-free-public-wi-fi-...

piyush_soni 13y ago

In USA it's still much better. In many countries including India for example, people pay taxes for their whole life but if they lack money in the end, there's no health/food/shelter security - you are basically on your own. Legislative Bills are there, but they are just that - dormant bills. Nothing exists in reality.

betenoire 13y ago
That sucks in regards to India, but not an excuse for our politicians not to get their shit together.
markdown 13y ago
Here in Fiji we've always had universal healthcare. When people need surgery/treatment they can't get here, the government sends them to India (Used to be Australia/New Zealand, but not any more).
- piyush_soni 13y ago
  Yeah. Thanks to India's affordable health care, we don't have to be dependent on this national scam called health insurance. We just go to doctors, they give us treatment, we pay money, that's it. I remember how here in US I had to go to a doctor to be told "You don't have any disease, that happens to everybody" (no diagnosis) and charged $400. Insurance paid $300, I paid $100.
  - halfdan 13y ago
    Right.. That "national scam" is working great all over Europe. It's cool when you can pay your treatments, but cancer treatments are in the 6 figure range - enjoy paying that from you bank account.
    - piyush_soni 13y ago
      The funny thing is, at least here in the US, even if you have medical insurance you are totally ripped off your pockets if you have something like cancer. Mostly, you just don't pay the price which was anyway artificially inflated by this scam I'm talking about. There was an article only a few days back about this guy who had his appendix treated: http://imgur.com/a/WIfeN http://imgur.com/a/WIfeN He had to pay $11k out of the total $55k bill, rest was paid by insurance. ($7000 for a CT scan? $4500 worth of Anesthesia? I'd be surprised if one still doesn't think these are artificially inflated prices) I'm not sure how much would he be charged if this whole insurance thing was not there - may be ~$11k? (Just for the curious: In India, that operation in the best of hospitals would have cost him may be around $1600 without insurance. With insurance, he'd save most of even that. )

joshmn 13y ago

My family is one of them (stressing about getting ends to meet). My momma, 55, otherwise ridiculously healthy, has terminal brain cancer among other things. She was diagnosed five days before her 55th birthday (10/25) this year -- [seemingly] out of the blue. While her and my father have insurance (through United Health Group), there's no smooth sailing because her treatments are so "specialized". I, at 22, cleaned out my savings and checking just to make sure that her treatments will be paid for, and additionally hire a wicked-awesome in-home PCA to make sure that she's living comfortably when I'm not able to be there. I won't get into the logistics of why my father / her husband won't pay for things. Never been so proud to eat Ramen Noodles. Edit: you guys make me tear up. Thanks for the support and kind words.

suprgeek 13y ago
Very inspiring post. I think it will be hard for me to look at Ramen Noodles and not think about this for a while. Paraphrasing from a a recent movie "Every one should live by a code...glad to know that yours is Family."
- anilgulecha 13y ago
  May I ask which movie?
  - suprgeek 13y ago
    Fast and Furious 6
zamalek 13y ago
> Never been so proud to eat Ramen Noodles. That's one of the most powerful statements I have heard in a long time - I'm sure she's proud of you. Good on you.
primitivesuave 13y ago
That's so beautiful and inspiring, thanks for sharing.
13y ago

jcromartie 13y ago

There are homeless people out there with cancer who will die alone and without a hope in the world.

bovermyer 13y ago
And what are you doing to fix that?
grecy 13y ago
Not in almost all developed countries, they won't.

wtbob 13y ago

> It's so sad that the country where Richard lived, worked and paid taxes for about 30 years can't provide for him. I'm not sure why your first instinct is to think that he should rely on his country rather than on his family and friends.

jtreminio 13y ago
Because he paid taxes to his government, not his friends.
- hueving 13y ago
  Not to be rude, but that doesn't obligate the government to provide that particular service. Just because I pay taxes doesn't obligate the government to provide me a house. Why is that the case for health care?
  - adventured 13y ago
    To answer your question seriously and without any implied political bent, the reason is: healthcare in the first world has become considered a right or entitlement. It's really no more complex than that.
    - hueving 13y ago
      >To answer your question seriously and without any implied political bent, the reason is: healthcare in the first world has become considered a right or entitlement. That's the thing though. It has only become a right or entitlement in the places that provide it. I'd wager people would feel the exact same way if their government provided housing when compared to countries that don't provide housing.
      - adventured 13y ago
        It's a purely subjective priority issue, is what I was saying. All things that are entitlements only become such because they're first provided, naturally (can't have an entitlement without it first existing). I suppose your implication is meant to be that if it weren't provided, it could have never become an entitlement - that's true, but it wouldn't prevent the population from looking across the border or oceans and yearning for the entitlements others have in first world nations. No doubt entitlement priorities vary based on the development level of the country, the culture, and so on ad infinitum. There is hardly a social safety net in China for example, the population is heavily expected to handle its own savings. Most likely their population will gradually demand more entitlements, looking to copy what others have done. There are obviously all sorts of arguments that focus on bankruptcy, high costs, the burden of being without a job, and so on when it comes to healthcare - that sound far more reasonable than other entitlement arguments (eg should everyone be given a free yacht). America of course does provide free and or heavily subsidized housing (not free house ownership mind you), in every state in the union in fact (along with federal programs). Mostly it's a matter of what you qualify for, and where (varying based on what's available in your location, and what your income is, etc). I don't think all entitlements are created equal in terms of demand or import; the population of a country is going to regard some as far more important than others.

doktrin 13y ago

I couldn't agree more. It's a disgraceful situation. If or when I leave this country, it will be in no small part due to issues such as this.

grecy 13y ago
reddit.com/r/iwantout reddit.com/r/igotout