Without our brave Guardians of Truth, how would we know how much our health care system sucks? Earlier today, Vox’s Sarah Kliff shared “one of the most heartbreaking” stories of our country’s horrible health care policy:
One of the most heartbreaking things I’ve read in our ER bill database:
A 2-year-old eats a dangerous drug. Poison control tells her mom to take the toddler to the ER immediately.
But the family is already in debt from another ER bill. They can’t afford another one. (1/2)
— Sarah Kliff (@sarahkliff) April 30, 2019
Here’s what the mom does:
She drives to the ER. But she doesn't go inside.
Instead, she and her toddler sit in the parking lot for hours. They watch the Little Mermaid on loop.
The mom thinks: I can go inside if she has a seizure. Otherwise, I can’t afford it. (2/2)
(2/2).
— Sarah Kliff (@sarahkliff) April 30, 2019
As Ezra Klein points out, this sort of thing just “wouldn’t happen in a decent country”:
This story wouldn't happen in a decent country. This is a reflection of our moral failure, not that family's finances. https://t.co/1FkfuMTsGq
— Ezra Klein (@ezraklein) April 30, 2019
Incidentally, Klein and Kliff’s tweets are also a reflection of the moral failure of so many so-called journalists. Because had they done their jobs and reported honestly, they wouldn’t have tried to use this story to push their leftist health care policy agenda.
If you read the rest if the story below… she ever actually took her daughter into the emergency room – she just sat with her in the parking lot; if she had, they'd have treated her. Also, it turned out the little girl was fine.
And this makes America not a "decent country"? https://t.co/odTJWaZ2Nw
— Jeryl Bier (@JerylBier) April 30, 2019
Kliff herself indeed says everything turned out fine:
Luckily, the toddler was fine. They never went into the emergency room, and eventually went home.
I think about this particular family a lot. Their story shows how high prices don’t just mean big medical bills. They also make Americans wary of using our health system. (3/2)
— Sarah Kliff (@sarahkliff) April 30, 2019
That’s not really what their story shows, but whatever.
Yes, medical expenses are scary, debt is scary, our healthcare system has problems. But using this story as a reason to say "This story wouldn't happen in a decent country. This is a reflection of our moral failure…"?
— Jeryl Bier (@JerylBier) April 30, 2019
Not to be outdone, after reading about this family’s massive medical bill:
Young girl's snake bite leaves family with $142,938 medical bill https://t.co/GSl4yZJXbS pic.twitter.com/e4KubCik2n
— New York Post (@nypost) April 30, 2019
BuzzFeed’s Rosie Gray was pretty sure that our health care system is “totally broken and immoral”:
don't know about you guys but I love having a totally broken and immoral healthcare system https://t.co/VvYPW6uo2X
— Rosie Gray (@RosieGray) April 30, 2019
What Gray failed to mention is that the family ultimately did not have to pay the huge bill:
The family’s health insurance, IU Health Plans, negotiated down the bills and paid $107,863.33, with secondary insurance from the summer camp covering $7,286.34 in additional costs.
The family ultimately did not have to pay any out-of-pocket costs for her additional emergency care, according to NPR.
Now, one can argue that health care costs are out of control — a problem that has only been made worse by increased government interference — but clearly we haven’t quite reached “totally broken and immoral” levels quite yet.
"The family ultimately did not have to pay any out-of-pocket costs for her additional emergency care…"https://t.co/1XwRJZIrhr https://t.co/mcALmoEFTN
— Jeryl Bier (@JerylBier) April 30, 2019
Reporter for BuzzFeed.
Meanwhile the article notes that they didn’t actually end up having to pay https://t.co/c0U9NtM039
— Orange Muppet Energy (@sunnyright) April 30, 2019
Area Journalist Doesn't Read Articles
"The family ultimately did not have to pay any out-of-pocket costs for her additional emergency care, according to NPR." https://t.co/TVQcnjSJ8o
— RBe (@RBPundit) April 30, 2019
"The family ultimately did not have to pay any out-of-pocket costs for her additional emergency care, according to NPR."
Did you even bother to read the article? Survey says "no".
— Physics Geek (@physicsgeek) April 30, 2019
Don’t know about you guys, but I read articles before firing off sarcastic quips that turn out to be demonstrably incorrect upon reading the article…
Or she is saying that insurance covering the cost of the accident is broken and immoral?
— Walter Bosman (@RaidenMonster) April 30, 2019
I love when people don't read beyond the headline. A+ effort
— Dave Gray (@docgray81) April 30, 2019
Huh. Seemed like it was written in English when I read it. Not sure why it gave you so much trouble.
— Dave Reeves (@OzarkFinesseGuy) April 30, 2019
It literally states that they did not have to pay anything. Everyone at buzzfeed should stick to quizzes about what kind of garlic toast I am and not actual reporting.
— Bryan Kloppe (@fragilitize) April 30, 2019
Well, at least she tried to correct the record:
Story w/ context versus original tweet: pic.twitter.com/5q9PTu2fv7
— Jeryl Bier (@JerylBier) April 30, 2019
Well, at least she made her point. Not the point she thought she was making, but a point nonetheless:
I thought Obama fixed it?
— Some guy tweeted something ??♂️ (@jtLOL) April 30, 2019
Rosie must be mistaken. Health care is AFFORDABLE now.
— BMP (@BlMarketParade) April 30, 2019
I agree with your proposition to get the government out of the healthcare business, @RosieGray
— J. Tiberius Jerk (@twittahlessJ) April 30, 2019
Whoops.
I declare today National Only Read The Tweet And Not The Link Day.
— Jeryl Bier (@JerylBier) April 30, 2019
So let it be written, so let it be done.
