Posted on 04/10/2010 1:23:15 PM PDT by Extremely Extreme Extremist
FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) ―
Diana Smith has gone through six months of radiation and chemotherapy -- one week out of every month. She fears she will die without the bone marrow transplant scheduled for Tuesday.
A woman battling a cancer battle was dealt a surprise blow by Uncle Sam this month.
Diana Smith has gone through six months of radiation and chemotherapy -- one week out of every month. She is in remission and had a donor for a transplant; being in remission is prerequisite for the transplant.
But her hopes of receiving the transplant were dashed in March, when she says, the Social Security Administration contacted her –without her soliciting it -- and told her that her three year-old son was entitled to receive Social Security disability payments. Even though she didn't ask for it, she signed the form and received her son's first check check.
In April, Medicaid canceled her universal health care policy because her income level had risen with her son's payments – making her ineligible for the insurance program.
The problem is Jackson Memorial Hospital cannot provide the procedure because the risk is too high. The universal policy from Medicaid helps shield the hospital from liability in this kind of case. Without it, they are subject to liability issues.
Even though Smith offered to cancel her son's disability benefits, she was told it's too late.
"She's gone through six months worth of radiation and chemo, her body can't take anymore. If they don't allow her to have this transplant coming up right now next week, they're in effect signing her death warrant," said her friend Tom Noonan.
"I want to live to see my son grow up and get on with my life," Smith told CBS4's Ted Scouten.
As a result of the WFOR CBS 4 report, State Sen. Dave Aronberg is prepared to take action over the weekend. Social Security officials are also looking into the case to make the surgery happen on Tuesday as had been planned.
I don’t buy it (that Social Security contacted her out of the blue to tell her to sign up the son).
Wow.
That bthere is a death panel.
That article doesn’t make sense Medicaid doesn’t protect a medical provider from liablity. Make me think this reporter didn’t take the time to get all the facts for this story.
She had to file for disability...so I’m not sure of anything in this story....
As much as people like to complain about lawyers this is a case when it is hard to beleive someone would not have retained on to manage these matters.
Oh, please. With Obamacare she doesn’t have to worry about a little pre-existing condition like cancer! She’s got all the FREE healthcare she could ever need or use! Thank GOD for Obama’s stash of money to take care of his people like this!!! /sarc
What are the chances of Obama telling Diana Smith’s story out on the perpetual campaign trail ? He just loves those personal stories.
SS doesn’t contact you unless you’ve somehow contacted them first. Something ain’t addin’ up here.
I can believe it. I had an experience with the local veterans home with my father who had Alzheimer’s. They lied to me from day one and the women that was in charge of finance department was one of the most vicious beings you would ever want to deal with.
Yep, there are pieces to this story which haven’t been laid out.
It’s simple.
Two issues
1. Her income increased so she needed to get reg insurance not Medicaid. There are income limits for a reason. If we do it for her, it has to be done for everyone. My mother had cancer and she wasn’t given free insurance. She had to pay to keep her health insurance.
2. The hospital has a seperate liability insurance issue. She should simply sign something absolving them of liability if she needs the surgery...
Smell test. Anyway, it’s Obama’s Medicare now. Obama’s insensitivity. Obama’s problem. Obama is killing cancer patients!!!!!!!
Nor do I. That being said, I don't think she sought out the payment herself but somebody in whatever agency she deals with probably talked her into it and submitted the paperwork...........
I would say that I give the woman the benefit of the doubt on all of this..why?
She may be mixed up, not clear , on a lot of this....
For God’s sake, the woman has been going through chemo and radiation every week, she is dying, she has a 3 yr old at home, she was about to get a transplant....I really don’t think I would be too clear about all those medicare forms and proceedures either!!
BTW...GET AN ATTORNEY????HA...SHE IS ON MEDICAID!
and that would take YEARS!
I don’t think Bambi wants THIS story!
What else do you expect from a government run program.
You can’t “sign away” your liability claims....signing a piece of paper doesn’t work well.
and the hospital may have special medicaid process.., like you can’t sue a VA or military hospital.
My friend had the bone marrow transplant as the best way to rid himself of it...and it worked. It was a Christmas miracle.
I do!!!
Government workers are trolling for people to get onto ‘welfare’ rolls. They were “helping” her to get “all that she is entitled to.”
I believe that any cancer which requires a bone marrow transplant in order to survive is by definition a cancer that is going to kill the patient.
False.
False?
CA....
100% correct. But they never see the big picture.
I don’t either. I’d guess she found out he was eligable filed for it then surprise you can only get so much help before your income is too high for Medicaid.
Why would anyone have a bone marrow transplant if it was not to save their life?
Uh...your earlier statement: “any cancer which requires a bone marrow transplant in order to survive is by definition a cancer that is going to kill the patient” was convoluted. Why would you have a bone marrow transplant at all if this were true and the cancer was “by definition” a cancer that is going to kill the patient anyway? The only reason someone would have a bone marrow transplant would be to extend their life or to cure the cancer, which, by definition, means the cancer is assumed curable and NOT going to kill the patient.
Sorry. Must be the chemo.
When I think of how hard it is to get SS disability when you beg for it, this is just an offensive lie.
I think that this is impossible to understand due to industry standard mal-reporting. Tell an interesting story, don’t bother getting the facts straight.
Would the same cancer have killed the patient in a time or place where bone marrow transplant was not available?
It has already been acknowledged that your statement was misunderstood (if not misstated). Let it go already. We’re on the same page.
Okay
bump
I look at things with different eyes! My husband worked hard his whole entire life and part owned a family business. We had excellent insurance and paid all of our bills. A year ago we lost our insurance because our business of 22 years went under. We had planned on getting insurance back quickly. In the midst of all of this husband was diagnosed with Leukemia and put on medicaid and the social worked at the hospital had us apply for social security. We did receive in the mail a form that said our children were eligible for social security disability as well. There were a lot of hoops to jump through and we had a spend down so he could get a bone marrow transplant. We were a little over with the kids money. We are not dead beats! We had a bad run of luck! We are conservative and don’t believe in Obama Care! Before someone makes a judgement on someone you know nothing about please get all the facts! This part of our life is scary and judgements like that just make it worse!
As complex an issue as health care reform is, I believe the solution to your situation is very simple. Health care needs to be decoupled from our employment. It should be fully tax deductible for individuals as it is for corporations and self employed. To transition, the government needs to require portability from curent plans to general pools that they can maintain after leaving their current employer. In your case, as it was your company, it provides a unique situation, but still should be addressed in this scenario. As a self employed person and formerly company owners, I have seen the challenges associated with the current system.
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