AZ Governor Cuts Transplant Funding

[PlaysLikeMyung]

I haven't found a story online for this yet but I'm watching CNN, and I saw this last night, and Governor Jan Brewer cut 1.2 Million dollars in funding for transplants. This means that all the people who were on the list (about 100 or so) now better find a way to get about 200K for their surgery or risk dying.

this 1.4 million is less than one tenth of one percent of the states budget deficit, and this cut was made in an effort to reduce it.

PLM says:

WHAT THE FUCK JAN BREWER ARE YOU FUCKING RETARDED?

Discuss. This seriously pissed me off today

[orcus116]

Arizona makes by far the stupidest decisions of any state. I feel bad for anyone living there.

[El Barto]

Well, Uncle Sammy already pays for kidney transplants through Medicare.  Unless you're far beyond hope, insurance companies are pretty reasonable about paying for the rest of the transplants, as well.  I figure this only applies to the uninsured, and (though it's ironic since Brewer is almost certainly vehemently opposed to it) Obamacare will provide for them in a couple of years.

To be clear, I think it's bullshit, but what else is new with AZ.  I just don't think it's quite to "the sky is falling!" point yet. 

[El Barto]

There's a wonderful irony here.  All of the Republicans like Brewer like to talk about thousands of Canadians fleeing to America for healthcare will now be jumping ship to India for their transplants since they can't afford the American ones ($20k vs $125k for a heart transplant).  Seriously, WTF America?  The credit limit on one of my cards would cover the cost of a kidney transplant over there.  Cuba isn't much more expensive and recovery would be a whole lot more pleasant (of course their commies, so we shouldn't consider that  ).

[Adami]

Well, Uncle Sammy already pays for kidney transplants through Medicare.  Unless you're far beyond hope, insurance companies are pretty reasonable about paying for the rest of the transplants, as well.  I figure this only applies to the uninsured, and (though it's ironic since Brewer is almost certainly vehemently opposed to it) Obamacare will provide for them in a couple of years.

To be clear, I think it's bullshit, but what else is new with AZ.  I just don't think it's quite to "the sky is falling!" point yet. 

I can't speak for anyone, but I have a friend waiting for a lung transplant, and the cheapest insurance should possibly get is 3000 a month, which she clearly can't afford.

[William Wallace]

I haven't found a story online for this yet but I'm watching CNN, and I saw this last night, and Governor Jan Brewer cut 1.2 Million dollars in funding for transplants. This means that all the people who were on the list (about 100 or so) now better find a way to get about 200K for their surgery or risk dying.

this 1.4 million is less than one tenth of one percent of the states budget deficit, and this cut was made in an effort to reduce it.

PLM says:

WHAT THE FUCK JAN BREWER ARE YOU FUCKING RETARDED?

Discuss. This seriously pissed me off today

With all of the budget problems states have today, this seems like an odd place to start cutting. There's hundreds of different, bigger expenditures to chop.   

[PlaysLikeMyung]

I haven't found a story online for this yet but I'm watching CNN, and I saw this last night, and Governor Jan Brewer cut 1.2 Million dollars in funding for transplants. This means that all the people who were on the list (about 100 or so) now better find a way to get about 200K for their surgery or risk dying.

this 1.4 million is less than one tenth of one percent of the states budget deficit, and this cut was made in an effort to reduce it.

PLM says:

WHAT THE FUCK JAN BREWER ARE YOU FUCKING RETARDED?

Discuss. This seriously pissed me off today

With all of the budget problems states have today, this seems like an odd place to start cutting. There's hundreds of different, bigger expenditures to chop.   

Which is why what she did is stupid... that and she's essentially handing death sentences to 100 people. While watching CNN yesterday one of the Democratic representatives was saying how he had given Brewer tons of recommendations for reducing expeditures, including some cuts to medicaid that wouldn't harm the transplant portion. Brewers staff then said that nobody offered her any suggestions regardless of the fact they had over a year to do so.

Why don't I believe you, Brewer?

[El Barto]

They're apparently going to look at closing a corporate tax loophole that would free up the required funds.  It'll be interesting to see who objects.

It also seems that they only took away money for certain procedures that they deemed to be not worth the investment.  That makes them the very definition of the death panel that they've been fear-mongering about for the last two years. 

[William Wallace]

They're apparently going to look at closing a corporate tax loophole that would free up the required funds.  It'll be interesting to see who objects.

I do. Take money earmarked for something unnecessary and spend it on the transplants.

[orcus116]

That makes them the very definition of the death panel that they've been fear-mongering about for the last two years. 

Yep. As my friend put it yesterday: "The GOP likes to label Democrat policy something they themselves have already been doing their their own negligence."