Kids are Begging from Wheelchairs for Healthcare Money on TV

[JoeOtterbein]

If you watch TV you may have seen the fund-raising commercials I'm talking about. In those ads various children are literally thanking their donors and the hospitals that care for them.

Sometimes with heart-wrenching descriptions of the many operations they have already endured in their short lives. Other times, telling us they have life-threatening cancer. Or they suffer from debilitating disabilities they work so hard everyday to overcome with amazing strength and courage.

The children, their caregivers and those who support them, all deserve to be proud.

And after almost every time I see one of the fearless children, I end up in absolute tears over our failures as Americans to make children begging from wheelchairs a thing of the Dickinson past.

It should be a source of our shame as Americans. Not an often featured, and publicly praised, aspect of our Healthcare system. All our Dem candidates need to admit that without drastic change to provide Universal Healthcare in the USA, we have not done nearly enough.

If anyone feels we need no further drastic changes to that Healthcare system, beyond the ACA please let me know:

Then why, the hell, are little children still begging from their wheelchairs in December 2019?

Here is just one example:

[link:

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(Damn tears stop me cold in my tracks every, fucking, time.)

[George II]

1. Shriners Hospital has been running those ads for decades....

You shouldn't be using these ads to push for "medicare for all", they have nothing to do with "medicare for all".

BTW, what is "AFA"?

[JoeOtterbein]

4. ACA...I'll make the correction.

[JoeOtterbein]

6. It's almost 2020.

We need action now.

[George II]

8. You really should have looked into the background of Shriners Hospitals before you posted this OP...

...MUCH of what they do is research. Is medical research covered in "medicare for all"? I don't know, especially since all the details of this "medicare for all" haven't even been determined by those who are promoting it. Before people start campaigning on it they should at least work out all of the details.

[JoeOtterbein]

10. I praised the hospitals for their work.

Where did I say otherwise?

[George II]

29. You didn't, but you also didn't look into the overall work of Shriners Hospital or St. Jude's.

[JoeOtterbein]

30. Thanks for admitting you were wrong!

And for adding the "but" to seal it.

[George II]

32. But I wasn't and I didn't.

[LanternWaste]

33. Ironic. "I'm ashamed how cold we Americans are to each other."

And forty bucks says you'll fail to see that irony,

(change begins with us. Or maybe some exemption from that truism allows you the different standards you hold)

[sop]

7. Shriners have been running these ads for decades because we've had the same crappy healthcare

delivery system in this country for decades: a clunky, for-profit, employer-based private health insurance rat's maze that leaves millions uncovered. This story reminds me of an old school poster from the 70s, applicable to health care funding today: “Won't it be great when schools get the money and the military has to hold a bake sale."

[TidalWave46]

2. I don't see that as begging and I'm not sure you are familiar with Shriners.

Much of what they do would still occur under any form of national system, and separately from said system. Any single payer system will have places like Shriners specifically defined and detailed as to how they will fit in an be partially reimbursed. Many at Shriners are insured. Very well insured.

[JoeOtterbein]

14. All the different non-profit hospitals make me cry when they have to beg.

I'm ashamed how cold we Americans are to each other.

[TidalWave46]

21. I don't see them as begging.

I see them as being a part of an amazing operation and they want to help pay it forward for the next person. It’s a medical experience that will not be fully funded under a national system. The kids with the big hearts are here to stay for awhile, thankfully.

[Autumn]

46. I buy my medication from Canada because here I pay close to 300 a month and I get it from there

for 20 a month. I'm ashamed I have to depend on another country to buy medication.

[tosh]

3. Yes, and St. Jude's, too.

It is absolutely insane that this nation with so many billionaires has no money to cover its children’s’ healthcare needs.

[greatauntoftriplets]

5. All hospitals do fundraising.

I get patient fundraising appeals from where my doctors are. Additionally, all do corporate fundraising with staff members who are paid big bucks to raise funds.

[George II]

9. Precisely, and that's not going to change even if this nebulous "medicare for all" is passed.

[JoeOtterbein]

11. Just wondering. Have you ever worked in a hospital or other non-profit healthcare job?

Because I spent over 12 years producing funds for meals for the homebound. Decades in healthcare foodservice. So, I've been there, done, and seen, that bro.

[George II]

15. Glad you asked. Yes I have**, and my brother was an administrator in a prominent hospital....

...in Manhattan (the same hospital at which I worked), plus my wife worked for 45 years at one of the biggest hospital groups in Connecticut (Hartford Hospital/"Hartford Healthcare&quot

Indeed, "been there, done, and seen, that bro"

**I actually took Joe Namath up to his room after he tore up his knee during a game up in Buffalo!

[JoeOtterbein]

18. Good. Then you understand very well what I'm begging for, and why I am for MFA. I'm sure you agree

that the poor are, of course, as deserving for healthcare as any wealthy celebrity.

[George II]

20. No, I don't understand what you're "begging for".

[JoeOtterbein]

22. Universal Health Care. So kids don't have to beg.

And we all can be proud of our healthcare system. It's a really positive thing for the USA.

[George II]

23. Glad you're pushing for Universal Health Care (TREATMENT) which is different from....

...."medicare for all" (INSURANCE COVERAGE).

Even with any so-called universal health care and/or medicare for all, Shriners will still be running ads as you portray it, "begging from wheelchairs".

[JoeOtterbein]

25. That is exactly what makes me ashamed. They should have enough bucks.

Not wasting precious bucks to make TV ad executives bucks.

[George II]

26. They'll do it anyway, and getting back to your original point, those "kids" aren't "begging".

[JoeOtterbein]

27. I can't call her now because it is too late in France, but I will call my daughter in France and...

ask her, and her husband who is a French citizen, if they have ever seen kids on their TV begging for their healthcare. I'll post their answers at that time. Thanks for listening tonight George!

[ehrnst]

35. Well, France when they started on UHC in 1945 it was and still is different than the US,

Last edited Thu Dec 5, 2019, 08:17 PM - Edit history (2)

and it's not single payer, as defined in MFA, which is a specific path to universal health care, and not used by most industrialized democracies to achieve UHC.

First, there are some countries that require all citizens to enroll in health coverage run by private insurers. These insurers typically compete in a market with strict rules about what they must cover and how much different medical services cost.

The Netherlands and Israel are good examples of this type of system. In both countries, citizens are required to purchase coverage from a private plan. Somewhat coincidentally, the Netherlands and Israel both have four dominant health plans in their private markets.

In each case, the insurers are required to cover the same set of benefits and cannot charge higher premiums for the sick. But they can compete along other dimensions.

“They compete on what other benefits do they offer, and the price of the premium too,” Osborn says. “Generally, though, people don’t switch insurance very much. They tend to stick with their plans for a long time, even though they have the option to switch each year.”

The benefit these systems offer is primarily about choice: In Israel and the Netherlands, patients have multiple options for where they want to seek health coverage.

https://www.vox.com/health-care/2019/2/12/18215430/single-payer-private-health-insurance-harris-sanders

As for France:

Everyone in France must buy health insurance, sold by a small number of nonprofit funds, which are largely financed through taxes. Public insurance covers between 70 percent and 80 percent of costs. Voluntary health insurance can cover the rest, leaving out-of-pocket payments relatively low. About 95 percent of the population has voluntary coverage, through jobs or with the help of means-tested vouchers. The Ministry of Health sets funds and budgets; it also regulates the number of hospital beds, what equipment is purchased and how many medical students are trained. The ministry sets prices for procedures and drugs.

The French health system is relatively expensive at 11.8 percent of G.D.P., while Australia’s is at 9 percent.

https://www.nytimes.com/interactive/2017/09/18/upshot/best-health-care-system-country-bracket.html

The US is also far, far more populous and spread out, creating other issues in the delivery of care that don't apply in France.

[JoeOtterbein]

36. Thanks!

Kim said she will try to call me tomorrow. (as Dad sighs once again) I'm sure she will.

BTW, I could not find any French healthcare fundraising on google.

[ehrnst]

38. Well, you're welcome, but did you read my post?

You replied to my post and said thanks, but the rest of your missive has no relationship to what I wrote, as though you wanted to pretend I didn't make any points about how different France's system is from MFA, and how different the timeframe was that they had than what MFA (nearly 80 starting in 1945, vs the two years starting in 2020 that Sanders' latest verson of MFA boasts.)

I can imagine why you might want to, however.

[JoeOtterbein]

39. Sorry! I read it again and still see nothing about fundraising in France for healthcare.

Thanks again for the info though.

[ehrnst]

40. That was the part of your post that had nothing to do with what I wrote.

You talked about health care in France, and I pointed out how France and the US are different, and that means the same thing won't work for both, and even if it did, France doesn't have MFA. let alone the ubercharged version that is being touted as the answer to all our problems with health care...

Is that clearer?

If not...

A Hybrid Public/Private System

Many readers might assume this means France has a single-payer system, and that is the key to its simplicity and success. But in fact, France relies on a hybrid system that is not unlike Obamacare. The government picks up the tab for only about three-quarters of the nation’s healthcare bill.

(In 2013 the U.S. government paid for roughly 48% of medical care, though, this year, with the expansion of Medicaid, and millions of uninsured and under-insured Americans joining the Exchanges where the majority will receive government subsidies, Washington will cover more of the bill. And in the years ahead, as baby- boomers age into Medicare, government’s share will grow.

In France, “everyone is covered to a certain extent by the government’s Assurance Maladie,” explains Claire Lundberg, a New Yorker now living in Paris where she recently had a baby. “But most people also have private insurance, called a mutuelle that is either offered through their employer or bought on the private market. There’s a thriving private insurance market in France. . . Private medical insurance is advertised on the sides of buses and alongside movie previews in theaters.”

Ninety-two percent of the French have supplemental private insurance. Many are insured through their employers, as they are here. Patients pay 7 percent of all health care costs out of pocket.

In France payroll taxes, paid by both the employer and the employee, along with income taxes help finance the 73% of the bill that the government covers. All told, French workers contribute around 13% of what they earn to the public sector healthcare fund.

https://healthbeatblog.com/2014/02/single-payer-health-care-is-that-what-makes-cancer-care-in-france-so-different-the-french-way-of-cancer-care-part-2/

[JoeOtterbein]

42. Sorry! I'm clearly not as smart as you. My OP is about Kids Begging for Healthcare Money.

I don't think they beg for money in France, because I plan on checking with my daughter and son in law who live in France. I thought that was what you were referencing.

Sorry I angered you by clearly not being clear enough!

[ehrnst]

43. No need to get angry...

Perhaps it's because you read this?

https://www.democraticunderground.com/1287368711#post41

[ehrnst]

41. But anyhoo, on the topic of online medical fundraising in France...

Please help my sister fight cancer. She's 38 years old, a mother of 3 (6 year old twin girls and 1 year old boy). She was diagnosed with FOLLICULAR LYMPHOMA Stage 3 and needs to undergo maintenance of Rituximab Chemotherapy for 2 years. We’re knocking on your kind hearts for medical assistance for her medication because the medicines are too expensive for her to afford with her salary.

https://gogetfunding.com/medical-assistance-for-my-sisters-chemotheraphy/

As many of you may or may not have heard, our dear friend Grant was in a very bad accident on Sunday 5th May 2013. This happend in the evening in Strasbourg, France as Grant was raising money for charity doing the Scum Run. It was not due to a car related incident but was a tragic accident involving a fall from a height.

Grants condition is deemed critical at the present moment due to a severe head injury. He has been placed into an induced coma. Grant's medical cover is the main issue, as the insurance is only paying for 80% of the costs of his care which, at the moment are around £1200 per day. This means we need to find around £280 per day to cover the rest of the bill.

Anything anyone can offer would be amazing and would reduce the stress on Grant's pregnant fiancee and his family. So anything that is recieved I would like to thank you on behalf of Grant, his fiancee and all his family.

https://gogetfunding.com/grant-andrews-fund/

[JoeOtterbein]

44. Sorry again for not being clear enough.

I meant like on TV, in wheelchairs begging for NGA fund-raising for healthcare money.

It shames me to type that again in the good ole USA.

[ehrnst]

45. You mean like the AFM telethon in France?

http://www.afm-telethon.com/the-telethon/history-of-the-french-telethon.html

Not seeing photos of kids in wheelchairs, but other patients do tell their stories.

Organized by the French Muscular Dystrophy Association (AFM), the French Telethon has become the country’s biggest annual charity event since its implementation in 1986. Each year, it takes place over the course of a whole weekend at the beginning of December and is publicly broadcast by France Télévisions, making it a 30-hour TV marathon gathering patients, scientists, volunteers as well as artists. In 2018, the French donated approximately 86 million euros to help battle neuromuscular diseases and other rare genetic disorders

[greatauntoftriplets]

24. Exactly.

They have to fund things like research, purchasing new technology, renovating obsolete spaces, or funding physical expansion. All this things are necessary and are big ticket items.

[Uncle Joe]

13. Kicked and recommended.

Thanks for the thread JoeOtterbein.

[JoeOtterbein]

16. Hey Uncle Joe. Do you know if it is ok to cross-post this tomorrow in the Sander's group?

Thanks!

[Uncle Joe]

17. Hey Joe, I see no reason as to why it shouldn't be.

Thank you.

[JoeOtterbein]

19. Thanks bro!

[mucifer]

28. The little one with OI is really tough. Such a nasty disease:

Osteogenesis imperfecta (OI) is a group of genetic disorders that mainly affect the bones. The term "osteogenesis imperfecta" means imperfect bone formation. People with this condition have bones that break easily, often from mild trauma or with no apparent cause. Multiple fractures are common, and in severe cases, can occur even before birth.

https://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition/osteogenesis-imperfecta

[quickesst]

31. I will say this

You are definitely posting in the correct forum.

[Squinch]

34. That being said, Shriners is an amazing organization. I work with disabled kids. I can't

believe the lengths they go to to make sure every kid gets wonderful care. They go a lot farther than basic medical care.

[JoeOtterbein]

37. +1000! nt

[myohmy2]

47. +1

"Kids are Begging from Wheelchairs for Healthcare Money on TV"

...only in America...time to join the rest of the civilized world...

...MFA, NOW!...

[JoeOtterbein]

48. Thanks!

MFA is the only way!