en-us https://www.intensedebate.com/users/276259 Comments by Forte http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local_wane_fort_wayne_congressman_souder_on_health_care_200908031715#IDComment29366232 I would like "BIG BROTHER" to provide a healthcare system for the uninsured. My big brother cares about the people who become disabled or die like they do today because they do not have sufficient health care coverage. Power to all the big brothers and big sisters out there who care about the sick people. GOD BLESS THEM! Tue, 4 Aug 2009 01:41:36 +0000 http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local_wane_fort_wayne_congressman_souder_on_health_care_200908031715#IDComment29366232 http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local_wane_fort_wayne_congressman_souder_on_health_care_200908031715#IDComment29366216 I have looked at other countries with socialized INSURANCE and their healthcare is great. Have you looked at the other countries' healthcare system besides Canada? If you have, please explain to me how the other industrialized countries' healthcare is worse than ours? Please explain in detail with the name of the country. Tue, 4 Aug 2009 01:41:25 +0000 http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local_wane_fort_wayne_congressman_souder_on_health_care_200908031715#IDComment29366216 http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/local_wane_ftwayne_Dozens_protest_health_care_reform_200907272236#IDComment28665412 Actually there are some people who are not necessarily poor but are uninsured and are not treated for diseases such as cancer so they do die. Fortunately, America does not dump the dead bodies of the medically untreated on the streets so people can get a count. Wed, 29 Jul 2009 01:35:20 +0000 http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/local_wane_ftwayne_Dozens_protest_health_care_reform_200907272236#IDComment28665412 http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/local_wane_ftwayne_Dozens_protest_health_care_reform_200907272236#IDComment28663410 Now I will turn to the protestors: "We don't know a whole lot. We're not super smart people. But we can come out and at least hold a sign and say 'I don't agree with what's goin' on.'" Ignorance is NOT bliss when it comes to healthcare. How many of these protestors actually know what the healthcare system in Canada, Britain, Japan, Norway, Sweden, Switzerland etc. is actually like? If I gave them all the healthcare stories I know and they LISTENED, I don't think they could stand there and say we have the best healthcare system in the world. "Wall of Silence" is everywhere. How many of these protestors pay for their own healthcare in its entirety (meaning not subsidized through their employer or the taxpayers)? The only ones I know who protest health care reform are those who are heavily subsidized and are unhealthy due to their own lifestyle choices. Wed, 29 Jul 2009 01:14:40 +0000 http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/local_wane_ftwayne_Dozens_protest_health_care_reform_200907272236#IDComment28663410 http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/local_wane_ftwayne_Dozens_protest_health_care_reform_200907272236#IDComment28663295 (* PART 7 *) We may not be able to alleviate all pain, suffering, and disability and we may not be able to save every life that can be saved but I believe we can do far better and more than we do now with our healthcare system. This last story involves a lot of us. Some of us drink, some of us smoke, and a lot of us overeat and live sedentary lifestyles. We need to work on obtaining a healthier lifestyle, if we do not have one already, and maintaining it. I have mentioned only a few personal stories here but anyone of these stories could be just about anyone else’s. Wed, 29 Jul 2009 01:13:06 +0000 http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/local_wane_ftwayne_Dozens_protest_health_care_reform_200907272236#IDComment28663295 http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/local_wane_ftwayne_Dozens_protest_health_care_reform_200907272236#IDComment28663231 (* PART 6 *) Several months ago, I heard a Fort Wayne physician on television talking about a young, unemployed, medically uninsured married man with children who went blind due to complications of diabetes. In this case, the physician said the young man could have received free or reduced cost diabetic care at a local clinic, if only the young man had been aware of it. Now, we may be paying for this man’s disability for the rest of his life. Stories like these and the fundraising efforts go on and on. Wed, 29 Jul 2009 01:12:17 +0000 http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/local_wane_ftwayne_Dozens_protest_health_care_reform_200907272236#IDComment28663231 http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/local_wane_ftwayne_Dozens_protest_health_care_reform_200907272236#IDComment28663167 (* PART 5 *) Over the years, I know people here in northeastern Indiana have held medically-related fundraiser after fundraiser to help people who do not have medical insurance and need the money to even begin treatment for such diseases as cancer and also to help people who have health insurance but co-pays, time off work, and additional expenses related to receiving medical treatment cause them to seek financial assistance from their family, friends, coworkers and the community-at-large. Just the other day, our newspaper printed a story about a young adult attending nursing school at Indiana University-Purdue University at Fort Wayne who has thyroid cancer and is medically uninsured. Her fellow students are raising funds for her medical care. She has a husband and a child. Wed, 29 Jul 2009 01:11:32 +0000 http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/local_wane_ftwayne_Dozens_protest_health_care_reform_200907272236#IDComment28663167 http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/local_wane_ftwayne_Dozens_protest_health_care_reform_200907272236#IDComment28663105 (* PART 4 *) The second story involves another relative, who was working and medically insured when he had an acute pancreatitus attack. In his case, a surgeon removed non-cancerous fibrotic matter from his pancreas and the surrounding area. Although he did not have pancreatic cancer, he is not healed. He lives with sharp stabbing pains in his abdomen and can no longer do the heavy-lifting and physically demanding job he had done for over twenty-five years. He no longer has health insurance and does not have the money to pay for additional medical testing to see if the pain can be alleviated. (Note: He had to have a second surgery several weeks after the first surgery because a sponge was left in his abdomen. The health insurance company would not pay for the second surgery. For awhile, the hospital tried to collect from him through a collection agency.) Wed, 29 Jul 2009 01:10:40 +0000 http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/local_wane_ftwayne_Dozens_protest_health_care_reform_200907272236#IDComment28663105 http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/local_wane_ftwayne_Dozens_protest_health_care_reform_200907272236#IDComment28663044 (*PART 3*) A number of months later the Medicaid office called and offered medical assistance. I cannot begin to describe how he felt during the time he was turned down for medical treatment. I can only say I saw how quite stressed and depressed he looked. It should be noted that once he had medical insurance (Medicaid) the doctors determined there was medical treatment for him. Today, the disease is spread throughout his body and he has limited mobility. If the doctors had been able to detect his cancer earlier while he was still working and medically insured, there may have been a different outcome but no one knows for sure. Wed, 29 Jul 2009 01:09:49 +0000 http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/local_wane_ftwayne_Dozens_protest_health_care_reform_200907272236#IDComment28663044 http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/local_wane_ftwayne_Dozens_protest_health_care_reform_200907272236#IDComment28662980 (*PART 2*) The first story regards a relative who fell ill, subsequently quitting work and was unable to afford to keep his COBRA health insurance. Over the following year, my relative’s health continued to decline. His pain and utter discomfort led him to a physician’s office visit. A kindly physician ordered some medical tests. The physicians determined from the tests that he had renal cell carcinoma. His football-sized left kidney was removed and at this time they discovered the cancer had metastasized. The oncologist determined there was nothing more they could do for him. My relative was resigned to dying. Months later when I learned from my relative that he had applied for Social Security disability, a year before, and had not only been turned down but upon appealing the decision the Social Security Administration’s (S.S.A.) office sent him a letter stating they had lost his file and he would have to reapply. Wed, 29 Jul 2009 01:09:04 +0000 http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/local_wane_ftwayne_Dozens_protest_health_care_reform_200907272236#IDComment28662980 http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/local_wane_ftwayne_Dozens_protest_health_care_reform_200907272236#IDComment28662736 (Because this forum does not allow me to post my message as one (too long) I had to split it. Sorry.) PART 1 This is a slightly modified version of a letter I sent to the POTUS two(?) months ago: Dear Mr. President: Thank you for addressing the long neglected issues of affordable, quality health care in this country. My personal story begins about 10 years ago with the loss of my husband. Lack of medical knowledge and quality of care was an issue then. [We were (HMO) medically insured.] The internet has largely helped in the area of obtaining medical information (given a diagnosis) but quality and affordable healthcare is still an issue. Because of my overwhelming grief with the loss of my husband my family moved me back to Indiana, where they live. It is while here in northeastern Indiana that I realized a lot of people do not have affordable healthcare or even any healthcare at all. I have several personal stories to tell from living here. Wed, 29 Jul 2009 01:06:15 +0000 http://www.wane.com/dpp/news/local/local_wane_ftwayne_Dozens_protest_health_care_reform_200907272236#IDComment28662736