Today I heard on the news that Arizona is no longer giving any transplants to patients who are on Medicaid. A man who had children and needed a bone marrow transplant because he has leukemia stated he hoped the chemotherapy would work. The health care rationing under this government has begun.
Posted by AlanaSuzanne (Member # 25882) on :
Let me preface this by saying that I don't know anything about what Arizona is doing regarding transplants and medicaid.
What I do know is that THE MAJOR REASON for those not receiving transplants of any kind is a shortage of donors.
"Rationing" regarding transplant has always been the case, and will always be the case until the number of donors meets or exceeds the need.
The sickest rise to the top of the list and when a suitable match is found--provided they are "well enough" ie, no acute infections, ability to withstand surgery, ability to withstand anti-rejection medications--the transplant will take place. Unfortunately, that combination does not happen often enough.
Alana said: "What I do know is that THE MAJOR REASON for those not receiving transplants of any kind is a shortage of donors."
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quote:Originally posted by Heleneh: [QB] Today I heard on the news that Arizona is no longer giving any transplants to patients who are on Medicaid.
Alana... I disagree... according to what Helen said above.
PS... It is not safe for lyme and babesia patients to donate neither blood nor organs.
Posted by AlanaSuzanne (Member # 25882) on :
It's also not safe to be in organ failure.
I stand by what I said:
The major reason for those not receiving transplants of any kind is a shortage of donors.
There are plenty of potential donors out there who are not aware of this dire situation.
Posted by Heleneh (Member # 21207) on :
According to the news, Arizona is not giving any transplants to anybody who has Medicaid. It makes no difference whether there is a donor or not. They are doing this for cost containment. It is too costly to do any transplants according to the news.
Posted by AlanaSuzanne (Member # 25882) on :
Transplants of any kind don't come cheap or easy whether you have public or private insurance.
Can you post a link about this AZ news? Thanks.
Posted by jkmom (Member # 14004) on :
This is extremely disturbing. Extremely.
Posted by kam (Member # 3410) on :
I have been on medicaid in AZ. I did receive a notice from the medicaid provider that they were no longer providing many things due to cost.
I recall my primary doctor telling me he had a patient with prostrate cancer and could not get the help needed for him. This was before AZ had the budget crisis it is currently in.
It is kind of catch 22. You would need to raise the funds needed for health care needs but would also need to cancel medicaid all together in order to do so.
I have needed to cancel medicaid since i moved here but can't seem to feel comfortable about doing that yet.
Thankfully, my condition is not life threatening.
In the case above, he most likely would need to raise the funds to get the help needed.
This is not new. While living in CA, I also knew of people who had to raise funds to get the medical help needed.
These people were in business for themselves at the time and couldn't afford the insurance premiums and couldn't get the help from medicaid.
I recall another story of a single parent whose child had cancer and was not able to get the help needed here in AZ and in CA.
Both finally got the help needed via the media and the public coming to the rescue and doctor's donating their time.
this has been going on a long time.
Posted by kam (Member # 3410) on :
I'd like to vote in the election next month, but first I need to get tuned back in. I just tuned out when all the TV commercials started.
No one is talking about the issues and possible solutions. They are paying millions of dollars to say vote for me because the other guy did this and that..taking a small percent of truth and blowing it up.
Posted by AlanaSuzanne (Member # 25882) on :
This is extremely disturbing like someone said. I am way too tired to respond at this point. Thank you for the link to the article and the other posts.
Posted by AlanaSuzanne (Member # 25882) on :
Where to begin?
Without a doubt our country/states need to examine budgets and cut back on spending.
Many/most people on Medicaid are on it as a last resort. My guess is that this ill man and many like him would be in the workforce if not for a debilitating illness or circumstances beyond their control.
These are the very people who deserve the taxpayers' help.
We need to help our own.
The problem is that the spending of our taxes IMO is directed in all the wrong places. Why do we as a nation forsake our own people to provide for others?
If we can give megabucks to name-that-country, we ought to be able to help our own citizens, especially those of us who are ill, like this man.
My opinion is likely considered politically-incorrect. But I am who I am and I respect and consider opinions that differ from my own.
I had the opportunity to visit the beautiful city of San Diego several years ago. I also had the "opportunity" to end up in the ER of its major medical center.
I am not exaggerating when I say that the majority of those in this ER waiting along with me were clearly not US citizens and had no insurance (confirmed by hospital personnel when I asked).
Why is it that our great country, the United States of America, is willing to absorb the medical expenses of people who are not US citizens and do not pay taxes?
The $$ that would be spent by AZ for this man's treatment, and others like him is a drop in the bucket re: the budget.
If you and I personally looked at it, I'd bet there would be a whole lot of pork we could eliminate that would pay for him and a lot of others in his predicament to get what they need.
I hope and pray this man receives the care he needs and deserves.
I would again like to remind everyone reading this that the major reason for those not receiving transplants of any kind is a shortage of donors.
Please consider donation, and please forward this information to your family and friends:
I apologize in advance if it seems like this rsply appears to be "sellimg" something.
Transplant is something close to my heart and the only thing I wish to "sell" is awareness.
Bottom line, let us all pray that this man receives the bone-marrow transplant he needs.
Posted by kam (Member # 3410) on :
Tick Central...wouldn't it be great to be one of those people who get to make the decisions on the budget.
I think??
Posted by kam (Member # 3410) on :
Ok A crazy thought ran through my mind after reading Tick Central's comment....
does this mean if you don't have medicaid that you can get the help needed??
That doesn't make sense either.
Posted by Lymetoo (Member # 743) on :
Just wait until we get national health care. They won't pay for anything we actually NEED.
Posted by AlanaSuzanne (Member # 25882) on :
Kam, pffft, what I would give to be be able to be one of those people who get to make decisions on state or federal budgets.
I would so enjoy the process of crossing out all the pork with my red pen.
And regarding your comment---
"Ok A crazy thought ran through my mind after reading Tick Central's comment....
does this mean if you don't have medicaid that you can get the help needed??
That doesn't make sense either."
Your thought isn't crazy. My take-away from this article the way it's presented is that you can get a transplant if you're not on medicaid.
But that's not really true either. You could be a billionaire and still not be able to get a transplant.
At the end of the day, much/most of it still boils down to there not being enough donors.
There are other significant factors like donor/recipient match, general health status of the recipient at the time of possible transplant (if you are on the transplant list and are sick for instance with the flu or have a fever, despite a match, you will be passed over).
Then there is the issue of age of the donor and condition of the organ. For example, a stable 20 year old man on dialysis might be a match for an 80 year old's kidney. However, if the 20 year old takes this kidney he will never have normal kidney function, as this kidney is 80 years old.
The 80 year old's kidneys are obviously better-suited to an older person, but at the present time the best/only suitable match is this young man.
The 20 year old looks at his life being dependent on a machine, and it is tempting to just take the 80 year old kidney. Even if it means he will have mediocre kidney function, it's a chance for him to not depend on a machine for his survival. He has seen firsthand that dialysis, though lifesaving, is no walk in the park.
His doctor advises him to pass on this kidney and stay on the list because there is a chance that he will get a kidney that will provide him with normal function.
Imagine the choice this man needs to make: take the kidney of an 80 year old and get off dialysis but still have significant renal impairment vs. taking a chance and waiting an indefinite period of time--perhaps years--for a matching younger donor and better odds at having normal renal function.
There is also the issue of ischemic time: the amount of time the organ is outside of the donor before it reaches the recipient. A candidate for a heart transplant in S. FL could be a perfect match for a donor in Alaska. But is the ischemic time too long to reach the recipient?
If you removed all insurance issues, the playing field is level and whether you receive a transplant depends on so many other factors.
That said, I do not think this AZ thing is fair or right based on what I have read thus far, both here and what I've been able to find out on the internet.
Posted by kam (Member # 3410) on :
I knew two people who were waiting for a kidney. One in AZ and one in CA.
I have lost track of them but knew at the time it went on for years.
Both were on medical. I know one is still doing OK as I recently heard he helped a friend move.