Tue
Aug 11 2009
06:23 pm
It Doesn't Take A Steven Hawking To Figure This Out...
By: reform4

It doesn’t take Stephen Hawking to figure this one out

A week ago Friday, Investors Business Daily's editorial .made the amusing claim:

“People such as scientist Stephen Hawking wouldn’t have a chance in the U.K., where the National Health Service would say the life of this brilliant man, because of his physical handicaps, is essentially worthless,”

Of course, that same Stephen Hawking who wouldn’t have a chance in the United Kingdom was in fact born in the United Kingdom, has lived his entire life in the United Kingdom and lives there still today, at the ripe old age of 67. (He was in fact hospitalized earlier this month.) Hawking is, you might say, living, breathing proof that these people are first-class fools.

*UPDATE:* Investors Business Daily has edited the online copy of its editorial, removing all mention of Stephen Hawking. And Hawking himself has responded, telling the UK’s Guardian : “I wouldn’t be here today if it were not for the NHS. I have received a large amount of high-quality treatment without which I would not have survived.”

Topics:
Rachel's picture

I saw this yesterday and

Submitted by Rachel on Tue, 2009/08/11 - 6:47pm.

I saw this yesterday and thought it was hilarious. I assume the writer thought Hawking was American, because gee, ALL brilliant people MUST be Americans.

Michael's picture

Just listen

Submitted by Michael on Wed, 2009/08/12 - 9:37am.

He doesn't have much of a British accent.
~m.

gonzone's picture

ooh!

Submitted by gonzone on Wed, 2009/08/12 - 11:45am.

You're bad!!
But I still smiled.

"If ignorance is bliss, why aren't more people happy?"

R. Neal's picture

Is Sarah Palin consulting

Submitted by R. Neal on Tue, 2009/08/11 - 7:00pm.

Is Sarah Palin consulting with them now?

I can't believe I used to subscribe to that rag. I thought they'd never stop calling me after I canceled when they started writing extremist editorials.

B Harmon's picture

Insurance denials

Submitted by B Harmon on Wed, 2009/08/12 - 12:26pm.

I recall as a Case Manager for MetLife having to tell parents of children with physical disabilities that their insurance only covered "restorative" therapy. Once the therapy was considered maintenance they were no longer covered. Parents were to do the PT and OT with their child themselves, forever.

So Hawking was likely much better off in the UK than here with private insurance.

reform4's picture

I wonder..

Submitted by reform4 on Wed, 2009/08/12 - 3:40pm.

.. what kind of horrible non-disclosure agreements people working in claims departments have to sign these days before they'll let them in the door. I guess telling someone that a life-saving medication is an "unnecessary expense" or rewarding an employee for getting sick clients off their plan is somehow a trade secret.

Instead of a crime.

KC's picture

Not quite a trade

Submitted by KC on Wed, 2009/08/12 - 3:49pm.

Not quite a trade secret.

Losing Coverage When You Need It Most
Thousands of Americans also lose health insurance each year through a practice called rescission.
When a person is diagnosed with an expensive condition such as cancer, some insurance companies review his/her initial health status questionnaire. In most states’ individual insurance market, insurance companies can retroactively cancel the entire policy if any condition was missed – even if the medical condition is unrelated, and even if the person was not aware of the condition at the time. Coverage can also be revoked for all members of a family, even if only one family member failed to disclose a medical condition.10

A recent Congressional investigation into this practice found nearly 20,000 rescissions from three large insurers over five years, saving them $300 million in medical claims11 – $300 million that instead had to come out of the pockets of people who thought they were insured, or became bad debt for health care providers.

At least one insurance company has been found to evaluate employee performance based in part on the amount of money an employee saved the company through rescissions.12 Simply put, these insurance company employees are encouraged to revoke sick people’s health coverage.


(link...)

The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present.
President Abraham Lincoln 1862

KC's picture

And the absurdity continues.

Submitted by KC on Wed, 2009/08/12 - 4:18pm.

And the absurdity continues. (link...)

I find it amazing that the GOP leadership can't comprehend how damaging these tactics will wind up being in the next national election.

The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present.
President Abraham Lincoln 1862

Factchecker's picture

Who we're dealing with

Submitted by Factchecker on Wed, 2009/08/12 - 10:06pm.

...the GOP leadership can't comprehend how damaging these tactics will wind up being in the next national election.

That's SO out of the current 15 minute news cycle. Until recently, they whined about how liberals were so angry and were trying to use anger to just shut down debate.

KC's picture

What doesn't make the news

Submitted by KC on Thu, 2009/08/13 - 7:26am.

What doesn't make the news is what the reaction is among the larger population of voters whose views will ultimately influence the fate of health-care legislation.

(link...)

Exactly.

The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present.
President Abraham Lincoln 1862

KC's picture

That's SO out of the current

Submitted by KC on Wed, 2009/08/12 - 10:13pm.

That's SO out of the current 15 minute news cycle. Until recently, they whined about how liberals were so angry and were trying to use anger to just shut down debate.

Sorry, I haven't ever paid much attention to the 15 minute news cycle.

The dogmas of the quiet past, are inadequate to the stormy present.
President Abraham Lincoln 1862

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