[Kenneth] Hoagland had refinanced his Nashville home to pay off the $25,000 tab for his weeklong diabetes-related stay at Southern Hills Medical Center. The new mortgage left Hoagland out of medical debt but afraid to get sick again. Unfortunately, he did. In 2004, Hoagland was in a health insurance waiting period on a new job when a cold turned into two days at Vanderbilt University Medical Center. This time, the bill was just over $1,200.
When a collection attorney working for Vanderbilt filed suit in 2005, Hoagland was afraid to take time off from work to show up in court. After a series of hearings, attempts to collect the debt and what Hoagland says were genuine efforts to pay it, an attorney working for Vanderbilt asked a judge to issue what’s known as a body attachment.
One Friday in late 2008, a sheriff’s deputy went to Hoagland’s home. Because he was at work, Hoagland was allowed to turn himself in the following Monday.
“They fingerprinted me, took my picture and asked some questions about my medical history,” he said. “When the guy who tested (my blood sugar) asked me why I was there and I told him … he said, ‘I didn’t know we did that in this country.’ I told him, ‘Until now, I didn’t either.’ “
#46, MikeN
… why do rich people from those other countries with better health care come to the US for treatment? Less wealthy people will even go to India for treatment.
Other than those coming from third world countries, please tell us who is coming to the US from industrialized nations, with health care, for medical treatment?
Who is going to India? Geeze, maybe mostly Americans who can’t afford the American prices and don’t have insurance.
That really sux man! I am not from US.. here they do not give us money if we are sick.. we have to pay for ourselfs, if we have the money. If not… well, that`s it… we can die..
#51, Liberty Loser,
#47, How can you have a free market if the market is told how to behave? I am flabbergasted you think it can still be so.
My only guess is you don’t have the first idea what “free” means.
My guess is that YOU don’t understand what “free” means.
YOU are not “free” to do what ever the hell you want in OUR society. That means WE set the rules on how all of US behave. YOU do not set the rules on how YOU expect US to behave.
Because WE are free. We will not be YOUR slaves, peons, serfs, or whatever. If WE decide WE want something, then it is up to US to make it work.
If YOU don’t want to operate under the rules of OUR society, don’t. YOU may cry all you want, but WE are a free people with a RIGHT to health care. WE, the people, want our universal health care.
And I personally, would like to see those that are against the American way and the Constitution expelled from this country. You idiots that invent crap like “free markets are the only way” or “health care is not a right, it enslaves the giver” are full of it.
Yup, this guy was really screwed up by the governments actions. Guess the best solution is to give the government more power and get it involved in more of our lives.
#63, Ralph,
So to you, freedom means straight up majority rules. If the largest number of people want something, the minority who doesn’t should pack up and leave. No matter what burden the majority chooses to impose, freedom means telling the minority to suck it up.
Do you argue that same point when you are in the minority on some issue?
#64–Nosolution==it was excessive healthcare bills that got this guy into trouble. Getting the government involved to get rid of for-profit medicine so that all guys can just get what they need and not have to worry about courts is EXACTLY what government is good for.
How can you miss that?
#65–I’vegotyourNumber==In America “freedom” is being defined by what a rich entrenched connected minority want thru the corruption of our elected politicians.
It would be nice if the majority did rule.
#66 – Bobbo
He certainly had a problem with owing money he couldn’t repay. Quite a big problem, I’ve been there myself. BUT
The power of the government to put people into prisons is what got this guy put into a prison. They really hate it when they tell someone to show up and they don’t.
How can you miss that?
#68–NoSolution==I didn’t miss it. I weighed it. In the civilized world, in other western countries, it is common to get arrested when you fail to appear. Its only in America that it is even possible to find yourself in court based on a cost of health care issue.
So, on balance, evaluating this issue as a “failure to appear” is really to be mislead or to fail to see the originating cause and the failure of American Society to provide.
I don’t think you missed that, I don’t think you are ignoring that. I think you are trying to mislead anyone who reads your faulty screed.
Tell us again what the more important issue here is for America?
#69-Bobbo,
So in weighing things you feel that the cause of the underlying debt is more important than the proximate cause of his loss of liberty?
I hate debt, and I’d hate to have more of it and I hated when it was past my means to pay. But I’d feel far greater rage at the guy who puts me in jail than the people who I owed money to.
And I certainly wouldn’t be in a mood to give them even greater power over me.
#70–NoSolutions==from the header: “One Friday in late 2008, a sheriff’s deputy went to Hoagland’s home. Because he was at work, Hoagland was allowed to turn himself in the following Monday.” /// Loss of Liberty????? Rage????? In Jail??????
What article are you reading? Why don’t you join us here in the real world on EARTH–third planet from the sun. Looks like you should pick up a dictionary too.
Silly boy.
#71 -Bobbo
Man has big problems.
Government makes problems much, much worse.
Let’s give government more power.
Silly boy.
You see nothing about loss of liberty in an article who’s title includes the word “Jail?” Why not join us in the real world, where jail = loss of liberty?
Interesting how quickly you obfuscate and insult. Show’s how strong you think your argument is.
I look forward to seeing how low you choose to go in your next post.
#72–NoSolutions, No Analysis===so your alternative, not followed in ANY society, is that everyone should be allowed to do whatever they want to, not respond to court papers, and any enforcement of societies laws is unwarrented and overly oppressive?
Is THAT your position? If not, please parse. If so, read this post again. No other society acts the way you recommend==for very good reasons as stated.
#72 – Bobbo,
Interesting choice, rather than insult you went with Reductio ad absurdum.
This article shows how the government made a bad problem much worse for this fellow. And so we can learn from that fact about the capacity of government to make bad problems worse rather than to solve them.
To argue this point, you argue against anarchy. Good try.
Let’s try this again …
Man has big problems.
Government makes problems much, much worse.
Let’s give government more power.
#65, “6″
I’m really sorry you are so blinded by freedom you fail to grasp how it works.
You see, we have this thing which we use to govern ourselves. We call it a Constitution. All of the following we rules we make must be within the limits set out for us in the Constitution.
Several people, many following your reasoning, fail to grasp that the rules we make may not be to everyone’s liking.
As a society we have decided to have rules that outlawed slavery. So what if that interferes with your “freedom” to be a slave owner, your side lost.
We decided that employers would have to pay a minimum wage, provide a safe environment, and supply workers injured on the job compensation. Your “freedom” to mistreat employees doesn’t impress too many.
We decided that old people should be cared for so we instituted Social Security and Medicare for them. We are rather annoyed you would rather see the people that built this country for you die from lack of medical care.
Yes, we wrote the rules. In a society as large as ours no one expects complete agreement from everyone. We do expect those who didn’t win the argument though to shut the eff up. Our President isn’t an effen commie, or socialist, or fascist, or setting up a death panel to kill off granny, or the government is too inefficient to run anything. Yet this is how they respond.
Creating and propagating lies isn’t the way to have rational discourse.
#74–NoSolution:
Man has big problems. /// Yes, lack of government provided/sponsored health care.
Government makes problems much, much worse. /// No. Government did what all governments MUST do. Now you are firmly where your own common sense doesn’t want to go. See Post #73. As I have acceded to your challenge in this post, so should you to mine.
Let’s give government more power. /// I agree. Power to provide the real solution leading to greater freedom for all involved except those engaged in the fraud known as “for profit medicine.” That solution being single payer.
Bonus–what do you think should happen to sick people in America who do not have insurance and who are not in an emergency condition other than beg for charity care or suffer?
#74 Solutions
Man has big problems.
Government makes problems much, much worse.
Let’s give government more power.
Pray tell, what “powers” are we giving the government?
Isn’t this about a man that lands jail for not paying his bills? Why is it different becuase it is for health care? If he didn’t pay Best Buy for his big screen tv, this article wouldn’t be written. It would be theft. We wouldn’t be ready about “Propblems with Electronic care.”
Members of Congress and the Cabinet get far more than they should.
#78: Why is so hard for you and many others here to not recognize that yes, the court case is about paying his bills, BUT the reason he couldn’t is related to how health care and insurance is handled in this country? If we had a better system, he never would have gotten into this fix.
And buying a TV is 100% discretionary. In many cases, not getting health care is not, unless you consider death a reasonable alternative. And yes, I realize that some, like our resident nutcase, Alf, believe that people who can’t afford health care should die rather than be helped by the community as a civic responsibility in a supposedly advanced society. Sort of like paying for firemen which, I assume, Alf is also against since it requires ‘stealing’ via taxes some of his precious money for use by other people.