Bad Badger's Bungalow

I’m just linking to the story since I get all ‘let’s have a chat’ right below it. Go read things.

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The New York Times, “Debt Collector Is Faulted for Tough Tactics at Hospitals.”

(via inothernews)

Here, let’s have some ‘Ginger has all kinds of horror stories because she’s sick and uninsured’ time that is at least somewhat relevant to this news story. 

In 2009…way back when…I was a passenger in a car accident. Being stubborn & uninsured I didn’t go to the hospital like I should have even though I knew I was injured. Seven days later I was in so much pain that even trying to move my right shoulder/arm area made me start to sob. I had a dislocated shoulder. It needed to be set. I knew that, but I also knew going to the doctor to get looked at was going to cost an arm and a leg.

After a friend watched me writhe in pain for a day or two it was decided that I needed to go to the ER to get looked at. I cried, begged, and literally screamed that I was not going because I was uninsured & couldn’t afford to go. I was taken in anyway. 

We were inside the actual ER area for less than 10 minutes before somebody came & as part of ‘intake’ took my ID from me to ‘fill out paperwork’. I didn’t ask who they were because at that moment I didn’t give a fuck. I. Was. In. Pain. Then shit go weird. That same person came back & told me that I wouldn’t be treated unless I gave them money right then, & they were going to keep my ID if I refused. No xrays, no setting my shoulder, nothing, unless I did what they wanted. The fact that I had previous medical debt & was uninsured was going to keep me from getting treatment that night. 

I didn’t get my ID back until I wrote them an actual physical check. Then I got some substandard care & told since I was uninsured they weren’t going to like…do much of anything. THEY DIDN’T EVEN SET MY SHOULDER. They gave me some Vicodin & sent me on my way. 

It was glorious. It was America at its finest. If it hadn’t happened to me (and I didn’t have a totally legit witness to it all) I’d have said there was no fucking way it occurred.

tetrozone:

do not let sensitive become a pejorative

yes, this generation is becoming more sensitive

more sensitive, compassionate, considerate, less self-absorbed and jaded and cynical

that’s undoubtedly a good thing

grow up and think about people other than…

pklove:

It’s really sad when people think that anyone being vocal about their trauma and wanting others to be sensitive and considerate about it is apparently considered a “weakness.” I really feel sorry for people who take pride in being so emotionally jaded and…