GOP Rep. Contradicts Romney, Says Uninsured Do Die From Lack Of Coverage

[one...two...tree 2,762]

HENDERSON, Nevada — Last week, Mitt Romney justified his desire to repeal Obamacare by arguing that "we don't have people who die because they don't have insurance." And so on Monday, ThinkProgress spoke with Tea Party freshman Rep. Joe Heck (R-NV), a former emergency medicine doctor, at a candidate forum and asked him whether Romney's comments jibe with his past experience. Heck took issue with Romney's assertion that emergency room care for individuals without health insurance is a real solution. "I've seen people presented later in the course of their disease because they didn't health insurance," Heck said. At that point, "it's certainly much more difficult for them and it's much more costly to the system":

KEYES: You're a doctor. Mitt Romney took a little heat the other day for saying that there aren't any folks in the United States who have died because they don't have health insurance. Is that something you agree with in your experience? What have you seen personally?

HECK: I've seen people presented later in the course of their disease because they didn't health insurance.

So they put off getting help until they're far along and then it's certainly much more difficult for them and it's much more costly to the system.

Heck's two-fold point — that individuals without health insurance put off getting care, and that delayed treatment in the hospital or elsewhere ends up costing everyone more — is one of the overarching reasons why lawmakers passed Obamacare. In addition to the 45,000 Americans who die every year — one person every 12 minutes — because they don't have insurance,

50 million Americans

are unable to receive proper care because they lack coverage.

When they visit the emergency room, as Romney

touted

, for care that could have been prevented or better handled elsewhere, such as an asthma attack, those costs are passed on to everyone else through higher premiums.

http://thinkprogress...mney-insurance/

[^_^ 5,021]

What the heck?

[one...two...tree 2,762]

Working in the critical care unit of the hospital, I see so many people that come to us and stay for long periods who have no health insurance - a painter who fell off a ladder and has no insurance (25+ days in ICU), a homeless drunks who come in with SDH or head trauma from falling onto concrete and no insurance, a person with uncontrolled diabetes who now is septic because they didn't have insurance and didn't seek medical attention when they got a small cut on their leg.

We could drastically reduce the costs of healthcare in this country by simply focusing on prevention and treatment of the smaller things before they become larger problems that require intensive care which is incredibly expensive.

[^_^ 5,021]

Working in the critical care unit of the hospital, I see so many people that come to us and stay for long periods who have no health insurance - a painter who fell off a ladder and has no insurance (25+ days in ICU), a homeless drunks who come in with SDH or head trauma from falling onto concrete and no insurance, a person with uncontrolled diabetes who now is septic because they didn't have insurance and didn't seek medical attention when they got a small cut on their leg.

So these are all people without insurance who are being taken care of... and not being left alone in their miserable little apartments to die.

What was your argument again?

[Penny Lane 8,159]

[quote name=' timestamp='1350571302' post='5764128]

So these are all people without insurance who are being taken care of... and not being left alone in their miserable little apartments to die.

What was your argument again?

What about the people with a chronic illness? What about cancer patients? Will the emergency room take care of their ongoing treatment?

Those are the people that are suffering. Not the small cuts or other injuries. The people who require treatment and medication for long periods of time, even their entire life.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

[quote name=' timestamp='1350571302' post='5764128]

So these are all people without insurance who are being taken care of... and not being left alone in their miserable little apartments to die.

What was your argument again?

Many of them don't make it out alive, but we'll spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in trying to save them. It's ludicrous.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

What about the people with a chronic illness? What about cancer patients? Will the emergency room take care of their ongoing treatment?

Those are the people that are suffering. Not the small cuts or other injuries. The people who require treatment and medication for long periods of time, even their entire life.

I saw a patient who had untreated brain cancer. His head had a huge lump on the back of it when his family brought him to the emergency room. He spent several days in the hospital, in-cohesive and moaning in pain until he finally died. It's sad, really.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Many of them don't make it out alive, but we'll spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in trying to save them. It's ludicrous.

so the problem isn't insurance at all (duh) it's the cost!!!

[^_^ 5,021]

Many of them don't make it out alive, but we'll spend hundreds of thousands of dollars in trying to save them. It's ludicrous.

Nobody makes it out alive, Commie Appeaser. In the end, we all die. If the yardstick is eventual death, then you fail.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

so the problem isn't insurance at all (duh) it's the cost!!!

Until the cost issue is resolved, then insurance is unfortunately mandatory for those people. But they can't get it.

[^_^ 5,021]

Until the cost issue is resolved, then insurance is unfortunately mandatory for those people. But they can't get it.

They should move to a guaranteed issue state. Then they can get it.

Can't afford it? Well, maybe they should get a real job and stop being a Walmart bum.

[Penny Lane 8,159]

[quote name=' timestamp='1350572562' post='5764182]

They should move to a guaranteed issue state. Then they can get it.

Can't afford it? Well, maybe they should get a real job and stop being a Walmart bum.

Hey, don't you insult my imaginary place of employment.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

so the problem isn't insurance at all (duh) it's the cost!!!

Preventive care is much cheaper than intensive care. It's really that simple.

[Obama 2012 1,714]

Until the cost issue is resolved, then insurance is unfortunately mandatory for those people. But they can't get it.

See, that's a terrible idea though and horrible use of the market place by the government.

The problem for a long time has been the cost, but instead of working to fix that problem, the government forces everyone upon the insurance companies and forces the insurance companies on everyone at the same time.

It makes no logical sense whatsoever and it creates a scenario to where you know the quality of service is going to go down due to the influx of people who have so-called 'access' now into the system, even if they should not because of the burden placed on the insurance companies, hospitals, etc..

Preventive care is much cheaper than intensive care. It's really that simple.

You shouldn't need insurance to pay for preventative care. Actually, preventative care isn't all that expensive at all. People choose to buy video games and nike shoes instead of getting an annual physical.

[one...two...tree 2,762]

See, that's a terrible idea though and horrible use of the market place by the government.

The problem for a long time has been the cost, but instead of working to fix that problem, the government forces everyone upon the insurance companies and forces the insurance companies on everyone at the same time.

It makes no logical sense whatsoever and it creates a scenario to where you know the quality of service is going to go down due to the influx of people who have so-called 'access' now into the system, even if they should not because of the burden placed on the insurance companies, hospitals, etc..

You shouldn't need insurance to pay for preventative care. Actually, preventative care isn't all that expensive at all. People choose to buy video games and nike shoes instead of getting an annual physical.

It depends and actually, when you get a flu shot, you're not only helping prevent yourself from getting the flu, you're preventing the spread of the virus as an example. Tell a diabetic that his preventive care doesn't require insurance or parents of a child with asthma. It's not just disease prevention, but also preventing diseases from causing far worse conditions.