Kim from Long Island - Question 2

[PMFilmworks]

hi there I'm also from Long Island,

I believe that your video is very good, and I'll pray to Jesus you get well pretty soon/

My mom passed away last year from cancer, and I know is a hard to go thru, but with the help of God I know you will be alright.

Thanks for the video

God bless you.

[rizzo1000]

Thank you. I'm actually doing quite well now. I've finished chemo and radiation. My hair is growing back and in general I'm fairly healthy at this point. But I thank you very much for your prayers and well wishes.

[pika23]

these are NOT entitlement programs...not in the way the politicians think entitled means anyway...we are all "entitled" to healthcare to keep us from dying and we should all get it no matter how much or how little we make. Maybe take all the money pro atheletes make and use it to fund the healthcare system and we could all get better treatment.

[leftysergeant]

How about raising the capital gains tax so that it is higher than the tax on wages so that people like Bill Frist will not realize as much profit on buying and commercializing hospitals to pay for the treatment of people they have squeezed out of the system?

[Creamygod]

I think sometimes my comments can be out of place.

[afbb125]

if u have cancer or any other disease/illness i wouldnt be asking the republican candidates for help.....havent u learned that yet??? but umm yeah go democrate cause they actualy care about the growth in science regardless religious views...

[rizzo1000]

I think its important to know who is planning on cutting Medicaid, don't you?

[abravonu]

Dear Kim,

Medicaid is not making the difference alone. The scientist that test and discover the therapies that find those cures.

Now, when are these people going to get the money that they deserve? which candidates are going to increase research funding?

[rizzo1000]

Good question. But not my issue. Perhaps you should make a video about it.

[bc2208]

Go raw and cure cancer for free!!!

Ron Paul would also eliminate federal income taxes, allowing you to keep your own money and spend it according to your needs.

Congratulations and good luck preserving your health!

[rizzo1000]

Great, I could keep my money. I still couldn't afford to pay for healthcare.

[usairways101]

Medicaid is an extremely big business. The working class pay for all of it with FICA and no Politician will ever do anything to make the program smaller.

[rizzo1000]

Some of us don't think the program should be smaller.

[MooNxPiG]

vote Ron Paul if u want a future... im fricken serious!!!

[rizzo1000]

I'm thrilled you're fricken serious. But since he is a libertarian and would eliminate every social program I'm for... he does not get my vote.

[ashort515]

But he won't just eliminate social programs. That is where people get him wrong. He says repeatedly that no one will be thrown out in the street, there will be important transitions over a long period of time. He wants to show us that the free market will actually drive prices DOWN (which we saw happen even with the Medicaid drug plans...there was selection and the price DROPPED) What he is talking about will make your children's lives better Long Term.

[ashort515]

He would not eliminate social programs. He has stated repeadetly that he does not intend to throw anyone currently dependant on these so called "entitlement" programs out in the street. He has very specific plans for transition periods. Please think long term!

[rizzo1000]

I am thinking long term, and since I don't want to be a surf, I have no interest in voting for him.

[triton609]

A president of the United States has a few more things to be concerned with than you and the bald look I think. I'm just guessing but I'm thinking a world leader might have a lil' more things on his mind than you.

[rizzo1000]

Well he/she shouldn't. I'm a citizen and a voter. He/she should be concerned about me and concerned about you and concerned about every citizen.

[chicagonative72]

Kim, It does not matter if their Republican or Democratic their all bascially evil. I worked in a hospital and when Clinton was elected he cut Medicaid and Medicare. No one knew, not even the hospitals untill usually paid procedures came back as denied. Never heard any news reports on this but I received all the rejected bills.....

[rizzo1000]

Clinton was a pro-business Dem. He was pro Medicaid and Medicare "reform" and pro-NAFTA. In my eyes, he wasn't much better then the Republicans running against him at the time. There are other choices out there without Clinton in their names.

[Fallschirmjager11]

Fat Kidd, you need to consult real federal budget figures, not partisan sites for Defense spending figures. Defense is 20% of the 2.7 Trillion budget or about 540 billion. If we cut it in half as you wrongly suggest that would cut expenditure by 270 billion. By the way these sloppy wasteful entitlement programs cost us about 1.5 of the 2.7 trillion total budget.

[rizzo1000]

Defense numbers are completely misleading because the entire war in Iraq and war on terror has been done off budget. So it is not included in the 540B you quote. Best guess is that it costs 9B per month, but even thats uncertain because all the contractors are off budget too.

[FattKidd]

We could cut the DoD budget in half and still be spending more than 10 times that of the next highest spending country which is China at $40 billion per year. With that $500 billion we save on the DoD budget, which gets us into more trouble than not, we could pay for health insurance, college education, and end poverty/homelessness in this country. We could end our dependance on foreign oil. It's all about choices, people.

[Fallschirmjager11]

there's no need to cut the DOD, except to get rid of all the waste in the department Medicare, Medicaid, and the other entitlements is what's killing us on the budget, not the military. We spend 4 times on Medicare alone per year what we spend in Iraq per year.

[rizzo1000]

Nice comparison. A program that saves lives Vs. a program that kills people. Iraq is the waste of money in your example.

[surfer1104]

Whenever we make a brash assumption that government is the nanny medical superstructure we are asking for problems, since the tax payers at some point will question the cost benefit ratio. However some interesting questions can be raised. If government is to provide unlimited care should we not screen the individual as to viability of treatments such as past health habit, smoking, drinking, druguse, weight issues to determine if individual has brought on their own illness?

[Xakryn]

excellent. Its not like such things can be hidden. I went to the doctor and breathed in, and he said "How long have you been smoking?". It was insane. and I totally agree, I don't want you to pay for my bad habits, as much as I don't want to pay for yours. :D

[rizzo1000]

Except if you lose all your money and get lung cancer, we have a choice. Either Medicaid pays for your treatment or we let you die in the street. Personally, I don't think anyone should die due to lack of funds.

[rizzo1000]

All doctors ask about past health habits and try to get their patients to stop things like you mentioned. That is not limited to Medicaid, its called being a good doctor.

[pudgenet]

Kim: I would take away all Medicare payments to everyone. I would end Medicare.

And I'd also see to it that you were taken care of if necessary.

Your dichotomy is false. Conservatives want to make health care more affordable for more people to get, and to provide, and further, if any government should be providing it for those truly in need, it should be the states, not the feds (as per the Tenth Amendment, which is just as important as the First).

[rizzo1000]

Thanks for allowing me to die.

At the time I was diagnosed I could not afford my mortgage let alone ANY payment for ANY health care. So unless conservatives make healthcare free, you just made yourself my executioner. BTW you mean Medicaid, not Medicare.  I was on Medicaid.

[pudgenet]

I wouldn't allow you to die. I would have a system where you would live, without illegally confiscating from the people.

You are not thinking about this correctly. You are assuming that if Medicare, Medicaid, or anything else from the federal government does not exist, that there won't be something to take its place. That is incorrect.

[brizbysmom]

I think that we have come too accustomed to looking to government to solve all our problems instead of learning to rely on ourselves more. We all make choices and those choices have consequences.

[rizzo1000]

I think we've been brainwashed the last 25+ years into thinking that the government can't do anything right. We ARE the government, and if the government does things for the people it's the same as if we are doing things for ourselves.

[pudgenet]

rizzo: the more central a decision is made, the less individual freedom you have, because the more people go into making that decision, which means your voice is an ever-smaller percentage of the whole. It is NOT the same as doing it for ourselves, because government uses force, without our voice involved.

This is why we have a Tenth Amendment which makes Medicaid unconstitutional.

[rizzo1000]

Ah, you're a libertarian. That explains a lot.

Well since Medicaid is run by the states, you should have no objection to it.

[pudgenet]

I am not a libertarian, I am someone who believes in law. And false, Medicaid is run by the states, but unconstitutionally funded by federal dollars, as per the Tenth Amendment.

[rizzo1000]

Since you believe that, you are a libertarian whatever you call yourself.

[rizzo1000]

And you are assuming that if there weren't a forced way for people to pay for my treatment, that some charity would come to my rescue. I am not.

[pudgenet]

rizzo: I am saying it is possible, and likely. That is, at worst, overoptimistic (though history shows it is true). You are saying they would NOT come to your "rescue," which is simply a false claim.

Further, you are undermining your argument that govt is just doing for ourselves, because if that were true, then a charity WOULD do it, if govt didn't.

[rizzo1000]

The government forces it to be done. A charity does it because they want to. Obviously it would be nice if a charity would do things, but since its voluntary there is no guarantee.

[pudgenet]

'Mr. de Lamartine once wrote to me thusly: "Your doctrine is only the half of my program. You have stopped at liberty; I go on to fraternity." I answered him: "The second half of your program will destroy the first." In fact, it is impossible for me to separate the word "fraternity" from the word "voluntary." I cannot possibly understand how fraternity can be legally enforced without liberty being legally destroyed, and thus justice being legally trampled underfoot.' -- Bastiat

[rizzo1000]

So you want to turn us into France?

[pudgenet]

Ha. :-) If Bastiat had won the debate on this issue, then, well, maybe. Unfortunately, the socialists won the debate there. But I won't stop fighting for liberty here.

[taptaptap888]

americans are so uncaring about their fellow citizens. in england we had free healthcare for all (including visiting foreigners) paid for out of taxes and private medicine for those that wanted extra-special/quick treatment. i live in asia now where it is cheap to see a dr. americans are so proud to be american, but i often wonder why!

[brizbysmom]

We used to be able to be proud because we were free. But the politicos are quickly squashing that. If the abusers were taken out of the system, we'd have the money to help those who relly need it.

[rizzo1000]

There are abusers. No doubt about that. I met several people while getting treatment who told me that they transferred everything to their kids so they would qualify for Medicaid. But even turning them in wouldn't allow for ALL uninsured to be covered. Nothing will happen under this President one way or the other anyway. He'll veto everything.

[brizbysmom]

I won't go as far as supporting universal health care. Catastrophic care is one thing. Going to a MD for a cold or the sniffles is something else entirely.

[rizzo1000]

Yeah but remember, its cheaper to treat problems early on then when they become "Catastrophic". Think how much cheaper it would have been if I had insurance, was able to see doctor's for check ups, and they had seen the lump when it was small instead of the 4cm it was when I found it. cont..

[rizzo1000]

I could have had a simple lumpectomy on a pre-cancerous lump and been done.  Instead I'm having to have who knows how many thousands of dollars of chemo and radiation. Universal care that covers check-ups is much cheaper then what ends up happening when you forgo care until there is a problem. Not to mention, people die because they are afraid to go, because they have no money or healthcare.

[pudgenet]

rizzo: true, but if I had my way, routine examinations would be far more plentiful than they are now, BECAUSE the government would not be involved, and it would be cheaper and easier to provide, so more people (and more charities) could afford it. I am not saying the existing insurance system is good. I'd scrap that AND government care, as would most conservatives.

Not immediately, of course. During the transition you can't leave people without care.

[Fallschirmjager11]

rizzo thanks for being honest and admitting that you knew of some abusers of this sloppy wasteful govt program. They should be banned for life from any govt assistance: welfare, medicaid/medicare, food stamps, etc;

[rizzo1000]

Don't blame the program for the abusers. The program is a good one.

[pudgenet]

No, a program that allows significant abuse IS the problem. Maybe it could be fixed instead of scrapped, if that is its only problem, but absolutely the program is to be blamed for allowing significant abuse.

[rizzo1000]

I disagree. People that abuse are the problem. People abuse lots of things. When a parent abuses their children, do you blame the children or the institution of parenting?

[Fallschirmjager11]

Whether you care about people or are for sloppy wasteful govt programs is not an either or proposition as stunning as that may be to sheeple accustomed to having the govt do everything. Believe it or not it is possible to help people that you personally see are in need, without waiting for the govt.

[rizzo1000]

Really, I didn't see Donald Trump stepping up to pay my medical bills.

[pudgenet]

That's because Trump, like most people, believe it's the government's job, simply because the government is doing it. Look at the last 100 years of our social welfare state, and as the government does more, charities do less. You cannot logically say that because people don't give, that they won't, because external circumstances -- government claiming it is their job to do it -- influence their decisions.

OK, maybe Trump wouldn't give anyway, but most people would. History shows they do.

[rizzo1000]

100 years ago, nobody would be charged 5 years salary to treat an ailment. I'm saying that people give to things they want, not necessarily where its needed. Let me give you an example. The bloodbanks all around here had people donating by the bucketful after 9/11. They were donating blood for dead people. Most of the blood went to waste. If donations aren't organized to be where help is needed, it goes to waste and needed things aren't taken care of.

[TimeToVoice]

We'll have to disagree on this fallschirmjager. We give other countries billions of dollars every year yet for most of them we expect nothing in return. I would not require someone to keep themselves destitute just because I help them. That's not right either.

[brizbysmom]

What is the purpose of this comment? Are you so anxious to show your ignorance to the world? If you want to be stupid and cruel, go over to Myspace and wallow with the rest of the insignificant and unproductive population.

[rizzo1000]

Brizbysmom, Thanks for standing up for me. I generally delete the most hateful of posts. I didn't get to that one sooner because I was in the hospital for the last 6 days and just got home.

[horstficktdichjetzt]

lol? nothing to do?

[TimeToVoice]

Even after my fathers Ins. paid for heart surgery, his 10% was in the $40,000 range. Could you flip out your checkbook and pay that bill in full in 30 days as they asked my father to do? I doubt it. People with that kind of money do not hang around youtube picking on cancer patients.

[TimeToVoice]

Lets stop looking at the patients and start looking at 1) The insurance industry and 2) The outrageous charges from a hospital. $10.00 for an advil? Four days being monitored in ICU and one regular day in another room, $75,000? Why? What is worth that much? Let's start looking at the profit margins of these industries rather than chiding ANYONE who can afford to write a check out, who could? (see next post)

[Les14512]

RIGHT ON!

[TimeToVoice]

Fallschirmjager. Do you "REALLY" believe that if this woman didn't have a computer, camera and internet that she could instead pay for her "millions" of dollar care? That's asinine.

[Fallschirmjager11]

TimeToVoice, even though I clearly stated this apparently it didn't sink in (or maybe you read 1 part of the comments). She has to pay everything she can after stripping any luxuries from her budget and then we pay the rest. If you get 300/month paid for your health care by the govt (us) but spend 150/month on luxuries like cable and cellphone usage, you should only be getting 150/month from us and paying the rest yourself.

[FattKidd]

wow. that should have a real nice effect on the economy... to have half the population or more cut out everything except food and housing in order to pay for healthcare. brilliant idea. fact is, if there wasn't so much waste and profit in health care in the US, it'd be more affordable. we pay twice as much as the next highest country.

[Fallschirmjager11]

In the imaginary situation I concocted, if she was running a 300/month health care insurance bill, and spending 150/month on luxuries like internet access and other things, she should cut all that and pay 150 and then we pay the rest. If Health Care is a need, you pay every cent you can or we kick you off the program. After you pay every cent possible, then we kick in the rest.

[rizzo1000]

Not sure why I'm responding here, but what the hell. Health insurance for a family of 4 in NY costs at least $1000 a month. My "luxuries" cost no where near that. BTW, when you have someone going through chemo, its not a luxury to have a phone. Its a necessity. I have an internet phone. My camera, bought by my inlaws so they could see their grandkids.

[rizzo1000]

Now I'm sorry if when they're asleep you get offended that I posted a video.  But it costs no more for me to do that then for it to just sit on my computer until the next day when my kids can get on and talk to their grandparents.

[Fallschirmjager11]

rizzo, i didn't say a phone was a luxury I said cellphone service was. It is.  If anyone is on govt assistance and paying 80-100 or more for optional cellphone service instead of a landline they should be thrown off the program

[rizzo1000]

In many cases cell phone service is cheaper then land lines. Nobody is saying you need to get a $100 a month plan. In my case, my parents got a friends & family plan. It costs $20 per phone, we have unlimited calls to each other and EXTREME limitations on outside calls. But this way my family has peace of mind that they can find me anywhere.

[Xakryn]

She made the mistake of looking for sympathy on the Internet. That alone = Fail.

[rizzo1000]

I wasn't looking for sympathy. I was looking to make candidates answer questions. If they want my vote, they should be able to answer me honestly.

[Fallschirmjager11]

I wonder also how poor and destitute Kim is able to make this video. She has money for the camera and internet access to Youtube. We'd probly have to cut that out too. She's saying her health care is a need. So you pay your needs first, then buy luxuries like internet access. We'll be generous, but you have to take your health care costs as seriously as you expect us in the rest of society to as we pay it for you.

[rizzo1000]

The camera and internet are paid for by family members so my kids can talk to their grandparents. Its a cheap logitech camera that cost maybe $30. Not some expensive multi-thousand dollar thing. The internet costs no where near what my health insurance or heathcare cost.

[Fallschirmjager11]

If we use Medicaid and do freeze it at its current exorbitant cost, then life or death instances like hers would still be covered, but waste would have to be cut out and/or some elective or optional health care services.

[Fallschirmjager11]

So we figure out what she can contribute to her need, and then we the rest of society foot the rest of the bill. We should not do this through the sloppy wasteful Medicaid program. The remainder of what she needs to pay for her cancer after she puts herself on a subsistence only expenditure program should be met by private charities.

[Fallschirmjager11]

After finding out why she's not paying her own way, we then sit down and figure out a number for her that she does have to pay. It would be whatever money per month she could put toward her own health care if she got rid of every luxury in her life (remember she needs health care she says). She can have no cable tv, no cell phone service, can't eat out, can't have any luxuries until she pays what she says is a need, health care.

[rizzo1000]

Stop making assumptions about me. I don't eat out. I don't have luxuries. At the time this and the previous video were made, my husband and I didn't make enough to pay our mortgage, let alone health care. Other bills were paid for by family or my Temple. Sorry if they didn't have enough to pay my $100K health bill too.

[Fallschirmjager11]

First, check her story to make sure she's not a fraud, bald head notwithstanding. Second, find out why she can't afford her own medical care. Did she drop out of highschool, do drugs, commit any crimes, have a kid before she was married? If any of those are true, she put herself in this situation, of not having enough money. First we need to focus on how she created the problem then talk about the solution.

[rizzo1000]

No, I in fact went to some college but didn't have the money to finish. Drugs, no. Crimes, no. No pregnancies before marriage, let alone kids. Next arguement?

[FattKidd]

you seem like a very compassionate person.

[hellygirl]

good Question

[thebabycakez]

Very good question.  I hope it doesn't go unanswered.

[MASAO40]

me me me me me me

[graphicsprincess]

Good question :)