Young and Uninsured: Cartoonist Julia Wertz

New York Cartoonist Julia Wertz, creator of the autobiographical comic The Fart Party, has an autoimmune disease and no health coverage

Category:

News & Politics

Tags:

• Health care
• Insurance
• Julia Wertz
• The Fart Party
• TIME Magazine
• Artist
• Comics

[kstraub]

Kudos to everyone saying that she should just somehow have more money. What a great idea! She should just HAVE SAVINGS! Problem solved. Let me take a crack at this cancer nonsense while I'm warmed up.

[SHSCurtisa]

This is such a common story for people who free lance for a living. While Julia identifies as a cartoonist we don't really know how she pays her bills and NYC undoubtably has the best opportunity for those types of jobs. Good for her for making her dream come true. I also can't believe the comments that she should intentionally lower her income to meet Medicaid standards. Isn't this supposed to be the land of opportunity? What opportunity is that?

[bluenelephant]

well... in the uk, all you would have to play for is for your prescription. all prescription medicine costs £7, or you can buy a £100 card that will cover all your prescriptions for a year. the usa kinda sucks. she has to pay 3000 dollars just for being ill? it's just disgusting.

[AristarcoP]

I am so in love with Julia and her artwork...

[4HundredTheCat]

Yes, Julia! Please move to Canada! We love you here!  <3 :-)

[looshkin66]

I love the fact that Ms. Julia used to live in portland!!!!!!!!!

[Mgorky]

My girlfriend came down with appendicitis this past summer, had to have an emergency operation. Cost of that & antibiotics and everything related? $0

Cost of Julie's tests to monitor her lupus in Canada? $0

If it flared up all doctors fees are covered, she may have to pay a very deeply subsidized fee for the drugs, But we're talking cheep as groceries.

The vast majority of illness is covered and timely. very few exceptions.

are there flaws? yes, but compared to the US system? Trivial.

[Mgorky]

Mr. Darkfox also told my how he has experience with single payer via the military, that was grate for a sniffle but falls apart for anything serious. And that this is "like" Canada's system. False. Case in point i know another cartoonist with chronic treatable leukemia. Now we have drug subsides, vary from Provence to Provence but he is able to by his medicine for very cheep, enough that he can afford them with his part time day job. drugs that would have cost hundreds a month.

[Mgorky]

A highlight from my "off screen" conversion with Mr Dark Fox, who i've opted to block from now on for being a total jackass.

"Granted, I also think that "death panels" are a legitimately great idea, and wish they were actually being considered, and not just a scare tactic. So, bare that in mind."

i will! thanks.

[Mgorky]

she's not the worst case @MrThedarkfox - that does not make her an invalid case or unqualified to bring up the subject in public.

[Mgorky]

i disagree, a public conversation has far more value than privet, @MrThedarkfox - because it is viewed by more than just the two involved.

In your letter you made some fair points, but still insist on playing this off as a sob story about having sympathy for Julie. But thats not how it's represented. It is a flaw that by having a pre-existing condition, she's stuck with few options. Left having to choose between chosen career and some safer path to what, cater to a broken healthcare system?

[Mgorky]

my shenanigans? @MrThedarkfox condescend much?

"it's crazy to pay to be sick. "

You assume it was just her decisions that exclude them from federal aid. It's also that there's not a hell of a lot of job options out there now, that you have a system that precludes coverage if you're in a gap like that at all. No where else in the first world is this so. Your being simplistic and dismissive. .