General Discussion

malaise

(268,998 posts) Sat Mar 31, 2012, 05:17 PM Mar 2012

Taxpayers paid over a million dollars for Cheney's heart transplant

http://www.forbes.com/sites/kellyphillipserb/2012/03/28/cheneys-million-dollar-heart-stirs-health-care-debate-who-lives-and-who-dies/
<snip>
A heart transplant is considered a serious, life-saving surgery. In the procedure, a person’s damaged or diseased heart is replaced with a healthy heart from a deceased organ donor. Most heart transplants are done on patients who have end-stage heart failure which means that patient’s health is so severe that all treatments have failed. In Cheney’s case, he had suffered five separate heart attacks (the first at age 37) and had remained alive for the past two years or so with the use of a heart valve pump called a Left Ventricular Assist Device (LVAD).

Fortunately for Cheney, the cost of his health care was covered by taxpayers. In addition to health insurance provided through the government for Cheney’s years of service, Cheney, like millions of other Americans was eligible for Medicare benefits when he turned 65. In most cases, if you are retired and have Medicare, as well as health plan coverage from a former employer, Medicare pays first. The group health plan coverage pays second (booklet downloads as a pdf). Either way, it’s tax dollars at work.

It’s ironic, of course, that Cheney received his new heart just as the debate about Obamacare was being argued in front of the Supreme Court. The costs of getting better and staying healthy are controversial. Patients are living longer. Medical advances – like Cheney’s new heart and my mom’s new heart valve – can add years to a person’s life. But is it worth it? And who should pay for it? And should there be a test to decide who gets treatment and who doesn’t (specters of the so-called death panels)? In other words:

Should taxpayers foot the bill whenever a patient is too old/too fat/has smoked for too long/(fill in the blank)?

33 replies

= new reply since forum marked as read

Highlight:

Taxpayers paid over a million dollars for Cheney's heart transplant (Original Post) malaise Mar 2012 OP

I'm OK with paying for old, fat, smokers. War criminals, not so much. Scuba Mar 2012 #1

I was going to fill in the blank with "committed war crimes". lastlib Mar 2012 #11

You're both correct malaise Mar 2012 #12

Exactly he should have died in prison marlakay Mar 2012 #19

At the end of a stout rope. hifiguy Apr 2012 #33

What Scuba said nt XanaDUer Mar 2012 #20

great response! robinlynne Mar 2012 #21

To the last question, yes. Life is precious regardless of age or lifestyle of the individual imo. sabrina 1 Mar 2012 #2

Rememebr it's OK if you're a ReTHUG malaise Mar 2012 #13

Isn't that exactly the sort of shit the right accuses Obamacare of doing? TheWraith Mar 2012 #3

Given Cheney's age, one at the age of 70 generally is not a heart transplant candidate. Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Mar 2012 #5

And any organ transplant for a "celebrity" or noted person is automatically audited... TheWraith Apr 2012 #32

Of course malaise Mar 2012 #14

That's okay Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin Mar 2012 #4

He still thinks it's the good ole days. lpbk2713 Mar 2012 #6

Ok folks time to say it nadinbrzezinski Mar 2012 #7

This needs to be circulated widely. Cheneycare for all! freshwest Mar 2012 #15

Good one, do you mind if I use it? sabrina 1 Mar 2012 #16

Go for it nadinbrzezinski Mar 2012 #17

Ah, thank you Nadin. I like it! sabrina 1 Mar 2012 #18

Cheneycare is very good malaise Mar 2012 #22

No objection to paying for cheney's transplant, & i doubt taxpayers really paid a million. HiPointDem Mar 2012 #8

And while I am generally opposed to the death penalty, he deserves lethal injection for war crimes rfranklin Mar 2012 #9

His warcrimes are unrelated to his right to health care. The whole "why does so and so get health HiPointDem Apr 2012 #26

However, if properly punished under internation law, he would need no health care... rfranklin Apr 2012 #27

That's the point of this thread malaise Mar 2012 #10

Well said HiPoint, thank you Puzzledtraveller Apr 2012 #31

Yes it costs over a million. Friend of mine had one. It gave him another five years. 1620rock Mar 2012 #23

i don't find it ironic, i find it sickening.... spanone Mar 2012 #24

Taxpayers have been paying for shimonitanegi Mar 2012 #25

Too true malaise Apr 2012 #29

A bargain... Octafish Apr 2012 #28

This makes me angry. Quantess Apr 2012 #30

Scuba

(53,475 posts)

1. I'm OK with paying for old, fat, smokers. War criminals, not so much.

Reply to malaise (Original post)

Sat Mar 31, 2012, 06:14 PM

Mar 2012

lastlib

(23,233 posts)

11. I was going to fill in the blank with "committed war crimes".

Reply to Scuba (Reply #1)

Sat Mar 31, 2012, 08:07 PM

Mar 2012

malaise

(268,998 posts)

12. You're both correct

Reply to lastlib (Reply #11)

Sat Mar 31, 2012, 08:11 PM

Mar 2012

marlakay

(11,468 posts)

19. Exactly he should have died in prison

Reply to Scuba (Reply #1)

Sat Mar 31, 2012, 08:40 PM

Mar 2012

I can't imagine he would qualify for heart in prison...

hifiguy

(33,688 posts)

33. At the end of a stout rope.

Reply to marlakay (Reply #19)

Mon Apr 2, 2012, 05:07 PM

Apr 2012

Just as the German war criminals died.

XanaDUer

(12,939 posts)

20. What Scuba said nt

Reply to Scuba (Reply #1)

Sat Mar 31, 2012, 08:41 PM

Mar 2012

robinlynne

(15,481 posts)

21. great response!

Reply to Scuba (Reply #1)

Sat Mar 31, 2012, 08:57 PM

Mar 2012

sabrina 1

(62,325 posts)

2. To the last question, yes. Life is precious regardless of age or lifestyle of the individual imo.

Reply to malaise (Original post)

Sat Mar 31, 2012, 06:15 PM

Mar 2012

But 'who should pay for it'? If you are multi-millionaire or billionaire who opposes coverage for all Americans, and you became rich by investing in wars YOU lied to the American people about, then there is no doubt who should pay for it.

Cheney became wealthy by feeding off the Government trough. Most of his wealth came from tax-payers, his policies which he implemented making sure his corporation eg, Halliburton had a steady flow of Government dollars.

It sickens me to see taxpayers footing the bill for someone like this when he could well afford to stand by his party's principles of opposing any kind of government funded medical care for all Americans.

malaise

(268,998 posts)

13. Rememebr it's OK if you're a ReTHUG

Reply to sabrina 1 (Reply #2)

Sat Mar 31, 2012, 08:12 PM

Mar 2012

Fugg the 99%

TheWraith

(24,331 posts)

3. Isn't that exactly the sort of shit the right accuses Obamacare of doing?

Reply to malaise (Original post)

Sat Mar 31, 2012, 06:42 PM

Mar 2012

The claims about "death panels" making value judgments about whether someone is worthy of treatment or not? To even broach that idea I think someone has to provide some pretty compelling evidence that there's something wrong with the current system of transplants and treatments based on actual medical necessity rather than the subjective ethics of a few.

Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

(107,986 posts)

5. Given Cheney's age, one at the age of 70 generally is not a heart transplant candidate.

Reply to TheWraith (Reply #3)

Sat Mar 31, 2012, 06:49 PM

Mar 2012

This topic has been discussed on several news forums outside of DU.

TheWraith

(24,331 posts)

32. And any organ transplant for a "celebrity" or noted person is automatically audited...

Reply to Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin (Reply #5)

Mon Apr 2, 2012, 04:45 PM

Apr 2012

...to insure that no improper influence was used and that no inappropriate priority was placed on it.

The organ transplant system is really pretty solid, actually. The biggest change it needs is more donors.

malaise

(268,998 posts)

14. Of course

Reply to TheWraith (Reply #3)

Sat Mar 31, 2012, 08:13 PM

Mar 2012

Yo_Mama_Been_Loggin

(107,986 posts)

4. That's okay

Reply to malaise (Original post)

Sat Mar 31, 2012, 06:47 PM

Mar 2012

After all he's part of the 1%.

lpbk2713

(42,757 posts)

6. He still thinks it's the good ole days.

Reply to malaise (Original post)

Sat Mar 31, 2012, 06:55 PM

Mar 2012

When he and his chimp used the US Treasury
like it was their own private slush fund.

nadinbrzezinski

(154,021 posts)

7. Ok folks time to say it

Reply to malaise (Original post)

Sat Mar 31, 2012, 07:13 PM

Mar 2012

We all deserve Chenneycare. It works, and started when he was 35.

He is the poster child for singe payer

freshwest

(53,661 posts)

15. This needs to be circulated widely. Cheneycare for all!

Reply to nadinbrzezinski (Reply #7)

Sat Mar 31, 2012, 08:16 PM

Mar 2012

Last edited Sat Mar 31, 2012, 08:51 PM - Edit history (1)

Wonder how many wingnuts will vote for Obama since his Death Panels spared their idol...

sabrina 1

(62,325 posts)

16. Good one, do you mind if I use it?

Reply to freshwest (Reply #15)

Sat Mar 31, 2012, 08:28 PM

Mar 2012

Cheneycare for all!

nadinbrzezinski

(154,021 posts)

17. Go for it

Reply to sabrina 1 (Reply #16)

Sat Mar 31, 2012, 08:29 PM

Mar 2012

Credit to my non posting husband.

sabrina 1

(62,325 posts)

18. Ah, thank you Nadin. I like it!

Reply to nadinbrzezinski (Reply #17)

Sat Mar 31, 2012, 08:36 PM

Mar 2012

malaise

(268,998 posts)

22. Cheneycare is very good

Reply to nadinbrzezinski (Reply #7)

Sat Mar 31, 2012, 08:58 PM

Mar 2012

HiPointDem

(20,729 posts)

8. No objection to paying for cheney's transplant, & i doubt taxpayers really paid a million.

Reply to malaise (Original post)

Sat Mar 31, 2012, 07:34 PM

Mar 2012

My only objection would be if he'd been bumped to the front of the line.

I think this line of thought gives fodder to forces that would question all health expenditures where the recipient were "too old", "too fat", or didn't live right in the eyes of the questioners.

EVERYONE DESERVES MEDICAL CARE. EVERYONE.

rfranklin

(13,200 posts)

9. And while I am generally opposed to the death penalty, he deserves lethal injection for war crimes

Reply to HiPointDem (Reply #8)

Sat Mar 31, 2012, 07:36 PM

Mar 2012

sorry, but that's the truth.

HiPointDem

(20,729 posts)

26. His warcrimes are unrelated to his right to health care. The whole "why does so and so get health

Reply to rfranklin (Reply #9)

Sun Apr 1, 2012, 02:29 AM

Apr 2012

care when he doesn't deserve it" line of argument leads too neatly into arguments for increased privatization.

rfranklin

(13,200 posts)

27. However, if properly punished under internation law, he would need no health care...

Reply to HiPointDem (Reply #26)

Sun Apr 1, 2012, 02:36 PM

Apr 2012

He would be dead and gone.

malaise

(268,998 posts)

10. That's the point of this thread

Reply to HiPointDem (Reply #8)

Sat Mar 31, 2012, 07:38 PM

Mar 2012

Why should it be free health care for politicians including war criminals and judges while the 99% are ruined financially after a serious illness or accident as the special interests rip them off.

Puzzledtraveller

(5,937 posts)

31. Well said HiPoint, thank you

Reply to HiPointDem (Reply #8)

Mon Apr 2, 2012, 01:11 AM

Apr 2012

and the word is Cheney was on the list for some time. I don't need to question it. I want HC for all too, I cannot let my partisan views afflict this fundamental concern I have, health care for all people, even if they themselves don't want it. Tired of hate and vitriol, really damn tired of it, staying above that.