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US doctor forgives $650k in medical bills for cancer patients

bbc.com

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Re: US doctor forgives $650k in medical bills for cancer patients

#51

Post by efwfwef »

hliyan wrote: post #29
amitport wrote: post #24

Why is this an article? People and organizations (even banks) and governments erase debt all the time. Sometimes it's from kindness, sometimes for PR, usually because they're unable to collect it. You can't really tell the difference among the cases.

I'm a long time HN reader interested mostly in tech content, but I was happy to hear this story. Yes, it speaks to a systemic issue. Yes, there are many others doing this. This is one person basically giving up half-a-million dollars. I worry about a world where a story about that needs justification.

I worry about a world where we read this, and we feel good about ourselves, and we forget that people live without healthcare.

Re: US doctor forgives $650k in medical bills for cancer patients

#52

Post by nobrains »

Sorry, if this is another angle, but I would have been more happy if instead of mentioning US doctor (or in addition to mentioning it), they would have mentioned his traits viz. "muslim" and "pakistani-origin". (I am happy none the less)

Muslims are currently vilified, and Pakistani isn't in the best books right now. So, a little nod to someone who did good being muslim and pakistani-origin goes a long way to neutralize stereo types, without taking away the good work from anyone.

He studied at University of Peshawar. You know, the same Peshawar where OBL was found (edit: sorry, OBL was found in Abbotabad). Throwing some positive light there will help the millions (Pakistan is a very populous country) raise their self-worth.

And regarding erasing debt, you have to realize that it is not easy, especially when family is involved. There will be children who will have wanted to have that money for themselves, and slightly poorer relatives who would have said "why not us first". So, helping strangers (well, client, but still not relatives or friends) should be applauded whenever it happens. Also, direct payments (or debt relief) is the best. No leak into admin expenses.

Re: US doctor forgives $650k in medical bills for cancer patients

#53

Post by nether »

efwfwef wrote: post #43

Good for that patient, what about the other patients who didn't get that chance?

They didn't get the chance, just like I didn't get the chance for this and a million other benefits. The trolley ran them over but we can still divert it to prevent harming others.

Re: US doctor forgives $650k in medical bills for cancer patients

#54

Post by toshk »

arcticbull wrote: post #23
Aerroon wrote: post #20

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It's inevitable that medical care in some way is tied to personal wealth. Some treatments are so expensive and/or niche that public programs likely wouldn't cover them. Such treatments will probably always exist. (And if they didn't, then that could he a problem by itself.) But at least basic modern healthcare (things that existed ~20 years ago) should be provided as (mostly) free to the patient. We need people to no…

> It's inevitable that medical care in some way is tied to personal wealth. Some treatments are so expensive and/or niche that public programs likely wouldn't cover them. Such treatments will probably always exist. (And if they didn't, then that could he a problem by itself.) Not in a single-payer state, no. It's also not really a problem in and of itself. You'll find that if cancer treatments are actually cheaper an…

There are a few treatments that work well but are just to expensive to be viable. For instance a few decades there was a gene therapy developed for people with a gene deficiency that blocks them from digesting fats. If I remember correctly it was developed in Canada. Even though it cured the people, it was and is too expensive for it to be used at the moment.

Re: US doctor forgives $650k in medical bills for cancer patients

#55

Post by rangibaby »

tlrobinson wrote: post #44
alphabettsy wrote: post #28

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It’s intentional. They save billions using this practice because some people don’t have the time, knowledge or resources to dispute.

Are there services that will handle this nonsense for you?

In rich countries outside of the US it’s called “the government”

Re: US doctor forgives $650k in medical bills for cancer patients

#56

Post by arcticbull »

grey-area wrote: post #49
arcticbull wrote: post #37

Earlier quoted context omitted.

The QALY metric they mention is exactly what I had in mind, actually, very cool. Wealth won't get you better care, or faster care, or different in the NHS. That's the point I was making, and your article supports that position. > "You'd have to go elsewhere and on your own dime for expensive treatments." [In a single payer system there's nowhere else to go.] (retracted)

The majority of single payer systems don't outlaw private care. There are private hospitals in the UK for example. Single payer is about removing insurance companies from the process (saving money), standardising care (saving money, improving outcomes), collective bargaining for drugs (saving money), providing a base level of care to all (saving money and improving QOL). But it doesn't usually forbid spending money o…

Indeed, and I retract my final sentence.

Re: US doctor forgives $650k in medical bills for cancer patients

#57

Post by fraggle_sock »

starpilot wrote: post #3

He has done more good than legions of software engineers who make multiples of his income.

Let's not devalue any one person's job or contribution. However, inequality of pay is real and it's a massive disparity that must be addressed.

Another way of looking at it: the persons who clean the hospital are equally as valuable to the organisation as the doctors and nurses are. Without medical care, patients suffer and die. With an unclean hospital, patients suffer and die.

Everyone should be paid roughly the same, with a reasonable stipend for extra time spent training. No good reason that a doctor should be on hundreds of thousands in salary per year, and a cleaner subsists on a minimal wage.

Same goes for software engineers.

Re: US doctor forgives $650k in medical bills for cancer patients

#58

Post by Chris2048 »

Pfhreak wrote: post #16

This is a prime example of a feel good story that is papering over systemic problems. We're meant to read this and think this doctor is a good person (and they are, at least for this act) rather than, "how is it possible there was this much medical debt for cancer treatment to forgive?" Yes, debt forgiveness is great and something we can all do as mutual aid, but we also need to acknowledge that the deeply flawed ide…

> the deeply flawed idea that healthcare should be a "marketplace"

It should be a marketplace. instead, it's a racket.

Re: US doctor forgives $650k in medical bills for cancer patients

#59

Post by ryzvonusef »

nobrains wrote: post #52

Sorry, if this is another angle, but I would have been more happy if instead of mentioning US doctor (or in addition to mentioning it), they would have mentioned his traits viz. "muslim" and "pakistani-origin". (I am happy none the less) Muslims are currently vilified, and Pakistani isn't in the best books right now. So, a little nod to someone who did good being muslim and pakistani-origin goes a long way to neutral…

OBL was found in Abbottabad

/minor_nitpick

Re: US doctor forgives $650k in medical bills for cancer patients

#60

Post by imgabe »

Pfhreak wrote: post #16

This is a prime example of a feel good story that is papering over systemic problems. We're meant to read this and think this doctor is a good person (and they are, at least for this act) rather than, "how is it possible there was this much medical debt for cancer treatment to forgive?" Yes, debt forgiveness is great and something we can all do as mutual aid, but we also need to acknowledge that the deeply flawed ide…

It was for 200 people, that's an average of $3250 per person.
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