Former DEATH/CONTROL DENIED Guitarist Suffers Heart Attack; Financial Assistance Need

[beyond dead]

free health care in canada is killer. I agree that some people are careless, and it is kind of unfair that we have to pay for it especially since I dont ever get sick. I used to be pissed about welfare bums too, cause I lived with 2 of them, and The money I paid in taxes every month equalled what they each got from welfare every month lol.

but I think it is worth it to pay a little more (not very much) to have nicer roads, cleaner cities, less sick people and free health care. I dont think people, and their loved ones should be faced with financial turmoil in times of illness and near death. To me it is inhumane to let someone die because they cant afford to have medical treatment that is available whether they have self inflicted the injury or not. this is my opinion though, and a big part of why I love my country so damn much!

 

[grywolf627]

i think that if you've made a name for yourself somewhat and your music has touched peoples lives, it's fair enough to try whatever you can to get your medical bills paid for. it's not a case of the hospital giving him better care because of 'who he is'. its only fans of his/death who will donate

in an interview with richard christy he said he never made enough money to live off doing death and i'm sure shannon has never made much money from the bands he's been in.

Sorry, when I said "treatment", I wasn't referring to the level of care he would get from hospital staff. I'm sure they have no idea who he is (as I don't either). I was referring to treatment by the general public. Sorry for the misunderstanding.

I (respectfully) disagree with you, however. As I said, I know of at least three people in the same positions. Hospital bills in the $100K range, due to unforseen circumstances (stroke, heart attack, tumor). Each of these people are just average, hard working people, with normal jobs, doing their best to get by. I see no one trying to raise donations for them. It's the same as when I see Oprah give away cars to people, or ABC TV network giving houses to families on Extreme Makeover. I don't dispute the people are "needy", and could use help. However, there are many more people in the same boat, if not worse, that have to tough it out on their own. So, why single out someone because they are a minor celebrity? Please don't misunderstand me. I'm sorry this person has suffered a major medical condition. I'm sorry he now has monstrous bills to pay. I wish him a speedy recovery and the best of luck. But I've seen this kind of thing from several music and entertainment "celebrities", including one that asked for donations to pay his custody/legal bills...and this always irks me.

 

[egan.]

You just described health insurance there. Would you buy into a health insurance plan where you weren't responsible for just you, but for everyone? I wouldn't... it's a terrible idea.

The problem is if you are paying for insurance now you already are paying for everyone. How do you think the cost of guys like Shannon is covered when he can't pay? By passing it on to the insurance companies who pass it on to us. We spend twice as much per person on healthcare as any other first world nation ($7k/person/year).
I totally understand your concerns but the realities are pretty different than you are perceiving them.

 

[Force666]

I pretty much agree with Kev....but, at the same time, it didn't really need to be said. That's why we all have the option to not donate.

 

[Hamish666]

I think alot of the views by people on this site are VERY biased todo with healthcare reform but I'm not going to get involved

and why should we help him just becuase he is a musician? Well because he is a person and IMO no one should have to die of something that can be treated in a strait forward manner regardless of what society thinks of them.

 

[Kazrog]

Not being funny, but IMO live by the sword, die by the sword and dont expect people to pay for your medical treatment when you've been living it up.

Do you know something that we don't? People can have heart attacks at any age, for no apparent reason. A good friend of mine in college, an awesome bassist, died of a heart defect in his sleep. He was 19. Seriously, what the hell is up with this comment?

 

[NickL]

You just described health insurance there. Would you buy into a health insurance plan where you weren't responsible for just you, but for everyone?

I would if it guaranteed me that the insurance company wouldn't drop me as soon as I contract an illness. This has happened to two people I know, including my father who has diabetes and had to pay out the ass for his medication for five years until he was eligible for medicare. During a hearing this year the top six insurance companies were asked if they practice this type of behavior and they all answered yes.

It would also be nice to be able to get my xanax again. My insurance quit paying for it earlier this year but I suppose I can put up with having the urge to kill now and then.

 

[STINNETT]

I think alot of the views by people on this site are VERY biased todo with healthcare reform but I'm not going to get involved

and why should we help him just becuase he is a musician? Well because he is a person and IMO no one should have to die of something that can be treated in a strait forward manner regardless of what society thinks of them.

I really don't think the question is should he have to die from it, of course nobody thinks that, the question is whether or not he should be broke because of it. No disrespect to Shannon, but yes, he should be broke. He opted to carry no health insurance. That's how it works here.

There is nothing about being a musician that prevents you from having health insurance. You pay for it like everyone else. If the music gig isn't paying for it, you find something else. He gambled and now he'll pay for it. I don't mean for that to sound heartless, what happened to the guy is terrible and I wish him the best; I'm just commenting on the talking point that has come up here.

And I'm not going to come down on the guy (or his family or whatever) for trying to raise money, that's fine by me. But I'll make it known that I can't afford to contribute to the cause because I spend $8,000 a year on health insurance.

 

[ParsonsMatt]

I would if it guaranteed me that the insurance company wouldn't drop me as soon as I contract an illness. This has happened to two people I know, including my father who has diabetes and had to pay out the ass for his medication for five years until he was eligible for medicare. During a hearing this year the top six insurance companies were asked if they practice this type of behavior and they all answered yes.

It would also be nice to be able to get my xanax again. My insurance quit paying for it earlier this year but I suppose I can put up with having the urge to kill now and then.

Yeah, that shit is REALLY fucked up..

I'd never claim that our health system is perfect or that we shouldn't change it, but I don't think socializing it is a step in the right direction. Insurance reform, definitely. Malpractice suit reform, definitely. Government owned... no.

 

[RemoWilliams]

So, what do people want the government to do? Cause' recently I'm getting the impression people want mobs to rule the world.

 

[StoneLord]

So, what do people want the government to do? Cause' recently I'm getting the impression people want mobs to rule the world.

I get the impression that the loud stupid minority just want the government to be republican again.

 

[NickL]

I get the impression that the loud stupid minority just want the government to be republican again.

Well I'm pretty sure 40 percent of them or so voted republican last election so I can't really say I'm surprised.

 

[Glenn Fricker]

I wonder if the amount of taxes it takes to provide free healthcare to all is cheaper than private healthcare? That would be an interesting study to see.

Yes it is. Private care is in it for profit.

I can't for the life of me understand the opposition to public care in the US. Stealth Bombers for $1 Billion apiece? No problem!
F22 Raptors that don't work in the rain? Sure!
Health care for the lazy fucks down the road? No fucking way! Not with my tax dollars!

 

[Erkan]

Yes it is. Private care is in it for profit.

Exactly, as with most other private things. Why else go private?

I can't for the life of me understand the opposition to public care in the US. Stealth Bombers for $1 Billion apiece? No problem!
F22 Raptors that don't work in the rain? Sure!
Health care for the lazy fucks down the road? No fucking way! Not with my tax dollars!

I won't get all deep into this subject since I'm not an american/don't live in the states but damn that was funny and pretty well put Glenn.

 

[kev]

Seriously, what the hell is up with this comment?

And I'm not going to come down on the guy (or his family or whatever) for trying to raise money, that's fine by me. But I'll make it known that I can't afford to contribute to the cause because I spend $8,000 a year on health insurance.

I just think it is morally a poor show when people like Stinett are putting Eight Thousand Dollars per year into cover and then someone else comes along and snaps it all up free, pretty simple. Where does it all stop? Should I put you down to pay for my surgery if I move to the States? Maybe someone would like to pay for my Guiness too? I've witnessed similar situations in the past where people have been burnt bad. There was even one incident where a donation fund was set up for some kid to get sent to Hungary for a specific opp (he lives local to me). Next thing I know, his parents are having a conservatory built with the cash people had kindly donated, and the kid was never sent to hungary- he's still got his disorder now.

But that's my stance If we all took the same opinion as Shannon and lived in the States there would either be a rising deathtoll, or paypal would become significantly richer than they are now

 

[Fox Mulder]

Dammit, I'm wiring some cash ASAP.

 

[egan.]

I wonder if the amount of taxes it takes to provide free healthcare to all is cheaper than private healthcare? That would be an interesting study to see.

I'll point you here for starters. I just quoted a bunch on collected statistics but the point in fact is that Canada, France, Japan and England all of the countries with varied national plans spend about half on healthcare that we do stateside and provide better service.
It's also important to remember that half of all bankruptcies in the states are the result of health care expenses and many of those people had insurance. So you can be responsible and pay in your whole life and still end up losing everything.

I'm not defending anyone for being irresponsible. As a freelancer I've had to seek out my own HI for years now, but the current system is backwards, broken and more expensive than anyone's. Given a choice between writing a check to bluecross to cover me or writing the same check to the government to cover everyone I know what my choice would be. Of course that isn't even on the table. People are currently afraid of a government competitor to the insurance companies.

 

[John_C]

people dying or being ill due to the fact that they can't afford medical care/insurance or they aren't being supplied what they need on their insurance is bad for a country a whole.

Dead people can't work, don't pay ANY tax (we're talking poor people here, so inheritance taxes can be ignored), can't look after their children/elderly parent/anyone else who depends on them.

The infectious diseases they might have can spread, the general poverty degrades neighbourhoods (link to crime), kills tourist opportunities, reduces investment in the area by businesses etc etc etc

Imagine it as an investment in the general betterment of your country, not paying for freeloaders.

An example of socialist healthcare: A homeless man has TB, he ends up in hospital and is cured/dies in hospital
An example of privatised healthcare: A homeless man has TB, he passes the disease on to other homeless people before dying in an alley somewhere.
i'd pay a lot of money to be in the 1st country.

 

[SocialNumb]

Would have been nice to get this sort of reaction in my Doctors Without Borders thread. :Smug:

Not to discredit this fellow in need.

 

[neverpurify]

way to hijack a thread