South Carolina man is facing blindness because his state failed to expand Medicaid...he blames Obama

[Cali_Democrat]

Sure...blame the black guy.



-----------------------------------
Just Shake Your Head
By JOSH MARSHALL Published MAY 12, 2015, 9:17 AM EDT

<...>

Luis Lang needs an expensive eye operation to save his eyesight. But he can't afford it, can't get covered for the procedure and he blames President Obama and his over-complicated ACA legislation.

As the Charlotte Observer explains, Lang is a self-employed handyman who works as a contractor with banks and the federal government to maintain foreclosed properties. He was making a decent living, enough to be the sole breadwinner in the family. As the Observer puts it, Lang "he has never bought insurance. Instead, he says, he prided himself on paying his own medical bills."

All seemed good until this February when a series of headaches led him to the doctor. Tests revealed that Lang had suffered a series of mini-strokes tied to diabetes. (It's not clear to me from the piece whether Lang knew he had diabetes earlier or whether that was the diabetes diagnosis as well.) He now also has a partially detached retina and eye bleeding tied to his diabetes. The initial medical care for the mini-strokes ran to almost $10,000 and burned through his savings. And now he can't work because of his eye issue and can't afford the surgery that would save his eyesight and also allowing him to continue working.

<...>

Since Lang now has no income, he should be eligible for the ACA's expanded Medicaid coverage, for which the federal government picks up tab. But Lang lives in Fort Mill, South Carolina. And South Carolina refused to accept Medicaid expansion. So he's out of luck on that front too.

Just to recap: Lang broke the law by refusing to get health insurance coverage because he prided himself on being able to pay his bills out of pocket. But he got sick and actually had too little savings to cover even relatively small health care bills. By now open enrollment has closed. But he figured he'd be able to buy in if he got in a jam or wait till he got sick to buy coverage. Luckily the ACA's Medicaid expansion covers him regardless. But the state of South Carolina refused to accept Medicaid expansion even though the federal government would pay for it. Lang is left in precisely the situation that would exist if the ACA had never been passed. So he blames Obama.

http://talkingpointsmemo.com/edblog/just-shake-your-head

[HassleCat]

1. We Knew This Woud Happen

Yep. We all knew we would hear this exact story. During the ACA debate, we heard from all the gamblers, the people determined to beat the odds by staying healthy and not buying insurance until the day before they got sick. And we knew, just as certainly as we know apples grow on apple trees, that some of them would miscalculate and demand the government bail them out. And here comes Mr. Lang, right on time. I think we should help him out because it's difficult to watch Fox News with detached retinas.

[Romeo.lima333]

2. behold the southern american intellect*

[GusBob]

3. Something in this story does not add up

as indicated, regarding the diabetes

[daredtowork]

25. I believe it

Though it's a shame the GoFundMe bail out will basically allow him to go on blaming Obama for the situation, since media attention will avert the consequences. But don't assume he's the only one in this situation just because he got some media attention.

My eyesight was degrading from hemorrhages for years because of an underlying genetic disorder. However, before the ACA, I had no access to Medi-Cal (California's version of Medicaid) because you could only get it if you were on SSI/SSDI - and I was not yet disabled enough to qualify. I had to wait to become blind - at which point it would probably be too late to do very much, and I'd then be on public assistance for ever. Retinal specialists are very hard to access, and the treatment for my condition is very expensive. I appealed to a number of charity programs - Operation Access, Lion's Club - it never worked out.

The State really is willing to let someone go blind and route them toward public assistance rather than invest in averting that outcome and temporarily supporting them during treatment so they can pivot back to the workforce.

I was incredibly lucky. The ACA kicked the same month as the major blindness-causing hemorrhage. I was suddenly able to see a retinal specialist and get the treatment I needed. Sadly I still have scarring and distortions from all the years I couldn't get proper treatment, but thanks to that timely intervention, I'm not blind now. I can read and see to get around. But because the State isn't designed to help people who fall into poverty over longterm untreated disability, the only "safety net" for me was welfare (I applied for SSI once I was qualified - but it's a 3 year process). Welfare for single people is a miniscule subsidy toward shelter (a loan not a grant) and food stamps: it's not direct cash, and there is no money or vouchers for basic necessities, transportation, personal hygeine products, utility bills, or any of the other basic costs of life. So disabled people with no income have to live like that - scrambling around to various charity programs to meet their basic needs - for years while applying to SSI.

My life has been a torture chamber of "poverty bureaucracy" for the last three years - but I live in an area where there is some good will toward the poor and community programs that attempt to help people "navigate the system". I can't imagine living in a Red State area where the poor are relentlessly blamed for their own condition, and there is no one to help them deal with all the red tape and running around and bureaucratic errors that always occur at their expense. This is a problem that's going to result in free floating anger and a need to find someone to blame. Obama should be very proactive in communications, outreach, and perhaps throwing out the life rafts, if he doesn't want to end up as the target of that anger.

[GusBob]

30. No that part I believe

And I am sorry about your situation.

It was some other things that were cleared up in subsequent news reports. I did not want to speculate without facts

[GentryDixon]

4. Does that mean he will have to give up his government contract?

The hypocrisy is astounding. He is getting no love at all from the Charlotte Observer commenters, and his Gofundme page is being populated by liberals who are doing most of the donating, with a good lose of advise along with their dollars.

I have no sympathy for this man. Keep on paying $5.00 a pack for those cigarettes while you go without insurance for lack of funds!

[Sunlei]

64. future contracts yes. But he will have 'income' from the donations so he can go to healthcare.gov.

I hope his Gofundme page was started by him and isn't a scam by some other person.

[Contrary1]

5. Bake sale time at the church...

That's how these things are paid for. He's Repub, he should know that.

[stevenleser]

6. !

[Romeo.lima333]

7. he has a house valued at $300,000 AND a go fund me site

how does he feel about pizza at a wedding. how many times do you suppose he called potus the n-word. i wonder how many names he called us dems . we're the moochers, the takers, the 47%. we're the terroist-loving america-troop haters, commies marxist nazi's hitler, hell go to discussionist and you can see exactly how he feels about half the people in the country. sorry no sympathies here

Just to recap: Lang broke the law by refusing to get health insurance coverage because he prided himself on being able to pay his bills out of pocket. But he got sick and actually had too little savings to cover even relatively small health care bills. By now open enrollment has closed. But he figured he'd be able to buy in if he got in a jam or wait till he got sick to buy coverage. Luckily the ACA's Medicaid expansion covers him regardless. But the state of South Carolina refused to accept Medicaid expansion even though the federal government would pay for it. Lang is left in precisely the situation that would exist if the ACA had never been passed. So he blames Obama.

btw didnt the gop bread-bag lady say all you need to do was go to the church for help

[onethatcares]

13. you knocked that one outa the park

although I was expecting the subject of the OP to be "floriduhman"

Peace out my friend.

[Hoyt]

8. Blaming/bashing Obama seems popular everywhere nowadays.

[HassleCat]

10. good thing

when i forget to caplitize and punkchuate and use spell checker, it's obamas fault

[blm]

9. I think the situation is providing a valuable service - spread this article.

The Charlotte Observer article is EXCELLENT.

This case is a perfect example of GOP's idiocy and lack of any true morality.

[blm]

11. KICKING^^^^^ it needs to be read.

And shared.

Especially with every Republican you know.

[Cali_Democrat]

12. Thanks. nt

[blm]

20. No - thank YOU for posting the article. This thread should be on FIRE

and being spread all over the internet.

[AtomicKitten]

14. Well, Mr. Lang is just plain stupid.

[Cali_Democrat]

15. That about sums it up. nt

[killbotfactory]

16. he'd be just as screwed if obamacare never passed. nt

[blm]

17. He's too dumb to know that.

Hey old-timer. Been a long while. ; )

[killbotfactory]

18. I usually lurk these days.

I don't have the energy to participate in another primary battle.

[blm]

19. heheheheheh…...

I know - I've been trying to use my posts to try and put OUT some of the unnecessary flames.

Still…it was great to see your name pop up.

[Tanuki]

28. He would have been even MORE screwed, because with a pre-existing condition like diabetes

and being self-employed, he was uninsurable. With the ACA, he would have been accepted into a plan regardless of his personal health history, if he had only been responsible enough to sign up.

[Demeter]

21. It is right and meet to blame the Sponsor of a plan so flawed

That 17% of the population is still uninsured, and NOBODY gets good healthcare....unless they are billionaires.

[KamaAina]

22. Going blind, is he?

Wonder what he's been up to? Probably something involving Sarah Palin's old campaign speeches.

[vkkv]

24. Are you suggesting the over-use of palm cheat notes?

[vkkv]

23. Are there actually more idiots in the South?

Voter turnout and elections would suggest so.

[Sheldon Cooper]

26. I assumed the guy was dirt poor with no options.

Turns out he lives in a house valued at $300K. I'm thinking he needs to sell that ASAP and use the money for the surgery, or take out a second mortgage or something. I sure as hell would, before I'd lose my eyesight over it.

[Bluenorthwest]

27. 300K buys a hell of a house in Fort Mill, South Carolina.....

http://www.realtor.com/realestateandhomes-search/Fort-Mill_SC/beds-2/price-250000-320000

[TexasBushwhacker]

31. He needs to sell it before the bank takes it

He won't be able to get a second mortgage because he has no income.

I looked up his address on whitepages.com . The house is 3300 square feet and is valued at $300 to $330K. He paid $284K for it in 2005, so assuming he put at least 10% down, he should be able to clear quite a tidy sum. It's amazing the info you can find on the web! But he's still asking for the kindness, and dollars, of strangers.

One thing he mentioned was that he used to be able to see his ophthalmologist for $80 because he didn't have insurance. I wonder if they knew he lived in such pricey digs. It seems that he's been asking for handouts for a while.

[genxlib]

48. I would not assume so

2005 was the height of bad lending so this could easily be zero down no documentation.

They were even making loans where the principal rose over time not to mention second mortgages.

It would not surprise me if he had zero or even negative equity in the house.

I would not take on such loans but then again, I wouldn't go without insurance either.

[TexasBushwhacker]

49. You are probably right

It's difficult for the self-employed to get regular mortgages with low interest rates. He may have gotten a stated income loan (aka Liars Loan), or a loan with a balloon payment. Sucks to be him.

[Contrary1]

29. Update: He's still an asshat

SC man on road to sight-saving surgery as liberal money rolls in

The Fort Mill, S.C., Republican who went public Tuesday with his plea for help paying for sight-saving surgery had raised almost $8,500 by Wednesday morning – most of it from self-described liberals and Affordable Care Act supporters saying they hope he’s learned a lesson.

<snip>

“It turned into a political thing,” Lang said. “That wasn’t my intention when I reached out. This is ridiculous.”

So has he learned anything from this experience?

“I did,” he said.

Figuring out exactly what that was took some follow-up.

Although there has been extensive coverage of the Affordable Care Act since it was passed in 2010, Lang, who gets his news from local TV and the Internet, didn’t know about the Medicaid gap or the fact that income fluctuations can make it difficult to calculate subsidies. He believes his case has helped people understand that.

“I hold the whole government responsible for this, state and federal,” he said. Greed from medical providers and the government also add to the flaws in the system, Lang said.

Read more here: http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/health-care/health-care-challenge-blog/article20822808.html#storylink=cpy

[Ilsa]

32. IOW, he still blames everyone else and still gets his

Information and news from wingnuts.

[blm]

34. The Charlotte Observer writer is taking a great approach, imo.

She just lays it all out there - no commentary needed. The facts about ACA, the subject and his circumstances, plus his words tell the whole story.

[LiberalElite]

46. He blames Obama and didn't intend for it to turn into "a political thing"??? nt

[SoCalNative]

33. Karma's a bitch

eom

[jwirr]

35. Okay lets get real. He has no savings and no income. He does not need extended Medicaid. He

should be eligible for plain old Medicaid. He should go down to the local social services department and apply. He should have been talking to them long ago.

And above all if the state did not extend Medicaid it is NOT Obama's fault. It was the governor that made that decision.

[TexasBushwhacker]

37. States aren't required to cover able bodied adults

What he needs to do is apply for SSDI. If he gets that, he might be able to get Medicaid, or be eligible for a state or county program.

[jwirr]

39. I forgot some states do that. You are right regarding the SSDI.

[sinkingfeeling]

52. He has too many assets for for Medicare, doesn't he?

[jwirr]

58. IMO - yes but the application also says that your home - the one you live in - is exempt.

[Contrary1]

36. His own update:

UPDATE #2 1 HOUR AGO

First of all I would like to thank ALL of the wonderful people that have donated to help me in my time of need. And I do mean everybody. When I started this I never meant it to became a political war. I am a honest person and I have to give a big thumbs up to the liberal side. Even though you have crucified me in your comments but you spoke with your heart with the donations. I respect everybody opinion whether I agree with you or not. That is why we live in the U.S.A. home of the free and free speech. As far as the conservative side I wish they would step up to the plate and do there part. Again thank you all and i will be posting updates with my condition.

UPDATE #3

sorry one last thing I have to hand it to the liberal side you sure do know how to get the word out when you dislike something. I say shame on the conservative bloggers for resting on there laurels.

[TexasBushwhacker]

38. I gave him some advice in the comments section

But until he has an update admitting he was wrong, he's me.not getting a dime from. One guy commented that h't let him.e tried to donate bootstraps, but GoFundMe wouldn't let him. LOL

[AikenYankee]

40. Bootstraps! lol

[chloes1]

43. Posted about this earlier today...

He's a right winger, who still hasn't figured out why he is in the boat he's in. Seriously?! The President's fault?? Everything I have read indicates that he listened to Faux "news" and wants you and me to think he doesn't understand about enrollment periods... please! That's been explained to death, I should think.

He keeps getting caught not being entirely truthful about the circumstances as well.... jerk

[TexasBushwhacker]

45. I bet dollars to donuts he hasn't been reporting

all his income, as he is "self employed". Which means if and when he gets SSDI it's not going to be much. Not that it ever is.

[treestar]

41. is he just not knowing or is he a right winger

If he's a right winger, he should take personal responsibility for not getting insurance.

If he just doesn't understand, somebody tell him SC is to blame.

[TexasBushwhacker]

44. He hasn't applied for SSDI because "it takes too long"

Well it really takes a long time if you DON'T APPLY!

[sorefeet]

53. I think he doesn't qualify

for SSDI. Being self employed he skirted paying into it and doesn't want to get caught. Ask my right wing bible thumping self employed aunt and uncle how it worked out for them.

[TexasBushwhacker]

59. Unless he never filed an income tax return

he must have paid somethhing in, even if he didn't report all his income. But yes, it might invite audits and judgements, maybe even jail time for tax evasion. Maybe they would do the eye surgery in prison!

His best option is for his wife to take a job, any job, for an employer that offers health insurance. Of course, he may have gotten enough donations by then.

[Sunlei]

63. have a bit of empathy, it must be terrifying to go blind,have no income or family to help.

[Rosa Luxemburg]

42. republican dominated South Carolina

somebody needs to explain to him

[Jack-o-Lantern]

47. He still won't 'get' it.

[IronLionZion]

50. The whole concept of insurance is socialism

The free market encourages one to pay cash for all goods and services and not pool risk through a collectivist concept whether it is private insurance or public insurance (Medicaid/single payer).

Conservatives are welcome to avoid insurance and pay the fine, and take their chances with their health.

Conservatives and those in red states are already seeing the negative consequences of their choices as liberals and those in blue states are benefiting from "socialism".

[DinahMoeHum]

51. No cure for stupid among some people. . .

[Phentex]

54. You mean he was already blind.

what an idiot.

[SunSeeker]

55. This man was blind even before his eye problems.

[spanone]

56. he's an ignorant fool

[Sheldon Cooper]

57. Thanks to liberals, it looks like he's going to get his surgery.

http://www.charlotteobserver.com/news/business/health-care/health-care-challenge-blog/article20822808.html

The Fort Mill, S.C., Republican who went public Tuesday with his plea for help paying for sight-saving surgery had raised almost $12,000 by Wednesday evening – most of it from self-described liberals and Affordable Care Act supporters saying they hope he’s learned a lesson.

That’s enough to ensure he can get the treatment he needs, said Dr. Andrew Antoszyk, an eye surgeon with Charlotte Eye, Ear, Nose and Throat Associates. After reading Luis Lang’s story in the Observer on Wednesday, Antoszyk said he’d work with Lang and with Novant Health to give him the care at reduced cost.

Lang, a self-employed handyman, declined to get health insurance until he needed expensive surgery for diabetes-related eye problems. His story went viral, spurring blogs and comments, national media commentary, thousands of social media shares and vigorous discussions across the country.

His GoFundMe.com page has been shared on social media more than 1,700 times since Tuesday morning, with more than 600 people making small donations, often with political commentary.

Good. I'm glad he's getting help, and I hope he is humble enough to recognize that his political beliefs are counterproductive and stupid.

[Sunlei]

60. for self-employed, Lang go to health care. gov and 'guesstimate' income, pick

your insurance. all you have to do to get the Federal subsidy to pay for the insurance is earn more then your states poverty wage. Self-employed are asked to guess/estimate your yearly income.

Thanks to ACA no insurance can refuse your pre-existing medical condition.

[TexasBushwhacker]

61. He skipped the open enrollment period

He won't be able to enroll until the next open enrollment at the end of this year. Then he will be covered on January 1st.

[Sunlei]

62. no, new persons can enroll anytime OR even a 'job/income' change allows enrollment anytime.

I can change my insurance today just by 'moving to my friends address' 10 miles away or saying my self-employed 'guess' on income is changing .... or I got a cut-off notice for utilities and can no longer afford premium.