It seems the most likely scenario is that she underestimated the legal system and the lawyers took advantage of that. If she had taken the time to hire an attorney, she probably wouldn't be in this situation.
That being said, it is hard to get money when the traditional methods (insurance) fails when there is a somewhat high chance of not surviving the surgery. The institutions capable of giving that kind of money are not doing so out of the kindness of their hearts but to make a buck and if she dies there will be no way to recoup that money.
As a side note, I think it would be interesting to make a crowd funding site dedicated to raising money to cover health costs. Bring the "burden" back to the community rather than the government. But that's just a passing thought and not meant to spark a political debate.
It is a system that takes people at their most vulnerable and squeezes them for every last dime.
If you don't have good and capable family, friends, advocates looking out for you, and if your own strength -- perhaps, likely even, also cognitive -- is compromised, you're well on your way to being screwed.
Many other societies (although certainly not all, but many other "Western" societies) have come to view healthcare as a primary means of investing in their people and in a communal, mutually beneficial future. The U.S. derived term "human resources" gives a hint at how human beings are viewed by many institutions -- and individuals -- in the U.S. There is also a malaise of short-term thinking; if you're not any good at the moment -- or rather, not approximating some ideal choice or simulating the appearance of same -- you're not worth any investment.
Comments
It seems the most likely scenario is that she underestimated the legal system and the lawyers took advantage of that. If she had taken the time to hire an attorney, she probably wouldn't be in this situation.
That being said, it is hard to get money when the traditional methods (insurance) fails when there is a somewhat high chance of not surviving the surgery. The institutions capable of giving that kind of money are not doing so out of the kindness of their hearts but to make a buck and if she dies there will be no way to recoup that money.
As a side note, I think it would be interesting to make a crowd funding site dedicated to raising money to cover health costs. Bring the "burden" back to the community rather than the government. But that's just a passing thought and not meant to spark a political debate.
It is a system that takes people at their most vulnerable and squeezes them for every last dime.
If you don't have good and capable family, friends, advocates looking out for you, and if your own strength -- perhaps, likely even, also cognitive -- is compromised, you're well on your way to being screwed.
Many other societies (although certainly not all, but many other "Western" societies) have come to view healthcare as a primary means of investing in their people and in a communal, mutually beneficial future. The U.S. derived term "human resources" gives a hint at how human beings are viewed by many institutions -- and individuals -- in the U.S. There is also a malaise of short-term thinking; if you're not any good at the moment -- or rather, not approximating some ideal choice or simulating the appearance of same -- you're not worth any investment.