Summary: Stephanie Packer, a Californian woman diagnosed with the chronic autoimmune disease Scleroderma, was recently prescribed a chemotherapy drug by her doctors. Even though this medication could possibly lengthen her lifespan, her insurance refused to cover the costs. When Packer asked if they would pay for a drug that would end her life, they answered yes. Packer has said that she wants to spend as much time as she can with her husband and four children, teaching them "that death is a part of life." Fortunately, when she threatened to tell the media her story the drug was approved. Due to the frequency of problems like hers, Packer wishes to be the face of a Right to Live Movement.
Analysis: Due to the cheapness of many insurance companies, this happens all to often. Lately, it has felt like the country is trying to kill us, especially the ones without enough money. Everyone has the right to live, yet even this unalienable right, the same from the Declaration of Independence, is being taken away from us everyday. In our past, many of our liberties have been restricted, such as the tyrannous George III, but we eventually prevailed. Hopefully, we will take a lesson from those before us and learn that being cheapskates around human rights will get us nowhere.
(source)
It is truly heartbreaking to read stories like this time and time again. Companies seem to care more about money than actual human lives.
ReplyDeleteThis is so terrible the insurance company says "no" to a medication that will lengthen her lifespan but "yes" to a medication that will end it... I do also agree with what was stated in your analysis.
ReplyDeleteWoah, this is insane why would a company even wants this? This just sets the idea of how this society seems to care about money/business more than anything.
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