BAR wrote:
Boater wrote:
Tom Francis - SWSports wrote:
On Thu, 13 Nov 2008 08:38:41 -0500, Boater
wrote:

One more time: most retirees on fixed incomes cannot afford to lay
out $2300 for necessary surgery. You're a rich retiree. Your
perspective is not relevant to retirees who are trying to decide
whether to buy food or medicine because they cannot afford both.

It's called personal responsibility - something that is sorely lacking
in post-modern society.

However, let's take your posit and extend it a little bit. Why should
the working union man who retires have to rely on the public dole for
health care? Why can't he rely on his Union to help him - he was a
Union man his entire life, made a good living, maybe lived to his
economic ability without saving for future rainy days - he lived the
good life with the Union, why not rely on the Union to help him
continue that life?


What if he didn't have a pension through the union?

Why didn't the union see to it that he had a pension? Why wasn't the
union looking out for its members?

What if the pension he had through his union was very small?

Why didn't the union see to it that he had a pension that would enable
him to continue to live at the same quality of life when he retired? Why
wasn't the union looking out for its members?

What if the employer with whom his union negotiated a pension
completely or partially welched on the pension and he's only getting
part of what was agreed to, and only because of the pension guarantee
agency? That happens frequently.

The union screwed up and should take it on the chin and pay for the guys
pension out of the unions treasury. The union member relied upon the
union management to look out for him and union management failed him.

Or are you saying retired union members without pensions should be
able to have their health care paid through the general fund of the
union?

Yes. What other purpose is there in being in a union if it is not going
to lookout for the general welfare of its members through their working
life and into retirement. The union derived a benefit from having them
as a member. But, it appears that when they can't keep tossing money
into the union coffers the retired union members get kicked to the curb.

Or maybe he did save enough, but he's been nearly wiped out by recent
medical bills in his family.

Happens to union and non union people all of the time. They have
insurance that will cover situations like this. All you have to do is
purchase it. I am surprised that the union did not make the member aware
of this situation and how the union member could protect themselves. Or,
why doesn't the union negotiate for a group policy, they could get great
rates for their members.

Most middle income retirees are not that "Fixed" well enough to be
able to handle the costs of serious surgery or an extended hospital stay.

See response above.

In many cases, being flatlined by medical expenses when you are
retired has very little to do with "personal responsibility."

It has a whole lot to do with personal responsibility.




You obviously are not someone to be taken seriously.