I’m an Arizonan and I gotta say that when I first heard this on the local news I was totally disgusted. That said, it’s still very upsetting to hear terms such as fascist when describing my home state. Not everyone agrees with or supports our legislators, me included. So I decided to check how other states handle transplant issues. I was amazed to find that some states will deny transplants for all sorts of reasons, whether you have insurance or not. Legal medical marijuana is definitely a big no-no BTW. Check the following link for more info.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/russ-belville/the-denial-of-organ-trans_b_435348.html
Jeers!
speed
Yes this is true. For more information do a search on "Arizona Medicaid's 'Inhumane' Policy Depriving Hep C Patients Liver Transplant" Oct 7 or 10 of this year. So if you are poor and and are receiving Medicare to coverage your medical expenses and have End-Stage Liver Disease it is best to destroy your liver with alcohol or have any of the other numerous causes of liver disease, then have End-Stage Liver Disease due to chronic HCV infection.
As orphanedhawk says Arizona is known for its restrictions on the constitutional rights of its citizens and others and promotes this image proudly through its political rhetoric and state's legislation. So this move is not out of character for the present powers that be in the state.
Due to the state's financial situation the state's Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System recommended and the Arizona legislature has voted to make this change to what Arizona's Medicaid coverage services will include. They is their "wisdom" have decided to exclude persons with HCV from receiving liver transplants. There then project they will be able to save x millions of dollars.
There have been posting by a number of organizations and individuals attempting to paint this situation as a consequence of the new Health reform Bill passed by the Obama administration. Nothing could be further from the truth. This was a decision made but the Republican legislature of the State of Arizona who has the power and authority to decided what services the State of Arizona will provide to its citizens under its Medicaid system.
Cheers!
hectorsf
I think this was covered below by someone else but yes, Arizona is a fascist state. What's new about that?
I don't mean to sound snide but I have family living there and am therefore am not surprised.
This is a state that has prisoners out in that desert living in tents, no belief in rehabilitation, its all about punishment. In a state that was part of Mexico, has had indigenous peoples living there for centuries crossing borders to visit family, there is mass arrests against those who are not white skinned.
OMG, why did you get me started?
Sorry, I'm going back to my painting.