Man with breast cancer denied Medicaid because of his Gender.

Started by Wolfy, August 07, 2011, 08:24:23 PM

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Wolfy

http://www.nerve.com/news/politics/man-with-breast-cancer-denied-medicaid-coverage-because-of-his-gender

So yeah, the title says it all, really.

Apparently he's one of the rare cases of men having breast cancer, and was denied medicaid coverage because of his Gender.

Now, could this be related to the whole "Debt Ceiling" thing, or was he just denied purely because he's a man, and "men don't have breasts"?

o3o You decide!

Trieste

Actually, it says in several articles that he was denied for being male, and that there were three others that otherwise met income and eligibility requirements that were also denied due to being male.

It's ludicrous that these patients would be excluded due to gender, when males have mammary tissue just as women do. The fact that it doesn't protrude doesn't mean that it can't get cancerous.

Oniya

Peter Criss (drummer for Kiss) was successfully treated for breast cancer back in 2008.  I could have sworn he had some kind of awareness campaign going about it.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

DarklingAlice

This is baffling and more than a little horrid. Cancer hits us all the same way, you'd think that Medicaid would realize that. Not that the government is just hemorrhaging money to spare, but this is one case where I really hope we see a lawsuit and large settlement in his favor.
For every complex problem there is a solution that is simple, elegant, and wrong.


Brandon

That is absolutely horrid! Cant a lawsuit be filed on grounds of sexism? It seems like denying on grounds of gender alone would be highly illegal
Brandon: What makes him tick? - My on's and off's - My open games thread - My Away Thread
Limits: I do not, under any circumstances play out scenes involving M/M, non-con, or toilet play

Sure

Quote from: Brandon on August 08, 2011, 02:38:40 AM
That is absolutely horrid! Cant a lawsuit be filed on grounds of sexism? It seems like denying on grounds of gender alone would be highly illegal

Supreme Court has said discrimination on the grounds of gender is legal if you can reasonably justify it. It's why only men have to sign up for Selective Service, to give one example, or why men are the only ones who would be drafted were a draft to restart. That said, if Medicare itself has an anti-gender discrimination clause or bylaw he should be able to appeal/sue.

I agree, though: this is horrid and shameful.

Serephino

This is upsetting, but not surprising.  Cancer is expensive to treat, so what better way to avoid shelling it out?  They may not have tons of money lying around, but if he met every other qualification....  In this day and age this is just stupid.  If he got breast cancer then that obviously means he has breasts.  They're just a lot flatter than a woman. 

Star Safyre

My great-uncle had breast cancer, and there was a huge stigma surrounding it in the family.  Most of my relatives didn't even want to talk about why he was sick, even though other family members had endured cancer before with open support.  Thankfully he had insurance and was able to beat it.  I agree, it's just wrong for them to be denied solely by gender. 
My heaven is to be with him always.
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And I've written pages upon pages
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HockeyGod

Quote from: Wolfy on August 07, 2011, 08:24:23 PM
http://www.nerve.com/news/politics/man-with-breast-cancer-denied-medicaid-coverage-because-of-his-gender

So yeah, the title says it all, really.

Apparently he's one of the rare cases of men having breast cancer, and was denied medicaid coverage because of his Gender.

Now, could this be related to the whole "Debt Ceiling" thing, or was he just denied purely because he's a man, and "men don't have breasts"?

o3o You decide!

Medicaid eligibility and services are determined by states and probably have little or nothing to do with the debt ceiling. According to the legislation, if a state participates in Medicaid (all states do at this point) then they must provide a minimum level of services in order to receive federal fiscal participation. After that they can do as little or as much as they want.

RubySlippers

Quote from: Sure on August 08, 2011, 09:10:46 AM
Supreme Court has said discrimination on the grounds of gender is legal if you can reasonably justify it. It's why only men have to sign up for Selective Service, to give one example, or why men are the only ones who would be drafted were a draft to restart. That said, if Medicare itself has an anti-gender discrimination clause or bylaw he should be able to appeal/sue.

I agree, though: this is horrid and shameful.

Great precendent by the court men have to sign up and get drafted and women who can do many duties in the armed forces now don't.

But this is an illness and happens to be a man with breast cancer, men have breasts to just flat ones. Its crazy. Is it reasonable to justify this discrimination since its clearly a medical condition what does his gender have to do with it? Sadly his time is shorter than a woman with the same cancer if i'm correct doesn't it spread to vital areas faster than a woman with this cancer, I might be wrong.

Brandon

Quote from: Sure on August 08, 2011, 09:10:46 AM
Supreme Court has said discrimination on the grounds of gender is legal if you can reasonably justify it. It's why only men have to sign up for Selective Service, to give one example, or why men are the only ones who would be drafted were a draft to restart. That said, if Medicare itself has an anti-gender discrimination clause or bylaw he should be able to appeal/sue.

I agree, though: this is horrid and shameful.

20 and maybe even 10 years ago these things might have been reasonable but not in todays age. Women have taken great strides to be considered equal over the last 30-40 years. If women really want equality then that means being held to the same standard as every man and enjoying the perks as well as the pitfalls. If theres a draft any combat capable woman should be eligible for it and medicare most certainly should apply to men with breast cancer

Suggesting otherwise is what I consider unreasonable
Brandon: What makes him tick? - My on's and off's - My open games thread - My Away Thread
Limits: I do not, under any circumstances play out scenes involving M/M, non-con, or toilet play

Oniya

It's really not the same thing to compare this to the draft/Selective Service.  It's not about 'trying to be equal' or anything like that, it's simple biology.  You've got the part, you can get cancer in it.

It used to be that things like heart disease and ulcers were considered 'male' diseases.  It's one of the reasons that heart disease is the number one cause of death among women:  they think that they don't need to be tested for it, or pay as much attention to cardiac symptoms.  Similarly men don't do breast exams like women are told to do.  This man's situation is more comparable to a woman being told that she can't get Medicare coverage for heart disease 'because she's a woman'.

EDIT:  After reading alxnjsh's post below, I double-checked - both Medicare and Medicaid have a pamphlet they give out to educate women about heart disease.
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

HockeyGod

Quote from: Brandon on August 10, 2011, 05:06:45 PM
20 and maybe even 10 years ago these things might have been reasonable but not in todays age. Women have taken great strides to be considered equal over the last 30-40 years. If women really want equality then that means being held to the same standard as every man and enjoying the perks as well as the pitfalls. If theres a draft any combat capable woman should be eligible for it and medicare most certainly should apply to men with breast cancer

Suggesting otherwise is what I consider unreasonable

Medicaid, not Medicare. Medicare is a federal program and 100% federally regulated. Medicaid is a join state/federal program and administered by the states. They make most of the Medicaid rules. I know I'm being a stickler but it is a VASTLY different argument if we are talking about Medicare versus Medicaid.

I can't think of a good non-health care policy metaphor, but let's take the national guard and the army. Both serve and protect, but they are vastly different entities. For example, the Rhode Island National Guard just signed a contract for ammunition for $3 billion. Very different than if I were to say "the US Army just signed a contract for ammunition for $3 billion."

See the difference?

Quote from: alxnjsh on May 20, 2010, 08:56:17 PM
After reading a recent thread about a member's benefits, I thought I might put my PHD to work and do an overview of insurance as it exists in the U.S. I won't go into any of the nuts and bolts related to health care reform, but rather an overarching look at how insurance works in the U.S. for adults.

Private insurance
The US is based on a private insurance model. An individual (often through an employer) purchases health insurance. If through an employer, typically an employer pays a portion and then individual pays a portion. Private insurance plans are administered by non-profit or for-profit companies.

Medicaid
A federal and state joint program created in 1965 that provides health care coverage for low income individuals. Medicaid is administered by states and is a voluntary program (all states as of 1980 have a Medicaid program). States must provide a minimum benefit set required by the federal government, but have flexibility in additional benefit sets.

Medicare
A federal program created in 1965 that provides health care coverage for people 65+ who have paid into the Medicare system, have end stage renal disease, have ALS, or have been on Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI) for 24 months. Medicare does not pay for everything and what it does pay for it only pays a portion (approximately 80%). This can be confused with medicare which is Canada's social insurance program.

  • Part A: Hospital Insurance - required program
  • Part B: Medical Insurance - voluntary and costs
  • Part C: Medicare Advantage - a Medicare HMO
  • Part D: Prescription Drug Program - voluntary and costs
  • Medigap: a private health insurance program that pays for things Medicare doesn't pay for (such as dental and glasses)

State Programs
Many states offer a health care program that is between Medicaid (very low income) and Private Insurance (working/expensive).

Other Terms

  • Premium: the monthly amount you pay regardless of whether or not you use your insurance. Think of it like rent.
  • Co-Insurance/Payment: the amount you pay that your insurance won't pay. For example, a procedure costs $100, insurance will pay $80, and your co-pay is $20.
  • Deductible: the amount you pay out of pocket before your insurance pays.

If anyone wants to add any other information please feel free. If you have any questions also feel free to ask.

I ask again (like my sexual orientation/gender identity thread) that you not use this to debate US health care system...cause that went over so well in that thread  :o

Lipsy

Good Lord, cancer is cancer and needs treatment regardless of gender.
A case for a national health service I think.
But I know very few Americas who support the idea. I cannot understand why.

Oniya

The problem with nationalized health care is how the politicians (all of them) decided to set it up - by insisting that all Americans purchase private insurance, which many people these days (myself included) simply can't afford.  They refused to consider a single-payer system that would automatically pool risks. They wouldn’t even consider giving people the option of buying into it.  They came up with a compromise that kept health care in the hands of private insurance companies.  The only way to spread the risk in such a system is to require everyone buy insurance.

Unfortunately for that 'compromise', the government isn't allowed to do that.  They are, however, allowed to make withdrawals from your paycheck for things like Social Security and Medicare, however.  Oh look - there's a heath-care option set up already, along with how to finance it!  Without the private insurance companies driving up costs for procedures, health-care costs in general would go down.  What a concept!
"Language was invented for one reason, boys - to woo women.~*~*~Don't think it's all been done before
And in that endeavor, laziness will not do." ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think we're never gonna win this war
Robin Williams-Dead Poets Society ~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~Don't think your world's gonna fall apart
I do have a cause, though.  It's obscenity.  I'm for it.  - Tom Lehrer~*~All you need is your beautiful heart
O/O's Updated 5/11/21 - A/A's - Current Status! - Writing a novel - all draws for Fool of Fire up!
Requests updated March 17

Lipsy

Quote from: Oniya on August 15, 2011, 11:58:59 AM
The problem with nationalized health care is how the politicians (all of them) decided to set it up - by insisting that all Americans purchase private insurance, which many people these days (myself included) simply can't afford.  They refused to consider a single-payer system that would automatically pool risks. They wouldn’t even consider giving people the option of buying into it.  They came up with a compromise that kept health care in the hands of private insurance companies.  The only way to spread the risk in such a system is to require everyone buy insurance.

Unfortunately for that 'compromise', the government isn't allowed to do that.  They are, however, allowed to make withdrawals from your paycheck for things like Social Security and Medicare, however.  Oh look - there's a heath-care option set up already, along with how to finance it!  Without the private insurance companies driving up costs for procedures, health-care costs in general would go down.  What a concept!

That's how I understand it too. I think maybe the few Americans I know personally,  can well afford health care but they seem happy with the situation.
The British NHS has a lot of problems, but if you had breast cancer you'd be treated, man or woman. I hear good things about Canada's NHS too.

ColdBloodedJellyDoughnut

I got a scholarship to study at an American university, but had to turn it down because I couldn't afford the medical insurance. It's ridiculous.

In New Zealand, it's the policy that illness and injury is only covered up to a certain point, unless it was an accident (and even then there are limits). Recently, my grandmother fell over in the Feb 22nd Christchurch Earthquake. ACC, which processes accident claims for treatment, have said that she isn't covered, because they don't believe that it happened in the earthquake, and are accusing her of covering up an existing injury. In the meantime, she's in extreme pain. Ridiculous!

OT: At school we had a school-wide non-uniform day to raise money for the Breast Cancer Foundation, and one boy (sad to say, my ex-boyfriend), said that guys shouldn't have to pay because it doesn't affect them. I promptly told him that he was wrong, and then told him to go fuck himself. The teacher went mysteriously deaf ^^

I've heard some say that women can't get pancreatic cancer. Yes, it's more prominent in over-40s males, but that doesn't mean women and younger males can't get it. There's also the idea that women of a certain age are less susceptible to breast and cervical cancer. You still do the checks on yourself and go for your pap smear though, right? However small the chance is, there's still a chance.
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