Right-wing blogger attacks leukemia patient; lies about her medical expenses
March 16, 2010 12:20 pm ET by Eric Boehlert
There really are no dark depths that fringe haters online won't go in the name of bashing health care reform. And specifically, in the name of ridiculing Americans who face traumatic, life-changing medical emergencies and the mountainous bills that often follow.
The latest pathetic example comes from (surprise!) Gateway Pundit who attacks a cancer patient (i.e. a "prop") who made news when President Obama started publicly discussing the woman's plight. The Ohio woman's name is Natoma Canfield and in December she wrote Obama to detail how she was diagnosed with treatable cancer 16 years ago but that recently she had to drop her insurance because of the sky-rocketing premiums, and that she worries about possibly debilitating medical costs. Since writing that letter, Canfield was diagnosed with leukemia and is being treated at a Cleveland hospital.
But now Gateway Pundit mocks the leukemia patient (read that phrase a few times for a chill up the spine) because he claims her medical costs will be covered. Implication: She a faker!
But that's a lie. Either that, or Gateway Pundit can't read too good.
Because for proof that Canfield's enormous medical costs will be covered, Gateway Pundit links to a Fox News article, which basically lets a local Cleveland hospital administrator put the best possible hospital spin on the situation [emphasis added]:
Though Canfield's sister Connie Anderson said her sibling is afraid she'll lose her house and Obama warned at an Ohio rally Monday that the patient is "racked with worry" about the cost of tests and treatment, she is already being screened for financial help.
Lyman Sornberger, executive director of patient financial services at the Cleveland Clinic, said "all indications" at the outset are that she will be considered for assistance.
"She may be eligible for state Medicaid ... and/or she will be eligible for charity (care) of some form or type. ... In my personal opinion, she will be eligible for something," he said, adding that Canfield should not be worried about losing her home.
Read those quotes carefully. According to a hospital administrator, Canfiled's expense might be covered. It's the administrator's opinion that the patient may be eligible--she might be considered-- for financial assistance.
But Gateway Pundit, super anxious to ridicule a leukemia patient, invents his own facts and claims that Canfield absolutely "qualifies for financial aid."
Not according to the hospital that's treating her.
UPDATED: OMG. From another RW blogger:
Now here is the catch. Gateway Pundit finds that Natoma isn’t the hard luck story she pretends to be.
Speechless. Canfield is on the hospital being treated for leukemia and has no insurance, and this right-wing nut online is crowing about how the story's not as bad as she pretends it is.
As a commenter asks below, how do these people sleep at night?
UPDATED: Here's another right-wing blogger mocking the cancer patient and lying about how Canfield "is eligible" for Medicaid.
UPDATED: Another online hater who unloads on the leukemia patient, mocking her mercilessly.
How do these people sleep at night?
They don't. That's when they come out of their crypts.
That, and FEAR. Fear is about all that DOES keep them up at night. I'm sure they wet the sheets at the thouht of teenagers having sex, or a gay couple living a happy life together, or a blue-collar cancer patient not having to fret about recieving care that he didn't "earn." (And of course they'll all go to hell for sure if ANYONE IN AMERICA ever terminates a pregnancy.)
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They're miserable people becuase they're ruled by their own fear, ignorance and greed. We're miserable because we're forced to put up with them.
If I knew my teenage child was sexually active, it would keep me awake at night. Either you don't have kids, or you are a very poor parent to think any teenager is ready to engage in sexual activity. It is far to dangerous physically and emotionally. (Maybe you're just a pervert, there are plenty out there.)
If you didn't let your outrage and hatred cloud your outlook on politics maybe you wouldn't see conservatives with such political racism.
I am a parent, of young children granted, not teenagers. But guess what: At some point, odds are your "child" will have sex. And while both of us will fret over it, I'M not willing to sabotage their eductation in a misguided, counterproductive effort to prevent it.
As for my "perversions"? Hey: I'll almost take being called a pervert by a conservative as a point of pride. They're so uptight about all things sexual, I have NO INTEREST in comforming to their view of what's "normal." Hint: THEY HAVE NO F---KING CLUE.
And it's not my "outrage and hatred" that "clouds my judgement" of conservatives. It's the absurb and counterproductive positions they hold, and the contradictory logic they use to defend them, and their overall disregard for REAL freedom and REAL liberty and REAL American Values that fuels my "outrage and hatred."
As usual, you guys have it backwards.
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OTOH, I spelled "conservative" correctly those last two times. first try too. So maybe you've cured me of THAT problem.
The unwarranted FEAR is what NGE was talking about. Unwarranted, illogical, pathological, and disingenuous fearmongering is the problem.
How do these people sleep at night?
From this frame of reference, if you're poor and/or seriously ill, you've done something to deserve it.
If not, maybe you're eligible for some financial help.
As to loosing her home, the CC spokesperson said the CC would not put a lien on her home. Except that in most cases, hospitals pass along their bad debts, and it is those parties who dun and place liens. But first, she may have to deal with CBCS, the collection agency CC uses.
It's sickening. And predictable.
SCUM.
This must be what Glenn Beck wants Christianity to resemble.