Patrick McSorley, a victim of defrocked priest John J. Geoghan who became
one of the most visible critics of clergy sexual abuse, was discovered
dead early yesterday in a North End apartment, his lawyer said yesterday.
A close friend said McSorley, 29, occasionally went to the apartment to
take drugs owing to a chronic substance-abuse problem that had plagued him for several years.
"To think he had come this far and just to have it end so abruptly -- it's
a tragic ending," said the friend, Alexa MacPherson, 29,... "I spent a lot of last summer and fall trying to help him get into a drug-rehabilitation program. He definitely was in need of some serious help," MacPherson said.
"There were days when we would spend 10, 12, 14 hours at . . . hospitals, trying to get him in. He wanted their help so badly, and we basically got turned away because he had no health insurance."
Comment: "... turned away because he had no health insurance."Patrick McSorley may or may not be one of the 18,000 young adults who will
die this year merely because of the lack of health insurance. It is quite
possible that his disease of chemical dependency may have been lethal even
if he were insured. But now we'll never know.
Some may want to blame the victim. Others may blame clergy abuse. The
issues are complex, as they are in every instance of preventable premature death. But we can very easily eliminate the factor of being insured and move on with efforts to correct the other individual and societal problems that
culminate in these tragedies. Just that first step alone would save 18,000
Specializes in Happily semi-retired; excited for the whole whammy.
The point being is this guy COULD HAVE BOUGHT health insurance but he choose not to. I assume he spent his money on drugs. If that is the case then why the hell do I have to pay for care for his self destructive behavior? If you want affordable health care you can always get Unicare insurance. My wife has that only costs us 80 bucks a month. It is quite affordable for a single person.
Dave
If this guy already had a substance abuse problem, it probably would've been specifically excluded from any policy he was able to buy. That's swell that your wife has insurance that costs $80 a month, but I doubt her in-patient drug rehab benefit would come close to covering what it would actually cost.
Specializes in Case management, Utilization Review.
I can't imagine the Federal Government being fiscally responsible enough to manage a universal health care plan...especially when it's put together by policitians and lawyers.
A year and a half later the numbness has never left. A few days ago she lost 85% of eyesight in right eye, went to ER, they said not their problem, and the sent her to a optomatrist, not a doctor!! He said he knew what was wrong, "You need to go see a neurologist!" Off we went to the university! Within minutes, they knew what what wrong, just from her history and present symptoms. They sent her for a MRI to verify, She has MS!
She had a year and a half of symptoms and never went for the recommended follow up. Once they got the anemia out of the way perhaps the final diagnosis would be clearer. IMO patients are responsible for following up on their care themselves. It's isn't the health care communities' mandate to provide transportation.
Any hospital receiving funding from medicare/medicaid must provide emergency stabilization. They are under no obligation to provide long term care and follow up of chronic issues as a pcp would do. Patients, again, have to take on that responsibility for themselves. It sounds like once your relative lost her sight she was able to get a ride to the university very quickly. Why couldn't she be seen before the year and a half- and possibly have prevented the emergency situation?
Well, she did go to the university, they put in a IUD because of the heavy periods. And said It would get better, and they would recheck her in 6 months, cause that was the soonest that they could get her back in. Did I mention that she is in severe poverty since the death of my father, 2 years ago! I myself saved up to get her to the university, which I have to do again Monday to the Neuro Opthomologist then Tuesday to the Gyno, I have done it everytime! With no insurance she has to be on a waiting list to see a Neurologist, which means she's gonna keep deteriorating till they feel they have a minute!
LydiaNN
2,756 Posts
If this guy already had a substance abuse problem, it probably would've been specifically excluded from any policy he was able to buy. That's swell that your wife has insurance that costs $80 a month, but I doubt her in-patient drug rehab benefit would come close to covering what it would actually cost.