Illinois Democrat files measure to punish unvaccinated for 'clogging up healthcare system'

[Teh One Who Knocks]

By Greg Norman | Fox News




An Illinois Democrat who claims the unvaccinated are "clogging up the healthcare system" has proposed a bill that would force them to pay all of their medical expenses out of pocket if they become hospitalized with the coronavirus.

The measure, set forth by State Rep. Jonathan Carroll, comes alongside news that the average coronavirus hospitalization cost is now $24,033, according to data from the government-run Centers for Medicaid and Medicare Services.

"The vaccine is proven to be the one thing that is stopping the severity of COVID-19, and we are seeing more variants popping up," Carroll told WCIA. "The experts are telling us, ‘This is now becoming a disease of the unvaccinated.’ The people that are choosing to get vaccinated are not the ones that are clogging up the healthcare system, it’s the ones that aren’t."

Carroll’s proposed bill states that "a person who is eligible to receive a COVID-19 vaccine and chooses not to be vaccinated shall pay for health care expenses out-of-pocket if the person becomes hospitalized because of COVID-19 symptoms."



If passed into law, the changes wouldn’t affect Illinois residents until January 2023.

However, the bill would likely run into legal challenges and Carroll told the Chicago Sun-Times that it is a "starting point — we’ll see where the conversations go."

Illinois State Sen. Dan McConchie, a Republican, also told the newspaper he opposes "taking health care away from Illinoisans."

[DemonGeminiX]

The tolerant left.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

The tolerant left.

But it's the right that is dividing the country.....

[perrhaps]

What's the problem with this? Those who choose to remain unvaccinated maintain their "freedom of choice" without the rest of us paying for it.

I thought it was only the left who believed choices shouldn't have consequences.

[Teh One Who Knocks]

What's the problem with this? Those who choose to remain unvaccinated maintain their "freedom of choice" without the rest of us paying for it.

I thought it was only the left who believed choices shouldn't have consequences.

Then smokers should have to pay out of pocket for their cancer treatments. And fat people should pay out of pocket for any health issues related to their obesity. If you don't wear your seatbelt then you should pay out of pocket for any expenses you incur stemming from an accident you're involved in. And on and on and on....

[Griffin]

Or the fact that there are just as many vaccinated getting sick as unvaccinated because the vaccine doesn't do shit to prevent the disease or stop the spread, which is the whole purpose of a vaccine.

[Muddy]

Or the fact that there are just as many vaccinated getting sick as unvaccinated because the vaccine doesn't do shit to prevent the disease or stop the spread

Wrong.

[DemonGeminiX]

Wrong.

I'm not so sure. I'm hearing lots of chatter about breakthrough cases. These vaccines haven't been extensively tested like other vaccines have been, so despite company estimates we don't know for certain how effective they really are.

[Griffin]

I wish I could get everyone to take the same allergy medicine as me so it will start working again.

[perrhaps]

Then smokers should have to pay out of pocket for their cancer treatments. And fat people should pay out of pocket for any health issues related to their obesity. If you don't wear your seatbelt then you should pay out of pocket for any expenses you incur stemming from an accident you're involved in. And on and on and on....

I'm not so sure. I'm hearing lots of chatter about breakthrough cases. These vaccines haven't been extensively tested like other vaccines have been, so despite company estimates we don't know for certain how effective they really are.

Cigarette smokers are allowed to be surcharged by private health insurance companies under the ACA. I have absolutely no problem with allowing private insurance companies doing the same for obesity and other behavioral choices that drain our health care system. You pay a fine in PA if you're not wearing a seatbelt or your kids aren't properly secured during an accident; then your auto insurer can either surcharge you for future coverage, if not drop you entirely. Seems to me that anti-vaxxers don't want to put their money where their mouths are. And we all should remember that it was President Trump who signed the Executive Order providing free treatment (courtesy of Uncle Sam) for people who had the virus, largely because there was no vaccine for it. Let's provide free treatment for kids who catch the measles, polio etc, because Mommy and Daddy want the freedom of choice not to vaccinate little Ignatz and Morticia.

Please don't complain about making the unvaccinated pay at least a significant portion of their medical expenses for treatment of the virus now that they can be vaccinated for free. They've made a choice that they should live with.

My wife and I were among the first UPMC patients that were "Double Breakthroughs", i.e, we were vaccinated AND boostered when we caught Covid. Like the flu vaccines, this vaccine is not designed to totally prevent the virus, but it sure as hell reduces its severity. Because we were capable of spreading the virus, we were quarantined, but since I'm old enough to remember when there were no annual flu shots, I would say our symptoms (other than the odd temporary loss of taste and smell) were somewhere between a heavy cold and a mild case of the flu. Due to her prior case of Dengi(sic) Fever 10 years ago before there was a vaccine for it, my wife was recommended to receive an antibody infusion, but all in all, I'm REAL happy about being vaccinated, especially considering our age and some prior medical histories.

Bottom line here seems to be the same old song and dance. Nobody wants the Government in their lives until it individually benefits them

[lost in melb.]

Then smokers should have to pay out of pocket for their cancer treatments. And fat people should pay out of pocket for any health issues related to their obesity. If you don't wear your seatbelt then you should pay out of pocket for any expenses you incur stemming from an accident you're involved in. And on and on and on....

In a sense all these are true. In the public health system they will prioritise people willing to take better care of their health.

Not sure about seatbelts but if you are speeding you may be up for any damages you cause.

[DemonGeminiX]

Cigarette smokers are allowed to be surcharged by private health insurance companies under the ACA. I have absolutely no problem with allowing private insurance companies doing the same for obesity and other behavioral choices that drain our health care system. You pay a fine in PA if you're not wearing a seatbelt or your kids aren't properly secured during an accident; then your auto insurer can either surcharge you for future coverage, if not drop you entirely. Seems to me that anti-vaxxers don't want to put their money where their mouths are. And we all should remember that it was President Trump who signed the Executive Order providing free treatment (courtesy of Uncle Sam) for people who had the virus, largely because there was no vaccine for it. Let's provide free treatment for kids who catch the measles, polio etc, because Mommy and Daddy want the freedom of choice not to vaccinate little Ignatz and Morticia.

Please don't complain about making the unvaccinated pay at least a significant portion of their medical expenses for treatment of the virus now that they can be vaccinated for free. They've made a choice that they should live with.

My wife and I were among the first UPMC patients that were "Double Breakthroughs", i.e, we were vaccinated AND boostered when we caught Covid. Like the flu vaccines, this vaccine is not designed to totally prevent the virus, but it sure as hell reduces its severity. Because we were capable of spreading the virus, we were quarantined, but since I'm old enough to remember when there were no annual flu shots, I would say our symptoms (other than the odd temporary loss of taste and smell) were somewhere between a heavy cold and a mild case of the flu. Due to her prior case of Dengi(sic) Fever 10 years ago before there was a vaccine for it, my wife was recommended to receive an antibody infusion, but all in all, I'm REAL happy about being vaccinated, especially considering our age and some prior medical histories.

Bottom line here seems to be the same old song and dance. Nobody wants the Government in their lives until it individually benefits them

So how do you know it was the vaccine that helped you through and not your own immune system? Are you so certain you would have suffered more without the vaccines? How do you know it just wasn't a weaker strain of Covid that you caught? Look, I've got the vaccine, both doses, and I'm due for the booster next month, but my skepticism remains. And don't think I'm being all tin-foil hat paranoid about it. Remember, I'm a mathematician/computer scientist, and I rely on the scientific method just like any reasonable science person would. I'm not going to tell you that I'm well versed in virology or epidemiology; I'm not anything close to a research doctor; however, I will tell you that whenever my doctor orders bloodwork, he doesn't bother telling me what it says, he just hands me the print out of the results and lets me look it over for myself and waits for me to start the conversation about the numbers that are off. I've learned to hunt down information regarding the things that effect me over my 30 years in a wheelchair, because despite popular opinion, ignorance is not bliss when the consequences could be dire and/or fatal, yet preventable. I know how vaccines work, and I know why their testing is so extensive. They're asking us to take the word of a bunch of politicians (and yes, I'm including Fauci in that group, because that's what he is, and if you or anybody else wants to disagree with me on that point, then I've got a large plot of land on Mars that I can sell you for real cheap, pennies on the dollar, really). When have you known politicians to get it right the very first time when facing something new? I don't care if Trump spear-headed the vaccine blitz, it's long-term effects are still unclear. I've got the Moderna vax.. not but a week after my second dose, news articles came out saying that some people getting the Moderna could experience some kind of heart issues. I thought, "You've gotta be fucking kidding me!" So far, I'm ok, but what else is going to happen down the line? I'm paralyzed and have some problems because of my disability. I had a pretty rough year due to medical issues. Man, I don't need any more medical bullshit happening to me. I'm not going to just accept this on blind faith alone. If there's a way to know what's going to happen, I want to know and I want to know before the shit has a chance to tear my ass up. No offense, man, but I don't think that's unreasonable.

[Muddy]

So many words..

[DemonGeminiX]

So many words..

[Muddy]

It's the short attention span that gets me..