During the health care debate, the far right decried a portion of the plan as “death panels.” These death panels were a supposed result of government bureaucracy that would judge whether someone is worthy of health care based on his or her contribution to society. If not the government would essentially “pull the plug on granny.”
While nothing of this sort was ever included in any draft or the final health care bill, it didn’t stop conservatives from spreading far-fetched falsities. But now, the far right is eating its rhetoric. A Republican-run Arizona government has decided to send its residents to the lopping block if they need an organ transplant.
According to The Arizona Republic, the Arizona Health Care Cost Containment System (AHCCCS) has cut some organ transplant funding for those on the state’s Medicaid program. Patients with hepatitis C that need a transplant are now out of luck. Likewise for lung transplants and some heart and bone marrow transplants.
This is nothing short of appalling. The Arizona state Legislature and Gov. Jan Brewer have decided to leave low-income citizens who need transplants to die. Francisco Felix, a man who has hepatitis C and is in need of a new liver, is one such life that has been put on the chopping block.
“It was good news when we heard the liver matched. The doctor said: ‘Everything’s going well. We’re going to proceed with the surgery.’” Francisco’s wife, Flor Felix, told Gail Collins of The New York Times. Such a rosy outlook was absolutely diminished when they learned our state’s Medicaid program was not going to cover the procedure.
The cuts were a result of our state’s fiscal policies. The cuts, which went into effect in the beginning of October, will save the state $20 million through the end of June. Such a cold, calculated and empirically driven decision is not worth it and affects the 1.3 million people enrolled in our state’s Medicaid program.
To put things in perspective, Arizona’s population is just under 6.6 million, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. When the math is said and done, that means that one in five Arizona residents may not be able to get an organ transplant if they need it.
This is just the beginning, though. Life will be more difficult for some of those 1.3 million people because the state is also slashing funding for medical equipment. Insulin pumps, hearing aids and cochlear implants among other things.
But, according to the East Valley Tribune, Brewer has not been afraid to advocate future tax cuts for businesses.
Brewer has advocated cutting the corporate income tax from 7 percent to 5 percent. Some businesses get special treatment, though. Manufacturers would have to pay next to nothing.
Brewer wants to give corporations tax breaks, but is willing to put the health of 1.3 million of Arizona’s residents on the line. Her reasoning behind this sick move is that she wishes to revive the economy. Lower tax rates means more money for businesses to hire workers; that’s the basic philosophy.
However, recent statistics turn this philosophy on its head. The Commerce Department released a report that shows businesses earning profits at an annual rate of $1.659 trillion. According to The New York Times, this is the highest figure recorded since the government started recording corporate profits.
Welcome to the recovery. We have elected officials that will not only give the richest a break, but also will finance the recovery at the expense of the health of its residents.
Reach Andrew at andrew.hedlund@asu.edu
