Poll of the Day > Canadian Man who OPTED OUT of FREE HEALTHCARE has DIED from CANCER!!!

(+) Yeah! (+)

43 y/o Benjamin Fuller from British Columbia, Canada who was fronted with HUGE medical costs to pay for his cancer treatments has DIED from it after months of fighting it!!

He made headlines for opting out of the province's Medical Services Plan which is guaranteed fully paid healthcare for all residents if you pay the monthly charge of $35 a month..but Ben opted NOT to which means all costs he incurred will be upon himself to pay. Although low income residents are absolved from the payment.

MSP's were started by the BC Liberals as a way to partly fund healthcare before the NDP took over to cut it in half and then finally eliminated it last January.

Ben thought he could avoid the small monthly fee and opted OUT of the plan since he was healthy and free of any illnesses...until he got METASTATIC CANCER in December and had to undergo chemo. Before his diagnosis, he bragged on social media 5 years ago after coming from out of province and into BC for work that he can avoid paying for services he would never need and called it a "government cash grab"..until now. He also falsely believed he had free national healthcare.

His wife, Kristina said he was feeling ill late last year and thought he had a stomach flu until the doctor's told him he had an uncurable cancer and that he would have to have chemo asap to prolong his life..but the bills was piling up and he couldn't afford to pay for it as they said he could NOT delay it.

They started gofundme pages to ask the public for help and has received generous funds but it still didn't cover all of it as they racked up nearly 45,000 and had to delay chemo cause of it..One person even donated 5000 to the cause. Kristina cried from the help they received and touched by the public.

They begged the NDP government to help pay for his care and even agreed to pay back any monthly payments to be put on govenment healthcare..but NDP DENIED his request and said it would be not fair for everyone else put in this situation and said he would have to wait until July 1st to opt back in.

Unfortunately by July 1, his oncologist said his blood work was not favourable from chemo anymore and he decided to stop.

He sadly died on July 16th after battling stage 4 cancer and opting back into healthcare 2 weeks prior.

Kristina still has to pay for his bills that is now more than 45,000 adding to the funeral costs as another crowdfunding page has been set up

She wants people to know that a small expense for paid healthcare is worth it whether you think you're healthy or not cause the inevitable can happen and it can destroy you financially..

Do you think $35 a month for paid healthcare is reasonable?.

Ben (Deceased) and Kristina -

https://i.imgur.com/y9hSqFZ.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/r89hC03.jpg

https://i.imgur.com/GVS6Dr2.jpg
---

Serves him right.

---

I can't fathom why someone would opt out.

BlackScythe0 posted...

I can't fathom why someone would opt out.

---

*opts out*

thatll.. show em?

As I said in the previous topic on this...

I pay many times more than that for my healthcare, which is pretty basic shit tier level coverage with fairly high copays and fees.
This jerk opted out of a fucking bargain and bragged about the money he saved on social media.

No sympathy. He knew what the deal was, and he gleefully agreed to it.

This hero sure owned them libs

---

faramir77 posted...

This hero sure owned them libs

Benjamin: Give me liberty, or give me death!
Canada: Why not both?

Full Throttle posted...

Do you think $35 a month for fully funded healthcare is reasonable?

If you have to pay for something, it's not free. Bait & switch! Bait & switch!

BlackScythe0 posted...

I can't fathom why someone would opt out.

That $35/month?

---

Zeus posted...

If you have to pay for something, it's not free. Bait & switch! Bait & switch!

That $35/month?

Would a government funded healthcare plan like Canada's would be good for the United States?

streamofthesky posted...

As I said in the previous topic on this...

I pay many times more than that for my healthcare, which is pretty basic shit tier level coverage with fairly high copays and fees.
This jerk opted out of a fucking bargain and bragged about the money he saved on social media.

No sympathy. He knew what the deal was, and he gleefully agreed to it.

Again, the dude was diagnosed with Stage IV. His level of healthcare literally didn't matter.

Not opting out would've been a waste in his case.

---

Krow_Incarnate posted...

Again, the dude was diagnosed with Stage IV. His level of healthcare literally didn't matter.

Unless having health care covered made him more willing to get checked out prior to that point. Early detection is by far the best thing you can do to treat cancer, and regular checkups and screening are the best way to do that.

Krow_Incarnate posted...

Not opting out would've been a waste in his case.

Five years of $35/month would have been $2100. He left $45,000 in medical bills behind, which would have been covered by that $2100. It's been a few years since I took any math classes, but I vaguely remember learning that 45,000 is a whole lot bigger than 2100, so I'm inclined to conclude that it wouldn't have been wasted.

Zeus posted...

If you have to pay for something, it's not free. Bait & switch! Bait & switch!

I really don't know why you think this is such an effective counterargument that it needs to be used every time duckbear calls socialized health care "free." Everybody understands the difference just fine, regardless of what terms are used in colloquially speaking about it.


---

My sister died at 26 from incurable cancer. I am however grateful for our NHS staff that helped her and indeed my family through it. I'm also grateful to have the NHS in the first place that can provide free healthcare. In a ideal world the USA and any other country for that matter would have free healthcare. I'm not sure that's sustainable though.

---

adjl posted...

Unless having health care covered made him more willing to get checked out prior to that point. Early detection is by far the best thing you can do to treat cancer, and regular checkups and screening are the best way to do that.

Doesnt mean he would have, though. I know lots of people that pay for healthcare that never really go to the doctor. Even for regular checks. Even if he had it, he may have been in the same place...
---

LinkPizza posted...

Doesnt mean he would have, though. I know lots of people that pay for healthcare that never really go to the doctor. Even for regular checks. Even if he had it, he may have been in the same place...

Oh, sure, but removing the financial deterrent does a whole lot to encourage people to get problems checked out before they become serious. It's still not a guarantee, since people will resist going to the doctor for plenty of reasons other than money (not liking doctor visits, embarrassment, not wanting to waste resources if it's not a big deal, not wanting to be seen as weak/cowardly, not being able to get time off work...), but it's one less reason to worry about.

---

LinkPizza posted...

Doesnt mean he would have, though. I know lots of people that pay for healthcare that never really go to the doctor. Even for regular checks. Even if he had it, he may have been in the same place...

I'm not sure what your compulsion to play devil's advocate is about, but even if earlier screening couldn't have saved him, having the healthcare would've meant not racking up mountains of debt. He still would've been better off, and even if he was doomed regardless, skipping treatments because he couldn't afford them definitely seems to have hastened his death.
Under no rational analysis would he have been "in the same place" with or without the healthcare.

Its not only $35. Its based on your income. Sounds like he had a bunch of money to begin with if it was that low. Also, MSP was cancelled and its just paid through taxes now. This story is another reason why MSP was garbage to begin with (on top of the fact that we shouldnt be paying a premium for healthcare on top of taxes).

sodium-chloride posted...

Would a government funded healthcare plan like Canada's would be good for the United States?

I understand why some people dont want it. We pay way more in taxes here than you do. Its outrageous. And not everybody (such as myself) uses the hospital often-enough for it to be worth it.

---

adjl posted...

Oh, sure, but removing the financial deterrent does a whole lot to encourage people to get problems checked out before they become serious. It's still not a guarantee, since people will resist going to the doctor for plenty of reasons other than money (not liking doctor visits, embarrassment, not wanting to waste resources if it's not a big deal, not wanting to be seen as weak/cowardly, not being able to get time off work...), but it's one less reason to worry about.

Oh, yeah. I was just agreeing saying that its possible he still wouldnt have gone. Its good to have it. I was just saying its very possible hed be in the same position.

streamofthesky posted...

I'm not sure what your compulsion to play devil's advocate is about, but even if earlier screening couldn't have saved him, having the healthcare would've meant not racking up mountains of debt. He still would've been better off, and even if he was doomed regardless, skipping treatments because he couldn't afford them definitely seems to have hastened his death.
Under no rational analysis would he have been "in the same place" with or without the healthcare.

Not playing Devils advocate. Just saying that its possible hed be in the same position... Also, I never said anything about the money because I wasnt talking about the money. If I was, I would have quoted and said something about the money. I agree that having the healthcare could have saved him money, so I never said anything about it. I was solely talking about it being possible that he could have still not caught the cancer early enough, and could still be dead even with the healthcare, since having healthcare doesnt mean he would have had gone to the doctor...
---

sodium-chloride posted...

Would a government funded healthcare plan like Canada's would be good for the United States?

I'm not even sure it's good for Canada.

adjl posted...

Unless having health care covered made him more willing to get checked out prior to that point. Early detection is by far the best thing you can do to treat cancer, and regular checkups and screening are the best way to do that.

Or unless Canadian healthcare is magic and blocks cancer.

adjl posted...

I really don't know why you think this is such an effective counterargument that it needs to be used every time duckbear calls socialized health care "free." Everybody understands the difference just fine, regardless of what terms are used in colloquially speaking about it.

Because opting out of FREE healthcare is very different from opting out of paid healthcare. And this topic says free and it ain't free.

LinkPizza posted...

Doesnt mean he would have, though. I know lots of people that pay for healthcare that never really go to the doctor. Even for regular checks. Even if he had it, he may have been in the same place...

Also this. In fact, much of the argument for universal healthcare having a better outcome relies on regular check-ups, which we've seen people don't do.

---

This is like top tier shocked pikachu

---

zebatov posted...

And not everybody (such as myself) uses the hospital often-enough for it to be worth it.

This statement is just really funny for some reason. It's patently insane and worded like an lizard disguised as a person.

---

Zeus posted...

Because opting out of FREE healthcare is very different from opting out of paid healthcare. And this topic says free and it ain't free.

adjl posted...

Everybody understands the difference just fine, regardless of what terms are used in colloquially speaking about it.

---

Blightzkrieg posted...

This statement is just really funny for some reason. It's patently insane and worded like an lizard disguised as a person.

Zeus posted...

I'm not even sure it's good for Canada.

I agree.

Zeus posted...

Because opting out of FREE healthcare is very different from opting out of paid healthcare. And this topic says free and it ain't free.

Although if the province in question was Alberta it would be. However, the premiums in BC (the only province to have them up until they were cancelled this year) were mandatory. Otherwise you wouldnt be covered.

---

Krow_Incarnate posted...

Again, the dude was diagnosed with Stage IV. His level of healthcare literally didn't matter.

Not opting out would've been a waste in his case.

He was diagnosed with cancer before opting out?
---

People with healthcare die of cancer too. What's your point?

DDirtyDastard posted...

People with healthcare die of cancer too. What's your point?

Do you really not know what the point is

MICHALECOLE posted...

Do you really not know what the point is

Probably not.
---

Krow_Incarnate posted...

Again, the dude was diagnosed with Stage IV. His level of healthcare literally didn't matter.

Not opting out would've been a waste in his case.

He still went for treatment and incurred a ton of medical costs, which his estate will be responsible for.

---

I live in the UK so this doesn't affect me, however was I to live in Canada and given the choice to have full health care for $35 I'd take it as a no brainer. I'm not sure what it's like Canada vs America so I'll just assume that a trip to A&E (depending on what you have done) could run up thousands the $35 would've paid for itself, and then some on that one trip alone. (Yes, I know he didn't goto A&E I'm using that as a general example as each of us will eventually end up there at one point or another)

---

Runner_style posted...

I live in the UK so this doesn't affect me, however was I to live in Canada and given the choice to have full health care for $35 I'd take it as a no brainer. I'm not sure what it's like Canada vs America so I'll just assume that a trip to A&E (depending on what you have done) could run up thousands the $35 would've paid for itself, and then some on that one trip alone. (Yes, I know he didn't goto A&E I'm using that as a general example as each of us will eventually end up there at one point or another)

People talk about Canadians paying for healthcare with higher taxes, but really we just pay for it by charging the one dude without healthcare seven trillion dollars.

---

Blightzkrieg posted...

People talk about Canadians paying for healthcare with higher taxes, but really we just pay for it by charging the one dude without healthcare seven trillion dollars.

Single payer health coverage at its finest :P

In all seriousness though I can see the benefits of the CHCS compared to other health services. If my understanding is correct that is you use the public insurance to pay for non-emergency treatments (not including the likes of dental care, and prescriptions, which would be the same as the NHS...At least when it comes to those 18+ in work) where as if you do need emergency treatment you don't have to pay regardless of whether you're insured or not.


---