331 Comments

Someone who lives in a 9000-sq-ft house could take out a home-equity loan -- that is, she could take responsibility for her choice not to buy health insurance. The GOP is the party of personal responsibility, right?

And, what does she plan to do with the surplus? Keep it? Give it to right-wing causes?

Just another hypocritical GOP scumbag.

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Yep. People like to judge and decide who they help. Not surprised.

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"The total sum collected as of January 22, 2024 stands at $459,234"

Wiki

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I wonder what she's going to do with the surplus. Something hypocritically GOP-y, no doubt.

As a supporter of the Party of Personal Responsibility, why didn't she take responsibility for her own shttty choice (= not buying health insurance) and shoulder the debt herself? These people disgust me.

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Wow, a maga Republican who gambled on her superhuman body by choosing not to have health insurance (because socialism), then when she needs the insurance she asks for donations instead of liquidating $50k in assets or taking out a loan? How very conservative indeed. Let’s all do that! Oh, it doesn’t work unless you are already famous, or a close personal friend of George Santos. I would actually have some respect for her situation if she or her family posted the Go-Fund Me “Mary Lou chose not to have health insurance, and that choice now means she needs your help and generosity.” I’m guessing that didn’t happen, but maybe. I’m still sorry she’s ill, I don’t want anyone sick. But get health insurance or pay for your own healthcare.

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I resemble this message. Long before ACA I had a part time job when I was in school. I brought home a screaming $50 every other week after paying for heath insurance. Who knew I could have actually have fed my kids by just begging strangers to pay my medical bills,

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While in Scandinavia I noticed people were less friendly/outgoing one-on-one, but more friendly/supportive with their fellow country people. Rather than buying a coffee for a person they liked, they more likely will vote to provide a cup of coffee for everyone.

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This story kept getting better! Great reporting on a the intersection of hypocrisy, healthcare, money, and pop culture.

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Studies today are designed to conclude what the benefactor wishes. In this case, the pharmaceutical industry would like nothing more that to have a few bribeable bureaucrats "negotiating" the price of pharmaceuticals. That is what single payer would bring.

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Robyn Penaccia you know how to synthesize a slew of poignant facts that I just couldln't-- being tired out by that time-- you know--you actually put me in mind of that Indian teen keyboard whiz Synthesizer Patel -- sort of a cult figure really but-- anyway you could be a foremost figure at some august think tank, you know you could. But maybe Wonkette IS an august think tank. Anyway it's certainly august if you know how to find out that Mary Lou Retton isn't really poor and those other facts. Not having health insurance doesn't mean she can't pay her bill. imho.

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i like it when i read a Wonkette article and have a comment already all planned out and then i realize there is actually more article and that the article ends with a paragraph that is more or less identical to the comment i was formulating.

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I've always had bad lungs and spent a fair bit of time in hospital throughout my childhood and teens with asthma, bronchitis, or pneumonia. Because I also live in a socialist hellhole (Canada) my parents never had to worry about losing the house or their savings.

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Thank you for this, Robyn. With her daughter going public, the family invites scrutiny, and the revelation that she is both wealthy and uninsured, not to mention “conservative “, should be widely shared as an example of how pulling oneself up by their bootstraps can fail spectacularly. I’m a retired ICU nurse (15 years retired), and a $50 K bill might cover a couple weeks of care; if she is as sick as the family advertises, she has or will blow by that in short order. Typical conservative/libertarian gimme, gimme, gimme.

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ah yes. an example of the "moochers" that conservatives are always very "concerned" and very vocal about.

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It's terrifying how Conservatives have decided to embrace anti-science propaganda when it comes to health issues. Getting vaccinated to stave off a dangerous virus should not be controversial. Funny how Trump supporters ignore the fact that he got the COVID-19 vaccine.

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But, as I heard someone say, no problem with science when any other ailment makes them sick. (But they'll come back at you with "what about polio? That turned out to be a big nothing.")

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Except they couldn’t be more wrong about that either. My mom grew up with a girl who contracted polio as a child, just as the vaccine was being developed. She was crippled horribly by the disease and was eventually rendered wheelchair bound. Polio would have crippled countless people without the vaccine. And Covid would have wiped out a horrifyingly higher number of people, especially the elderly and vulnerable. Over a million Americans have died from Covid, Covid and flu, or Covid and pneumonia so far since 2020. But yeah, the antivaxxers made things worse.

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I was only teasing about polio. Of course it was an epidemic before the vaccines. But people who are ignorant think it's a big fuss about nothing, because it doesn't seem very dangerous nowadays! I saw lots of kids in iron lungs, on tv at least. They could only see their family through a mirror. I didn't know why they were in there-- it was just a common thing.

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Yikes, so sad. It wouldn’t surprise me if wingers doubted the polio vaccine!

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pretty sure he also had a bigger hand (well...) in the creation of the vaccine than say George Soros or Bill Gates.

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Not more than George Santos.

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I hate it when George Santos is slighted. Btw, he's just announced he may quit the House!

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I'm currently about to start my 2nd series of chemotherapy. I spent most of last year (2022) having chemo, which killed off the primary (pancreatic) cancer, but it has returned in my liver this time.

It has (and will) cost me (or my private health insurer) $0 out of pocket for the treatment, although i ave had to pay for parking a couple of times. This Is because I live in that beacon of socialism / communism known as Australia.

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Man, wish you well. I truly hope you get well and eliminate the cancer. Incredible you beat pancreatic cancer only to have to battle liver cancer. You can do it.

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You've got to get out of there.

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All the best to you.

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Thanks, much appreciated !!!

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I freely admit seeing crap like this hits me hard. My fiance is in treatment for metastatic cancer, and I am his caregiver. We have a GoFundMe just to try to fix our finances, which really suffered with loss of income, and we're not asking for much. Thankfully, Medicaid here is fantastic, so we're very fortunate in that sense, but seeing a fucking millionaire getting piles of cash for a situation that they could have avoided does make me really pissy. People have helped, absolutely, and we're grateful for every bit, but this is just really galling.

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All good right wingers know that every kind of insurance is nothing but a socialist plot that they should never have to pay into.

Why don't you???

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