Citizen of the Month

It's not often that we get a first hand look at the ugly face of the scam that is the American corporate health care system. Always links to other sites on the net and such.
Today we have a little personal experience to relate about a company called Resp-I-Care and how they take full advantage of elderly people, even to the point of pure rip off....

Resp-I-Care is a medical supply company in NE Tennessee with close ties to Congressman David (Jesus Pimp) Davis (TN-1). Owned by Richard W. Clark of Jonesborough (a contributor to the Davis campaign in '06), Resp-I-Care provides all sorts of medical equipment at considerable expense to Medicare, and patient too it seems.

My Great Aunt lives in Church Hill. I was there visiting this afternoon when I noticed she had a new chair in the house. One of those electric lounge chairs that's designed to help folks with leg problems stand up easier.
I could tell there was something bothering my Aunt, at 87 years of age you don't hide your anger so well.

As I inquired of her, I began to see the problem. First, I noticed the "Resp-I-Care" letter head which I related to David Davis due to research on his background. A big, bright red flag, of course, went up.
So I asked to see the paperwork.
Meanwhile, my Aunt explained how she ordered the version of the Medi-Lift chair that has a backup battery so's not to get stuck in it if the power goes out.
Problem is, they brought the chair that did not have the battery. That was a week ago and my Aunt has yet to be able to contact anyone about the problem. They just don't call back.

At that point the scam came shining through like the first rays of the new rising sun.

1) Medicare only pays 80% for the "electric motor" that operates the chair. Not the chair it's attached to. As a result, my Aunt had to pay for the chair herself, in full, before delivery. She was not told at first that Medicare wouldn't cover 210.00 for a cheap chair.

2) My Aunt is 87. She cannot walk, much less drive or visit the Resp-I-Care outlet to be measured for the chair. Resp-I-Care charged her 35.00 to measure her at home, though she cannot go out. One would think an invalid (God, I hate that word) would be exempt from such a charge. Not at Raspy Care. Too handicapped to leave the house? You're payin'. If you can walk and go down there, it's free. WTF?

3) Now get this, these clowns charged her 175.00 to deliver the featherweight chair, from only about three miles away. That's highway robbery any way you fucking slice it.

Now obviously, Resp-I-Care brought the wrong, cheaper chair hoping an old woman living by herself wouldn't notice, or wouldn't want to make a fuss, or have no one to defend her. Now, after overcharging Medicare and my Aunt for the chair, they don't return phone calls.

No wonder I'm not rich, I'm not in the Fuck Over the Elderly racket.

So by the time Raspy Care was through, my Aunt paid 210.00 for the wrong chair, 175.00 for delivery, 35.00 for not being able to walk, and 20% or 200.00 apx. of the Medicare on the electric motor for a grand total of 620.00, she's on social security.
Now, my roommate and his partner own an appliance store. They will deliver and install a new Refrigerator, haul your old one off, and perform a service check thirty days later all for forty bucks.

This is why we need national health care. Not-for-profit national health care. With the proper gov't oversight these type of companies that exist solely for the purpose of milking MediCare, TennCare, and patients at their mercy, out of exuberant amounts of money can be controled or shut down entirely.

If you deal with Resp-I-Care, or know someone that does, watch them. Better yet, avoid them altogether for the sake of general principals. They may be pulling the ol' Bait and Switch on one of your loved ones too.
Now we know where the "I" in Resp-I-Care comes in.

So, Raspy Care. For all you do, this blog's for you.