Woman loses health insurance for smiling on Facebook

[winner]

reminds me of what happened during katrina, after it was all over the people that did not have insurance recieved cards with $200 on them to buy food.. (guess who paid for that...) but about 90% of the people that recieved cards spent the moneyl on tv's, vcr's, speackers.. etc... but what really got me was some of the people that had a insurance were turned down, and they said that there insurance would cover it when there insurance company was 5 feet under water..... meanwhile the people with no insurance were complaining they had no food....

[Bill-SOCAL]

reminds me of what happened during katrina, after it was all over the people that did not have insurance recieved cards with $200 on them to buy food.. (guess who paid for that...) but about 90% of the people that recieved cards spent the moneyl on tv's, vcr's, speackers.. etc... .

While there was some fraud most reports are that the cards were used as intended. And your statement of 90% fraud is pure fantasy.

And the cards were for $2,000 not $200. Those were the FEMA cards.

The Red Cross also issued cards, those were for $1,000.

Oh, and the cards were issued to people who lost everything they owned, not necessarily "uninsured". And most that were "uninsured" were in that situation because nobody sells flood insurance to people who live along the Mississippi River.

And finally, the Red Cross cards are funded from the private donations to the Red Cross. It is not a government run organization.

http://www.snopes.com/katrina/charity/debitcard.asp

[AndyKunz]

You're almost right on that, Bill. It would be pretty stupid to sell flood insurance on properties below the water line. Unless you could get 100% premiums, maybe. But for 'along the river' it's not a problem, just more expensive if you're on flat land and not a problem at all if you're on high ground along the river.

Andy

[Bill-SOCAL]

Having lived in low lying country along the Gulf Coast, and having numerous friends who live in NO, I think I can safely say that in most of these areas flood insurance is a near impossibility to acquire. Much like earthquake insurance is out here.

But you are correct, if you happen to be essentially in a location where there is little possibility of a flood (high ground) then flood insurance can be had. But even then it often only covers contents and not structures.

With regard to the debit cards, there was certainly fraud, but the 90% figure is factually incorrect and the implications that somehow the displaced people do not deserve help is morally repugnant.

[domwilson]

Apathetic is what it's all about. Value the dollar above your fellow man. Sell your mother, sell your father. Damn those in need. Down those who want. Everything is mine, What's yours is mine. I believe it was Reverend Ike who once said, "The LACK of money is the root of all evil.”
I hope some of those people who don't want to help others will never be in the position of needing help.

[AndyKunz]

Having lived in low lying country along the Gulf Coast, and having numerous friends who live in NO, I think I can safely say that in most of these areas flood insurance is a near impossibility to acquire. Much like earthquake insurance is out here.

Insurance varies state by state.

We had two 500-year floods on the Delaware only a few months apart a few years back in the township where I grew up in NJ. Many had flood insurance (mortgage companies require it for certain locations) but it doesn't cover everything.

http://njmonthly.com/articles/lifestyle/down-by-the-river.html

http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpag...=&pagewanted=3

They talk about elevating the homes. Lots did that by a few feet (River Road was my favorite bicycle route so I got to watch the progress. Neat stuff). Not practical in some places, but in others it is. When I lived in NC a lot of the houses were elevated (my trailer was) in the swamp where we lived. We had flood insurance.

One guy in NJ raised his home about 30' above the river on concrete pilings. I have a photo at home somewhere. The last flood didn't bother him other than he was on his little "island" for a few days.

3 years, 3 floods - and two of them were simply awesome!

Andy

[Bill-SOCAL]

Funny thing about "100 year" and "500 year" floods. People think that means that a flood like that only happens every 500 years. That is not what it means to geologists and hydrologists. A "100 year" flood means there is a 1% ( 1 in 100) chance of an event that size or larger in any given season. A "500 year" flood means a 1 in 500 chance and so on.

So it is entirely possible to have back to back 500 year floods.

[Jr Branham]

Huh?

sorry for offending some people

[Rumdog]

Do you really think that everyone affected by Katrina "built" thier house in flood areas? Really, you have no sympathy for any of them huh? What about all of the businesses that were lost? Just curious, what would you prefer your tax dollars went towards?

[Jr Branham]

removed

[domwilson]

There were so many scams associated with Katrina. In fact, scams started happening within 1 day of the aftermath. People not only lost their homes to Katrina, but to a lot or rebuilding that went on there. Businesses moved people out of their homes. Called Gentrification. Insurance companies failing to pay on claims. Yes, many did buy flood insurance and the insurance companies still failed to pay. Many illegal immigrants moved in those areas because there was work. Contractors scamming people and the government. And some people capitalizing on the system. Bottom line, If FEMA had of done it's job correctly, many of the problems associated with Katrina could have been averted. But why fix something when so many "Good Ol' Boys" hands and pockets are getting greased?

[kenb]

We all pay for insurance fraud, do you think the insurance companies are going to absorb the costs?? No, it is passed on to you and me. What is a depressed woman on work-leave doing in a strip-tease club??LOL
What do I want my tax dollars spent on???? Surely not somebody who is trying to beat the system.

You know, that statement is a bit of a leap on several levels. You seem to suggest that I'm unlikely to ever meet a depressed woman at a strip club, and if I do, she's positively got to be a fake because everybody knows that depressed people don't go to places like that. Anybody else out there ever noticed that they never see depressed people at strip clubs?

As for concluding that she's obviously trying to beat the system, have you got any documentation of any kind to back that up? She could be a decendant of Lizzie Borden for all we know, and I'll bet she needed a *!***!***!***!**load more documentation than you've got to get on those benefits in the first place.

Yep, there's always been cheaters out there, but other people still get sick for real too.

Ken

[Jr Branham]

removed.

[AndyKunz]

Funny thing about "100 year" and "500 year" floods. People think that means that a flood like that only happens every 500 years. That is not what it means to geologists and hydrologists. A "100 year" flood means there is a 1% ( 1 in 100) chance of an event that size or larger in any given season. A "500 year" flood means a 1 in 500 chance and so on.

So it is entirely possible to have back to back 500 year floods.

Not only possible, but I experienced it firsthand - within months of one another: Sept 2004, April 2005, and June 2006. The pictures below are from after the water had begun receding (they wouldn't let anybody in while it was still rising).

2006 - That's Christopher Columbus looking westward. His feet are normally about 6' above ground if I recall correctly.

2005 - The building with the steeple is the main hall of Lafayette College (located atop College Hill). The brick building below it is 2 blocks in and about 10' above the park where Columbus' statue is located.

The guy in the last picture is just evidence that stupidity isn't exclusive to New Orleans. Most of his neighbors were smart enough to leave when the radio and police visits told them to. What's really silly is the water was well below his knees, and the tube flipped over and he landed on his back. He ended up soaking wet when he had the chance to WALK out!

Andy

[domwilson]

You meet a lot of depressed people in strip clubs, bars, etc. where there is alcohol. Many people drink because they are depressed.