Remi Bateman, a 9-year-old from Utah, is at that age where even minor differences make you a target at school. Hers is that she was born without a left arm, and kids were starting to bully her.
She’d used prostheses in the past, but it wasn’t really functional in the same way a robotic arm is. So her parents took her to Denver to try out a Hero Arm, one of the most affordable robotic arms out there. Her doctor wrote her a prescription saying it was medically necessary, and of course it was denied by their insurance company, Select Health. Twice. (They said it was for “cosmetic” reasons.)
Mom Jami Bateman was desperate, and did a GoFundMe. Which, as we know, is the patriotic and American way to pay for health care! In three days, they had more than enough money to pay for it.
Andy Schoonover is the CEO of CrowdHealth, a subscriber-based resource that helps people negotiate lower costs for medical bills. He told the family on Dec. 16 that his company wanted to pay the entire cost of Remi’s bionic arm.
“We were looking for some ways to help people during the holiday season, and I stumbled upon Remi’s story on social media,” Schoonover said. “We were honored to help her out.”
After Schoonover sent a check to Open Bionics for Remi’s prosthetic arm, the Batemans were faced with a decision: What should they do with the money people donated to Remi’s GoFundMe?
Remi quickly came up with an idea.
“She came to me and said, ‘Mom, I know how it feels to have one hand. Is there someone else we can help?” Bateman recalled.
Because even little kids want to take care of other people.
Remi decided the money should to go to Tyraun “Taj” Johnson, also 9, who was born without a left hand. Tyraun had been selling lemonade in his town of Federalsburg, Md. — which is in Caroline County, near the Delaware state line — to raise funds for his bionic arm, which was also not covered by his health insurance. His mom, Kaitlin Skinner, had also started a GoFundMe account, which had collected about $1,500.
Which is all heartwarming and shit, but I just can’t get past this bullshit. These insurance companies designate themselves “not for profit,” but that’s a scam. Because these companies also have dozens of for-profit subsidiaries, and that’s where the real Scrooge-ery originates. Which is all very complicated, and I don’t have time to go into it now. (By the way, Select Health was founded by the Mormon church, who insists they have no influence or decision-making input. In Utah. Uh huh.)
No, the thing I want to say is: YOU INSURANCE PARASITES REALLY DON’T UNDERSTAND WHY WE DIDN’T CRY FOR YOUR BROTHER-IN-ARMS BRIAN THOMPSON?
You don’t understand why Luigi Mangione is treated, not just as a hero, BUT AS A FUCKING SAINT?
Of course you do. You just thought you’d gotten away with it. You thought we didn’t notice.
I have had so many people lecture me about this: “Violence never solved anything.” Here’s the thing: I’m not the one encouraging people to shoot down insurance CEOs in the street. We’re not at that point in America (yet).
But you can’t make me care when someone else does it.
Thoughts and prayers, motherfuckers. Thoughts and prayers.
