Keith Olbermann Takes on Kyler's Story
Kyler VanNocker's parents and attorney will discuss their lawsuit against HealthAmerica, which has denied medical coverage needed to save Kyler's life.
Keith Olbermann Takes on Kyler's Story
Ronnie Polaneczky, Daily News Columnist
Flaks for the Harrisburg-based HealthAmerica insurance company wouldn't comment on my column Tuesday about the lawsuit just filed by the family of Kyler VanNocker, the 5-year-old neuroblastoma patient who needs treatment that HealthAmerica has decided not to cover.
So I doubt any HealthAmerica spokespeople will chat tonight with MSNBC's Keith Olbermann, when he discusses Kyler's case on "Countdown."
Tonight's segment (scheduled for about 8:15pm) will be a follow-up to the one Olbermann did about Kyler on Tuesday. Kyler's dad, Paul VanNocker, and the family's attorney, David Senoff, will be on hand to discuss the lawsuit and to tell the tale of HealthAmerica's inexplicable denial of coverage that Kyler needs to save his life.
Thankfully, Kyler underwent two of the expensive radiation treatments at CHOP anyway - at a cost of $110,000, for which the financially bankrupt VanNockers are now responsible - and he responded very well to them.
Take that, you HealthAmerica death panelists.
To read my December column about the VanNocker's fight to save Kyler's life, click here.
We have wonderful health care in this country. Let us make sure that the money spent on insurance goes to take care of people; like kyler not for a big bonus at the end of the year for the CEO's of the insurance company. We can either plug into the greed or stand up for what is right for our families. We will be judged by how we stand up for our children.....and some day they will be standing up for us...how will they judge what we have done??— lakemimi- I love the post office. Why does everyone rip the postoffice.— philsoutthecomment
- Hey Ronnie. Sad story but how much are you contributing?— manly
- I might be mistaken, but I think Olbermann also works for a large greedy corporation in MSNBC, owned by GE, which has been stealing the money of its stockholders for atleast 10 years now and still keeps their CEO in charge as he drives the stock price into the gorund. Besides he is too busy showing his knowledge of other items liek tea party people are the new KKK along with his daily rants about Beck and Limbaugh to even find time to squeeze this story in. Olbermann is a clown along with being a very angry hatful person. He is bitter that his catch phrases and act went out liek yesterdays trash and ESPN booted him becasue he thought in his mind he was he greatest thing since sliced bread. Maybe NBC will wake up one day and realize nobody watches the pregame show on Sunday nights because Olbermann and his washed up partner Dan Patrick are annoying and thier act is old.— reddog44
- Gee, I thought we were talking about this insurance company and this child....why do you go right to the government and say the government will do the same thing? Ignatius??? stay on topic.— lakemimi
Comment removed.- the term government takeover is a misnomer and only a republican or faux news shill would use that term. you people amaze me with your stupidity. you fools are voting for and openly calling for mesures that against your own self interests, why?? Oh right because Fox news told you this was BAD. "springboard a discussion to what we should do..." How about hold insurance co.'s accountable to providing service they agreed to provide and while we're at NO other country in the world allows people to go bankrupt for health care !! You tell someone they are too stupid to live. How ironic would it be if your insurance company decided not to cover you or your loved ones?? Go Away...— bosshog
- LAKEMIMI: Are you serious? I am SQUARELY on topic here. Did you not read the blog post we are commenting on? Ronnie is shaking her pom-poms over the fact that this story is going on Olbermann, who is a noted advocate of government takeover, and he will use this story as "Exhibit A." Plus, Ronnie makes the dippy "take that HealthAmerica death panelists" comment, which is a not so hidden reference to the fact that she feels it is the INSURERS who have death panels, but not government! Do you seriously not grasp all of this?— ignatius
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- Boy, I love when people respond to facts with insults. How about another Medicare success story - I can't wait until the gov't charges me $8,000 for a bee sting on a technicality. And let me tell you, I'd rather fight against a private insurer than the government on an appeal: http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/dannywestneat/2011027743_danny10.html— RightWingnut
- This is about a child dying, a five year old child that does not have a choice in what happens to him but has the determination to keep going. It is about parents who work hard, pay for insurance, stay up all night with their sick child, and have the COURAGE to fight for their child even when they have been turned down by the insurance company. This fight, no matter what you may think about the media, gets the word out about what is happening in real life...not in the "probably" world of what might be. Again, when you walk the walk you can tell me about who is squarely on target here. I believe: we are ALL Americans, we should stick together and demand that our current system of insurance companies take care of our children. Period.— lakemimi
- Because I, unlike you ignoramuses welcome opposing viewpoints.— bosshog
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- Nothing sends the the right-wing nutters more spastic than Olbermann's name (except maybe Will Bunch.)— No Ids
When my phone rings here at the Daily News, nine times out of ten the caller begins the conversation with, “Yeah, so what happened was…”.
Because this is Philly, the caller doesn’t say, “My name is Bob” – or Mary – “and I wonder if I could have a moment of your time?” Philadelphians are too direct for that. They just say, “Yeah, so what happened was…”, and then tumble into a tale they think oughta be shared with a wider audience. I love getting these calls (even the ones where it becomes clear, after 30 seconds, where the caller sowed the seeds of his own misery), because they give me chance to connect with fellow citizens in a way that no other job allows. Well, okay, no other job for which I’m remotely qualified.
That’s why my blog is titled “So What Happened Was…”. To me, it’s the quintessentially Philly way of saying, “Once upon a time.” When I hear it, I know a good story is coming. And I can’t wait to see how it turns out.
Ronnie Polaneczky has been an award-winning columnist for The Philadelphia Daily News since 1999, offering a front-steps perspective on every aspect of city life, from the sublime to the stupid. In her past life, she was the editor-in-chief of Atlantic City Magazine, associate editor at Philadelphia Magazine and a fulltime freelancer published in Ladies Home Journal, Good Housekeeping, Redbook, Reader's Digest, Men's Health, MarieClaire and others. She lives with her husband, daughter and various pets in the city's Fairmount section, where she dreams of one day singing The National Anthem at an Eagles game. In addition to her column and blog, you can enjoy Ronnie's musings in podcast form here.
Read more from Ronnie Polaneczky at Earth to Philly, the Daily News blog on anything and everything "Green
Reach Ronnie at polaner@phillynews.com.
