That Onion Sure Stinks
Emily Guendelsberger doesn't have health insurance, so she will be wholloped with medical bills associated with the surgery she needs to fix her leg, which was broken in last Saturday night's stampede of marauding teens down Broad St.
That Onion Sure Stinks
Ronnie Polaneczky, Daily News Columnist
Emily Guendelsberger's leg was broken in Saturday's mob attack on North Broad St.
Emily Guendelsberger doesn't have health insurance, so she will be wholloped with medical bills associated with the surgery she needs to fix her leg, which was broken in last Saturday night's stampede of marauding teens down Broad St.
Guendelsberger is the local arts and entertainment editor for The Onion, the satirical news and entertainment site, and she is not covered under its health-care plan. My colleague Dan Gross asked an Onion spokeswoman if the company would help Guendelsberger with her bills anyway.
Here was the cagey answer.
"We can't divulge any details surrounding the compensation or benefits packages of our employees," Onion spokeswoman Anne Finn told Dan. "We will say that when we heard about the events that transpired, we were shocked and saddened. Our hearts immediately went out to Emily and we wanted to leave the option for people to help her."
Comments (62)
Comment removed.
I have to ask, why did Emily not buy health insurance herself? For someone in their 20's, it will be right around $100 per month, privately purchased. She obviously had money for drinks, as nobody sober would walk around that neighborhood after dark.
Why should people donate money to someone who chose not to put any money into the insurance pool, betting against the odds? If the bill is $20,000, well tough! Pay it off in a few years, and let it be a lesson.— DrTruth- Go back and check your figures: any health plan for a woman that's worth buying costs $250 and up. Or it doesn't cover pregnancy... but of course you can blame the victims for that, too! — phillygardens
- Even if it was $250 (which it isn't) that is not an unbearable burden for someone white, college educated and in their 20's.
If it turns out to be 10% of her monthly income, well, that's what everyone on average is paying for health care!
I'm know she always found money to buy smokes. Why not health insurance?— DrTruth - And her race has what to do with her situation, exactly? — Jack Klompus
- "She obviously had money for drinks, as nobody sober would walk around that neighborhood after dark."
Did it ever occur to you she may LIVE in that neighborhood, and those kids were running rampant in HER backyard? Stop blaming the victim.— drawonthewalls - Yeah, I kind of agree with DrTruth. It's not the Onion's fault she didn't have health insurance. As I understand it, most of their contributors are not full time employees. It sounds like she should have kept her job at DN. Still, the ones who should be paying for this are the animals who did it. Throw the book at each one that's caught.— Philatonian
- Can't she get Victim's Assistance through the state?— nlewinski
- Comment removed.
- The Onion offers its employees the "PayPal Donation Button" compensation and benefits package, generously paid for by the good people of Philadelphia. When an employee has medical bills they just need to go begging.— rsrobbins
- Typical liberal columnist - blame the little rag "Onion" paper (does this paper even make any income?)
Don't blame the girl for not having insurance or her parents to make sure she had some catastrophic plan. My husband and I paid for my daughter when she went back to school. Also - yesterday I had some banter with another poster on the Philly / Detroit article. I mentioned how the "quality of life" in this city sucks and what happened to this girl is a prime example. It is really heartbreaking to read the stories of these victims of these mob attacks! These people did nothing wrong and they wind up in scarred for life.
I wish Emily the best as I myself had a broken leg that needed surgery. It's not an easy recovery. Good luck!— gone with the wind - Huh? Since when is employer-sponsored health insurance a liberal agenda? It's as middle-of-the road as health insurance gets. Not that it's working for the American people... — phillygardens
- Comment removed.
- have some respect instead of blaming the victim.— trilonaut
- Does The Onion make any income? LOL! MILLIONS.— Truth B. Told
Nutter and Ramsey should pay since there is not enough cops on the street.— ZOSO- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- Millions? Like the DN & the Inquirer? Didn't they file bankruptcy?
phillygardens - I didn't say health insurance was a liberal agenda. I said blaming business rather than the lack of personal responsiblity in having insurance is typical liberal. You'd also be amazed at the amount of young people that decide their cell phone bill is more important than that payroll deduction for health insurance.— gone with the wind - Its not the Onion's fault she didn't have insurance. An adult can purchase their own insurance. When you accept a job without insurance benefits, that is on you, not the company. You don't like it, find another job.— Gary Varsho
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- The thugs who did this crime should pay the bills. Unfortunately she chose a job w/o health insurance and the gamble didn't pay off. She can buy a min coverage health insurance. That's better than no insurance.— palmyra21
- It was her choice to take a job without benefits, which is between her and the Onion. Not what I would've chosen to do, but not my decision. So now, as tragic as this story is, why is her lack of health benefits suddenly the Onion's problem?— whereslumpy
- Niewinski is right. She should contact her neighborhood Victim Unit..every section of Philly has one. She can be fully compensated for inuries from a violent crime even if the scumbags are not caught. The fund is from the state and is ony used for victims so there is money there. Also, to Cleanup the FJD is going after bail monies. Hearings are held everyday just for collections.— zoro
- From "The Onion" website, as part of a Business Sales Analyst position posting:
"The Onion is an Equal Opportunity Employer. We offer compensation commensurate with experience and a competitive benefits package that includes comprehensive medical, vision, dental, group life insurance and 401K plans."
I don't think anyone is blaming the victim for the attack, but are asking whether others should be accountable for her decision not to buy insurance, whether company sponsored or private.— montco1964 - Comment removed.
- ummm, where exactly? are you projecting?
— Pluski - Ronnie, the attack and episode of "Help me, I have no insurance" is completely fake. Emily works for The Onion, "the satirical news and entertainment site." Satire is their middle name. Don't fall for it. Emily is faking it for publicity. And if this story turns out to be true, she's foolish for not getting insurance. Put some Robitusson on it.
— Don Cornelius - Comment removed.
- you "excel" o so well, at being a schmuk — Pluski
- WTF? get a job w/ health benefits if you don't want to pay your own medical bills. Or buy your own health insurance. Kids think they are invincible and purposefully neglect to get themselves covered....then when something happens they expect charity because they work for The Onion?— KingOfPhilly
- I feel sorry for this young lady, but a stop-loss health insurance plan could have been purchased by her at a reasonable cost. This young woman choose not to have insurance, why are we, the general public, being solicited for funds to pay her hospital bills? If the libs at this rag are so concerned about her hospital bills, why not take up a collection within their ranks?— junethe4th
- Comment removed.
- Comment removed.
- So this girl left the cushy warm blanket of a union at the DN to work for the Onion? The DN is now in bed with the Onion and the City Paper (which survives on prostitution ads). Congrats!— Captain Terrific
- Excello is the man! he he he.— Don Cornelius
- A lot of people are on her case about not purchasing health insurance. Perhaps she really could not afford it. If she pays other bills (like rent and utilities, for instance) it is not necessarily "affordable" just because she has a job. Look how many working adults are trying to get "free" coverage for either themselves and/or their families. Those who get caught for this incident should be made to pay financially, even if it means garnishing whatever "means of support" they (or their families, if they are minors)get or earn.— dee99999
- I really can't get over how selfish and simply nasty some of the people are who post on this site.— phr
- fracture repair: tibia: $30,000 +/- .... fibula $18,000 +/-— Pluski
- Per her blog, her boyfriend, who is not white, got kicked in the head. Maybe he was the target, and she just got in the way.— Jean Valjean
- Typical conservative trash are trolling today. They complain about the government taxing them to death, and that the world would be better off relying on charity. Then, when an actual charity manifests, they whine about "personal responsibility"- and blame the victim. To even imply the Emily could have somehow prevented this by choosing a job with health insurance (as if those jobs are everywhere) is shortsighted and ignorant. At least the scumbags who attacked her had the guts to do in in person, as opposed to hiding behind a keyboard.— The Destroyer
- nobody sober would walk around the neighborhood after dark? what a moronic comment. yes, it's true that insurance probably would have cost her 1-200/mo...and in this case, if it didn't cover pregnancy, that wouldn't be a problem. still, that doesn't mean someone shouldn't reach out to here. I agree that simply blaming the onion seems wrong...if she worked part time it's not surprising. not saying the onion shouldn't do more but too many of the facts are missing from this story to say. and if the bill is $20k, well, that's because we have a completely dysfunctional healthcare system. what would the insurance company pay? $6k? why do cash users get screwed? because only a few cash users pay so they have to pay $20k so the the five other people in the ER that night with gunshot wounds that will never pay a dime can get off free?— dreinterests
- maybe she should say she was a part of the mob so she can be arrested, convicted, put in prison, and receive health care of the state.— crabs mckenzie
- Emily decided not to have health insurance. I guess that she negotiated a contract with The Onion and optioned out of the health care they provided or she decided the employee payment was too high or she is an independent contractor and is not eligible. In the City of Philadelphia there are all kinds of affordable catastrophic health care plans available. Any good insurance broker could help with that. Independent contractors often take the chance of not getting insurance and they wind up dependent on charity. If Emily can get people to donate and pay for her surgery good for her. She should however think about getting insurance in the future or get a full time job that includes a policy as part of the negotiated compensation package. Charity should be for those people who have no other option. Emily seems like she should know better and took a chance that backfired. I pay for my isurance and my grown children pay for their's even when they were between jobs.— mikefitz
- Dr Truth have you ever heard of a term called "coverage limits", let me repeat that again for you incase you don't know what it is "coverage limits" Well sir please provide some links to plans Emily can purchase in the future that have "coverage limits" above $10,000 a year and will cost not less than a few hundred a month. Come on lets see if DrTruth is also DrConsumer!— CouncilOfChumps
- Comment removed.
- I had a friend in a somewhat similar situation. He injured himself in an extreme sport and had no insurance, even though his contract job paid enough for him to afford it. He had $50k in hospital bills, all when he could have gotten a basic policy for $200/month. Luckily the injury was on video, and he got a paid TV interview that took care of most of the bill.— MattPSU
- How about this. They didn't offer her health insurance? Then don't take the job. No money to buy her own? Get a second job. Move in with someone and split the bills, cancel the cable channel. Give up the IPhone. Get a real job. Let me audit her expenses and see if she could have afforded insurance. My guess - yes.— dontavoidtheobvious
- When Obamba have his health care speech to the nation he had in the audience with his wife a young guy whose mother had tragiclly died of cancer. She didn't have health insurance. The reason was she quit the insurance plan so she could use the money to pay for her son's college. How about you borrow the college money or he borrows it, and you keep your health insurance?? Like every other working class person, and those who came before us.— dontavoidtheobvious
- Anyone check to see the name of the Publisher of the Onion in Philadelphia?— quietnow
- "A Philadelphia-edition of the satirical newspaper The Onion will hit the streets starting Thursday after the launch of a partnership with Philadelphia Media Network.
Under the partnership agreement, The Onion and its sister publication, A.V. Club magazine, maintain rights over their content, while Philadelphia Media Network has assumed business management responsibilities, including advertising sales, printing and distribution.
Philadelphia Media Network owns and publishes the Philadelphia Inquirer, Daily News and philly.com."
— bird11 - "Dr Truth have you ever heard of a term called "coverage limits", let me repeat that again for you incase you don't know what it is "coverage limits" Well sir please provide some links to plans Emily can purchase in the future that have "coverage limits" above $10,000 a year and will cost not less than a few hundred a month."
Healthcare reform removed lifetime and annual limits. So your argument fails.— DrTruth - Good point Black Label. Guess who will be paying the hospital bills of most of these weekend shooting victims? The taxpayers!!!
Yet because Emily isn't a welfare recipient she will be stuck with the bills! Doesn't seem fair.— gone with the wind - Open carry would have taken care of the situation without involving the criminal media, cops, doctors, insurance co's, etc. It's a shame when somebody says she shouldn't be walking in that neighborhood late at night without anybody really disputing it. I wonder why? What is the common denominator in all the "flash mob" attacks? It is never printed, so you have to be a racist to figure out the answer. I wonder how this nationwide problem is whitey's fault. Give it time, some sociologist will find a way to excuse this behavior and blame the corporations, the system, everything but the culprits. Can't wait...— phillyjeffsr
- why the hell would i help this woman? is someone going to help me?— bobbyd24
- Is everybody in this city a victim? How about we get rid of this victim mentality and start taking responsibility for our actions? So, this lady got a leg broken by a mob of thugs. Go catch the thugs and force them to pay for what they did. If they are juveniles, hand the bill to their parents. Somethng tells me that forcing some of these irresponsible parents for the damages their babies cause will go a long way into teaching them to curb their kids' behavior.— DonQ
- @bobbyd24 - "why the hell would i help this woman? is someone going to help me?"....don't know. are you a liberal newspaper person shirking responsibility for your life, too?? If not, probably nobody.— bird11
- Anybody wondering if she could get cheap insurance - I did this on-line for a 27 y.o. female smoker and rates range from $58-$132 a month. Co-pay and deductible vary
https://www.uhone.com/Quote/PlansList.aspx— bird11 - I nominate philly.com commenters for the Milk of Human Kindness award. Oh, and also for the "Who Would Jesus Help?" award.— Susie from Philly
- Susie - how much have you donated??— bird11
1
Popular Posts
About this blog
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.
Classifieds:
Site Services:
Partners: