Paying for the Health Care of a Boston Marathon Victim Jeff Bauman Shows What is Wrong with American Health Care System

 And Much of What is Right About America

Apparently the health care bill for a victim of the Boston Marathon bombing will have a $300,000 bill for the surgery and care needed after he lost both of his legs.  And this individual was one of the few Massachusetts residents who did not have health insurance.  So here’s how he will pay for his care.

Jeff Bauman, who lost two legs in the Boston Marathon bombings earlier this week and helped identify the attackers, is without health insurance… and the Internet wants to help.

Bauman has become a national hero for helping authorities identify the suspectsinvolved in the attacks. From his hospital bed, he was able to pinpoint the suspects at large — one of which looked at him just minutes before a bomb went off.

But now, news has surfaced that the 27-year-old is without health insurance to pay for his care, an online funding campaign has been set up in his honor. According toThinkProgress.org, he was working part time at Costco and planned to go back to school soon. He is among the small percentage of Massachusetts residents (1.9%) without health insurance, the site notes.

Friends of Bauman have set up a crowdfunding page called “Bucks for Bauman!” on gofundme.com, looking to raise money to help pay for his surgery and medical expenses. Since the site launched on Tuesday, the site has raised $205,674 by 5,125 people — just $100,000 shy of its goal.

One can easily imagine Conservatives cheering this news, and saying this is why we don’t need the government involved in health insurance, that individuals can take care of their own bills.  And one can easily imagine Conservative think tanks like the Heritage or Hoover groups saying something like this.

“Well this person would have had a lot lower bill if he had just shopped around for his amputation.  He apparently was just too lazy to check with several hospitals while he was lying on the ground injured with his legs blown off by the blast, and if he did he probably would have found a clinic in Mississippi to treat him for a lot less.  The free market works if you just use it!!!”