The Twilight Zone: Texas Man Gets Face Transplant

Today it was reported in the mainstream media that a young man injured in an industrial accident from Texas was given a full face transplant by a team of over 30 doctors in Boston.

The operation was funded by his father's insurance plan apparently and it was also reported that this surgery was made possible by the recent health care legislation which afforded him to remain under his father's health care plan until he reached the age of 26, and he was at the time of the surgery 25.

Not to go too far into the rather Twilight Zone surgical procedure that also was undertaken transplanting the face of one individual onto another (although the donor also remained nameless in the article), rather than applauding again this faulty legislation for what it is, a violation of our Constitution in its present form, maybe we could ask just why this young man had run out of options and benefits prior to this legislation to begin with?

It was reported he had had over 30 operations prior to this one, and his state indigent health care benefits had thus run out, although will qualify for Medicare when he turns 26. Although I for one was covered through an employer many years ago with dependent coverage so long as those dependents, my children, were still dependent for tax purposes and either going to school, or living at home, until age 25.

I wonder, what was the overall costs for those 30 operations, while most likely those corporate hospitals and medical facilities were getting their public grant monies also for the bulk of the sums for their operating costs and expenses?

Why was this surgery also not performed in a "fellowship" or teaching hospital, due to its rather experimental nature (less than a half dozen of these surgeries have been performed at this point throughout the world).

I for one heard the Twilight Zone theme in the background while reading this particular news story.