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Really sad news. He was a genuinely good dude.

Also, obligatory:

But:

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  • [+] 11 points 8 months ago* (last edited 6 months ago) (1 child)
  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago

    Van der Beek went bankrupt and we are supposed to afford it?

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  • 51 comments in c/news@lemmy.world view that post
    [–] 68 points 8 months ago (4 children)

    They're trying to raise 1 million and they're at 600k now so they're probably going to make it. My brain is pushing back hard on looking for charity in the realm of a million dollars for a singular family and I'm sure a lot are with me, but the family does seem to have been downsizing before his death and does really seem to have been auctioning off their valuable possessions.

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  • [–] 15 points 8 months ago

    Honestly, Medical care is so expensive I wouldn’t begrudge anyone asking for enough money to cover it and some money to just breathe. Honestly, no one’s medical debt should outlive them.

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  • [–] 12 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    his cancer was already mestasized by the time he was diagnosed, so likely he was trying drastic expensive treatment from the get-go to get it under control.

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  • [–] 25 points 8 months ago (13 children)

    The system is working as it's supposed to. In the future, nobody will leave inheritances except very wealthy people, because they swallowed everybody else's inheritance.

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  • [–] 7 points 8 months ago (7 children)

    Nah, I'll just do a cost-benefit analysis whether I should get treatment or just fucking die.

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  • [–] 8 points 8 months ago (4 children)

    At the end, when he was out of money, and going to die anyway, and about to leave his wife and six kids broke, I'll bet he wished he had ended it earlier.

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  • [–] 12 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 child)

    You caught a downvote for that comment because some people don’t like confronting reality, but that’s literally what my late father-in-law told me on his deathbed. He had been battling cancer for about a year by that point, and was partially paralyzed around the six month mark after his vertebrae collapsed from it spreading to his bones. My wife was his constant in-home caregiver after that, while I took on a ton of overtime and freelance work to financially support both of us.

    One day, I was over at his house taking care of him, because my wife needed a girl’s night for herself to just get away from things for a few moments. While I was feeding him, he broke down in tears and said he wished he had been hit by a bus instead, because at least then he would have had his dignity intact and would have been able to leave my wife some sort of inheritance. He died two days later.

    I’ll never tell my wife about that conversation. She was already dealing with enough mental, emotional, and physical stress from the caregiving (and her own health issues, which the stress compounded), and I didn’t want to add to it. And now at this point, it’s better to just let sleeping dogs lie.

    Fuck cancer.

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  • [–] 3 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    If someone asked me "How much money would you pay to spend an extra year with your dad?" I don't know if there's an upper limit.

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  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago

    Of course, but that's you. HE would probably rather you remember him when he was healthier, not slowly dying ugly, and use the money to make his grandchildren's lives better.

    Either way, you will grieve his loss, but one way leaves his offspring better off. Most Dads know which choice they'd make, even if their loving children would disagree. Good dads have to make the tough choices for their family.

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  • [–] 1 point 8 months ago (1 child)

    Even if I could afford treatment, if it's a guaranteed death sentence I'm booking a flight to a place with doctor assisted suicide.

    Going through hell just so you can live a bit longer and suffer the whole time sounds dumb to me.

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  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago

    Life's different with kids. I'd literally give up anything for an extra hour with my kids. I would also give up everything to give them a better life. It's a complicated situation and people are dumbing it down as much as possible, and it's a little unfair. It's very easy to say what you'd do when it's just you, but these fucking progeny put their hooks in you, I swear to God. They have made me into a person I never thought I would be, and I can guarantee if they said "Dad, five more minutes," I'd do it.

    None of this should even be a talking point. Dude should've had access to treatment regardless, and he shouldn't have to worry about jeopardizing his kids next 20 years for their next 20 days. It's gross. It makes me sad.

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  • [–] 4 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (1 child)

    Honestly, this is exactly why inheritance should be taxed to hell and back.

    I truly understand the idea of wanting to make sure your family is looked out for after you're gone. However, if governments gave a shit, about making their country truly great and something to be admired by the rest of the world, they would put the well-being of all of their citizens first and foremost by creating a social safety net that would never leave your family destitute if something happened to you.

    If I die there should be no concern of who will put food on the table, or make sure my family has access to healthcare or an education in any developed country that claims greatness. Especially not one producing the kind of disgustingly oblivious bottomless pit levels of wealth responsible for some of the most justifiably hated villains in history.

    If only there was some system that could allow you to pump money and resources back into your country's economy without quid pro quo private donations and business deals for public contracts...

    Obviously this applies in particular to the U.S., but favoring policies that harm the many in order to help the wealthy few preserve the resources they have hoarded and obtained by exploiting others, seems to be spreading like an STD beyond the borders to many other countries that should clearly know better.

    Economic Inequality Seen as Major Challenge Around the World

    It's hard to say if it was ever really anything exclusive to the U.S. or if we just copied somebody else's idea and super sized it.

    The Richest Man in Germany Is Worth $44 Billion. The Source of His Family Fortune? The Nazis Know.

    Nazi Billionaires: The Dark History of Germany's Wealthiest Dynasties is a 2022 book by Dutch historian David de Jong about German industrialists who profited from the government during the Nazi era.

    Dark Money: The Hidden History of the Billionaire$ Behind the Rise of the Radical Right

    T.L.D.R.: Inheritance tax would mean people like Elon Musk and Donald Trump don't exist. Likely Peter Thiel too, to a lesser extent, and there would be no need to worry about leaving your family a safety net because those taxes would go towards creating a safety net that ensures the basic needs of all citizens are taken care of.

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  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago)

    Valid, great post.

    However, it would be nice if regular parents and grandparents can leave their beloved possessions and assets to their offspring, and give them a little lift in the middle of their lives, and allow them to retire early, or start a business, or just grow their retirement. I would hate if the law evens the score with Oligarchs, at the expense of middle class and poor people losing out on one of the few, relatively small advantages they might get in their entire lives.

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  • [–] 3 points 8 months ago (2 children)
  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    It reminds me of the Star Trek Universe, where replicator technology rendered money useless, since anyone could simply create anything they wanted from the replicator.

    Want to have a game of catch? Replicate some broken in gloves and a ball, and go toss it around. When you're done, you just feed it all back into the replicator to be turned into something else. Nobody really owns anything, they just replicate it as they need it, including food.

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  • [–] 1 point 8 months ago

    It reminds me of the Star Trek Universe

    It was explicitly a reference to the "Sharing" Economy (Uber, AirBnB, Grubhub, etc) that would supposedly supplant the modern retail sector. So, less replicators and more endless piles of single-use plastics with your take out.

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  • [–] 79 points 8 months ago (1 child)
  • [–] 19 points 8 months ago
    [–] 16 points 8 months ago

    CAPITALISM!...yay?

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  • [–] 13 points 8 months ago (2 children)

    its also significant that is colorectal cancer in someone in thier 30s/40s which tend to be more aggressive than the usually 50-90s

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  • [–] 11 points 8 months ago (2 children)

    Curiously, for a guy with a Dutch surname had he lived in The Netherlands, even though that country does not have a National Healthcare System and instead has (hightly regulated) Healthcare Insurance, fighting cancer wouldn't have left his family near bankrupt.

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  • [–] 8 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    for a guy with a Dutch surname

    Born in Connecticut.

    fighting cancer wouldn’t have left his family near bankrupt.

    Hell, he might have survived it if he'd had access to regular checkups and early intervention.

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  • [–] 8 points 8 months ago

    Oof. I didn't know he died.

    He was amazing on Don't Trust the B in Apt. 23.

    Absolutely hilarious on that show.

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  • [–] 7 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    He should have cooked meth.

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  • [–] 4 points 8 months ago (6 children)

    Fuck me cant remember if he is a bad guy, a forgotten decent guy, or just a guy

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  • [–] 8 points 8 months ago*

    IIRC he was pretty decent. I never watched Dawson's Creek but I've watch a bunch of stuff he was in later and I enjoyed those characters. It's a real shame about his death but this really kind of highlights how insane our medical system is when a famous actor can be bankrupted simply by having cancer.

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  • [–] 7 points 8 months ago* (last edited 8 months ago) (3 children)

    He was funny playing a version of himself in "Don't Trust the B**** in Apt 23"

    Honestly, I completely forgot he was dead.

    Edit: I guess I saw this article before seeing the one about him dying

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  • [+] -36 points 8 months ago (11 children)
  • [–] 20 points 8 months ago (10 children)

    Not even the least bit doubtful.

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  • [–] 5 points 8 months ago (8 children)

    It is a bit odd since sag-aftra members have pretty decent insurance policies for their members. My best guess is that he was probably seeking care from an out of network provider and paying out of pocket.

    Unfortunately there are a lot of predatory cancer clinics who specialize in selling false hope to wealthy clients with terminal illnesses. It's still an awful byproduct of the American healthcare network, but it is a more unusual aspect of it.

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  • [–] 9 points 8 months ago (3 children)

    Not how it works when you have cancer.

    The treatments come from a specialty pharmacy and don't count as a part of your out of pocket maximum. There's no limit on what they can charge for that. Additionally, any of the bleeding edge treatments, are never covered by insurance. And when your life is on the line, you want the bleeding edge treatments.

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  • [–] 0 points 8 months ago (2 children)

    The treatments come from a specialty pharmacy and don't count as a part of your out of pocket maximum.

    That is entirely dependent on your insurance plan. Sag aftra has specialty drug coverage

    "CVS Specialty for specialty medications Specialty drugs are high-cost oral or injectable medications used to treat complex conditions like rheumatoid arthritis, multiple sclerosis, HIV, psoriasis, rare genetic disorders and cancer. These medications will only be covered when filled through CVS Specialty. Visit cvsspecialty.com/DrugList for a list of covered medications that is updated quarterly. When your drug is on the list, you pay $0"

    If you visit the drug list for oncology, it's fairly extensive compared to programs like Medicare or Medicaid.

    Additionally, any of the bleeding edge treatments, are never covered by insurance. And when your life is on the line, you want the bleeding edge treatments.

    That's what I was talking about when I spoke about specialty clinics that predate on wealthy clients.

    Unfortunately if you are seeking bleeding edge cancer treatments your cancer is likely already advanced enough that your outcomes are looking pretty bad.

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  • [–] 2 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    I can tell you, having gone through the CVS specialty pharmacy stuff for chemo medication specifically, it is absolutely not covered in the way you or they have said, and you absolutely do not pay $0.

    Have you ever had cancer or had a family member go through cancer treatments? Because if you haven't, you probably shouldn't speak from a position of authority on things for which you have no direct personal experience with.

    I have both had very close family members go through this and am going through something similar myself personally.

    My copay is absolutely not $0 from CVS specialty pharmacy. Usually, for a $9k-12k prescription (Depends on the dosage they decide I need), I end up needing to cover around $2k/month, after insurance. And that's with having double insurance providers. Some of that can be helped out with from other assistance programs from the manufacturer, such as a manf. co-pay card, but the money I pay towards it does not count towards my out of pocket deductible, so I'm forced to also hit my OOP maximum from normal procedures that aren't related to the specialty pharmacy medication.

    Additionally, health insurance has been covering less and less of my medications and procedures each and every year. So it keeps getting worse for me, and I assume everyone else, including those in the SAG.

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  • can tell you, having gone through the CVS specialty pharmacy stuff for chemo medication specifically, it is absolutely not covered in the way you or they have said, and you absolutely do not pay $0.

    It's dependent on your individual insurance plan and what kind of coverage you have....... This is the reason I said the Sag-aftra policy was pretty decent compared to most private insurance policies. The quote I gave is directly from the policy they currently have, which would be different than the policy you have experience with even if you utilized the same pharmaceutical company.

    Have you ever had cancer or had a family member go through cancer treatments? Because if you haven't, you probably shouldn't speak from a position of authority on things for which you have no direct personal experience with.

    Yes, and Im a healthcare provider in a field where a lot of my patients population have been or currently are in being treated by oncologist.

    My copay is absolutely not $0 from CVS specialty pharmacy. Usually, for a $9k-12k prescription (Depends on the dosage they decide I need), I end up needing to cover around $2k/month, after insurance. And that's with having double insurance providers.

    While it's disheartening to hear that, that does not mean that is going to be the same for someone with a different policy than you. Sag-aftra has a very good policy because they have group bargained as a union to get the best care for their members. Which is different than most private insurance policies that are sponsored by workplaces who bargain to get their employees the cheapest policies available.

    I'm not trying to make excuses for the American healthcare system of inequality. I was just pointing out that the union provided policy was particularly impressive compared to most. It's sure as hell alot better than my policy and I work for my state's largest healthcare provider.

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  • [–] 9 points 8 months ago* (3 children)

    Every actor has to be in good standing with SAG-AFRA in order to qualify for health insurance, and if the actor hasn't worked in a while they are not considered in good standing so lose the insurance.

    It's best if you research these things before commenting.

    https://www.sagaftraplans.org/health/eligibility

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  • [–] 1 point 8 months ago (2 children)

    Every actor has to be in good standing with SAG-AFRA in order to qualify for health insurance, and if the actor hasn't worked in a while they are not considered in good standing so lose the insurance.

    He was regularly working as an actor in 2025.....>Imbd. Likely to maintain his insurance coverage.

    It's best if you research these things before commenting.

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  • [–] 1 point 8 months ago (1 child)

    Cool. How many hours must he have had to work to keep his insurance? How much medical debt had he accumulated before 2025? And if he was working 'regularly' why was he still selling his memorabilia?

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  • [–] 0 points 8 months ago

    Cool. How many hours must he have had to work to keep his insurance?

    You have to work a certain amount of day or make a certain amount of compensation as a performer, to qualify for insurance its a little over 100 days or so 28k and that includes residuals, production, and background work.

    How much medical debt had he accumulated before 2025?

    As I stated in my original comment, you can still have medical debt while having decent insurance. I'm not saying that the medical system is good, or fair.

    And if he was working 'regularly' why was he still selling his memorabilia?

    For one..... I never said he wasn't in medical debt. Secondly, if I had 6 kids and knew I wasn't going to be around to financially secure their future I would be hawking memorabilia as well.

    I don't think they are destitute, they still have a multi-million dollar home outside of Austin. I think he was just doing anything possible to maintain their financial norms as much as possible.

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  • 11 comments in c/luigimangione@lemmy.world view that post
    [–] 35 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    That's a celebrity with better resources than most Americans, and his illness and death have left his family broke.

    I wonder what it will actually take to make Americans angry enough to dump private Healthcare on its ass.

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  • [–] 6 points 8 months ago

    A new form of government, voting system and dismantling of the current two parties into a range of smaller parties elected via mixed member representation voted in by preferential voting and banning monied interests and lobbying.

    Need to eat the rich first.

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  • [–] 17 points 8 months ago

    As others have said, a famous, successful actor can't get the lifesaving healthcare they need without bankrupting their family. This country is a fucking disgrace... We need single-payer NOW!

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  • [–] 15 points 8 months ago

    GoFundMe continues to be the healthcare system of the United States. GOD FORBID WE INSTITUTE SINGLE PAYER!!

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  • [–] 12 points 8 months ago

    The NHS in the UK has loads of issues, but times like this reminds me how fortunate we are. I have had close family members go through cancer and cost of treatment was never on our minds

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  • [–] 5 points 8 months ago

    Anytime people need to start a crowdfunding for anyone it means that the government has failed that person.

    I'm so sorry for the guy, and his family. The US government has failed all Americans for decades already

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  • [–] 19 points 8 months ago (3 children)

    His family still lives in a multimillion dollar home and owns at least 2 dwellings. Sell shit off or cry me a fucking river.

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  • [–] 30 points 8 months ago (1 child)

    While I agree, I think my main takeaway is that even an individual with fame and wealth suffers under our healthcare ”system”. If people like them suffer, where does that leave the rest of us?

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  • [–] 3 points 8 months ago

    And hell, the SAG insurance is supposedly pretty good, so it's extra shitty that they're broke.

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