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Blink-182’s Hoppus Pens Op-Ed Piece on Health Care

10/22/09, 2:16 pm EST

Photo: Kovac/FilmMagic

Blink-182 bassist-singer Mark Hoppus has penned an op-ed piece for the Huffington Post demanding that the United States government figure out a way to give health care coverage to all Americans. Hoppus was inspired by Ali Vattar, a caterer on Blink’s recent reunion tour who required emergency surgery to remove her appendix two months into the trip. After leaving the hospital, Vattar told Hoppus she was uninsured, and that her bills following the procedure totaled $48,000. We’d recommend he read Matt Taibbi’s recent story on the issue: Sick and Wrong.

Check out Blink-182’s Rock Show: photos of the band onstage and off.

“My initial reaction was disbelief. Why would you not have insurance? Especially while on tour? Turns out I was asking the wrong question. The real question is: Why are you unable to get insurance,” Hoppus writes. The bassist soon found out that due to preexisting conditions, nearly all insurance companies rejected Vattar. To raise money to pay off her hospital bills, Vattar started a Website, the Ali Vattar Matter, where Blink fans can donate money. Hoppus has promised to match every dollar fans donate until the bill is paid. Still, Hoppus questions why there was a bill at all, especially when millions are living without coverage.

“Every day, while our elected officials and corporations argue over the best way to fix the problem of health care in America, more people like Ali are falling through the cracks, into bankruptcy and inadequate care,” Hoppus writes in conclusion. “Mr. President, members of congress, hospitals, doctors, and insurance companies, there has to be a better way. When a person’s best option to pay for health care is to take to the internet and ask for small donations from strangers, bold changes need to be made.”

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Comments

Anonymous | 10/22/2009, 2:39 pm EST

*FINALLY* we’ll get this health care thing worked out!

Franklin | 10/22/2009, 3:09 pm EST

That’s the key to solving all our problems: having the dude from Blink-182 tell the government to find ways to do stuff.

Is this how low we’ve sunk?

what the foo? | 10/22/2009, 3:12 pm EST

ummm… why doesn’t he just pay it instead of matching. Blink-182 sold out enough to afford that bill.

S.O. | 10/22/2009, 4:40 pm EST

I’m not in Blink-182 at all (and never was). But I totally agree w/ his article (& reasons) of why Health Care should be reformed for all people to be insured. That caterer shouldn’t be screwed over like that (like most thousands of Americans have) due to a pre-existing condition. That’s highway robbery.

TheCoz | 10/22/2009, 6:20 pm EST

So I guess Mark Hoppus thinks someone should be paying for the $48,000 bill, just not him. I know, let’s force the taxpayers to foot the bill. Fuck charity!

TheCoz | 10/22/2009, 6:24 pm EST

My mistake, he did organize a charity! Good work Mark. This is how money in America should be raised, voluntarily, not by raising taxes and forcing charity.

Blink-182 Fan 4 ever. | 10/23/2009, 2:31 pm EST

I live in Canada, and we don’t get bills for our health care. The Government pays for our health care. Mark is totally right, the U.S should offer this health care too. And seriously haters of blink-182. Back Off. At least they are trying to do something while you sit on your fat asses and do nothing. Thank you Mark Hoppous for standing up for the U.S

Blink-182 Fan 4 ever. | 10/23/2009, 2:32 pm EST

up to the U.S*

mcache | 10/24/2009, 11:44 pm EST

The only thing Mark should be writing about is how to hang out at the mall ….. Mark, your fucking heath care is paid for, twenty times over so shut the fuck up !!!

Alex | 10/26/2009, 11:19 pm EST

Yeah his health care is obviously paid for 69 times over but he is still generous enough to take the time to try to give other people the same advantages he has by writing to the president of the united states. I dont get how people can even think of a reason to criticize him.

justaperson | 11/2/2009, 11:07 pm EST

for all those people saying things like, “oh he shouldn’t be talking ’cause he has enough money to pay for insurance, blah blah blah…” well he isn’t talking about himself, hes standing up for all those who are not receiving the proper health care that everyone deserves; he’s talking about addressing the important issues of the common people to the white house so that everyone gets treated fairly. kudos to mark :)

blink44 | 11/11/2009, 3:00 pm EST

am from england where we have free health care… and no the NHS is not shit they have saved my life 3 times because of my asthma and they have just offered me a FREE swine flu jab and we are a poorer nation then america y the fuck cant the US do it if we did it back in the 1950s

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