In other news--socialized medicine is a-coming!

[sns4063]

Figuratively speaking, some folks in Canada and the United Kingdom are dying to get off their country 'model' socialist health care system.

Literally dying. :sad:

[justmeagain]

people are dying here from no care

the people that I talk to in other countries with universal health care are absolutely appalled at our system or should I say lack there of

The amount of taxes we pay now (NOT including what you pay for health care insurance: deductibles, co pays etc) are VERY close to what they pay in Canada and they get health insurance!

[sns4063]

Is that why you always read of the wealthier Canadians coming to the US for healthcare related procedures or drugs that their government deemed unnecessary, because their system is just that wonderful? People in the US can go to an emergency room if their condition is life threatening. If they are poor and cannot afford insurance and cannot otherwise work, there are programs for that too. To imply that the poor or uninsured have absolutely no access to any health care is a big fat LIE.

[aimeebee]

People in the US can go to an emergency room if their condition is life threatening. If they are poor and cannot afford insurance and cannot otherwise work, there are programs for that too. To imply that the poor or uninsured have absolutely no access to any health care is a big fat LIE.

Many of the poor, uninsured or under-insured use the emergency room to get a band-aid--or some other routine medical care they should receive from a family physician. Then, they receive a huge bill for the band aid and can't pay it. If they don't go bankrupt from outrageously high medical bills, then they pass the cost on to every one else. The cost of health insurance has gotten so high that it is not affordable by the working poor or even many in the middle class. The access that the poor and uninsured have is a joke at best. Even worse is the cost to them and the rest of society. Should Americans really have to lose our house if we hit the top payout of our insurance or are refused coverage for pre-existing conditions?

That being said. I still don't like the proposed plan and I hope Congress thinks long and hard before they pass a plan like this and make things worse instead of better.

[justmeagain]

Is that why you always read of the wealthier Canadians coming to the US for healthcare related procedures or drugs that their government deemed unnecessary, because their system is just that wonderful? People in the US can go to an emergency room if their condition is life threatening. If they are poor and cannot afford insurance and cannot otherwise work, there are programs for that too. To imply that the poor or uninsured have absolutely no access to any health care is a big fat LIE.

As an uninsured person who has looked into every single possibly option.......I'M PROOF THAT THERE IS NO FRICKEN HEALTH CARE SOME PEOPLE AND THAT IS THE BIG FAT TRUTH

[duetchan]

Is that why you always read of the wealthier Canadians coming to the US for healthcare related procedures or drugs that their government deemed unnecessary, because their system is just that wonderful? People in the US can go to an emergency room if their condition is life threatening. If they are poor and cannot afford insurance and cannot otherwise work, there are programs for that too. To imply that the poor or uninsured have absolutely no access to any health care is a big fat LIE.

As an emergency room worker and one who sees this in action everyday I am always appalled when someone uses the 'see, they can go to the ER for medical aid'.

Emergency rooms ARE NOT there for the common cold or the 'band aid' procedures that those without insurance are forced to use it for. Most of those who use the ER because they have no insurance never pay a bill to the hospital for that care and that then gets passed on to you, the insured patient in the form of higher hospital costs and higher copays through your insurer.

Our hospital, because of how many people we have come in because of that fact, now has to ask for either a copay (if you are insured) or a downpayment (if you are uninsured) at the time of care. True, they can refuse, and many do, but it's getting to be so expensive to care for the people once they are critically ill it's not cost effective to have this basic, needed department in the hospital.

You are already paying for them to have the higher cost procedures in the ER, wouldn't it make more sense to pay for lesser cost preventives and leave the ER for the purpose it was created for?

[floridamom1]

LOL! That was my first thought!

Mine too! Well, actually my first thought was "Yay, it's about time!"

[Maismom]

About time this country cares about its own people.

I'm from a country with gov. health care system and so do many of my co-workers (different courtiers, though). And we just don't understand why some American people say "no" to their own benefit :shrug7:

Some people like to talk about few problem cases in UK or Canada. OK, they're right in some cases. No system is perfect. But, some health care is better than no health care.

[kas]

By chance, I was running the names of family and friends through my state court system yesterday. Just call it, keeping abreast of people's character or the lack of it. The impression I got is that if you show up at the emergency ward or receive other services from the local hospital system and don't pay later, you will be taken to civil court. Although this hospital group does have non-profit status that means a low limit on the annual write-off, not operating in the red. In the past, neither the city or county could run its hospital(s) efficiently and instead, they opted to annually provide taxpayers money to area hospitals. However, this dough, along with Federal taxpayers money and private insurance payments strain the budgets of most hospital, given the attitude of some that 'my drugs, booze and smokes' come before my financial obligations.

Even the simple task of taking an ill or hurt person by ambulence to the emergency ward has become a running joke around the 'burbs in my area. Once info, especially financial history, on the person become known, the staff of nearby hospitals may suddenly cry "we are swarmed". In other words, if there's a good chance the person is a deadbeat and/or the Feds/state or local officials will low ball the hospital on 'Medicare' payments. I recall one guy rode around for hours before one hospital accepted the patient. Finally, most fire districts often provide the ride to the hospital and typically there's a cost for the service, although St. Louis City eats alot of the cost. Last I heard it was around $350 and like those non-profit hospitals if the bean counters note even a slight chance of being paid, it will be done, ASAP.

[MaryMary]

As an emergency room worker and one who sees this in action everyday I am always appalled when someone uses the 'see, they can go to the ER for medical aid'.

Emergency rooms ARE NOT there for the common cold or the 'band aid' procedures that those without insurance are forced to use it for. Most of those who use the ER because they have no insurance never pay a bill to the hospital for that care and that then gets passed on to you, the insured patient in the form of higher hospital costs and higher copays through your insurer.

Our hospital, because of how many people we have come in because of that fact, now has to ask for either a copay (if you are insured) or a downpayment (if you are uninsured) at the time of care. True, they can refuse, and many do, but it's getting to be so expensive to care for the people once they are critically ill it's not cost effective to have this basic, needed department in the hospital.

You are already paying for them to have the higher cost procedures in the ER, wouldn't it make more sense to pay for lesser cost preventives and leave the ER for the purpose it was created for?

People who come to ER for common cold and band-aid procedure will come there no matter what. They want care NOW or when they are available, not when the PCP can schedule them in. Or they think their own PCP is not good enough so they'd come here. I've seen it quite a few times, for Americans and non-English speaking patients. Yes, I'm speaking about people on medicaid who do have own doctors. Because it is free it means they can use it at will.