Isn't It Strange...

[dgridley]

Isn't it strange that two countries that currently enjoy universal health care coverage (courtesy of the US government) are Iraq and Afghanistan? Yet I, as an American citizen, born and raised here, cannot afford health insurance and would rather not go on public assistance, am expected to go to an emergency room in a hospital for medical care as per Dubya's recent quote:

"People have access to health care in America," he told an audience in Cleveland. "After all, you just go to an emergency room."​

[source]

Map of countries with Universal Health Care:

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/9/94/Health.png

 

[Sameh]

Isn't it strange that two countries that currently enjoy universal health care coverage (courtesy of the US government) are Iraq and Afghanistan?

Do you think they really enjoy ? do you want that kind of "health care" !

 

[dgridley]

I just think it's somewhat ironic...

Do you think they really enjoy ? do you want that kind of "health care" !

 

[James]

from what i've heard you guys have to pay to go to hospitals/emergency rooms.
Here in Australia we don't actually pay unless your put into a bed like overnight.

 

[dgridley]

Yes, we have to pay and, of course, hospital emergency rooms are not designed for ongoing non-emergency care.

On the other hand, I've needed kidney surgery now for going on 5 years. I can't qualify for disability because I'm still capable of working. I can't qualify for insurance from work because I don't work full-time. I don't work full time because I have a hard enough time physically working the 20 hours a week I do work.

Where I live, we have a free medical clinic that is open one day a week and is overloaded and understaffed. Not to mention, any medical tests that are required are often performed in another town as our hospital is not currently equipped to do certain procedures. In fact, for the surgery I require, I'd have to travel to either Kansas City or St. Louis in any case.

I just think it'd be great to have everyone covered by some sort of affordable medical coverage that wasn't dependent on income levels...

from what i've heard you guys have to pay to go to hospitals/emergency rooms.
Here in Australia we don't actually pay unless your put into a bed like overnight.

 

[BoutiqueMusic]

Maybe we need to start crossing our borders?

 

[ChrisChris]

from what i've heard you guys have to pay to go to hospitals/emergency rooms.
Here in Australia we don't actually pay unless your put into a bed like overnight.

Close but not 100% correct :hehe:

If you go to a public hospital, it's free even if you stay overnight but if you go to a private hospital you'll need health insurance to stay.

Well at least that's my understanding of it (haven't been to hospital for a few years).

 

[sdtrader]

Map of countries with Universal Health Care:

Compare that map with UN Human Developement Map.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:HDImap_spectrum2006.png

Generally speaking developed nations have universal health care and undeveloped countries do not.

 

[dgridley]

Excepting the US, which was the irony I was attempting to point out

Compare that map with UN Human Developement Map.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:HDImap_spectrum2006.png

Generally speaking developed nations have universal health care and undeveloped countries do not.

 

[Broker]

An ambulance ride for 4 miles cost $9,000

I'd love to see a detailed bill on where that money really went and how in the world it cost that much.


My health insurance cost $436.00 a month and its paid for by contractors as long as I work 6 months out of 12 which aint bad thanks to the union and contracts/agreements.

 

[bluearrow]

I live in an Asian which has universal health care though normally government hospitals are over crowded. There are 2 other options there are semi government hospitals where you have to pay half or private hospitals where you can go if you have deep pockets.

maybe US government should put little more money for heath care than in places like Iraq. After all its all tax payers money.

 

[sdtrader]

Excepting the US, which was the irony I was attempting to point out

 

[Ken_]

yeah im a bum
I dont even have medical coverage.

 

[The Grinch]

I had to goto the ER for a simple minor problem and within a week they billed me over $2,000. Something sad about that really, especially in American.

No matter what people think about Michael Moore, he doesn't lie in Sicko. and i'm very glad that he made that film, because i have a big feeling that it's triggering something big that'll change all of this, or i'm just dreaming.

 

[RDrapster]

It's absolutely insane!

 

[Sixxer]

I think its messed up. Its free in some countries but I believe the quality is less in some places. Also doctors are paid more here.

 

[ginge133]

In the UK we have free healthcare, even if you stay overnight etc etc. Well as far as I know anyway.

But we have some of the highest taxes in the world so it evens out

 

[dgridley]

Funny the difference in responses to this thread here vs other forums..

 

[AussieDomainer]

Here in Australia the public system is completely free. I spent a bit over a week in hospital about a year ago and was not billed a cent. However those waiting for surgery in high demand areas are waiting longer and longer these days as the system is becoming overloaded (here in Qld anyway).

A good thing they introduced a few years ago here is free ambulance service (when I say free you pay a couple of dollars per month extra on your electricity bill). I think this is quite good as it makes the cost far less when everyone is putting in, the only disadvantage I can see is if people abuse the service and call for minor things although I haven't heard of this happening.

All in all I feel extremely blessed to be in such a fortunate country with a great free healthcare system. Despite the growing complaints from the public I believe we are still very fortunate to have the services we enjoy without sending us broke in the process.