Happy with your healthcare system?

[Jonneh]

I read somewhere that up to half of US bankruptcies are caused by medical bills which, if true, is an appalling statistic.

[robnix]

I read somewhere that up to half of US bankruptcies are caused by medical bills which, if true, is an appalling statistic.

Most likely it was a study that was done by Harvard, that found that the 75% of those cases had insurance when the illness began, but lost their jobs due to the extended illness and subsequently their medical coverage. Bills averaged around $13,000. To me this says as much about the ethics of the employer and the abiltiy or desire of the average American to save money and their personal finances as much as it does the state of our health care system.

[maxama10]

And just for the record, I'm half-American

Thats a shame, isn't it?

[Twistedpsyche]

Personally, I want an HSA. If you're youngish and in relatively good health, totally the way to go!!!

As for the guns issue. Please don't even get me going on this. Does american have gun crime? Yes. Is it higher in urban areas with more restrictive laws about private ownership and carry? Yes. But for some reason people think more restriction is the answer.....

[michbich]

Let's leave the firearms alone in this thread. My original post was to ask if you guys are happy with your current healthcare.

What happens if you're not inssured and you break your legs or get cancer? If you can't pay for the medical bills, don't they still have an obligation to "do no harm"?

[maxama10]

Well if you do have health care and have a real emergency then you go to the ER and have to wait for everyone who doesn't have health care and are just there because they have a cold.


People with health care are nearly second rate citizens in this country.

[MANN]

Personally, I want an HSA. If you're youngish and in relatively good health, totally the way to go!!!

As for the guns issue. Please don't even get me going on this. Does american have gun crime? Yes. Is it higher in urban areas with more restrictive laws about private ownership and carry? Yes. But for some reason people think more restriction is the answer.....

HSA is defiantly the way to go. I made a ton of money when I had one.

[SkinnyHare]

Sarah's broken arm and required surgery cost me $10 co-pay.....that's it.

Sarah's birth cost me $200 co-pay...that's it.

No arguments from me

BTW; if only the police and military should be trusted with guns, then why take then away from those same people after they get out of the service? Are they suddenly no longer trustworthy or sane? I've been in twenty years, two combat tours, NOW it's too dangerous for me?

As has been shown over the many years, those populations with private arms, are safer and have less crime. That's real proof, not some special interest lies and distortion.

tricare rocks doesn't it!

[robnix]

Well if you do have health care and have a real emergency then you go to the ER and have to wait for everyone who doesn't have health care and are just there because they have a cold.


People with health care are nearly second rate citizens in this country.

If the ER triages properly, this shouldn't be an issue.

[ghtpDM5]

but when they don't...i had to sit in the er last year with half my hand hanging off and wait to get a bed...the healthcare system in america is nice if you have insurance, like for me it wasn't hardly anything compared to the actual cost of surgery, only thing we really had to pay for was the ambulance ride (all 70 miles of it...) but still nothing compared to what it would have been out of pocket

[kosmo]

tricare rocks doesn't it!

No, it doesnt.

[187skiers]

I live in a heavy illegal immigrant populated part of California and out here its obvious that our system could use some tweaking.

-My friend shattered his heal(un-insured)and will probably be in dept the rest of his life because his heal took 3 surgery's and $60,000 to repair.
-My mother is an ER nurse at a local hospital and she says that every time an immigrant gets treated the hospital gets $300-500 from Medical(Which we pay for in taxes).

Basically, I just think somethings wrong when we are are paying to treat illegals when we cant even help our own.

[Ole Unka Phil]

No, in the army, there is a use for guns. It's not a thing of trustworthiness, but rather that part of the job of the army is to kill. Guns allow the user to do that quite well. In your house, is it a warzone? It it very unlikely that you will have to defend yourself against somebody with the sole intent to kill you (I dunno, you might piss off a lot of people ). Now, the likelyhood of somebody having the intent to steal your gun and use it for evil is much higher. If the general population is not allowed to have guns, then there's nothing to steal.

You made most of that up... just babbling away are we. What are the incidents of Home invasion and self defense by guns per year in the US do you think? Do you know? How does one extrapolate that he is not going to be attacked, robbed or murdered in his own home? Heck... why limit that to home? Do you stay home all your life? What about work? Or School, or in your car? Unlikely eh? Well... then why is it in the papers every day? If the general population is not allowed to have guns, then they can steal EVERYTHING and do what they wish. Do you think they will give their guns up? Lets remember... they don't obey laws. And disarming everyone that will obey... makes their lives MUCH easier doesn't it. Its illegal to have one in NY, Chicago and Washington DC... but yet... look at the crime rates in those cities...

There is a use for them every day by every person... to defend yourself and to prevent Tyranny... our founding principles... The first thing a government does before it enslaves you is to disarm you... then they can take away the rest of your rights without fear. I have the same right to defend myself, not only a right but an obligation, as anyone else. No one else is charged with responsibility to defend me and my family. And I have the same right to have the tools that might be used against me by Criminals.

Like Army said, if you don't trust me with a gun then don't thrust one in my hand only to send me over to do your bidding. i.e. If you don't trust me in Peace time then why trust me when you need my help?

We have about the best health care in the world. We can chose what course to take. We have a choice. Not have some agency decide if they can afford it or not. Despite what you have been told, socialized Medicine has never worked well. It gets bogged down in red tape and they then start making hard decisions on how to afford the same mediocre level of service to everyone. So you get what they can afford. No more. And often less than desirable level of care. There are no easy answers to this problem.

[beam]

I could try and dig this up, but I'd rather be lazy and just state this...take it for what it's worth. But, in this country (USA), there was a time when it was illegal NOT to carry a gun.

The whole basis was that you were responsible for your own protection (whether it be natural elements, hostile natives, thugs, bandits, etc.) By not taking the responsibility to defend yourself, you potentially put the lives of other innocent (and armed) people at risk when they come to rescue you from your distress.

Now, take a look at the world. When unarmed societies get over-run by natural elements, hostile natives, thugs, bandits, etc., and don't take responsibility to defend themselves, they are putting the lives of innocent (and armed) people at risk as they come to rescue you from your distress.

As for health care, the US does have some of the best health care in the world. It's a regional thing. I live about 1 hour away from Rochester, MN. I had an uncle who would only go to Mayo for health care. While there, it was not uncommon for him to be in proximity to the Saudi Royal family.

[michbich]

...

We have about the best health care in the world. We can chose what course to take. We have a choice. Not have some agency decide if they can afford it or not. Despite what you have been told, socialized Medicine has never worked well. It gets bogged down in red tape and they then start making hard decisions on how to afford the same mediocre level of service to everyone. So you get what they can afford. No more. And often less than desirable level of care. There are no easy answers to this problem.

This is what i didn't want the thread to turn into. Unless you have lived in both countries for a long enough period of time, you don't know both sides. It is not a matter of "if they can afford it or not" but it is a matter of "does the patient NEED the operation?".

"socialized Medicine has never worked well". What hasen't worked well? How? I have lived here my entire life, and i don't see what you mean by that.

"And often less than desirable level of care." please give me an example of that, please.

I don't want to compare both sides since they are operated in completly different ways. I will not talk about the US healthcare system since i don't know enough to make an educated argument. That's why i made this thread...to learn. So far, i see 2 different sides to this: some that are really not happy, some that say it's the best system of the world. How come no one can agree? Is it simply because of their different coverage policy?