Idiot. Depends of the insurance you have. And if you don't know you are having a panic attack, why not go?

I am so glad I live in Canada. Our healthcare system is far from perfect, but its alot better than nothing!


Sabby:)

We have the ability to buy health care as we see fit ... you guys get ass raped via the goverment and 2x the taxes we do, so whether you like it or not, yourself and the rest of the tax payers in your country ARE paying for it ... so you're wrong .. it costs WAY more than $0.

You also get raped for public education, which is good and all .. but myself for instance, I didn't go to college .. didn't want to, just like a whole lot of people. Let's say I was a Canadian citizen ... I don't go to school, yet I pay out the ass for education via taxes, for other people. That serves no benefit to me ...

I like America, and I like the fact that when it comes to issues such as these, I am given to right to decide how much education, or how much healthcare, I personally need, as opposed to having the government decide for me and take my money to not only pay for myself, but for an entire population.

What the fuck are you talking about?

The USA has public education. Not very good public education I'll grant you but the sort that costs money, yes.

I'm not talking about K-12 ... Like Waterloo etc ... College education.

I think I am having an anxiety attack right now. Hopefully it's nothing lots and lots of alcohol can't fix.

That's so expensive! What do they want from you? Another attack?! :BangBang:

I've just about done getting all the bills from my 16 year old's visit to 2 ERs and a 3 day hospital stay due to complications with mono back in January.

It's gonna end up being about an $12,000 kiss..$6K of that is 4 hours in one ER.

a trip like that to the hospital wouldn't cost $1608 US in Canada.

I remember that my 2 night stay at a hospital for acute bronchitus set me back a little over $10k. It's fucking outragous.

I guess this a big testimonial for health insurance.

bastards ....dont pay...... they can suck :BangBang: (is beter in sweden):)

Whats up Robert Brenner!:thumbsup

um..yes. dipshit.

services rendered.

/why i have insurance

man .. that really sucks..

I have cover here(australia) probably wouldnt need it unless i was going to a private hospital.. having elective / non emergency surgery.. etc.. but that is $160/month.. think of it this way.. if that's the only medical bill you have in a 10 month period.. you're still ahead of me having to pay 160 monthly.. having said that.. the 160 i pay covers my partner and all our kids.. it is a fucking steep bill though considering they hardly did anything.

Wow man, that sucks. Hope you make some good bank so you can pay that off.

Could be worse... when I was in jamaica a new friend was talking about her ex- needing to get rabies shots after some kind of bat took a bite out of him. After the series of shots and followups, the total ran around $13,000. I damn near shit myself in the hot tub when I heard it. Even more tragic is that SHE'S STILL PAYING on it even tho she broke up with the guy.

And for all those people who love to bash Canadian hospitals, take it from someone who's been in one in every province except manitoba: If you're seriously sick or hurt or exhibiting symptoms to indicate your life is in imminent danger, you get prioritized. Every 'nuck hospital works a triage system. If you come in with a splinter under your fingernail and a broken toe, you can expect to wait in line after the trauma cases and bleeders. I think part of the reason why the canadian system works better is simply that money CAN'T buy people with scraped shins a higher slot on the roster than someone with an asthema attack.

From the amount of the bill it sounds as if you went to emergency...did you?

I wonder what services did they do to you. They charge too high!

I thought everyone got free medical treatment in the USA?

:1orglaugh

tell them that their damage report caused ya other anxiety attack :)

100 countries without socialized medicine.

Why would you think that? Medical treatment in the US is free enterprise...but medical treatment is available for those that cannot afford to pay...via multiple programs. This of course has been explained to you...but drugs have probably effected your ability to remember things.

this is the most insane thing i have ever seen? wtf is going on? is the doctor billing at $2600 per hour? for 1300 you can get health insurance for the whole year right? this is a disgrace...... i am happy that i live in australia and it doesnt cost nearly as much. here you can get surgery for 1300 USD...

$1300 for giving someone xanax and telling them to calm down... omfg i can do that.....

You said to me that everyone who needs medical attention in the USA will get it, irrespective of their ability to pay.

That is correct...and I just repeated it in the post above.

So what you are saying now is that they do have to pay.

Here in Mass. the hospitals can't report to the collection agencies about delinquent billing.

Don't know what it's like else where but that's what I do all day for day job.

I hope you wont get another attack after seeing that!

Quit toking and pay attention. Medical treatment is available to all but it is not free to all. Those that have the ability to pay must pay...for those that do not have the ability to pay...there are multiple programs for medical treatment that varies from State to State.

What is considered "having the ability to pay"?

Having zero income...or having little income...relative to the size of ones family...if one has a family...would mean that one does not pay. As income increases the ability to pay increases...but I have explained all of this to you before.

Okay, so basically your medical system sucks. That's what I thought.

Thank you for clarifying the issue.

The US does not have socialized medicine and the last I was aware the majority of citizens do not want socialized medicine. The citizens do want affordable insurance...primarily via employers.

My last venture to the hospital cost a little over $70k

So I dont mind paying the monthly insurance premiums :)

Don't hold your breath.

Greedy doctors and insurance companies are going to make things worse.

I promise you that.

70k!!!!

Did you have a total body transplant or something? :winkwink:

Even though I have 100% free medical care via the VA...I still carry private medical insurance...because I do not always care to drive to a VA medical facility. I have never had a problem with my medical insurance provider...though I am aware that there are some shady insurance providers out there.

I guess the thing is even private insurance is cheaper here.. then again thats probably because of obvious things like lower wage costs and what not.

In other words it is a relative thing. Does Australia in fact have free socialized medicine as Joe Sixpack seems to indicate and if so...what is the need for private insurance?

An example of ability to pay. A friend of mine who had surgery done on his back about a year ago...incurred well over forty thousand in costs. He has a monthly income of around $1,300.00 per month and does not have medical insurance and being single the $1,300.00 monthly income disqualifies him from any programs for the poor. He pays $20.00 per month towards his medical bills. The hospital occasionally asks for a larger payment but he continues to pay $20.00 per month.