I saw SICKO - is that for real?
 

Yeash yeah, it came out last year or whatever.. but seriously, I live in "one of those socialist states where medical care is free..." - is it true that your HMOs are always trying to fuck you over and deny claims to make bigger profits? Is it true that you can't just walk into a hospital and get medical care regardless of income or chequebook?

Id like some solid bipartisan links on the issue of health care in the states for some easy reading tonight... that movie kinda disturbed me, since i'm visiting Florida next week and im seriously considering making sure I have health insurance while out of the country.

Thanks and Happy New Year!

Every last word was true. It's almost impossible for a work at home person to get health care. For those who work in a "regular" 9-5 type job it's only marginally easier. You have to join the employer at the right time or you often have to wait until the insurance company "opens" for new registrants. You can also expect to pay a premium penny for the insurance especially if you need family coverage.
You can go to any emergency room and be treated there. But that is usually a last resort as you can spend thousands of dollars for what turns out to be 5 minutes with a nurse and 4 minutes with the resident doctor.
And even better (I think) is at least here where I live if you don't have a 9-5 job forget about getting any kind of gov't assisted insurance. Not unless you want every one you've ever known about to know you went on welfare.
But any way... that was just my two cents. As far as links to articles about healthcare...
This one doesn't seem to have been updated recently (they give number for '05 and projections through '09) but good information I think.
http://www.nchc.org/facts/cost.shtml

US healthcare industry doesn't accept foreign health insurance.

Yeppers, its very fucked up.

You pay cash or you get repatriated to your home country.

It's not sicko, it's psycho system, the faster you die, the less they spend on you, the more profits for shareholders, and the bigger the bonuses for CEOs.

The buck is above human life in the US healthcare industry.

Sad, but very true.

you think that's bad, you should see our education system.

Health insurance in the states costs an absolute fortune.
You will NOT be turned away at the emergency room if you don't have health insurance.
You will however get a bill that may make you wish you'd been turned away at the door.
On the other hand, no matter how large the bill, you can generally negotiate some kind of payment plan that will not put you in the poor house immediately.

Totally unbelievable to me, the whole "socialised medicine" term was invented to scare and fuck everyone over for money..

i work from him and only pay $156 a month for insurance...that gets me $10 copay, any doc or hospital I want and $15 prescriptions

some of what tubbo said is a little inaccurate, but most is true

And how old are you?

I'm guessing a bit under 50.

oh for sure, 34

Damn, what health insurance co gives you that price?

Seems like a pretty decent price... how old are you? which insurance company is that?

Dude! Who's your provider?

The average american think Europe is a country ;)

United Health Care

got it from www.ehealthinsurance.com