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x.Xmiss_SmogX.x
07-06-2010, 08:09 AM
For every one person who dies from a terrorist attack in the US, 58 people die from lack of proper health care.

this really makes you think doesnt it?

when I was over in america for a month in 2009 i was very interested, an appalled when speaking with friends and people i met about the helth care system, or lack of, over there.

like here in the uk, we piss and moan about the state of the NHS and all the problems that incurr but its nothing to over there. To be honest im extremly thankfull to what we have here. When having a conversation with a friend called vanessa in the states, she was telling me that if you dont have any insurance you can find yourself in so much debt that can result in even jail sentances if you do not have the money to pay your medical bills. what got to me the most was the fact that you could have a car accident and be taken to hospital unconcious and be in a coma for a month just to wake and have thousands to pay out if you had no medical insurance.
It also came to my attention that many people who could not afford insurance and treatment where choosing to die when diagnosed with such illnesses as cancer that would take alot of treatment that they could never afford!!

Along with things like this i found out things that people had to do due to the fact they had no insurance and money to pay for that or medical bills. A friend of mine called Chris decided to opt into getting a couple of teeth pulled out instead of having cavities filled as it was the cheaper option. Also my friend Corey banged his head and split it open, and chose to sew it up himself with dentil floss as he couldnt afford to go to the energency room.

all this just makes me so thankfull to be able to get the right care i need, when i need it. If i need a hospital, doctors or medication can go get it for free, or if i have a tooth ache i can get it fixed for free if i am not working or pay smaller amounts if i am i dont have to pay the extortion amounts that private dentists charge.

it seems to me that medical practitioners in the states should maybe stop thinking about lining there own pockets and helping people who need it!

xsecx
07-06-2010, 09:03 AM
For every one person who dies from a terrorist attack in the US, 58 people die from lack of proper health care.

this really makes you think doesnt it?

when I was over in america for a month in 2009 i was very interested, an appalled when speaking with friends and people i met about the helth care system, or lack of, over there.

like here in the uk, we piss and moan about the state of the NHS and all the problems that incurr but its nothing to over there. To be honest im extremly thankfull to what we have here. When having a conversation with a friend called vanessa in the states, she was telling me that if you dont have any insurance you can find yourself in so much debt that can result in even jail sentances if you do not have the money to pay your medical bills. what got to me the most was the fact that you could have a car accident and be taken to hospital unconcious and be in a coma for a month just to wake and have thousands to pay out if you had no medical insurance.
It also came to my attention that many people who could not afford insurance and treatment where choosing to die when diagnosed with such illnesses as cancer that would take alot of treatment that they could never afford!!

Along with things like this i found out things that people had to do due to the fact they had no insurance and money to pay for that or medical bills. A friend of mine called Chris decided to opt into getting a couple of teeth pulled out instead of having cavities filled as it was the cheaper option. Also my friend Corey banged his head and split it open, and chose to sew it up himself with dentil floss as he couldnt afford to go to the energency room.

all this just makes me so thankfull to be able to get the right care i need, when i need it. If i need a hospital, doctors or medication can go get it for free, or if i have a tooth ache i can get it fixed for free if i am not working or pay smaller amounts if i am i dont have to pay the extortion amounts that private dentists charge.

it seems to me that medical practitioners in the states should maybe stop thinking about lining there own pockets and helping people who need it!

your friend is misinformed, you can't be put in jail for failure to pay medical bills. You also can't be refused treatment if you're not insured. That's actually part of the reason why the system is broken, is that people who can afford health insurance, aren't because they're healthy. So they wait to get it until they're ill and then it ends up completely upside down as a result. This is why the law was passed making it compulsory for everyone to be insured to pay a fine.

I'd also say that you're looking at the NHS with a rather hopeful eye if you think you'll be able to get the healthcare you need when you need it. It's a broken system too, just not in the same way that ours is. There are long waiting lists for tests and procedures. There are procedures that aren't done because they're too costly. It'll be interesting to see how the NHS will be effected with the current rounds of budgets cuts that are taking place in the UK.

Marion
07-06-2010, 09:15 AM
Wow, the stories of your friends are mind-blowing, truly! I knew the health system was super bad, but hearing real stories about it is frightening.
People say we have the best health care system in France, and I'm sure it was true a couple of years ago but now... they realized that it cost sooo much that they have to have people pay stuffs.... but the pb with France is that people who do not work, have a bad situation (because of their own neglect or for external causes) have everything absolutely free. Therefore, other people have to pay a lot for those people's treatments... I visited a friend in the hospital, because she's pregnant and the baby wants to go out while it's way too early. She's the only one to pay for her room: it's like 400euros/months, and when works, she makes no more than 300/400 euros... all of the girls from the other rooms do not pay at all, mostly because they are unemployed, and their husbands are probably in the same situation, which is very unfair towards the payers... but still, even though it's becoming a real budget to care for one's health, at least you know that you'll get treated for free or for an amount of money you're able to pay if your life is on danger!

The US health care system is one of the reason that I don't wanna live in the US (which is my favorite country, otherwose) except if I'm super rich. Because being poor in the US really really stinks.

xsecx
07-06-2010, 04:47 PM
Wow, the stories of your friends are mind-blowing, truly! I knew the health system was super bad, but hearing real stories about it is frightening.
People say we have the best health care system in France, and I'm sure it was true a couple of years ago but now... they realized that it cost sooo much that they have to have people pay stuffs.... but the pb with France is that people who do not work, have a bad situation (because of their own neglect or for external causes) have everything absolutely free. Therefore, other people have to pay a lot for those people's treatments... I visited a friend in the hospital, because she's pregnant and the baby wants to go out while it's way too early. She's the only one to pay for her room: it's like 400euros/months, and when works, she makes no more than 300/400 euros... all of the girls from the other rooms do not pay at all, mostly because they are unemployed, and their husbands are probably in the same situation, which is very unfair towards the payers... but still, even though it's becoming a real budget to care for one's health, at least you know that you'll get treated for free or for an amount of money you're able to pay if your life is on danger!

The US health care system is one of the reason that I don't wanna live in the US (which is my favorite country, otherwose) except if I'm super rich. Because being poor in the US really really stinks.

it's all relative. the rate of taxation here is considerably lower than europe. You guys are paying it for, just differently. health insurance is widely available but a lot of people simply choose not to take it, either because they can't afford it or because they healthy and don't think they should have to pay for it.

x.Xmiss_SmogX.x
07-06-2010, 05:58 PM
it's all relative. the rate of taxation here is considerably lower than europe. You guys are paying it for, just differently. health insurance is widely available but a lot of people simply choose not to take it, either because they can't afford it or because they healthy and don't think they should have to pay for it.

i can see how damaging it could be for someone to not pay for health insurance when there healthy then just get all in pickle if they get sick or need help. I agree we can have some long waiting lists here. Its not perfect but im glad its in place, and like you im interested what these budget cuts are going to do to things such as the nhs and other public needs. I know that so far the public transport is going to take a blow :/