What Are You Doing RIGHT NOW? Part ELEVEN: Through the Wormhole...

[SheSaidSheSaid]

What if you just go to Canada when you are about to get sick or whatever? Does that work like it does on TV?

Wouldn't know, and 20 miles (that's to the border, 50-ish to Vancouver itself) is a long way when you can't stand up straight.

[Munnchy]

What if you just go to Canada when you are about to get sick or whatever? Does that work like it does on TV?

If it doesn't, 30 Rock lied to me

[Lawdog1521]

It's rampant, unaddressed, corruption. I'm not going to go on a political rant either, but having worked in the system I can assure you in no way, shape, or form should health expenses be as high as they are.

And neither side of the aisle seems to care. Of course, why should they, they get free health care.

[pizzzapizza]

Got my hospital bill today....all I could do was laugh.

4100 bucks.

That's as much as I make in six months at my job, and that's before minor little expenses like rent and food and the power bill.

One of the charges was for a CT scan, which they did to confirm that the infection in my head hadn't spread. It took literally less than 10 seconds. Wanna know how much it cost? $1,649.30. How is that even possible? The ambulance cost was nearly that much, too, but that at least took a whole 4 or 5 minutes.

I've talked to my mom a little about this, and she says the best thing to do is just be honest with them about it. Be straight up - I will NEVER be able to pay this amount. Her husband was in a bad car accident about two years ago and they racked up over $100k in medical bills, that they obviously could not pay. The way she talks about it now, though, seems like they're either off the hook or nearly so.

So this'll be an annoyance, but probably not a whole lot more than that.

hope it goes better then this

[Lawdog1521]

If it doesn't, 30 Rock lied to me

They lied. You have to show citizenship... unless it's a life emergency. But even here in the states, if you're penniless, they have to treat life and death stuff.

[www1221]

They lied. You have to show citizenship... unless it's a life emergency. But even here in the states, if you're penniless, they have to treat life and death stuff.

Of course they have to treat life and death stuff doesnt mean they dont have to charge you.

[nascargo19]

Now I'm wondering if I should pass on "Teenagers" and just get two $0.99 songs instead.

[SheSaidSheSaid]

It's rampant, unaddressed, corruption. I'm not going to go on a political rant either, but having worked in the system I can assure you in no way, shape, or form should health expenses be as high as they are.

And neither side of the aisle seems to care. Of course, why should they, they get free health care.

Can't say it much better than that.

And at the risk of waxing too political, I'll just say that health costs are but a symptom of the disease, if you will, for why I'm not rushing to get a tattoo of Old Glory on the middle of my forehead. And that disease probably will be cured eventually, but I doubt it'll be in my lifetime.

[dog037]

American's only health problems are related to how fat they are.

[Bront20]

Thanks for the well-wishes all. Yes, the fact is that even if the situation hadn't become an emergency (I collapsed and couldn't see straight for a little while two nights before Christmas) it would have cost a goddamn arm and a leg to get treated. I'd like to get insurance, but I've shopped around a little for it, and it would cost as a monthly payment basically all of one of my four paychecks in a month. Every month. Month after month.

Yes, this is something about the land of the free and the home of the Whopper that makes me very, very upset if I think about it too much. And furthermore, <political statement redacted>

If I think of it, I'll send you the link to where I got insurance when I was unemployed. It was I think $250 a month for me and the wife, for a single it would have been much cheaper. It wasn't the greatest insurance, but it helped and kept costs down.