I was in Germany, but could not afford health insurance.  My "huge mistake" was being an entrepeneur.  Once you are an entrepeneur, you are no longer entitled to participate in the government program.  I had health insurance until 2001, when, as a result of 9/11, the computer programming industry bottomed out.  Although I was a permanent resident, I could not get the so-called "health insurance for all".  As a result, my endometriosis worsened. 

That’s why people must be careful of the European health care systems.  For emergencies in Germany, you might be ok, because you will get treatment, but then, later, you will have to pay for it.  And maybe go broke doing so.  For non-emergencies, if you have health insurance, you get only limited coverage, unless you pay high fees.

I have family in Great Britain, and my brother-in-law who suffered from ulcers and other medical problems was often ill and treated by their health service, and though he had to wait for the appropriate surgery, his treatment and hospitalization, fully paid for, and post-surgery care were impressive, and surpassed what we  have receive here.

An American friend visiting Ireland fractured her leg told me that the immediate care and followup surprised her. No questions asked, they took care of the emergency. 

 My 2 nephews were born in London, and the delivery, hospitalization, followup care lasted 3 weeks with home visits to aid their mother.

Today, I’m purchasing T.R.Reid’s new book, "The Healing of America: A Global Quest for Better, Cheaper, and Fairer Health Care." I’ve heard him speak of his experiences in 10 different countries, and how the US measures up in health care. 

It’s worth thinking about. We certainly don’t have the level of health care most industriialized countries have, and our infant mortality rate is high. And, in most cases, abroad everyone  is covered. Health care in the US varies considerably because of income, location, coverage, and other factors. And Part D in Medicare for drugs is a scandal, for we pay 3 times more  for drugs than under other plans. If you’re wealthy, you’re fine here, but if you are poor or middle class, watch out! Spending 1 day in the hospital after giving birth or after a mastectomy is not rational or recommended.

False pride about our country does not improve health care; it promotes indifference and poor care. Whatever your political inclinations are, do promote health care change in our country. I’ve had many emergencies at our local hospital, as well as elsewhere in the U.S., and were it not for Medicare, I’d be broke and disabled. And, if it weren’t for my doctor who is conservative about prescribing medications, I  would be doped up and treated with too many antibiotics, statins, painkillers which U.S. medical practitioners resort to as soon as they hear you cough! Isn’t it time for us to adopt universal care, and also focus on preventive care?  

Sorry that this is my third post, but it’s important!  The "problem" with health care in the U.S. is not the quality, nor "just" the cost, but that people cannot afford it.  Maybe we need to do something to improve our productivity - like better education at a younger age, less focus on college, more focus on teaching the population everything they need to know in high school, and leaving college for advancedd studies.  Then, the person enters the job market faster, gets a higher income, and can afford to pay for health care.

We should ignore the general European model of everything (except waste management and public transit, where we need to learn from Germany).  We need to learn from Finnland and Canada how to be more effective in education, and then… beat Finnland’s performance.  At that point, we are the most well-educated, and we are educated at the youngest age,and we can be more productive. And thereby easily afford health care.