yes. On my honeymoon 7 years ago I developed a terrible bladder infection while in Florence Italy. The official treated me and it appeared that I was on the mend when we made our transition to the Alps in France just 24 hours later. On the train the pain became nearly unthinkable. Upon debarking in some small town in France (I don’t recall the name but my husband told me it was a small town) it was discovered I did indeed have a bladder infection secondary to a kidney stone.

My unhappy honeymoon experience turned out to be the best medical care I have ever received anywhere. Koodooos to France and her excellent medical professionals!

I think it might be noted that many of the above experiences were with "hotel" doctors.  Good hotels have good doctors on call as a rule.  And they, no doubt, pay something extra to have the immediate service.

But if you have to depend on the health care available to regular citizens or visitors, you don’t have quite the same experience.

I became aware of that when visiting friends in Prague, in Leeds (England) and again in Gerona (Spain).  We all discussed, at one time or another, medical care, and it often is not a nice story.

I still don’t understand why there can’t be a program developed for those who need health insurance and can’t afford it, or are not eligible for it, and leave the rest of us alone.

I had a severe kidney stone while visiting my parents in Canada.  I spent the day in emergency, was given care by a kidney specialist, had two ultrasounds, an xray, morphine, and was given exquisite care by the staff.  The entire day cost me $300.00.  When I offered my credit card before leaving the hospital, they said not to worry, they had my address and would just bill me, which is what happened. 

I grew up in Canada under national health care and have lived in the US for almost 30 years.  I have pretty good insurance through my husband, but the Canadian system is so much better overall, in spite of needing a few improvements here and there.  My parents were the founders of the Canadian Cystic Fibrosis Foundation, and the care my brother and sister with CF received was impeccable and cutting edge, while never bankrupting my family.  There is a woman named Kristan Hawkins in Texas who is insisting her CF baby will die waiting for care under a national healthcare system, and points to long waits in Canada for care.  My siblings with have NEVER had to wait for care in almost 50 years, nor has anyone I am aware of in the CF community.  Granted, my Mom had to wait an extra few months for her knee replacement, but when it came her turn, she was beautifully cared for pre-op, in hospital, and post-op at home without paying a cent.

In the battlefield and in emergency rooms all across America and around the world, there is a term:  triage.  That means the ones who need critical care get it and get it fast, leapfrogging over the ones who are not in the greatest need.  This is also how national healthcare works.  Anyone who needs critical care gets it fast, and sometimes that means others have to wait a little longer, but no one in Canada is dying for lack of care, while people here are dying left and right because insurance runs out or refuses to cover them.

I’ll also note that while in Ireland this year, my husband and I both had to see doctors when we had the flu.  We were seen promptly at a cost of $65.00 each.  A visit to my physician here for the same reason would probably cost me $500.00, only part of which would be covered by insurance.

I received excellent care in Cozumel.  A few years later, my friend received excellent care in Ixtapa-Zihuatanejo.  The doctor came to the hotel and stayed for over an hour.  This was shortly after midnight. No paperwork.  The next afternoon, his office called to see how she was doing.

There is a reason so many Americans and Canadians live around Lake Chapala in Mexico.  It’s beautiful, and it costs about half of what that lifestyle would cost in the USA.  Also, there is quality medical care. 

I have crossed the Texas -Mexico border many times.  All border towns have trailer parks, filled with in-state and out of state license plates.  All there to cross for medical/dental care and for prescriptions.

yes, i developed pneumonia while visiting quebec.

the care i received was prompt and there were absolutely no problems.

I suffered a medical bankrupcy in 1988.  I was struggling, a waitress fresh out of college with a mountain of student loans, and a simple operation tossed me into overwhelming debt (and depression.)  I was not offered any medical aide, Medicare, healthcare or what-have-you and lost my job because of my illness.  (Of course, as a waitress, my job didn’t offer healthcare.)

Fast forward to today.  I am gainfully employed and mildly successfull, but am yet living paycheck to paycheck because of (you guessed it) medical bills.  A diagnosis of Thyroid disease cost me over $1,500 - I have insurance, but they do not cover doctors outside their ‘network’ and I have a huge $5,000 deductible thanks to the same chronic disease which bankrupted me in 1988.  My HSA is drained the instant it has money deposited to cover my on-going treatments.  Essentially, I feel as if I’ve made a few rich people in an insurance company or two in the USA.

Two years ago, while travelling in Spain, my husband became violently ill and we went to the emergency room in Vitoria-Gasteiz.  He was treated immediately and efficiently.  The hospital staff was wonderful and the facilities were definitely state-of-the-art.  The bill was $100.  When we went to the pharmacia to pick up his prescription, the pharmacist apologised that she would have to charge us the full price since we weren’t on the national health care.  The pills cost 6 euros.

Last year, we had another emergency room incident in Pozuelo (a suburb of Madrid).  My husband loves Spanish food, and apparently it doesn’t like him… and he once again visited an emergency room.  Again, the facilities were state-of-the-art, the staff professional, and no ‘pre-screening process’ asking for our insurance and how we’ll pay for our services.  He was more ill this time than the last time and ended up having to miss our flight back to the USA.  The hospital actually helped me reschedule his flight, and made certain he had a place to stay during the delay.  The cost this visit?  Free.

These experiences outlined my ‘retirement plan’ = If the USA does not address healthcare, I am definitely moving to Spain.