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My Comments (33 so far…)
Have you ever gotten sick and then experienced health care in another country?
Have you ever gotten sick and then experienced health care in another country?
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.
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