What if you get cancer?

[Canadiana]

So I live in Canada and don't really get this about the American system. (Saw SICKO - which was not about the uninsured). From what I understand if you have a heart attack and don't have insurance you can go to the emergency room for free. Woohoo. But what if you get cancer and need care for years and don't have insurance? Do people just die? Take out loans? What goes on?

[jus_the_facts]

1. You DIE. n/t

[HeeBGBz]

43. That's it in a nutshell. n/t

[ComerPerro]

2. I assume you go broke or die. Best thing is you can't obtain insurance

[seemslikeadream]

8. You go broke

and then you die

[ComerPerro]

11. yeah, that's more likely, both happen

[Canadiana]

22. I can't believe this.

Not including the war in Iraq, the government corruption, the fascist bush regime, the response to Katrina, et al. - THIS issue of private health care, and this issue alone, makes America NOT the best country in the world. This is unacceptable.

[seemslikeadream]

32. Even if you have insurance here

You're treated till it runs out then they say "come get your mom from the hospital" there's no more we can do for her, we don't care that she is in a coma FIND SOMEWHERE TO PUT HER

[leftchick]

73. no shit!

which makes me wish I was a Canadian just about every day for all of the reason you stated.

:(

[TahitiNut]

80. Exactly.

There's no 'if' about it, either.

[Dora]

91. Or both. nt

[DaveJ]

3. I haven't gotten cancer yet

A few people around me have and they didn't just die, and they are getting chemo, taking time off from work when they need it, and seem to be doing well. I have no idea how it's being paid for. I know that in a year or two I will start paying for extra insurance just in case.

[pepperbear]

4. In many instances, people either go bankrupt or they don't get the treatment they need. n/t

[MissB]

5. If you have any resources

you'll burn through those fairly quickly. Then you'll be looking at indigent care, which can vary widely but in general terms will just allow you to die a bit slower.

Unless you're a kid. Then you'll probably get treatment, regardless of your parents' income.

[SheilaT]

6. Someone might hold a fundraiser for

you. If you're lucky, a couple of thousand dollars might be raised, which will be a huge help with a several hundred thousand dollar bill in the end.

Oh, and as for the heart attack victim going to the emergency room, it's not really free. A bill will be sent, trust me.

[StarryNite]

38. Yeah, car washes are often

held for things like that. God, we have got to be living in The Twilight Zone.

[knitter4democracy]

7. It's horrible.

People sell off what they can and do fundraisers for what they can, but mostly they put a lot on credit cards and hope they'll be able to pay it someday.

Yet another reason why we need a single payer national health care system. Grrrr!

[phantom power]

9. Some just don't get the care, and die. Others put it on credit...

and become mortage slaves for the rest of their lives.

Nice choices, huh.

[AngryAmish]

10. sometimes you die, sometimes you don't

[Selatius]

12. Prepare to go into debt. If you can't get a loan, then you die.

I would guess you take out a loan, but if you have bad credit, well, I guess that's tough luck for you. If you have a family that loves you, they will probably help you shoulder the costs, but in our atomized society, there are many who have no real family, or a dysfunctional family.

[pocoloco]

It is not diagnosed!

Treat you for pneumonia and send you on your way.

[PeaceNikki]

13. There's no "Free" ER here - ever.

Public facilities will treat you - but you get a hefty bill.

There's no free.

[Canadiana]

15. Wow I was under the impression that if its an emergency

then it would be covered. But nowI suppose that if it's an emergency it will be TREATED......then billed. I honnestly don't know how this is acceptable.

[MissB]

21. Covered?

No insurance at the ER just means they can't refuse to treat you. It doesn't mean they won't bill you, eventually sending the bill to a ruthless collection agency who will hound you night and day. Some hospitals even have credit cards that they'll encourage you to sign up for so that you can pay for your treatment.

[DaveJ]

26. What's really unacceptable to me...

Is that they NEVER tell you how much anything costs beforehand. They assume that since your health is at stake, you want full treatment and tests done. My wife had a car accident recently, wasn't really hurt at all, but went to the hospital anyway to get looked at. The ambulance bill was $585.00. If they had told her that beforehand she might have taken a cab.

[SheilaT]

90. Depending on exact;ly what kind of car insurance you have,

that treatment may well have been covered through your insurance.

It goes by different names in different states. Here in Kansas it's called PIP (which I think stands for Primary Insurance Provider but do not hold me to it) and it's a mandatory part of the mandatory car insurance in this state. The lowest coverage is something like $7500, possibly less, and it covers the first dollar of care following an accident, up to whatever the amount is that you carry. It's the real "no fault" part of the insurance. I can't recall if you can collect from the other guy if they carry a higher PIP amount or not. It's pretty impressive, because done correctly you never see a bill.

And I know because about six years ago I was in an accident (my fault I will admit) which totaled my car and I thought I might have a whiplash injury. So ambulance was called, I went to the ER, they did x-rays, nothing showed, but I was given a three day supply of muscle relaxant. Never saw a bill, and I kept on waiting for one.

So please take a second look at your coverage to see if your wife's ambulance and all are covered.

[proud patriot]

75. Deductables are applied for emergency room visits

in my insurance coverage . So even with insurance
I owe $500.00 x 3 family members yearly if we each
have an Emergency rm visit .

[Critters2]

76. That's it exactly.

The law says an ER must treat a patient until s/he is "stabilized". But they can and will bill you for it afterwards. Even if you can't pay.

[DaveJ]

16. Good catch...

I can't believe I missed that. Free ER?!!? LOL The point about the ER is that it is the only way anyone can see a doctor without insurance. But they will bill you for it. Actually, there is a county hospital (Cook County) here that will see anyone for just about anything. I'm not sure exactly how that works but it's where a lot of people go who are off the streets.

[raccoon]

14. You're screwed. nt

[madrchsod]

17. our best friend just died of cancer

she had no insurance and no money. she died at her daughters house and it took her daughter and son over a week to raise enough money to pay for the cremation and service. if you have no money in america it`s best to keep a pistol by your side.

[sandnsea]

54. Oh how sad

In most states the crematorium has to take the body. The service is different, but even a service at home would have been better than paying funeral home prices. I know people who have simply said they wanted a family service, and then met well-wishers in their home. I think to avoid the cost of the funeral.

In my best Luvvy Howell voice: "We're so "civilized", don't you think Muffy??" :grr:

[Canadiana]

57. How unbearably sad. My condolences.

I imagine treatment or early detection could have saved her. The system is inhumane.

[mdmc]

18. You try to live

and work and heal. But all you can do is die.

[HughBeaumont]

19. Become a debt slave with cancer. Sounds cruel, but so is our market-driven "health care".

Because Big Insurance/Big Pharma isn't in business for their health.

Certainly not OUR health.

That's the Dumberican way: War is profitable. Helping people isn't.

Same with MD, MS and MG patients. Same with non-wealthy, non-insured people that need heart transplants.

Dumberica gives them a GIANT middle finger. Countries can't blow themSELVES up, you know.

So you just better forget about all that "single payer" nonsense and piss all your tax dollars away to the beloved Penta-sewer. Otherwise, scary bearded turban guys will follow YOU to Ohio!

:eyes:

[uppityperson]

20. there is no free ER. They might discount bill, but no, ER costs hundreds

just to walk in and be assigned a cubicle.

[PeaceNikki]

27. No discounts either. The HMO's get discounts. Cash customers pay 2-5 times what insurance companies

for the same service.

It's a ruthless game.

[shain from kane]

31. More and more, discounts are being allowed to uninsured patients. In effect, with the hospital

agreements with the insurance companies creating discounts for them, there have been more successful lawsuits aimed at the hospital having 2 or more pricing systems through discriminating between the insured and the uninsured. The hospitals have begun recognizing this system as a loser in lawsuits, and with costly legal fees, and have begun modifying their price lists.

[shain from kane]

23. You apply for disability with the Social Security Administration. If you have enough credits, and

are significantly disabled, you qualify for Medicare, which does not normally cover 100% of your treatment costs. You have to pay the difference, or the health care providers can refuse certain procedures. You deplete all your assets, and then apply for Medicaid.

[midlife_mo_Jo]

64. Exactly!

The poor have access to various programs, private and public charity hospitals. It's often not the best, but it does often do the job.

One of my kids had a life threatening illness that was treated for quite a few months, and many of the patients being treated - the same care - were indigent patients.

It gets trickier if you are a middle class adult - first you have to deplete everything you have, and then you're poor enough to qualify for something.

Older citizens have medicare.

[shain from kane]

68. "Older citizens have medicare." My wife started collecting Social Security and qualified for

Medicare when she was around 42. She had arthritis that effected her hands and feet to the point that she was considered totally disabled. If you can't work, and they can't rehabilitate you so you can work, the SSA will declare you to be totally disabled, and eligible for benefits.
When people say that they will never collect on social security or Medicare, they are often not informed that there are benefits being earned during their working life for such possibilities. And I've seen children obtain substantial benefits after a parent has died.
It's available for cancer patients, also. If the person is so sick that they can not work, SSA will declare them to be disabled, and the benefits start. It's not everything that the patient may need, but it is something.

[Vinca]

24. You die. Makes you want to move to the good ole US of A,

the "greatest nation on earth," doesn't it? Makes me want to move to Canada.

[w8liftinglady]

25. I just had a patient died due to untreated breast cancer

had spread everywhere.She had no health insurance,couldn't take off work for a mammogram.The cost of a discount mammogram,50.00,would be the equivalent of 8 hours work,after taxes.

[Occulus]

39. I bet she either couldn't afford the 8 hour pay loss

or she was threatened that if she missed work for a doctor's visit she would be fired.

That last case is far more common than anyone is willing to admit.

[LiberalAndProud]

28. Lemonade stands ... anecdotally

http://www.unl.edu/e-news/archives/digest.Aug.7.2007.html

EVENTS TO ATTEND:
7. Lemonade Stand Fund-raiser for Molly Lanham


http://journalstar.com/articles/2007/05/24/news/local/doc465466c731bd7999546364.txt
Kindergartner hit by car while waiting for bus
By LORI PILGER / Lincoln Journal Star
Thursday, May 24, 2007 - 08:40:25 am CDT


While her mother and fellow students watched, a 5-year-old girl was hit by a car and critically injured while walking to her school bus Wednesday morning at 19th and Harwood streets.

A neighbor said she was on her porch when she saw a silver Taurus speed by on Harwood as Prescott Elementary kindergartner Molly Lanham got out of her mother’s van and started to cross the street just west of the school. “And the next thing I see her flying in the air and everything in her hands is everywhere,” said the neighbor, who asked not to be identified. “And he just kept driving.”

[lastliberalintexas]

29. ER for free?

Um, no, not for a heart attack or any other medical emergency. A person might qualify for Medicaid and then not be required to pay anything. But the working poor in this country who earn just enough to be ineligible for Medicaid and who have no private insurance are still required to pay the hospital, even for an ER visit.


As to your other question, studies consistently show that about 2/3 of the individual bankruptices filed in this country are due to medical bills. Very sad.

[Canadiana]

30. This is unacceptable. Also...

Feel free to ask me anything about the Canadian "socialized" health care system. I know a lot about it. I can't believe this goes on in America...that people just die, or loose ALL of their money...over health care. Its a right, not a commodity to be bought and sold.

[LiberalAndProud]

36. How long do you have to wait to see a doctor in a non-emergency situation?

[Canadiana]

40. This is one of the biggest myths..

Not long. I've experienced anywhere from same day (I was desperate for antibiotics for what was clearly bronchitis, so he fit me in)to 3 or 4 days. Also, if lets say I became pretty ill (but not emergency) and I couldn't get an appointment that day or if it was after business hours, I can ALWAYS go to one of the several afterhours walk in clinics where you see a GP within minutes to hours. You just have your government health card, and its free.

[Vilis Veritas]

37. What happens to Americans who are diagnosed with

a disease in Canadian hospitals?

Do you have to leave the country and get treated in the US if you are diagnosed with a disease while in Canada? Or does the American insurance cover treatment?

I am just curious.

Peace.

[Canadiana]

41. You will get treated in the Canadian hospital as normal

But either your insurance will have to pay (depending on the insurance, if it covers travel) or you will have to pay out of pocket. Treatment at hospitals and in offices is essentially "private" for us...the bill just goes to the government. So you'll get treated..but the bill will just go to you.

[LiberalAndProud]

46. Is preventative care required?

[Canadiana]

50. No

A socially paid for system automatically increases the rate of preventative care...it's just part of the package. I don't have to pay for (or even think about paying for) my annual checkup and pap, so I just go. I think there should be an even bigger emphasis on preventative care here, however we are stuck with a conservative government...thats besides the point. Edwards' ideas are good, yet naive. Provide free care and preventative care will follow. Mandadtory preventative care will not be necessary and would just be intrusive and inconvenient.

[LiberalAndProud]

53. Where do your rich people for medical attention?

Do they always come to the US for premium care? Do you know of any wealthy people who choose to get their healthcare in Canada? Because we all know that if you want quality care, you have to come to the US, right? /sarcasm

[Canadiana]

56. Hahaha no, believe it or not

our rich get the same care as the poor. Ugh I don't know how they stand having surgery by the same doctor who did a bypass on an actual poor person, but they do! *Sarcasm

Unless ofcourse it's plastic surgery. And there are a few MRI clinics that are private (and this has been very controversial here). The rich people I know, and I know many, go to the same hospitals as the poor. Something I've recently discovered however is the corruption of the organ donation system which is happening all over the world...that's another can of worms though. A very interesting issue though...

[baby_mouse]

33. Farkin' hell! I can't believe these responses!

I had no idea it was like that!

God.

Makes me glad I live in rickety old UK with a rickety old National Health Service. I may wave a limp, raggedy Union Jack next time I go to the hospital.

[tesla78]

34. ERs are not free

The emergency room is not free. Good luck with financing a bicycle after your credit is ruined from an ER visit. I've seen this happen too many times.

[blues90]

35. I know two things about it all .

I have a friend living in ILL , has no insurance and went to the emergency room for a few tests and got a huge bill that finally went to collections .

My younger brother had aN HMO and went for better than a year experiencing pains in the back of his neck and feeling ill , he was treated for and told he had a virus . Finally one day when his wife came home and found him in immense pain he went into emergency . had to go through his primary care to get testing , they found his calcium level was very high , further tests after weeks found a tumor in his liver .

Then this was the cause of the high calcium level , he was treated with radiation and pain killers , went through more tests and treatment and ending up on SDI . However they found this cancer was inoperable . Once his insurance claim total for the policy was reached less than 6 months of treatment he was told there was nothing more they could do and sent him to a hospice where he died within a few days .

No one gives a damn , if you have not the funds even with insurance you are screwed and left to die .

I have no insurance so I suppose my policy would be to buy a gun or find other means and when the pain was too much to bear , there would be my way out . I would never be able to raise the money .

[Mnemosyne]

42. I'm going to go high into the mountains and take a nice nap

if it gets to that point. Already told my daughter I will not have her life destroyed over hopeless medical care that I cannot afford.

I hate using guns, but I love naps!

[backscatter712]

45. Buy a gun is right.

I'm sorely tempted to take the Luca Brasi approach to acquiring and financing health care if my insurance won't pay for it - point the gun at the hospital administrator's temple, put the approval papers for my treatment in front of him, with a pen, and tell him "Either your brains or your signature is going to be on those papers..." Smith & Wesson Health Insurance!

Granted, I'll go to jail afterwards, but hey, free health care in jail!

[eridani]

85. Before you do that, why not try the SiCKO health care card plan?

http://www.michaelmoore.com/sicko/what-can-i-do/health-card/

Offer them the chance to star in MM's next DVD!

[no_hypocrisy]

44. It might come down to getting advice from the Hemlock Society.

[ellie]

I don't know about cancer,

but here is how it works for a heart valve transplant, for my dad at least: you go to the hospital for the operation. The hospital is so filthy that you get a life threatening staph infection. You get put into isolation with all of the other staph patients who, according to the surgeon, must have all caught it from the ambulance ride. Then you die after being in a coma for six weeks. Then they send your surviving spouse a bill for killing you. A bill for thousands and thousands of dollars. I will never forget the shriek of agony from my mother when she opened that envelope.

God bless America.

[Tracer]

47. If you have Medicare, you are taken care of.

EVERYONE IN THE U.S. SHOULD HAVE MEDICARE!!!

I'm dealing right now with my second bout of cancer. I have Medicare and it pays 80% of all bills. I have to pay the remaining 20% --- but that's my own fault. I could have signed up for a Medigap plan, but being a big procrastinator, I didn't.

I get excellent health care. But I'm well aware that millions of Americans don't.

[Lone_Star_Dem]

48. My friend has breast cancer

She and her husband have been through hell qualifying for Medicaid. In the end after she was no longer ale to work, they'd let their one reliable vehicle go back, and lost their home to foreclosure they qualified.

Bear in mind they were dealing with all of this while they were also dealing with her cancer.

I'll never forget driving her back and forth to her chemo trying to keep things upbeat. If you've ever had someone you love go though chemo you know how important and difficult that is at the best of times. All the while inside I felt like screaming and hitting something.

[treestar]

Right wingers would claim the following about the Canadian system

Not saying it's true, but maybe you've got some ammunition for us:

They would say that when you get cancer in Canada, you get inferior care (due to the "socialist" medical system) and if you have the $$, will come to the U.S., which has oh-so-superior doctors! That many have died in Canada having to wait their turn for a doctor's appointment due to the bureaucracy and the fraudulent claims.

Of course they have no idea what they are talking about, but it sounds good and it born of their fear of anything "socialized."

[pitohui]

49. they die, if they are children, they hold spaghetti dinners to raise funds and die anyway

happened to my neighbor years ago, self employed, 30s, got brain cancer, no health insurance since he was self employed

yeah, he died

cancer is not urgent stablizing treatment, you have no right to treatment for it if you can't pay, unless it is really advanced and you require hospitalization right then, at which point it's too late to do anything anyway

nice system we got here, huh?

we have so many fund raisers and jars put out collecting for kids to get surgery that it's ridiculously, you couldn't give to them all or you'd go hungry yourself, as for adults, they are just screwed, no one will loan you money if they know you have cancer -- when i was having some tests done for a possible cancer suddenly i couldn't borrow anywhere -- i guess you could sign away your house as collateral and screw up your entire family's future if you have enough equity in the house

many cancer treatments cost in the six figure so it is not really something you can just borrow and do if you still want to have a house, life, afterward, may as well die if you're going to be out on the street!

[OzarkDem]

51. All of the above

First, if screening tests indicate you may have cancer and you're uninsured, some doctors or hospitals who don't take charity cases will refuse to let you make an appointment for diagnostic testing. If they diagnose you, they are obligated to treat you - so you may get bounced around the system until you find a provider who will let you get diagnosed.

If your provider is part of a publicly funded hospital, they may give you a discount on your care based on income, but unless you are at or below the poverty level, you will still end up paying about 60% of the retail cost of your care (indigent patients are billed at the highest rate - no discounts).

Some surgeons may donate their services, but its a small part of the overall cost including drugs, lab work, scans, etc.

The best thing is to have your account turned over to a collection agency, then pay what you can afford, even if its only $10 a month.

If you aren't near a publicly funded hospital, you may have to travel a long distance to get treatment at one. Also, outpatient cancer care at stand alone clinics for chemo or radiation tx may make you pay cash up front before you can schedule an appt.

Some people try to make decisions about their treatment based on what they think they can afford, but its very risky.

Some just give up and refuse treatment. They just stop showing up for appointments.

Average out of pocket cost today for breast cancer surgery, chemo & radiation is about $150,000 to $200,000.

If you live alone and can't work you'll end up homeless, too. Unless you have mets, you aren't eligible for SSI or any kind of financial assistance (except food stamps) if you don't have dependent children or are under age 65.

Lots of people are going through this right now.

[EFerrari]

52. We die. n/t

[OzarkDem]

55. Cancer is the number one killer in the US....

so that means these financial and health care disasters are happening to hundreds of thousands of people every year.

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

58. I live in Germany

with socialized medicine. If I got cancer tomorrow, because I have public insurance, I would get the bare minimum treatment (opposed to pull out all the stops private insurance) just like somebody on Medicare.

[LiberalAndProud]

60. I'm confused. Are you saying that you have a two-tier system?

Private insurance = quality care
Pubic insurance = barely care

?

[theNotoriousP.I.G.]

61. yup

I've had both.

[DFW]

74. It's true, BUT

We live in Germany, and my wife is German, and had cancer.
She has public insurance, but got top treatment, including
a post-chemo-and-radiation month-long stay at a rehab spa
in the Black Forest, with insurance paying for everything
even including the train ride down to the south of Germany
(where the spa was) and back.

She's great now, so we can't complain.

[OzarkDem]

94. Government insurance still provides standard cancer care, right?

Just to clarify, I assume that while the government funded health care doesn't have all the extras, it still provides the basic recommended cancer treatment?

There are standards for cancer treatment established by experts, such as the National Comprehensive Cancer Network, Adjuvant and St. Gallen's that provide detailed guidelines for screening, diagnosis, treatment and management of side effects based on current scientific evidence. Patients are allowed to make their own decisions about care, but docs are expected to offer and follow the recommended protocols, regardless of insurance status.

NCCN
http://www.nccn.org/patients/patient_gls.asp

Adjuvant!
http://www.adjuvantonline.com/index.jsp

St Gallen Consensus Report
http://content.karger.com/produktedb/produkte.asp?doi=103629

[renie408]

59. You get to die young in the GREATEST COUNTRY IN THE WORLD!!n/t

[Lucinda]

62. It depends on what state you live in and if its serious enough

for you to be classified as disabled. If the patients condition falls within guidelines, they can be granted disability, which provides income and Medicare health care. Its a VERY slow process with no guarantees of acceptance. MANY have to appeal an initial denial.

I live in Tennessee - my cancer was diagnosed in 2004 - and I had no medical coverage...I was self employed at the time and couldnt afford insurance premiums. TennCare (state program designed to expand health insurance to the uninsured through the state’s Medicaid program) covered my treatment. I believe that they no longer do this - except for uterine and breat cancer patients (if I remember correctly...my memory is foggy these days)

There are doctors that will treat you, wihtout payment, but I imagine that they are hard to find. I know there are also agencies that assist uninsured patients.

The stress levels, trying to work your way through the system, are really hard on cancer patients. It really needs to be changed.

[Matariki]

63. Sadly, I've known more than one person who's died.

Mostly because they didn't catch it in time because they didn't have insurance so avoided going to the doctor for as long as possible. I know one woman who was waiting for the insurance at her new job to kick in. She died before it did.

I wonder what happens if you get so sick you can't work and either lose the insurance you have through your (former) job and/or can't afford to take over the payments yourself.

[seemunkee]

66. What happens?

You're screwed.

[Critters2]

77. I knew a woman in Iowa who died of cervical cancer.

She was a waitress, no insurance. Didn't get regular pap smears, and after diagnosis didn't keep her chemo appts.

Cause of death: US Health Care System

[seemunkee]

65. Just got my bill for my recent treatment

This is just the hosipital bill. Covering 4 nights stay and the operating theater
$31,918.25
- 20497.61 Provider Discount
$11420.64 Paid by insurance

Someone without insurance would have to pay the entire $32K. Plus the surgeon, CT scans and other diagnositcs I had prior to going into the hospital. All of which are similarly discounted for the insurance companies but not the person paying out of pocket.

[Vinca]

67. Might the OP divulge which province they live in?

We're seriously considering moving to Canada and you sound satisfied with your health care.

[Canadiana]

69. The beautiful Ontario

To be sure, our health care system is not perfect. We do not have public dental or eye, which I think we should. But I am extremely satisfied with it I have had nothing but positive experiences with the system. The biggest change you will find is that you do not think about how much it is going to cost you. Its simply not on the radar. I've never had a "can I afford this" or "will my insurance cocer this" thought run through my head. I don't deal with complicated insurance, and I never think twice about going to the doc - if I'm sick I'm sick. And we have very high quality doctors. Sure there are some faults - but by god its a relief to not think about affording health care.

[Vinca]

71. It sounds like heaven at this point. We can't afford insurance

and it's like living with a time bomb. I never imagined, 30 some odd years ago, I'd be so happy I married a Canadian. Our final decision will be the outcome of the 2008 election. That will be the difference between hope and no hope. In the meantime, we live with the cross-your-fingers-and-hope-for-the-best insurance plan.

[Canadiana]

72. Eugh what a horrible situation to be in

Do you have kids? Our college tuition is about 1/5 as well. I knew someone who immigrated to Canada and she had to pay like $5,000 in taxes (she had to pay the difference between the Canadian and American taxes or something). But then her son went to university - and the tuition was only $4,000. Over four years she saved a lot!!

I think the health care system, the college system, this whole mortgage thing are all simply symptoms of fascism. Keep everyone in debt, scared, down. The corporations rule. 2008 could change that - let's hope.

[timtom]

70. In all seriousness

I will begin again to ingest large quantities of psychedelics and smoke lots of pot and hashish.

I happen to be covered right now, but that would be my plan regardless of insurance/medical care.

[onethatcares]

78. I think I'm gonna take the short train out.

but first I'm gonna run up a bunch of cash credit, insure it, and have some fun.

[huskerlaw]

79. You go broke.

And you have a far greater likelihood of death than someone who can afford the best health care. You only get what you pay for, after all.

Ah yes. Another reason to love America.

[cascadiance]

81. Move to France?...

Implicit in Sicko that there you might get treated if you moved there if it was possible to get treated for it.

[intheflow]

82. My friend has cancer now, is in the hospital.

She'd been in graduate school for three years, used up all her savings to support herself and her son while she went to school. Upon graduation last year, she had just gotten a job (ironically) with a hospice facility when she was diagnosed herself. Now she and her son are eligible for Medicaid, which is paying for most of her treatment; she is in a charity hospital which is taking care of the rest of the costs.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

83. You head to Mexico.

[alarimer]

84. The emergency room is not free either

You end up with a HUGE bill. Hospitals have been cracking down on nonpayment. I don't know if that means people go to jail or have their wages garnished. Sometimes they write off the charge for truly indigent people.

[uppityperson]

86. What if you break a tooth or need a root canal?

It costs $1000 for everything like that. I have a broken tooth, need to have gums carved back, root canal, crown=$2600 for 1 tooth with no guarantees. What do you do? Get it pulled ("you DON'T want to do THAT")? Let it be (ouch not to mention problems from infections in head)? I am not talking about getting your teeth fixed so you look pretty, but basic health issues. What do you do?

[Canadiana]

88. good question

One thing Canada needs is to have basic dental covered as well. Luckily here if a procedure is done in a hospital (eg. a necessary dental surgery)it is pretty much covered. Most companies and unions have a dental and perscription plan but if not you must pay for regular dental out of pocket unfortunately.

[onethatcares]

93. break a minor law, you know get a misdemeanor charge

that will give you at least 3 months time. Plead guilty, use your tax dollars for the right purpose.

[uppityperson]

96. You mean go to jail and get my teeth fixed there?

think I'll pass but thanks anyways.

[bamacrat]

87. They sell their house their cars, anything to get money.

Then if you die your family is out of money and if you don't die you end up homeless.

[Viva_La_Revolution]

89. It takes years to pay off the bills

that I tell you from experience.

[KamaAina]

92. Used to be, you'd declare bankruptcy

then the repukes, with a timely assist from some of the more spineless Dems, essentially took that option away (from individuals, not from corporations, of course). :grr:

[lips]

95. Some get lucky, some get better.