On Sun, 10 Apr 2016 07:42:41 -0700 (PDT), Cindy Hamilton
> wrote:

>On Sunday, April 10, 2016 at 9:16:42 AM UTC-4, Dave Smith wrote:
>> On 2016-04-10 8:35 AM, wrote:
>> > On Sun, 10 Apr 2016 22:09:42 +1000, Bruce > wrote:
>>
>> >
>> > Anytime the USA tries to bring in universal health care the insurance
>> > companies spring into action. We watched that happen in 1968 when
>> > Canada switched to health care and again when Hillary Clinton was
>> > crossing the USA in Bills time trying to come up with a good plan
>> > everyone liked.
>> >
>> > One of the favourite insurance company ads was to show a Canadian
>> > woman who claimed she had a brain tumour and could not get it taken
>> > out here so she paid a ransom to have it done in the US. The truth
>> > was, her tumour was benign and her Ontario doctors felt it was best to
>> > leave it since it was no longer growing, rather than chance operating
>> > on her brain and possibly doing some damage in the process.
>> >
>> > There were plenty of others but I forget them now, they were so
>> > laughable. I am just thankful that no matter what health problems hit
>> > me, it won't cost me a dime, other than perhaps parking for the car.
>>
>> The insurance companies are lobbying hard to prevent them from losing a
>> very profitable business. There are lots of stories about wait times
>> and services that are unavailable. The only one that seems to have much
>> credibility is the shortage of MRI facilities.
>>
>> When I had my heart issue, which seemed to be no big deal when it
>> started, the delay was my fault for not contacting my doctor before he
>> went on vacation. I went to a walk in clinic and saw a doctor within 10
>> minutes. He sent me to the hospital because it was a weekend and they
>> could do the tests that day. I was seen by a doctor within 15 minutes
>> and spent a day there while they did tests and then repeated them. No
>> heart attack and no immediate concerns, but was told to follow up with
>> my doctor. When he got back from vacation I got in to see him. He
>> referred me to a cardiologist and saw him within a week, and he booked
>> be for angiography which happened within two weeks. They found a
>> blockage and ran into problems clearing it out so I had emergency
>> surgery. It took about an hour to get me prepped and a teach together.
>>
>> I spend 4 days in ICU and another 3 nights in the hospital. I was billed
>> nothing for all that.
>
>Of course, if you have good insurance, health care in the U.S. is quite
>reasonably priced. Four days in the hospital for my husband resulted in
>some trivial co-pays. It probably didn't amount to more than $200 all told.
>I have no idea how much the stay cost the insurance company, as we never
>saw a bill that didn't say "You own $50" or somesuch.
>
>Cindy Hmailton

Last summer I was clearing brush, I tripped on a vine and hit the
ground on my forehead, also gased my sshin on a small but sharp
freshly lopped stump... my shoe filled with blood. I wrapped my leg
in paper towels adn drove teh tractor back to the hosue, got in the
shower to wash off the blood, then bandage the wound, buy then it was
just oozing. But then about a half hour later the room began to spin,
even lying down everything was spinning. I phoned the clinic in town
and they told me to get to the ER. I dialed 911 and an ambulance
brought me to the ER. I was there from noon till nearly 9 PM, all
sorts of tests including a CT scan. They said I had a minor
concussion. They held me awhile in observation and finally said I can
go home but to contact my doctor. A neighbor brought me home, she's
an OR nurse at that hospital who was getting off work in an hour so it
was no biggie. Eventually the bill came, with Medicare and my AARP
insurance I owed $8 and change. You really ought to look into getting
medical insurance.