Mammon is the one true God in the USA.

As a self employed and thus self insured family, I've had to re-finance my house 3 times in 23 years to pay medical bills not covered by our "insurance". My house would be paid off if not for medical bills.

With medical debt being the reason.

https://www.ic.gc.ca/eic/site/bsf-osb.nsf/vwapj/Redish-Sarra-Schabas-2006-ENG.pdf/$FILE/Redish-Sarra-Schabas-2006-ENG.pdf

I'm having arthroscopic surgery on Monday. I saw my orthopaedic surgeon yesterday and need to visit the hospital for bloodwork prior to my surgery and also to meet with the anesthesiologist. All of this is covered by my healthcare.

While I agree our healthcare isn't perfect here in Canada, and I don't have an illness for which I may need expensive medication (for which I'm covered under my employer-paid extra health insurance), all I am going to be paying is for my hubby's coffee and parking while he waits for me.

I would much prefer their system over what we have. That is for sure. I'm just trying to figure out what your reply has to do with that to which you are replying.

US 62% total vs. Canada's 15% over 55 years of age ("although it was unclear from the data whether this was the costs of care over and above the Medicare system or income loss due to medical reasons, or some combination of both..." From cited study).

The graph in the op is severely flawed.

for people to pay their medical bills. We shouldn't have to go bankrupt just so we can get medical care!!!

and it always reminds me of what an uncivil society we have in the US.

"American exceptionalism" when we don't take care of our sick or poor or veterans or children or women or minorities. It's pretty shameful.

of the people who are already wealthy though. You have to hand that to them. It's all designed to keep a disproportionate number of people in the "underclass", that's so important to right-wing ideology and fear mongering.

swing by & visit/post in the Single Payer group - I've been trying to spur more activity there..

[link:https://www.democraticunderground.com/?com=forum&id=1033|

What insurance would pay for it? That shit about people coming here because it's so good is a big fat lie. Practically nobody comes here for medical care.

The American Criminal Enterprise Healthcare System.

We should all be so proud!

Other than as arguing points. And arguing with the RW pigs just gets us all dirty.

added on to his asthma. when he finally got out of the hospital, they checked his apartment & added hand stuff + such to help him.

a few years before, he took a month long trip[ to USA. he got a touch of something on his flight to nYC. he finally went to the hospital + had t spend a few days there. denmark paid his hospital bill AND FOR THE VACATION TIME HE LOST. and PHONE bills he had. he called from my house & WE got paid for them too. socialism rocks.

If you aren’t rich enough to pay exorbitant bills you deserve to go bankrupt.
Anyone who isn’t disgustingly rich deserves everything they get. That'll teach them!

— Republican philosophy 101 --

it would be nice to find out where those numbers are, and who published them, where is the economic or scientific proof. It is important to backup with credible studies because otherwise they can fall in the bucket of "fake news".

Does anyone happen to know where these numbers came from?

Canada has a universal, single payer healthcare system that covers absolutely everybody, and delivers healthcare that is comparable to U.S. (middle class) healthcare for HALF the per capita cost. (I say middle class because the top 1% in the USA get better healthcare, while the lower class and poor get worse care, or none at all. So, middle class is a good comparative bench mark.) And it's not even the best example of a single payer system. There are other countries that deliver better healthcare at a lower, per capita cost.

So, what are they talking about on CBC right now? About adding a universal pharmacare program to it, so that nobody will be charged out of pocket for drugs. An all-party conference committee is about to present a plan to Parliament that will lower the per capita cost of pharmaceuticals by 40%, through bulk buying.

That's what the Canadian news is talking about right now. They're NOT talking about whether or not Justin Trudeau will have a complete mental breakdown, and be put into a straight jacket, before he gets put into handcuffs after the RCMP finds out that he won the election by colluding with Russian spies.


It reminds me of the time I was watching Canadian Parliament in 2005 trying to decide whether to put the budget surplus into paying down the national debt, or improving the universal healthcare system. I switched to CSPAN, and saw the U.S. House of Representatives (at the HEIGHT of the Iraq II war) debating FLAG BURNING. *sigh*

He really is the most dangerous man in the world right now. He's an utter terrorist.

"This country has long equated democracy with capitalism, capitalism with God." - Bartholomew Bogue
If you get ill or injured it's probably because God doesn't care much for you unless you're wealthy.
If you are wealthy and get ill or injured, it's because He works in mysterious ways OR it's demons and such.
But, either way, if you have the funds for medical care it has to be because He loves rich you.

Another good quote for my quotes file!

I find these quotes increasingly useful. For example, my new Indivisible group sends out a "call to action" email every week. There's a place at the top for a quote. I started picking one from my collection, and then another, and then another... I've become quite the quotes lady!

Illness is your fault.

For a fractured pelvis that required no surgery, just meds and bed rest.

I refuse.

He doesn't stop to think how hard his family would be hit financially after he underwent so many surgeries after that nutjob shot the shit out of his sorry ass.