One hour in the emergency room costs about $2000. Even after insurance, I still owe hundreds of dollars. This is unreasonable and basically theft, amirite?

CANADA: 1 USA: 0

by Anonymous 13 years ago

6 months ago i broke my L1 Lumbar (back bone) and the bills all added up to around 200k. the ambulance ride alone was $1,300. thank God we have insurance.. we only have to pay four grand.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Oh god D: that's crazy...!

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I live in Australia and we have universal healthcare, I'm uninsured but I had to go to a private hospital emergency room once, it only ended up costing me around $200 and that was for a couple of hours there and some tests and a drip.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Yeah we're actually pretty lucky in australia, if you go to a public hospital you don't have to pay anything

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I'm in the UK, and my 5 day overnight stay after an operation cost me nothing... this is why government healthcare plans are a good thing. How can you put a price on your health? :S

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Same! I has appendicitus, something that you can't help getting and can only be cured by operation. I sent four nights in hospital with an ultra sound, drips, drugs and all for free :')

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Those services were paid for by the taxpayers of the UK. So, no, it was not "all for free". Nothing is free; the money has to come from somewhere.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I am under 18, i dont pay tax :)

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Okay, two things: 1) Yes, you do. Every time you purchase something, you pay tax on it. I know the UK has a major value added tax on most goods and services, and unless you've never bought anything in your entire life, you have paid tax. 2) You missed my point, which was simply that nothing is free. The medicine you used and the medical personnel that attended to you all required money that was provided by taxpayers.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Yes i suppose, but the majority of tax is from cigarettes, petrol and wage tax...but i suppose i purchase the odd item of clothing. But then again we find it normal, in the long run it seems we pay less, as they take a little at a time than a lot at once, which is a much better system. But that little bit at a time obviously pays towards a lot more than health care, just as the US. But comparing personal & corporate tax, together the US and UK are pretty equal, and we get 'free' health care :)

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Although there are a few advantages to such a system, I wouldn't say it's better; I personally prefer to be taxed as little as possible. Luckily the US levies fewer taxes than the UK (as a percentage of GDP, not overall).

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Yes, you pay much less personal tax, but then if you get seriously ill, you have to pay out just as much as we do, but in one load, maybe even more. As i said, you pay 10% less personal tax, but corporate tax is 10% higher in the US. So everything balances out really....

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Ugh, it's the freaking emergency room, for god's sake. They're basically exploiting you...

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I'm Canadian and what is this

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Canada all the way :)

by Anonymous 12 years ago

and the reason it's an issue is because everyone outraged does what you did. instead of doing something about it they whine about it on the internet.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I'm sorry, what am I supposed to "do" about high healthcare costs? Move to Australia?

by Anonymous 12 years ago

Get people to sign a petition, write to your governer, draft a bill, etc.

by Anonymous 12 years ago

People are already trying to change things. It's in the supreme court right now, but a lot of people in America are scared of "socialism."

by Anonymous 12 years ago

I don't know much about socialism. Could you tell me what it is?

by Anonymous 12 years ago

the healthcare plan that ended up passing is so watered down it doesnt matter at this point. it wont do much of anything, and definitely wont be comparable to the govt healthcare in places like england, australia, and new zealand.

by Anonymous 12 years ago