Without discussing Obamacare (please), I'm just curious how many posters here don't have any sort of medical insurance.

An eighteen year old high school student couldn't afford an appendectomy and died of septic shock at his home due to a burst appendix. I could lie and say I'm getting used to these kinds of stories working at a hospital, but I'd be lying. When he came to the ER, he said he was working a full time job, a part time one, and going to high school. He just couldn't pay out-of-pocket or do payment plans.

I sympathized with the kid, I worked my way through Sophmore, Junior, and Senior year for myself in High School. So this one hit a little close to home. I remember having to pick up a weekend part time job to pay for an ER visit when I was 17. Of course I lied to the concrete company about my age and other job, but I needed the money.

Anyway, sorry for the rant. I live in America by the way. Not sure what the point of this post is... be safe and get check-ups I guess.

Of course, that is mandatory where I live.

People overseas really need not worry about 'socialism' and all those irrelevant buzz words when it comes to global healthcare.

In my nation we all pay a small amount and when the time comes we are all secure in the knowledge that we won't lose our houses from the bills and that we won't be turned away from care we need to survive due to no money.

To me that seems infinitely preferable to how they do it overseas, which amounts to the very selfish 'every man for himself' lemma unless I'm very much mistaken. Well, that is not why we have a society in the first place, what is the point of civilisation if we don't all pitch in together to make a brighter future?

In my nation there would likely be some criminal negligence suit involved if a boy who had been to a doctor still died of a diagnosed bad appendix.

And that is how it should be, you don't just let people die like that. I think that is criminal.

I do, but it never feels like it. We have a 20% copay, and for some reason, I was the lucky winner who hit our deductible, so a simple ER visit was slammed with a full $3,000 bill that my insurance company only paid $700 of (making it $3,000). That was on top of the hospital contracting out their doctors, so I was also hit with and paid two bills--both of them being over $100. I was in the ER for 3 hours. I didn't get it much myself, either, but they basically said I had to pay the $3,000. Me, being a college student and all. And at once.

Yeah freaking right. It's a scam; at least our provider is. My husband apparently grew up with really good insurance. They covered his and his sisters' braces (despite none of them needing them) and a major surgery his dad had that's not really considered 'necessary' by most insurance companies. One of my sisters and I actually need/needed braces (she does more than I do because her teeth are so crooked that they hurt; my front top four teeth just angle out a little bit and hurt sometimes, but I've heard it's hardly noticeable), and we got shot down 'cause we grew up on state insurance, being poor and all.

My last doctor appointment was in March of last year, and I was stuck with a copayment of $150. No way a 10 minute doctor appointment was $750. No way. So yeah, I tend to get scared of going to the doctor for that reason alone. I need to see a dentist and an optometrist but between tuition and supporting my two member household, there's not much left for 'luxuries' like that, haha.

That story kinda strikes me too as I almost died of septic shock from the same reason. Horrible way to go as the pain is so excruciating. But that's when I was 13 and luckily Florida has good insurance plans for children, one of the hospital bills my dad got was for over 100k and he didnt have to pay a dime.

Any ways I'm 25 now and still dont have health insurance (bout to get dental though ), it's just so darned expensive when you live check to check. And the Obamacare stuff confuses the heck out of me because I've heard so much crap on it that probably half isnt true. If any one could link me some true info on it I would appreciate it as I dont know where to look for a layman's explanation of it.