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This reminds me of whenever someone creates a Gofund me for health reasons. It seems a bit alien to me still as a European that people need to go beg on the int

This reminds me of whenever someone creates a Gofund me for health reasons. It seems a bit alien to me still as a European that people need to go beg on the internet in order to not be financially ruined by healthcare costs. :-(

peeters 7y ago
GoFundMes are still pretty common in Canada, it might not be the same as some European countries but at least here having an expensive illness can still rack up a lot of peripheral costs, like childcare, food, transportation, while at the same time your income will be reduced. We're pretty good about covering the direct costs (except pharmaceuticals unfortunately) but the social costs are still typically left to the individual.
jamestimmins 7y ago
If you had a TV show in which the winner had their severe illness treated, it would fit right on with Black Mirror. But we're really not that far away.
- goldcd 7y ago
  "America's got untreated illnesses" "Unfortunately Keith, you lost the public vote and also your left foot to diabetes" "Tune in next week!"
Mirioron 7y ago
It's probably alien because you haven't looked around. In quite a few European countries you can easily end up in a situation with no healthcare available to you other than the ER (eg if you're unemployed but don't get unemployment benefits). It's also not unheard of that people just can't afford treatment for their illness or even worse - the treatment just isn't available.
- pornel 7y ago
  Availability of ER is still incredibly important. Nobody will refuse to be taken to hospital if they're in serious condition. In my experience from Poland, people who lose health coverage find a way to get it back if they really need it. Get any legal job, enrol in school, apply for disability, etc. Sometimes pleading with the staff to skip the eligibility check works, too. And if everything else fails, the out-of-pocket costs aren't insta-bankrupting.

peeters 7y ago

GoFundMes are still pretty common in Canada, it might not be the same as some European countries but at least here having an expensive illness can still rack up a lot of peripheral costs, like childcare, food, transportation, while at the same time your income will be reduced. We're pretty good about covering the direct costs (except pharmaceuticals unfortunately) but the social costs are still typically left to the individual.

jamestimmins 7y ago

If you had a TV show in which the winner had their severe illness treated, it would fit right on with Black Mirror. But we're really not that far away.

goldcd 7y ago
"America's got untreated illnesses" "Unfortunately Keith, you lost the public vote and also your left foot to diabetes" "Tune in next week!"

Mirioron 7y ago

It's probably alien because you haven't looked around. In quite a few European countries you can easily end up in a situation with no healthcare available to you other than the ER (eg if you're unemployed but don't get unemployment benefits). It's also not unheard of that people just can't afford treatment for their illness or even worse - the treatment just isn't available.

pornel 7y ago
Availability of ER is still incredibly important. Nobody will refuse to be taken to hospital if they're in serious condition. In my experience from Poland, people who lose health coverage find a way to get it back if they really need it. Get any legal job, enrol in school, apply for disability, etc. Sometimes pleading with the staff to skip the eligibility check works, too. And if everything else fails, the out-of-pocket costs aren't insta-bankrupting.