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>I've also not heard of someone dying in the hospital because their loved ones couldn't gather up enough money Am from a country with universal health care. It

>I've also not heard of someone dying in the hospital because their loved ones couldn't gather up enough money Am from a country with universal health care. It's not uncommon to die waiting for treatment or there simply not being any way to get the treatment in my country. Raising money to visit the US for treatment is a pretty common thing here as a result.

nemo44x 4y ago
And in the USA if you don’t have insurance and are dying you’ll be treated. They act like dead poor people are piled up outside of hospitals. They’ll even discount you to 0 if they see you’re really poor.
- nisegami 4y ago
  I wanted to mention something like this, but I felt like my experience is too limited to be sure. My impression is that in the US, the cost of care will lead to people avoiding seeking treatment for things that don't appear urgent. Sometimes, those things are actually urgent and they'll be worse off for waiting. But in cases where there's a clear, urgent need for care, they'll rarely be denied treatment outright. Instead, they'll be burdened with debt afterwards.
  - hnal943 4y ago
    Which is better in most cases than the rationed care of government healthcare, where people die waiting for "free" healthcare.
- pempem 4y ago
  Here's the missing words: 'well funded and well implemented' universal healthcare. It is possible as the stories listed here indicate, and it works when done right. Blaming poor implementation is throwing out the baby with the bathwater. What does not work is a system where all things are private and everyone is at the hands of the market. That is something one of the richest countries in the world has shown us over and over and over again.
- code_duck 4y ago
  It's true that ERs don't turn people down, but some hospitals would be happy to treat someone but also send them a gigantic bill which may or may not eventually be waived. Speaking from experience, often people put off obtaining medical care because they fear large bills and financial ruin.

nemo44x 4y ago

And in the USA if you don’t have insurance and are dying you’ll be treated. They act like dead poor people are piled up outside of hospitals. They’ll even discount you to 0 if they see you’re really poor.

nisegami 4y ago
I wanted to mention something like this, but I felt like my experience is too limited to be sure. My impression is that in the US, the cost of care will lead to people avoiding seeking treatment for things that don't appear urgent. Sometimes, those things are actually urgent and they'll be worse off for waiting. But in cases where there's a clear, urgent need for care, they'll rarely be denied treatment outright. Instead, they'll be burdened with debt afterwards.
- hnal943 4y ago
  Which is better in most cases than the rationed care of government healthcare, where people die waiting for "free" healthcare.
pempem 4y ago
Here's the missing words: 'well funded and well implemented' universal healthcare. It is possible as the stories listed here indicate, and it works when done right. Blaming poor implementation is throwing out the baby with the bathwater. What does not work is a system where all things are private and everyone is at the hands of the market. That is something one of the richest countries in the world has shown us over and over and over again.
code_duck 4y ago
It's true that ERs don't turn people down, but some hospitals would be happy to treat someone but also send them a gigantic bill which may or may not eventually be waived. Speaking from experience, often people put off obtaining medical care because they fear large bills and financial ruin.