For Americans who don't understand why Canadians like their public healthcare.
Kylia Skydancer Send a noteboard - 04/09/2009 04:23:11 AM
I have hypothyroidism. I'm also anemic.
That means I've had to take pills every day since the time I was thirteen. I've always hated taking them. But taking them means I don't bleed for two months straight. Taking them means I don't get dizzy after walking down a flight of stairs. and taking them means I have control over my own body.
If I had this condition in the U.S....it would go untreated. Because it is frankly too expensive to give me pills every day for ten years for something that's...inconvenient...rather than life-threatening.
Pills are expensive. I'm glad that the fact that my body is really screwed up doesn't beggar me.
On New Years, I had one of my friends over to my house. And something happened. She got really sick. We didn't know if it was from something she ate or something else. It was three in the morning and when she started blacking out and vomiting, I called an ambulance.
Turns out she didn't have too much wrong with her luckily, except for the fact that since she's on income assistance, her body isn't used to rich foods and reacted badly. Even though there was nothing wrong with her, if I was in the U.S. she might have been refused treatment flat out. Scotch that, she *would* have been refused treatment. And what if it had been something serious?
Things like what happened to my friend really bring the personal aspect of healthcare home for me. It's all good to talk about how the government is overpaying for wheelchairs but it doesn't really compare with the amount of *lives* that would be bettered, does it?
That means I've had to take pills every day since the time I was thirteen. I've always hated taking them. But taking them means I don't bleed for two months straight. Taking them means I don't get dizzy after walking down a flight of stairs. and taking them means I have control over my own body.
If I had this condition in the U.S....it would go untreated. Because it is frankly too expensive to give me pills every day for ten years for something that's...inconvenient...rather than life-threatening.
Pills are expensive. I'm glad that the fact that my body is really screwed up doesn't beggar me.
On New Years, I had one of my friends over to my house. And something happened. She got really sick. We didn't know if it was from something she ate or something else. It was three in the morning and when she started blacking out and vomiting, I called an ambulance.
Turns out she didn't have too much wrong with her luckily, except for the fact that since she's on income assistance, her body isn't used to rich foods and reacted badly. Even though there was nothing wrong with her, if I was in the U.S. she might have been refused treatment flat out. Scotch that, she *would* have been refused treatment. And what if it had been something serious?
Things like what happened to my friend really bring the personal aspect of healthcare home for me. It's all good to talk about how the government is overpaying for wheelchairs but it doesn't really compare with the amount of *lives* that would be bettered, does it?
For Europeans who don't understand why Americans are against ObamaCare
03/09/2009 04:24:35 AM
- 1278 Views
I'd be happy to tax top "earners" more and suffer Europes economic "collapse. "
03/09/2009 04:30:31 AM
- 743 Views
The US will never work with socialism.
03/09/2009 04:40:21 AM
- 812 Views
Re: The US will never work with socialism.
03/09/2009 04:58:47 AM
- 798 Views
I don't think the mistrust of the government is really all that overblown
03/09/2009 05:04:34 AM
- 732 Views
It's advanced beyond what it was during the Revolution, I think.
03/09/2009 05:18:22 AM
- 769 Views
I would say it's grown with the government
03/09/2009 05:23:52 AM
- 753 Views
The key is that government shouldn't be heavily involved in personal lives.
03/09/2009 05:58:39 AM
- 780 Views
Re: I don't think the mistrust of the government is really all that overblown
04/09/2009 03:30:23 AM
- 696 Views
How much more can we really tax the wealthy??
03/09/2009 04:41:14 AM
- 659 Views
A lot; before Reagans "reforms" we already taxed them less than any other industrialized state did.
03/09/2009 05:06:00 AM
- 775 Views
I hear a lot of socialism coming from you.....
03/09/2009 05:19:08 AM
- 636 Views
Re: I hear a lot of socialism coming from you.....
03/09/2009 05:40:32 AM
- 722 Views
Nice non-answer answer.....
03/09/2009 05:52:04 AM
- 732 Views
You want detailed answers that require detailed data I don't have.
03/09/2009 06:06:55 AM
- 787 Views
Here are some facts and analyses.....
03/09/2009 02:40:22 PM
- 839 Views
The Heritage Foundation, huh?
03/09/2009 03:01:17 PM
- 843 Views

The non-working wealthy? Please quantify.....
03/09/2009 03:31:58 PM
- 809 Views
So you accept the CBOs assessment the House healthcare bill will be $1 trillion over the next decade
04/09/2009 03:02:13 AM
- 719 Views
You're so full of shit on this issue I don't know where to begin.
04/09/2009 03:15:55 AM
- 820 Views
Re: You're so full of shit on this issue I don't know where to begin.
04/09/2009 03:59:21 AM
- 907 Views
Less than 200 people were said to be US persons with Swiss accounts
04/09/2009 04:16:24 AM
- 709 Views
And yet account for many millions of dollars; what does that say...?
04/09/2009 04:21:57 AM
- 701 Views
It's statistically insignificant and your hyperbole is reminiscent of screaming guests on CNN.
04/09/2009 02:07:31 PM
- 636 Views
Well, look at this way:
04/09/2009 02:24:03 PM
- 767 Views
That's not a solution.
05/09/2009 02:39:12 AM
- 768 Views
The Soviets weren't socialist, or even communist, so it's a false comparison.
05/09/2009 03:09:06 AM
- 714 Views
Okay, now you've just gone into Kool-aid drinking territory.
05/09/2009 04:32:07 AM
- 834 Views
Communist THEORY is predicated on democratic participation at every level,totally absent in the USSR
05/09/2009 04:55:00 AM
- 954 Views
Ever heard of the 20-80 rule?
04/09/2009 04:28:54 AM
- 629 Views
Top earners? Please define.....what income and how much more? *NM*
03/09/2009 04:52:25 AM
- 498 Views
That would be open to definition, and should change with inflation.
03/09/2009 05:13:02 AM
- 886 Views
What is your justification for taking over 50% of anyone's income?
03/09/2009 05:28:22 AM
- 829 Views
That's a good example of why I say the rate has to be set to cost of living.
03/09/2009 05:50:16 AM
- 847 Views
Still no comment on the fact that 40% of Americans don't pay any income taxes?
03/09/2009 02:32:12 PM
- 767 Views
To what 40% do you refer?
03/09/2009 02:42:55 PM
- 631 Views
Dude, you are not making this easy.....
03/09/2009 03:38:01 PM
- 666 Views
No one "gets money from the IRS. "
04/09/2009 02:55:02 AM
- 675 Views
Actually with EIC you can get money back that you never paid in.
04/09/2009 02:56:43 AM
- 666 Views
It MIGHT be possible with the EIC, but in practice few people get more than they paid.
04/09/2009 03:43:36 AM
- 720 Views
I don't know, I've known plenty of people that have gotten more back than they paid in
04/09/2009 03:46:29 AM
- 798 Views
Yet another example of your ignorance on tax policy.
04/09/2009 03:19:39 AM
- 616 Views
The word I notice is "welfare"
04/09/2009 03:57:01 AM
- 733 Views
I wouldn't say that's what it means....
04/09/2009 04:02:40 AM
- 737 Views
It's what welfare means to me...
04/09/2009 04:32:17 AM
- 745 Views
I was just talking about EIC as a form of welfare, not welfare welfare. *NM*
04/09/2009 04:45:13 AM
- 426 Views
It's a credit for people who file a return on income that's been taxed.
04/09/2009 04:19:57 AM
- 673 Views
It is only for the WORKING poor, yes.
04/09/2009 02:12:55 PM
- 661 Views
Mean it may be, but hardly illegal.
04/09/2009 02:31:16 PM
- 687 Views
No real comments, just 100% agree with you....plus the $12 trillion is terrifying to me. *NM*
03/09/2009 04:33:39 AM
- 316 Views
Excellent post - the US government is not capable of running HC.....
03/09/2009 04:40:19 AM
- 617 Views
It depends on your level of cynicism
03/09/2009 05:38:53 AM
- 786 Views
when have they ever cut the fat?
03/09/2009 08:35:36 PM
- 711 Views
This doesn't make sense to me.
03/09/2009 08:33:18 AM
- 720 Views
The key phrase is "should be. "
03/09/2009 09:38:15 AM
- 886 Views
In fairness, most Europeans don't seem to realize what ObamaCare is.
03/09/2009 02:34:01 PM
- 761 Views
As far as most people I know are concerned, opposition to ObamaCare isn't the issue.
03/09/2009 11:04:36 PM
- 855 Views
It's hard not to be horrified with a government as wasteful as ours
03/09/2009 11:24:59 PM
- 628 Views
For Americans who don't understand why Canadians like their public healthcare.
04/09/2009 04:23:11 AM
- 744 Views
Correction
04/09/2009 04:44:32 AM
- 737 Views
Re: Correction
04/09/2009 05:05:11 AM
- 853 Views