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
1362 Views
I'd be happy to tax top "earners" more and suffer Europes economic "collapse. "
- 03/09/2009 04:30:31 AM
804 Views
The US will never work with socialism.
- 03/09/2009 04:40:21 AM
883 Views
Re: The US will never work with socialism.
- 03/09/2009 04:58:47 AM
869 Views
I don't think the mistrust of the government is really all that overblown
- 03/09/2009 05:04:34 AM
791 Views
It's advanced beyond what it was during the Revolution, I think.
- 03/09/2009 05:18:22 AM
836 Views
I would say it's grown with the government
- 03/09/2009 05:23:52 AM
818 Views
The key is that government shouldn't be heavily involved in personal lives.
- 03/09/2009 05:58:39 AM
843 Views
Re: I don't think the mistrust of the government is really all that overblown
- 04/09/2009 03:30:23 AM
753 Views
How much more can we really tax the wealthy??
- 03/09/2009 04:41:14 AM
754 Views
A lot; before Reagans "reforms" we already taxed them less than any other industrialized state did.
- 03/09/2009 05:06:00 AM
833 Views
I hear a lot of socialism coming from you.....
- 03/09/2009 05:19:08 AM
687 Views
Re: I hear a lot of socialism coming from you.....
- 03/09/2009 05:40:32 AM
783 Views
Nice non-answer answer.....
- 03/09/2009 05:52:04 AM
782 Views
You want detailed answers that require detailed data I don't have.
- 03/09/2009 06:06:55 AM
847 Views
Here are some facts and analyses.....
- 03/09/2009 02:40:22 PM
919 Views
The Heritage Foundation, huh?
- 03/09/2009 03:01:17 PM
926 Views
- 03/09/2009 03:01:17 PM
926 Views
The non-working wealthy? Please quantify.....
- 03/09/2009 03:31:58 PM
872 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
782 Views
You're so full of shit on this issue I don't know where to begin.
- 04/09/2009 03:15:55 AM
877 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
971 Views
Less than 200 people were said to be US persons with Swiss accounts
- 04/09/2009 04:16:24 AM
773 Views
And yet account for many millions of dollars; what does that say...?
- 04/09/2009 04:21:57 AM
763 Views
It's statistically insignificant and your hyperbole is reminiscent of screaming guests on CNN.
- 04/09/2009 02:07:31 PM
702 Views
Well, look at this way:
- 04/09/2009 02:24:03 PM
841 Views
That's not a solution.
- 05/09/2009 02:39:12 AM
848 Views
The Soviets weren't socialist, or even communist, so it's a false comparison.
- 05/09/2009 03:09:06 AM
780 Views
Okay, now you've just gone into Kool-aid drinking territory.
- 05/09/2009 04:32:07 AM
900 Views
Communist THEORY is predicated on democratic participation at every level,totally absent in the USSR
- 05/09/2009 04:55:00 AM
1014 Views
Ever heard of the 20-80 rule?
- 04/09/2009 04:28:54 AM
686 Views
Top earners? Please define.....what income and how much more? *NM*
- 03/09/2009 04:52:25 AM
521 Views
That would be open to definition, and should change with inflation.
- 03/09/2009 05:13:02 AM
948 Views
What is your justification for taking over 50% of anyone's income?
- 03/09/2009 05:28:22 AM
897 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
928 Views
Still no comment on the fact that 40% of Americans don't pay any income taxes?
- 03/09/2009 02:32:12 PM
826 Views
To what 40% do you refer?
- 03/09/2009 02:42:55 PM
689 Views
Dude, you are not making this easy.....
- 03/09/2009 03:38:01 PM
732 Views
No one "gets money from the IRS. "
- 04/09/2009 02:55:02 AM
733 Views
Actually with EIC you can get money back that you never paid in.
- 04/09/2009 02:56:43 AM
733 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
780 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
858 Views
Yet another example of your ignorance on tax policy.
- 04/09/2009 03:19:39 AM
684 Views
The word I notice is "welfare"
- 04/09/2009 03:57:01 AM
814 Views
I wouldn't say that's what it means....
- 04/09/2009 04:02:40 AM
792 Views
It's what welfare means to me...
- 04/09/2009 04:32:17 AM
807 Views
I was just talking about EIC as a form of welfare, not welfare welfare. *NM*
- 04/09/2009 04:45:13 AM
456 Views
It's a credit for people who file a return on income that's been taxed.
- 04/09/2009 04:19:57 AM
730 Views
It is only for the WORKING poor, yes.
- 04/09/2009 02:12:55 PM
733 Views
Mean it may be, but hardly illegal.
- 04/09/2009 02:31:16 PM
745 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
356 Views
Excellent post - the US government is not capable of running HC.....
- 03/09/2009 04:40:19 AM
680 Views
It depends on your level of cynicism
- 03/09/2009 05:38:53 AM
848 Views
when have they ever cut the fat?
- 03/09/2009 08:35:36 PM
770 Views
This doesn't make sense to me.
- 03/09/2009 08:33:18 AM
789 Views
The key phrase is "should be. "
- 03/09/2009 09:38:15 AM
960 Views
In fairness, most Europeans don't seem to realize what ObamaCare is.
- 03/09/2009 02:34:01 PM
822 Views
As far as most people I know are concerned, opposition to ObamaCare isn't the issue.
- 03/09/2009 11:04:36 PM
918 Views
It's hard not to be horrified with a government as wasteful as ours
- 03/09/2009 11:24:59 PM
688 Views
For Americans who don't understand why Canadians like their public healthcare.
- 04/09/2009 04:23:11 AM
822 Views
Correction
- 04/09/2009 04:44:32 AM
797 Views
Re: Correction
- 04/09/2009 05:05:11 AM
921 Views


*NM*