Warning! Universal Healthcare will spiral to the US becoming a third world country!!!

[mscuedawg]

Conversation on Facebook...

Friend 1: is wondering why her first ride in an ambulance had to be in Trinidad. I am feeling better now but hope I never have to be admitted to a hospital here again. I really appreciate the healthcare we have in the US.

Friend 2 (aka "concerned" conservative): I am glad you are feeling better, can you share more about the healthcare situation there?

Friend 1: Trinidad offers free healthcare to everyone. You also have the option of private heathcare if you desire and have the money. I went to a medical clinic to be rehydrated. I was still sick after a few house so they said they were going to take me to San Fernando General which was a free hospital. The conditions where horrible. I checked myself out of that hospital and went to a private hospital. I had to prepay in order to be admitted. The conditions were nicer but the service was poor. When I was discharged I had to pay the rest of my hospital bill (I used my credit card) and the doctors bill was separate and had to be paid in cash. In the US I would have been in the ER for a few hours where here it was a few days. They do not offer the same medicines we have in the states so they allowed to continue taking my own US medicines until I felt better. If you don't have someone with you to help make sure you are taken care of you are forgotten about. Very sad but true.

ME: Makes us humbled not to live in a third world country! What kind of expenses did you incur, if I can ask....I know when I had my breast cancer scare when I was 22 and uninsured, I was responsible for $15,000 ...took me forever to pay that off!

Friend 1: US to TT is about 6 to 1. The hospital bill was over 3000 TT and the doctors bill was 1400 TT. Oh and they do not have any toiletries you can use. You must bring your own towels, gown, toothbush...everything! I guess all things considered it was pretty cheap but then again you get what you pay for. Oh and I forgot to mention that they don't wear gloves when they draw blood at the private hospital.

Friend 2 (aka "concerned" conservative): Thanks for sharing, I sure hope we don't end up with the same crappy healthcare here in the US.

ME: My “point” was two-fold…a) We are not a third world country…the squalor that exists in Trinidad is that way because they ARE one. Although I'm sure in poorer areas of our country, the community hospitals are ones that we would never “choose” to go to, but b) when you don’t have health insurance and you are responsible for the bill, you go where the healthcare is cheaper (i.e. Walk-In Clinics, etc). My family has single payer insurance and we are quite pleased not only with our care (we must see doctor's at the Cleveland Clinic, the #4 hospital in the country) and our coverage…when my daughter had her tonsils out it cost us $25.00. Our company tells the hospitals what they will pay, rather than making the patient pay for the outrageous, inflated costs.


:wtf:

edited to remove a name to protect the innocent...

[annabanana]

1. It's "Harry and Louise" for the kids and their internets. .

It's hip and cool.

[mscuedawg]

2. We're all in our 40s...

...and Friend 2 loves to spread the fear and hate...

[OHdem10]

3. Just a Minute, Please. It was Unwise, Poorly Managed Trade Policy

that has started us on the Spiral to a Third World Country.

Using Health Care like this is a RED HERRING.

When we soon have third world status, we will need Health Care.