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CB, Cheers!

Down the hatch!! (gulp, HIC!!)

I understand how many of you feel regarding the "government telling us what to do". I do not like to be told I have to wear a motorcycle helmet or buckle my seatbelt. However, there is one thing that upsets me even more than that...and that is taxpayers (you & I) paying the hospital bills for individuals who did not and were seriously injured in accidents.

Apparently many of you have not had medical trouble lately....but the $40,000 figure is not suprising at all. I had a very simple surgery last year...1 night in the hospital....$53,000! My surgeon's assistant made $5,000!

The bottom line is that somebody is going to pay for these skyrocketing medical bills. Many people have insurance, but that is often not enough. When a person runs out of money, the hospitals must still provide care. The buck finally stops with the taxpayer.

I do not want laws telling me what I can do...but it is the lesser of the evils in my opinion.

It's a vicious cycle. Mounting costs because of not enough ins. coverage (or no insurance at all), taxes keep rising to pay for the indigent, (meaning more money being taken out of my paycheck) paycheck getting smaller so I opt out of medical coverage so I can at least keep gas in my car to get me to work, pay for food, and pay for child care, but because of everyone else's costs going up, they go up on charging me.....
Where does it end?
BTW I don't have kids and no, I still have insurance coverage (quite adequately I might add) I'm just pointing out what is happening in a lot of one-parent American households. I know two women who were faced with that problem. Tsk, tsk, it's easy to point and say for shame, not having insurance, but try living that life. It's not fun. I was there 10 years ago. But for the grace of God, that I now have a good job w/ benefits and a 401K! I was finally able to move up the raise ladder to be able to take money out to put into the 401K last year. SO rest assured oh keepers of the government grail....I am covered and I am helping to pay for indigents also. Long as Uncle Sam keeps his hands in my pocket, I guess I'll have to keep mine there also!

dcg I never mentioned anything about the indigent, and I certainly did not mean to imply it. There are many people who have insurance and good paying jobs, but soon find they can be financially wiped out with medical costs.

Insurance is a help...not a solution for the rising medical costs.

As RI Beth stated....."This is a very sad subject - but folks who suffer from catastrophic injury usually end up in state care."

Two words folks - Socialized Medicine! Doesn't fix everything, but goes a long way!

I know Adman, I was just merely making an observation from the previous posts. Slow posting. And just putting in my 1/2 cent worth. Pennies are just not pennies any more!

Ah but nuts you said the evil word....SOCIALIZED. Uninformed republicans hate that word because to them it is synomynous with COMMUNISM. Heaven forbid we, the state that we pay for, looks after everyone equally (or a reasonable facsimile thereof).

Yes, the system in Canada is far from perfect but one won't go broke if they break their leg.

rub it in, nsn. all for it here.

glad to see every one else made nice-nice.

dc - boyfriend was in same boat as your old one. left this job partially cuz his raises were amounting to less pay cuz his outta pocket healthcare continued to rise at a greater percentage. so, after 3 years, he was making less money then when hired. bizarre.

One of the "problems" of socialized medicine is doctor's salaries. They make an extremely good living here, but there's even more to be made south of the border, so those with greedy bones make the move which then puts more strain on the remaining doctors. Not a huge problem, but frustrating for those on waiting lists to have their own GP. Clinics and emergency room often have to deal with all the minor issues that normally would be handled by GPs.