daredevilkink | Discussion/Off-Topic Post #1

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Discussion/Off-Topic Post #1

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...are there places where you aren't? where? what's that like? :P

Canada? It's not actually "free" here though (because everything is paid for through taxes that everybody pays), but as far as I know the hospitals don't chase you down with enormous bills unless you've gone the private healthcare route.

(I could be wrong? The only experience I've had with staying in hospital was overnight observation for shock, and I wasn't charge for that, so I wondered)

(of course, the trade-off to "free" healthcare is obscenely long wait times for appointments and non-emergency surgeries, so...)

Australia, too. I'm fairly certain it works the same way, we all pay a little extra in taxes but the trade off is "free" health-care.

I've never had much experience with hospitals, so I can't say for certain that it's all entirely cost-free but I have spent time in the ER and been admitted for a short stay before and that's never cost a cent. I've also had cat-scans and x-rays and never been sent a bill. We pay an Emergency Services Levy, which as far as I'm aware is a small fee added to our water bills that means we don't have to pay out-of-pocket for ambulance rides.

I was watching friends last night and Rachel ended up in the ER. Monica asked if she had insurance and she says "sure, yeah, gonna want some of that!" and Monica says "Rachel, you don't have insurance?! An X-Ray's going to set you back $500 at least." I straight-up almost died when I heard that, I always forget what it's like over there, absolutely insane.

...the new thing, too, is that the ER jacks up prices astronomically.

anon with the friend who had to take an ambulance for alcohol poisoning, here, and she was upset/out of it when they released her? so she didn't check/google what the hell they were trying to give her to take home.

*makes face* they sent her home with like five or six extra-strength aspirin and charged her twenty bucks for the "prescription".

OP - I came across this horrifying little tidbit while researching this:

"Expanding health insurance coverage for the poor leads to a significant increase in costly emergency room visits, according to a new study."

Like.... No shit, now that people are insured they can actually AFFORD to visit the ER, whereas before they would have just suffered/died without seeking medical attention. Mind-boggling!

:-|

http://swampland.time.com/2014/01/03/study-expanding-health-coverage-increases-emergency-room-use/

Canada doesn't charge anything for doctors visits or hospital care unless you want perks like a private room or something. At least in Ontario where I live.

When I was eleven I broke a hip and collarbone in a pedestrian car accident and my family was on government assistance at the time. Not one bill showed up and I had multiple surgeries and was in the hospital for weeks. Same thing when my mother had breast cancer and a mastectomy. In fact even a home assistant to help her with some child care as she recovered was provided.

The only things not covered by taxes and the government here are dental care, vision, most physiotherapy and prescriptions. Those you still need health insurance to cover.

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