(no subject)

[gfish]

Anyone who wants to see what is (as far as I can tell from my POV in Vancouver) a representative view of how Canadians view their healthcare compared to the US can read through the comments on this story.

And the really funny thing is, most Canadians have no idea how bad it can be in the States. They just don't quite get what it means to not have insurance, having grown up in a civilized country and thus never having faced that particular horror. Or, for that matter, the lesser-but-still-quite-nasty horror of being insured but not being sure how much it will cover until the surprise bill shows up a month later. Or knowing that they'll look for any excuse to drop you if you should ever really need the coverage. Or... blah. Pisses me off all over again just to think about it. I'm going to miss my BC MSP coverage.

Comments

[niac.livejournal.com]

And what a giant horror it is!

[neuro42.livejournal.com]

"Or knowing that they'll look for any excuse to drop you if you should ever really need the coverage."

Y'know, everyone keeps saying this, but I'm almost the poster child for the person this should have happened to, several times, and not only has it never happened, I've never even felt like it was a possibility. The health insurance industry is running at least 1.5 million dollars in the hole on me so far, I hit my maximum out of pocket limit more years that not, but never once have I even been worried.

Sure, people who don't have / can't get (worthwhile) insurance through work are a problem, and sure, non-single-payer inefficiencies are a problem, but I'm not convinced *that* is.

(I've read claims of people having that happen -- most recently linked from fb -- but they've never sounded very credible.)

[peteralway.livejournal.com]

How about what it means to see a friend die of cancer who might have been diagnosed in time if she had insurance and could have afforded to see a doctor sooner?

OK, I'm still upset about that one 3 years later.

[catsittingstill.livejournal.com]

I can't actually get to the comments on that story or even see any indication that there *are* comments. Is there some link I'm overlooking?