Some of you that have read my posts know I lived in Honduras for 10 years, the Thirdworldest of the Thirdworld countries. A trip to the emergency room was $5. I did not need to get a prescription to get medication, I went to the drugstore and told the person behind the counter what I needed, and if I didnt know I could go to a Cuban trained doctor and be seen for $10. The drugs sold are the same ones sold in the US, but at much, much lower prices. My wife had a baby with complications and had to stay in the hospital for 7 days, that cost me $500 total. I had my appendix removed and stayed 5 days for $400. If I would have been without money they have a free hospital where the same doctors that work in the paid hospital work for free (you have to pay for your medication). The doctors there do not pay for medical school. The ones I talked to were not in medicine for the money (some drove cabs to make ends meet) they wanted to help people. They could have made big bucks here in the US, but they chose to stay. They did not have the latest in diagnostic machinery, but they would listen and talk to you like a human being. I had the best medical care there. But I also had a little money, minimum wage there was about 50 cents an hour. So even at those prices many people could not afford medical care. Now I have to deal with the Veterans Administration, which from what I hear, is similar to what the Canadians have and the VA system is and has been broken. Obamacare may not be the best option but at least it is something. You have to start somewhere. I dont have the answers, but I waited for the Republicans to toss something out opposed to Obamacare and I saw nothing. The provision for preexisting conditions was a step in the right direction. Everyone needs affordable health insurance whether they want it or not. Kind of like immunizations for contagious diseases. Sometimes governments need to step in and take over, but we have to have people with integrity in charge. In a round about way what I was trying to say if you have money and you can pay for your own healthcare you dont need the government, but if you are poor you better hope the government helps you or you are dead. I got good healthcare in a Thirdworld country because I could afford it, but there even the poor have something to fall back on. Now lemme get off of this soap box.
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