Re: Hurricane Katrina documentary - Trouble the Water
 

There are always horror stories and with good reason but there are also good stories. A good friend of mine in Houston had cancer and hasn't had health insurance since her divorce many years ago. All her medical bills were taken care of and in her words she could not have had better treatment anywhere. She owns her own house and car but had no income and didn't have to pay a penny. Hospitals can and do treat people who cannot pay.

Re: Hurricane Katrina documentary - Trouble the Water
 

That is good. But I wonder how many people don't get that type of care.:confused:

Re: Hurricane Katrina documentary - Trouble the Water
 

Healthcare in the USA is all over the map. No one is denied healthcare, because there are hospitals designated to deal with poor uninsured people, but if one has income/assets then payment is generally expected. There are countless horror stories, even from those who are insured. Very often one has to consult the insurance company to determine what is covered and in the case of catastrophic illness, it can be denied. And insurance often only covers a percentage of costs with the insured having to cover the difference. I suspect most middle income people have coverage from employment but those that must buy coverage find it costly, becoming more so as one ages.

Re: Hurricane Katrina documentary - Trouble the Water
 

Because of the recession there are tent cities springing up all over the States. In a recent report on TV there were whole families foreclosing their homes and setting up in these camps.

I wonder if these people can get even the basic health care provision when they now don't have an address?:confused:

Re: Hurricane Katrina documentary - Trouble the Water
 

Terrible isn't it!! I guess they would have to use an address of a fmaily member or friend?

I wonder if this would happen in Canada? Do you think it's possible?

Re: Hurricane Katrina documentary - Trouble the Water
 

There used to be a huge tent city in Toronto's docklands. The council bulldozed it; it was like a scene from a frozen West Bank. Now there are very many people living rough in ravines and parks but no single encampment housing hundreds of people.

Re: Hurricane Katrina documentary - Trouble the Water
 

You can get health care without an address... it is far far harder without health insurance and/or money.

Re: Hurricane Katrina documentary - Trouble the Water
 

Wow!

Not sure if we have anything like that here in the UK.

Although I guess we have cardboard city. There are a lot of homeless people here but not sure what help they are offered.

Re: Hurricane Katrina documentary - Trouble the Water
 

The number of homeless people on the streets of London is nothing compared to the number in Toronto. The only first world place I've been with more obvious beggars is San Francisco (however, I haven't been to Vancouver in daylight, there are a lot of homeless there too by all accounts).

Re: Hurricane Katrina documentary - Trouble the Water
 

Wow crazy!! Is there no help for these people?

Re: Hurricane Katrina documentary - Trouble the Water
 

Many homeless are addicts and mentally ill and neither the US Gov't or the Canadian Gov't takes either of these medical conditions seriously and there is just no possible way for the agencies who deal with these issue to help everyone.

People waited for 4 days with no food or water and no one came by.

In the event of a major natural disaster in Canada expect the same, the government agencies here in BC say to have at minimum 72 hours of supplies (water, food etc...) as help make take several days to arrive.

The US system of government is set up differently then other countries, in general the federal government cannot just come in and take over, the state and local governments need to request the aid from the federal government.

Katrina was by and large a perfect storm, and no level of government is innocent in it, and Louisiana politics and corruption likely played a part in it as well.