Loosing a job does mean the healthcare goes too, there is gap insurance between jobs (I forget the name now), but from what we were offered the monthly cost was so high it wasn't affordable especially seeing you are out of work. Plus new jobs usually make you wait a while till the new coverage kicks in. Dh's job he had to work so many hours, it worked out to just over 3 mths then the whole family was covered.
The shelf stacker (or any low pay job) get no coverage unless they are working for a very generous company or are union (safeway) but most normal non union stores give no cover unless you buy in at a really expensive monthly rate (think WalMart).
Most healthy young people just forgo the insurance and cross their fingers.
Immigrants from anywhere without work have no insurance, they get treatment at the emergency room if they are desperate and then skip out on the bill or try and make payments.
Illegal immigrants are a huge burden on medical services, they aren't eligible for any cover from the state and rarely can afford to pay for cover.
Here in California they are closing down many of the clinics that catered to illegals, the counties can't afford to staff them in this economy, so they are all loosing what bit of health care they got.
Low income citizens get cover for the children in California through Healthy families program (MediCal), other states have similar things, like in Georgia it's Peachcare or something.
Another thought. Legal immigrants have to sign a statement to say they will not claim any government help for at least 5 years. So that rules out any medical help even for children.
People often feel tied to jobs they hate just to continue the coverage.
I've also met Moms that work just for the medical cover, between their share of the monthly premium and daycare, they don't bring home more than a few dollars a month, but the whole family has medical cover. The Dh earned decent money, but the job provided no coverage.
It's my biggest beef with the US. I hate the medical system here and I work in it. It's a big reason to move home.
Should DH loose the job he has, we wouldn't be able to buy our own coverage (ike we did when we were younger) as I would be denied outright for pre existing conditions.

Your complaint was about the title. I've not read past page one yet but at the time of my comment yours was the only one complaining of the title. The others mentioned the negativity (or otherwise, depending on their opinion) of the post itself. The OP expressed surprise at the reaction to the post, not the title.

I think we can all only speak as we find. I've lived here all my 40+ years except a couple in Oz more than 20 years ago. My parents and in-laws are all in their late 70's or 80's and all four have required fairly significant treatment from the NHS - cancer, new hips, cataracts ops, that sort of thing - in the last five years and whilst I wouldn't say the service they have received has in all cases been exceptional, it's been pretty good overall.

My personal major gripe is the encroachment of bureaucracy on personal freedom. CCTV cameras, ridiculously low speed limits (how about improving driving standards rather than punishing everyone?), an increasingly and unjustifiably complicated tax system (from which I make a good living, but it shouldn't be so all the same). How on earth can anyone even suggest we need or should want ID cards? So I'd agree with the OP's comments about "big brother".

Mind you, the food's mostly very good down here in the south. I have probably 30 restaurants within a half hour walk of home and I can only think of a few I wouldn't go back to.

Is there anywhere civilised left in the world where big brother isn't watching you? I'm genuinely interested to know if I'm wasting my time looking? (Oh and I know Australia is not perfect that way).

Thanks for the explanation.

If I had the choice to the live in any country in the world, I would still most likely pick the USA despite the medical coverage issue. If the medical coverage issue made me hestitate, then my second choice would most likely be Canada because in many ways its like being in the USA.

When I`m in the UK the traffic lights and speeding restrictions drive me nuts as well But I come from Spain where we drive fast and skip the lights thus we have a very high accident rate.

Most european countries have always had ID cards and I can`t see how this is actually an encroachment on anybody`s freedom, by carrying mine I`ve never felt my personal freedom encroached upon, admittedly though it would depend on what info is going to be printed on them in the UK.

Can`t comment on how big brother attitudes in the UK restrict personal freedoms as I don`t live there anymore but it does seem to be an issue.

That`s because its a mushy pea "free zone"

Our house was always mushy pea free even though we were up north

Very refreshing , a great post ........but put in the wrong forum., you have wasted your words ....these people in here are a Back slappin, circle forming self pleasuring society........who can,t see beyond their own narrow points of view..........oh well back to the Godzone..........mm

Gaeller, don't take it personally just because a small minded set of morons take a swipe at you for your opinions. Don't leave unless you want to leave either. Tell them to leave if they don't like your posts.
What tends to happen on this forum is that you get a bunch of regular intelligent thinkers who make worthwhile contributions even if they don't agree with the poster. This makes good reading and it's what the forum should be about. They also flock to help anyone in a dilemma including myself. I try and help if I can when I can.

Then you get the mindless lot who never contribute a single effort. They only jump on a thread to cause an argument or sabotage the OP's entitlement to post their thoughts.
I don't agree with most of your post but it only relates to your experience so you should be free to say what you think without being lambasted.

Leave if you want, not because anyone has made you think you should leave. I come and go when I feel like it and I only post on threads I feel like commenting on. If someone doesn't like what I've said, I don't give a stuff.

Go any buy Lily Allen's new album, It's Not Me, It's You. Then see what track 8 is called. Smile to yourself and send the same sentiments out to everyone who pisses you off including the no brains amongst this lot.

Oh one more thing. I've changed my email and can;t update my details on BE so I don't get a email to say when someone makes a post on any thread I'm commenting on. Means I usually forget which thread I've posted on. Sad eh? Feel free to PM though.

But you were often guilty of this yourself.

You`ve written an illogical statement here, because a mindless person would not have the ability to post their thoughts or be involved in discourse of any kind............therefore, they would not have the know how to sabotage somebody else`s thread as you so suggest.

This is actually very good advice and probably wouldn`t go amiss, on a therapy programme inside a home for special people.

Rambo: First Blood is an excellent instruction tool for such situations, and may I suggest Ronin for bullet removal when you get caught in the inevitable crossfire on 'da mean streetz'.

Yes thanks for pointing out to me what I meant in my own post. I was completely unaware of what I wanted to say until this. cheers.

Should suit you perfectly then.

I really doubt that will help - judging by OP's comments about opera and innovative theatre I don't think she's likely to be impressed by Lily Allen in any way - more likely she'd consider Ms Allen and her success as clinching proof that Britain is utterly irredeemable and totally devoid of any culture and sophistication. And of course I'm sure that pop singers are so much nicer and more talented in Portugal.