scrubbedexpat091

Anything by Moore is well not a source I would trust, he can distort facts to make anything look good or bad.

For instance he likes to make Canada look like some utopia, its not and unlike what he showed in Columbine, I dont know one Canadian who leaves their door unlocked, Canada has a pretty high rate of BE into homes, so only a fool would not lock their doors.

ToffeeUSA

I am no fan of Moore's either, but have you ever watched Sicko? Before dissing it because of its director, people might want to watch it...then they can make an informed decision, rather than a biased one. We might not like the way someone says something...or the politics that underlie it...but if someone tells the truth, is it any less the truth because of the source? As with any claims made by a documentary, people should verify things for themselves.

And most of us no longer believe ANYWHERE is a Utopia!

exvj

We live in a town that has 300 days unbroken blue skies and 8 inches rain per annum, and when a cloudy day comes we get depressed - so it's what you get used to

Our last house in England was a rented box in Darwen Lancashire - the wettest area of England and a dirty, nasty disgusting town. We had to go there for the wife's job. It was 2007 and the wettest since the ice age - it was truly awful and the rain came sideways and never stopped all year. I spent all day on the computer - all year long fighting for my green card while looking out at the rain and dirt and litter and it was the most depressing year of my life. I am only just getting over it


I am used to the Ilkley/Otley/Harrogate/Leeds area where its 28 inches rainfall and the Yorkshire Dales are on the doorstep - I dont even like driving through Lancashire now if I land at Manchester

Poppy girl

Ended up paying $2400 could of been worse.

ToffeeUSA

It could....people have lost their homes because of uncovered medical expenses.

I think that when people here, backed by a heavily biased media (or should we say corporate propaganda system...which benefits hugely on a national basis from advertising from medical insurance firms and big pharma and more locally from health providers), slag off the NHS and Canadian systems of healthcare as being inefficient and unaffordable, they need to consider the TRUE cost of health here in the US, with significant amounts of co-pay if you want reasonable premiums, and health insurers who will do everything they possibly can to increase their premiums-to-payouts ratio, often by not paying for items you and your doctor believe SHOULD be covered.

My father still lives in the UK and is 82 years old. Even though he is in good health, he cannot get health insurance to travel to the USA above the age of 80, so last visited us here when he was 79. If anything did happen to Dad while he was here, being uninsured, we would have to pay for his care out of pocket. Since our insurance could not cover that, we would become bankrupt. This is the stark reality of an avaricious healthcare business that has no interest in people, only in profit. Along with the utterly crap food, use of GMO cereals laden with pesticides and a government wholly controlled by big business, this is an aspect of America that few Brits will feel happy about once they start living here.

nessel

Before retiring I worked for a large medical clinic . My 86 years old Mother -in -law came to live with us & as we could not purchase medicaL insurance here, we just renewed a 12 month travel insurance policy. until they would not renew, We were only green card holders & could not sponsor her. She had a stroke aged 91.at the hospital they asked me to sign responsibility. I said no . apparently once you are accepted by the medical facility i e . letting a patient into the facility , they have to treat them. which in her case they did. {I was told the US government has a payment plan for indiginents this is how illegals get treatment) I voluntary took her pension from the UK to the hospital every month. In the meantime there were letters fron Drs & us going back & forth to INS.She was in hospital for 5 months before she passed away. The total bill paid by US funds was $125000.. Two weeks after she was granted a right to live here by INS .
We both now have dual nationality. & an HMO.

Jean

scrubbedexpat099

12 month travel policies do not cover 12 month trips.

Just wondering on what visa she entered?

Jerseygirl

You state your MIL came to live with you...but then you say you couldn't sponsor her. So how could she live with you? Holiday insurance wouldn't pay out if she had made a claim because she wasn't on holiday. I can't quite work the dates out....she was 86 and at that time you couldn't sponsor her because you were GC holders...but approx 5 yrs later the INS granted her the right to live here.

nessel

It was the only insurance we could get.A colleague told me they did the same,they had a claim & the insurance paid up.When M I L no longer had insurance we couldn't send her back to UK she had no close relatives there .Jf she needed to see a Dr we paid for visits etc we also paid for cateract removal $4000. the clinic I worked for gave me a disscount.(up to the stroke she was quite fit, ) Social Security told me they had to make a report to INS .The INS got in touch with her Dr who told them she was not able to make the journey home , plus she needed the support of her family. I should imagine that the Dr told her she wasn't expected to live long.

scrubbedexpat099

Wow.

If I had done that the last thing I would do is broadcast it.

nessel

Done what!!

scrubbedexpat091

There needs to be a meeting point where the government and its citizens meet so neither goes bankrupt. Governments alone can't exactly afford the rising cost of healthcare either. Here in British Columbia government expects hit to eat 50% of the budget in the next few years, we are already pushing 40% of the budget.

My local health authority is running a 150 million cash short fall this year, so we are loosing services and other cut backs.


Your father would not have been covered here in Canada either had something happend and he lacked travel insurance, Canada's healthcare system only covers residents. In an emergency the ER wont refuse treatment but the patient will receive a bill for the services, walk in clinics and doctors will typically require payment upfront.

scrubbedexpat099

Brought my Mother to US without adequate Medical Insurance.

Had her overstay her Visa, subject to deportation etc etc.

Had her treated pro bono, when their main concern would be to do the minimum to get her out

Giantaxe

I know people who've done a similar thing. I understand people's reasons for doing it but, aside from the moral and legal issues it raises, that last sentence is why it's a poor idea imo. There are so many cases where indigent patients get minimal care and then get kicked out of hospital asap.