One thing
 

What one thing would you change about the USA to improve your and everybody else's quality of life, or change just because you want to?
For me it would be;
Healthcare, healthcare, healthcare and healthcare.

Re: One thing
 

I agree and I would improve education...........or the parent's involvement in their kid's education

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There is nothing wrong with healthcare


the problems is the way we pay for it.

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Completely agree with you. I hate worrying all the time about having an accident or getting sick, just because of the money. Everyone in the UK bitches about the NHS, so did I, now I realise how lucky we were to have it.

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That varies hugely from one area to another, just as it does in the UK. I agree with healthcare, or more to the point the lack fo it for those who are not well off.

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Isn't it amazing how people back home have completely unrealistic expectations of US healthcare. They seem to assume that 'everyone has insurance', and if you've got insurance there's nothing to worry about... Ha!

Just finally, finally finalised our taxes. Last year we spent over $13k on co-pays, deductibles and dental! That's on top of the $10k+ that DH's employer paid for the insurance premiums.

And no, we are not a particularly unhealthy lot. DH needed a couple of dental implants and DS had to go to the ER because he fell off his bike. Rest is just routine stuff.

AND we are supposed to have one of the better types of cover
:eek:

Re: One thing
 

Re: One thing
 

well most of the people who fall under this probably don't have to worry too much because they can get medicaid , which is "free" or help with some other plan for low income families , it's the hardworking middle classes who really suffer , those who are between the ever increasing gap of" too rich to get help and too poor to afford the ever rising costs of health insurance, and like a previous poster explained , even people with Healthcare get screwed :(

the fact that earlier this year the news reported that the majority of Bankrupcies in this country were caused by unforseeable medical costs...it's a disgrace :mad:

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Ammo should be sold at a subsidized price... .44 mag ..is just getting too much..

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Well stop spraying it around then - you should pick your targets more carefully.

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Those were the people I meant! Let's face it well off here is a whole different thing to well off in the UK.

On the other hand I'm getting a bit out of touch with the UK now ... :o

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oh *lol* yeah i always get confused when my hubby says we're "middle class" when i know damn well were "working class" *lol* ;) :)

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If you listen to the politicians, you will learn that the entire country is "middle class", and the whole "middle class" is suffering at the hands of the invisible, undetectable, un-named non-"middle class".:D

Be careful! Someone sitting next to you might not really be "middle class"! :eek:

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And who are those 'ordinary Americans' we also hear so much about? :D

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Humour....They need sarcasm and Irony...

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And who are those 'ordinary Americans' we also hear so much about? :D

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No we don't.

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I'll say you do.

if it weren't for the canned laughter in your sit-coms you wouldn't know when to laugh

Re: One thing
 

Have to agree on the better health care thing.

When you get treatment, it is usually pretty good but very expensive.

I underlined that last part because, on the odd occasion (like this week) that I call to see the doctor, they always say "Well, he has an opening May 20th" - I KID YOU NOT!

So, am I supposed to stay sick until then?

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I'm so sorry, I'll rephrase that.

"Humour....They need sarcasm and Irony... "

No [long pause] we don't. [straight face]

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And I thought this was gonna go all panto *lol*

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I can laugh at that but unfortunately for my USC husband there is no laughter track accompanying it so he's a bit confused, bless.

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Keep taking the tablets I say. :)

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Would that be Viagra, Advil or Prozac? :D




NC Penguin

Re: One thing
 

Im working with a genuine American that understands and uses sarcasm and irony....im about the only person there who understands him, all the other Yanks just look either blank or slightly offended when he gets sarcastic while im curled up in the corner laughing my socks off.

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See, that used to happen to me in England, but at least I got to see a doc there! I honestly don't know what I'd do if I got really sick here. Fly home somehow I guess! (Oh, touch wood that doesn't happen!)

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Just waited 3 months for a specialist appointment, went on Wednesday... bitterly disappointed, had better care and information from practice nurses in the UK.

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Yep, ditto on the healthcare aspect and the work till you drop and have no vacations attitude pisses me off greatly at times.

There is so much to see and do, but I never have the damn time off work to do it at a leisurly pace!!

On a more minor note the choccie and TV are crap. Willy Wonka needs to open a factory :D

Re: One thing
 

are you being sarcastic ...?

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No. actually in this instance im not. Its quite amusing to see americans baffled by another american using sarcasm as a Brit would.

Re: One thing
 

Better public transportation. My husband just went back to visit a city we'd lived in for 11 years -- and one that had turned down having light rail as an option to help prevent the substantial increase in road traffic. It is now so jammed with traffic, despite so-called road "improvements" that it's a joke.

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Round here I'd want less involvement of parents in their kids' education. Science teaching is something of a joke because an extremely vocal (but I sincerely hope) minority want to overturn 150 years of established scientific orthodoxy in favor of the, albeit profound, two thousand+ year old writings of various Middle Eastern scribes and prophets. :rolleyes:

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but I was :D

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I was being Ironic so there. :D

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I was being moronic so there .. :D

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Tell me about it. Makes your colleagues avoid you at the water cooler.