My biggest fear re:healthcare

[Gracie2]

Yes Faith. I've had the same concerns. I suppose that is also a part of my having such a heart and passion for missions nursing.

[poliopilot]

You'd better believe. I've already told my daughters that, when I die, they'd better be prepared to inscribe "Killed by the American healthcare system." on whatever stone or marker they put up for me.

[Confed]

If you present to a healthcare institution needing treatment, you will be treated. It's the law.

It's an interesting subject; the supposed "right" to healthcare.

By the way, people with insurance die too.

[poliopilot]

In other words, I can just go to the dental clinic at the county hospital with my rotten tooth, demand treatment, and bypass the business office with their demands that I prove that I need a sliding-scale fee by bringing ten million papers to prove it?

I'm tempted, believe me.

[poliopilot]

In other words, I can just go to the dental clinic at the county hospital with my rotten tooth, demand treatment, and bypass the business office with their demands that I prove that I need a sliding-scale fee by bringing ten million papers?

I'm tempted, believe me.

[Confed]

You can try. There's no right to teeth, either. See Tennessee.

You're being silly now.

[insenescence1]

What you can do is shut off your internet access and cable tv and use that money to pay your own dental bill.

[Edson!]

LOL...Confed...no right to teeth!

Neither does my dog have a right to teeth, but I still brush them and get them descaled at the vet's--not cheap. But they do have health insurance for pets now. Not sure how good any of the plans are.

By the way, there are dental clinics for those that do not have insurance.

[PWhite]

Edson.........perhaps there are dental clinics that provide care for those who cannot pay in your area.....Please share because this is not prevalent.

While I am on the topic...eye care is not readily available either.

While I am on the topic, if you show up at any institution for care and you own a home, consider it theirs if you don't have insurance or if you cannot pay. And if you don't have insurance expect to pay the maximum charges for any care rendered.

There will be a process to establish a lien for those charges slapped onto your home before you can blink one eye.

It was already tried on me and I have the documentation to prove it.

"Sicko" as Michael Moore has labelled it.

[peady2]

Working in the field I do, I need to be aware of places uninsured people can go for needed healthcare. I know of only 2 dental clinics in the entire county where I work that accept Medicaid. Although almost free, even they won't accept patients w/o at least Medicaid.

[Edson!]

http://freemedicalcamps.com/index.php

[peady2]

Thank you for that link. I was hoping to find additional clinics in my area but only the 2 I already knew of are listed. And although listed as "free" I know that patients must have medicaid to be treated at them. Still, it is a good resource.

Now the other piece to this problem is transportation to get to these "free" clinics. Both of the 2 here are located in financially depressed areas of the county-which is somewhat helpful as the people who live in these areas are most likely to need these clinics. However for others, there is no public transportaion and therefore no means of getting to the clinics. It is a very complex and sad situation.

[faithforever]

is that God forbid I or someone in my family is diagnosed with a serious illness and do not have medical coverage, and that I would be written off and left to die at home while there could have been a staightforward treatment or surgery that could have helped me. I guess I'm trying to say I fear I could die for want of medical treatment that I could not pay for because I didn't have insurance. I've seen young mothers written off for this very reason. Does anyone else here have a similar fear or have seen this scenario?

[bryan]

fyi poliopilot - see if there is a dental college nearby - there is one on LI - and they do simple procedures for a faily reasonable fee. They are closely monitored so you will feel comfortable.

Know a RN who took her kids for cleaning, checks up, extractions etc. for years!

good luck.

[OBNurseJeanne]

Faith--you said you don't have the internet. How on earth do you manage to post here at all hours of the day and night without the internet??

I think we need universal healthcare. Soon all of us will have a pre-existing condition.