Some families can't afford healthcare.

I am lucky enough to have insurance coverage through my employer, and my husband through his. We are paying 200 a month for my child to be insured on my husbands plan. Even with this 200 a month being paid out of our pocket, we have a high deductible plan, so we are still paying hundreds of dollars out of pocket every year for health care. I agree that our government cannot afford to pay for everyone to have insurance, but that everyone needs it. There are some programs out there, and doctors that are willing to work at a lower fee. You just have to look to find them.

I am on Medicaid and I have to have an HMO now because that is a requirement. HMOs are a pain in the butt. They only pay for what they want to pay for. I stopped going to physical therapy for an injured foot when the HMO tried to refuse to pay the bill because I changed doctors. The doctor I changed to was not one of their "gold star providers which they feel provides excellent care." He instead is a doctor who gives a d**n about my health and doesn't base everything pertaining to my health on my weight. The other doctor was forever harping on weight loss even if I went in for something like bronchitis. It all boils down to the fact that they probably got paid better from the other doctor. I am in school for medical billing and coding so I know how the system works. I need to go to a neurologist which I am supposed to be able to self-refer myself to with my HMO, but doctors are still requiring a referral even though I was already seeing a different neurologist but I wasn't satisfied with my care there. Its just a way for them to get extra money.

I am in that boat. I think I got lucky because my brother took me to the university hospital when I got back to the states last month. They occasionally asked for money, but they understood that I didn't have any and fortunately they didn't turn me away. And I am working on getting medicaid so that most of my medical expenses will be covered. Of course there is the possibility that I won't be approved, but that just means that the bills won't be paid. I think it is extremely unfair that people who are just getting by are not able to get assistance when everyone should be able to have access to health care. It makes me wish I were Canadian or French or some other nationality where people are taken care of. At least I'm not in China. There you have to pay up front even if you have insurance. If you have no money, you die. That is why I am back in the states now instead of still in China. Of course, my experience in the hospital there convinces me that I probably wouldn't have survived the operation I went through if I would have stayed there.

Insurance companies are one of my pet peeves. It is just ridiculous at what they get by with. U pay for it but yet when u need it they want to gibe u a hassle. I know that alot of people can't afford the outrageous prices that they charge. Somrthing drasti needs to be done .

I'm lucky to have an insurance shouldered by my company for 12 years... i got retrenched and so was my husband ( we're in the same company )... then, we didn't bother to get a personal health insurance after that... hoping that my husband got a job soon ( normally, good companies are giving health benefits... and like-that company was my husband's looking for to be employed ) and by that happen, we will be again enjoying the benefits of being health insured... i'm glad he's employed now although it takes more than a year... still we're thankful... Praise Him! I'm glad that in our country, many charitable institutions and people are scattered in almost all hospitals and municipal... acting these humanitarian act... but availing can be so hard... you will fall in a lengthy line, wait for your turn for almost a day whooooa! and if you provide docs they need, you're assured of their help. And also, just like other country i guess, we have a health center in every barangay (municipal village) that offers free doctors services, some immunization for infants, discounted medicines, free contraceptives for females and more. I had this encounterd with a person in the hospital where i delivered my 2nd child... that's year 2007. Their child bill got almost 200,000 pesos... they go to PCSO, they gave them 80,000 pesos help... they go to DSWD and got 20,000 pesos... they go to various persons in politics ( governor, mayor, councillor ) and some private persons who's willing to help... at the end, they just cashed-out 30,000 pesos in their pocket. Though there's this charitable institutions worldwide, it's best to have a health insurance of your own, whether provided by your company or you personally paid it, to ease the burden of emergency. And also for us to have a worry-free mind.