Canadians who go to Mexico for treatment don't usually do so because of wait times at home. Usually, they either want treatment they don't need, or want to try something illegal/weird/dangerous which is unavailable here.

I wish that she would let us know more about her health insurance. I only have a $20 copay for Dr. visits. How do we know that she just doesn't understand her insurance?

looks like the author of this letter found her solution. I wonder why she even buys insurance if she won't use it??

While some citizens are blessed with excellent coverage others are sorely lacking. There is such a variation in who and what will be covered. And for the self-employed insurance costs can actually put small businesses out of business.

Right now my husband's work offers GREAT insurance, but several years ago we had none. We also had a son with diabetes, so no one was anxious to insure us without very exorbitant costs.

My heart goes out to those who can't afford treatment. It seems like a prosperous country like America could do much, much better at caring for all of our citizens.

We need some kind of plan that covers more than the healthy and the wealthy.

YGF,
What do you need to know? She has a high deductible plan that she rarely sees any benefit from. She probably carries it for the peace of mind should something catastrophic happen. She pays $500 a month for that peace of mind. (BTW, this is exactly what GOPers are advocating when they push HSAs like they're the cure-all for our health care problems.)

Would she be better off taking that $500 and using it for her day-to-day health care needs that she currently can't afford? Probably. But only if that catastrophe never happens. If it does, then hopefully her insurance will come in handy. But more than likely her insurance will fight like "heck" to deny claim after claim. This is the peace of mind she's paying for.

These are the real life choices people have to make every day in our country. Why? Why should she have to choose between day-to-day care and catastrophic insurance? Is it because she just didn't work hard enough so she doesn't deserve any better? I doubt it. It's the middle man that's screwing it all up. Get rid of for-profit health insurance! It's ruined our health-care system.

OK, soapbox time. Here is the problem with health insurance. What she has is major medical. It's what health insurance should be. Health Insurance should cover major medical expenses, and you should be covering your own 'maintenance' out of your own pocket.

Look at all other insurance you purchase. Do you use your car insurance for oil changes? New tires? Those are important to safety and the life of your car, but those are YOUR expenses. Car insurance shouldn't have to cover that. Car insurance should cover a major event like an accident.

Look at Life Insurance. Shouldn't it pay for an annual checkup, as well as other expenses that would prolong your life? No - those are YOUR expenses. It only covers a major event - like a death.

Look at Homeowner's Insurance. Does it cover regular maintenance like new paint, new carpet, a security system, etc.? No, these are YOUR expenses. It covers major events like a fire, etc.

For some reason, people think that health insurance should cover anything related to their health, from checkups to 'the pill'. Those should be YOUR expenses, and Health Insurance should cover a major event.

We need HR676 SINGLE-PAYER HEALTH INSURANCE PEOPLE NOT PROFIT.

Give it up Tammi. We spend $400 billion on medicare, of which $70 billion is corruption and waste (Parade Magazine, April 20, 2008). It makes no sense to turn the rest of our health care system over to a 17-20% waste and corruption machine.

To "jackhp | 10:44 a.m." I am on a plan with a $2000 deductable. The plan also included a $20 co-pay for Dr visits. Just because her deductable is $500 does not mean much.

The term "Can't afford it" is a relative term. For instance, if it were life or death, I think you would find a way to afford it. If it's sort of optional (Prescriptions, etc) the question of affordability gets a little more subjective. At least that's the way it is with me.

I agree with those wondering... Why buy insurance and pay the premiums if you are afriad to pay the dedcutable?

I am on a high deductible plan too. I pay the first $3000 then the insurance kicks in, protecting me from being desemated by a catastrophic illness. I rarely go over the $3000, but insurance isn't there to pay for every little thing. It is there to protect us from "The big one".

If you can't afford $3000/year to get care you need to live... why would you pay $500/month for insurance you could never use? Your story just doesn't make complete sense to me.

Last point... Anyone who would go to Mexico to get life critical medical care needs phsyciatric care first.

YGF,
She said her PREMIUMS are $500/month. I'm guessing her deductable is at least $2000.

As for your plan, what is considered a "Dr visit"? Is it just initial consultations? What if you need follow-up care or you need to see a specialist? You see, this is part of the problem. No two plans are exactly the same so it's hard to compare without everyone spelling out exactly what they get for what they pay. I think it's dismissive of you to discount the letter writer's opinion because you think she might not "understand" her insurance. I'm sure she understands it just fine and I'm sure it pains her to "understand" that she can't afford to get the care she needs even though she's "insured".

Yes, "can't afford" is a relative term. So is "life or death". I think it's hilarious that you deem prescriptions "sort of optional". My wife's asthma medication IS life or death. Luckily we can afford it. If I had a $500/month premium and $3000 deductible then it would be a bit tougher, especially if other health care issues arose. Yep, it's ALL relative . . .

to MEB ...good to see someone gets it. The problem here is the same as everywhere else...someone wants something for nothing and since I have something, I am supposed to give it to them. I do not mean to sound heartless, but every year I pay thirty to forty thousand in income taxes alone, just to be told I am not doing enough to help my neighbor with eight kids (4 born since he had his last job) have the American dream. (personal responsibility anyone?) Next thing you know I stop giving and the truly needy get nothing! We are endowed by our creator with certaing inalienable rights. Free health care is not one of them. I want to help those who have needs, but we need to stop giving indiscriminately to those who have wants! Mexico must have stellar medical facilities if their own people would rather bankrupt our overcrowded emergency rooms than go home for treatment!

To "jackhp | 1:18 p.m." you prove my point. Without knowing what her plan covers, it is hard to have much pity for her.

It is like me saying, I can't afford a car, when I really mean, I can't afford that $50,000 car while only earning $6/hr. There needs to be more information to understand the problem.

I have been self-employed my entire life. I don't have the option of a group policy that is provided by an employer. I pay over $500 a month to cover my family, with a $2500 deductible, just in case there is a major event that needs to be covered. All of the "maintenance" that we do comes out of our pocket. I'm perfectly happy with the way things are, and don't want the government telling me what I need.

Health care does NOT work in a capitalist model.

If you need tires for your car, you can easily "price shop" for one you like for a price that fits your budget.

However how does one, "price shop" when you have a pain in your abdomen that has been getting worse for the last few days.
Lets see, try calling a doctor's office and ask what it will cost to get your stomach ache fixed. Lets see it could just be a "stomach flu" and you'll be fine in a couple of days, BTW that'll be $150 for my 15 minute office visit; or it could be Pancreatic cancer, we'll start chemo immediately, you'll probably be dead in less than 6 months no matter what we do, but if we try to do everything we can it'll cost you over $250,000.

Of course some prescriptions are "Life or death". I was just saying some prescriptions are optional and therefore the "Afordability" is debateable. In some cases it is not.

My wife has been an insulin dependent diabetic since she was 14 years old. Do you think I say, "I can't afford it" when she needs more insulin? EVERYTHING else would be sacrificed before I said, "Sorry honey we can't afford insulin".

I was saying the affordability question comes up when deciding if we need the acne medicine, etc.

This may just be my attitude problem, but what I was trying to say is... just because something is "Expensive" doesn't mean it is "Unafordable". That's all I'm trying to say.

If you REALLY have insurance and REALLY can't afford to pay your deductible even for life and death healthcare needs... That's when public assistance is "needed". Insurance isn't meant to pay for everything and make it so we don't even have to think about the "Afordability" question. Should this dream-insurance be free to everyone so they don't have to pay for any medical needs and so they don't have to ask the affordability question before filling their Viagra prescription?

I wasn't trying to disprove your point, YGF. My point was that it is dismissive of you to jump to the conclusion that she just doesn't "understand" her own policy and therefore she shouldn't be listened to. You don't need any more information to understand the problem; you just don't believe there is a problem. That's fine, but at least tell it like it is. Do you really believe that everyone out there who "can't afford" even minimal health care really can but they just don't "want" to?

Reminds me of my last dental problem. Dentist in the states told me I needed two root canals and it would run me $3000 for the whole deal.

Instead I went to Chile and had a root canal specialist handle it. Total cost of the trip and procedures ran me around $900. Turns out the american dentist was jumping the gun too, the south american specialist offered to treat the MINOR cavity instead saving both teeth, but I couldnt stay there for 3 months to make sure it worked so I had'em pre-empitivly drilled.

So, "lost in DC" we spend $341 million per day for war. We could cover every American citizen and fund single-payer health insurance for years to come from the fraud and corruption of this illegal war.
And who is perpetrating the fraud on Medicare- Doctors, Medical suppliers, over-billing, PART D that gives kickbacks to the pharmaceutical companies. Get your facts straight. Medicare runs on a 3% overhead! can your business do that? Health insurance companies do not provide healthcare they only rip you off, and you better hope you don't really get sick.
Check out some of your waste and
abuse:
William McGuire, CEO United Health Group Corp makes $54,129,501.00.(2006)(Everybody In, Nobody Out)

I think we, as Americans, have to decide what is really important to us. Are we content to see small business owners give up on their businesses simply because they can't afford insurance costs?

Are we content to have people in poverty run up huge bills in the Emergency Room, when they could have been seen at clinic, and then the state (you and I) end up paying for it anyway?

Do we care if our neighbors are not getting preventative treatments, then as a last resort, go to the hospital and require much more expensive interventions? (Which we as taxpayers end up covering, anyway)

Are we okay with so many families declaring bankruptcy because of medical expenses?

Can't America do better?

To "jackhp | 3:06 p.m." I believe that if somebody really wants to take care of themselves and their family's needs, they can do it on their own. Jobs that start out paying a decent wage are not impossible to come by. In other words, thoes who want to get ahead will, thoes who don't won't. (Yes there are some exceptions to that, but for a healthy able bodied person with a normal amount of brain capacity can.)

MEB does indeed get it...while price shopping may not work to your satisfaction, personal responsibility would free the emergency rooms back up for emergencies...like the unknown pain in the abdomen...I know there are people convinced that if they get government controlled health care they can get over their guilt and feel sunny all day but I don't want my money confiscated so our health care can be improved the way the government fixed the housing problem with publec housing...oh yeah that was a success story...even with the pain in that system now it is better than the government model...and once again most of the problems are due to lack of personal responsibility..."I have the right to a house whether I can afford it or not and the government should fix my screwup"

Man I never thought of your great points. Clearly personal responsibility is the answer to the problems with our healthcare system.
If you can't afford to pay for a doctor visit then don't get sick. Wow now that is a solution that can work; in fantasyland.
I too am tired of these irresponsible people getting sick when then they can't afford to pay for it. If you want cancer, you better start saving for it. Quit expecting a system to be in place to help you out, I know that some people even become so ill that they can no longer work. Well that's just too bad responsible people only get sick when they plan it well in advance and have caregivers that can support them.

Wow, I need to get my mind back in the real world now, that quick trip to Limbaugh-land was a little disorienting.