Comment by keymasta

I find it's a really scary idea to go to a third-world country like USA! - Or, it seems like a third-world country when you're from a developed country.

Unfortunately I'm type 1 diabetic which is either a death sentence there, or you are rich. But then I also accidentally broke my collarbone this summer. And I had this weird throat infection.

As a type 1 diabetic I have had to go to the ER numerous times in my life, and as traumatising as that experience can be, I can't imagine the feeling of also being financially ruined for the pleasure of not dying.

It's weird, I know plenty of people who avoid going to the doctor because it's annoying to wait for over an hour.. but I could see that for an American you might just NEVER go. I guess it's like, ok someone in the family is sick, and we're not rich, so we will sacrifice them to the sun gods. Or I guess you go into indentured servitude? There are people for whom $100k is made very very slowly.

I just do not get it! I guess these things add up properly if you are very wealthy, but people here think that it's the function of the society to make sure you can have basic things like medical treatment. Of course it's not perfect here... try going to the dentist for example. Then you're almost in the USA. Somehow it's not considered medical. A long session could run you over $500 or more.

I have compassion for all the USAians out there! If I was USAian and planning to have a child.. I guess I would consider just going to a civilized country for a while, like... I don't know, Rwanda or Ghana or somewhere that can afford people to be alive(?). In seriousness though (as those countries are very far) you could just go North or South. It's closer. If you go to Canada, a lot of times you wouldn't even need to present ID.. you could just.. get treated right there by walking into a hospital, being triaged, and then waiting (admittedly for maybe almost a day).

Always bring fun things to the hospital if you aren't literally bleeding out all over the place, because you'll be in the waiting room for 12 hours if you're in a big city.

But when it's over you're alive and about as rich as you were before. Seems like a good societal deal to me. I'm scared of being trapped somewhere like the US honestly. It's a nightmare scenario. Although I'm sure it's pretty great if you're a billionaire with slaves and so on... but someone has to incur that cost (the slaves from the lower castes).