If you lack health insurance, consider medical tourism

chunkyfrog · Post by **chunkyfrog** » Sun Aug 04, 2013 10:14 am

Shawn; you should have taken video (or had someone do it for you), and given it to the local media.
Sometimes the jerks in power have to be chucked in the noggin with a 2X4 to get their attention.

123.Shawn T.W. · Post by **123.Shawn T.W.** » Sun Aug 04, 2013 12:07 pm

Sorry, no video, but here it is "before" he lopped it off! He was actually trained in OH IIRC ...

And what it looks like now ...

Still tender, and I need to protect it from bumps ... but ... I took my chances, and I live with it ... there is not much "meat" on the end protecting/padding the bone ... but we decided that it was a better option than going to the next knuckle ... we could always cut off more ... but hard to add back on ...

The tip of my finger was caught in a printing press, just as we were loading the paper roll, feeding it through the rollers ... I felt it grab, and I yanked ... the pastor was running the press, and stopped it, but, by then the ripped off tip was already through to his side ... I was a volunteer at out church which had a printing ministry, and put out a local paper also ...

Stormynights · Post by **Stormynights** » Sun Aug 04, 2013 12:29 pm

Shawn I admire you to a point but I would have fainted too. Moochers are stealing from the poor any way you look at it. You did have a true emergency for sure. A couple of years ago they were interviewing people standing in line for help with their electric bills in the summer. This one woman was saying she had to have help with her bill because she kept her thermostat set at 60 degrees. I have at least one fan in every room in the summer to keep my bills low. Why should I help her keep her thermostat set at 60. Moochers are never grateful for anything they just want more more and more. It is disgusting. I really believe that in the US no one would be suffering from poverty if it wasn't for the moochers.

chunkyfrog · Post by **chunkyfrog** » Sun Aug 04, 2013 1:01 pm

Some people actually open a window or a door, rather than turn the thermostat up.
I assume their rent included utilities--I would have tossed them out!

Goofproof · Post by **Goofproof** » Sun Aug 04, 2013 1:26 pm

Stormynights wrote:Shawn I admire you to a point but I would have fainted too. Moochers are stealing from the poor any way you look at it. You did have a true emergency for sure. A couple of years ago they were interviewing people standing in line for help with their electric bills in the summer. This one woman was saying she had to have help with her bill because she kept her thermostat set at 60 degrees. I have at least one fan in every room in the summer to keep my bills low. Why should I help her keep her thermostat set at 60. Moochers are never grateful for anything they just want more more and more. It is disgusting. I really believe that in the US no one would be suffering from poverty if it wasn't for the moochers.

Plus 1

Here in the winter it's easy to tell whitch houses are on welfare, all the lights are on in every room, and the doors are wide open, beer cans in the yard, ifthe weather isn't too cold they are walking back and forth in the front yard, talking on their Obama phone. Jim

Stormynights · Post by **Stormynights** » Sun Aug 04, 2013 1:48 pm

I have had people that drew food stamps ask if they could go to the grocery store for me. They wanted to pay for my food and have me give them money. I would crawl to the store before I did that. The food stamps they get are to feed their children. Not get cash for. I even had one person ask for a copy of my electric bill. I never did get what that was all about. Now they are shredded. Moochers know all the loopholes. Then you see someone truly in need of help that can't get any help at all. There was a time when people were like Shawn and wouldn't take a handout because they had pride. While I admire Shawn for his gumption, I think he should have asked for help in that situation. I worked by and American Legion post. One day they were giving out thing to homeless Vets. I watched new nice cars pull up with only one person in the car and carrying out duffle bags full of God know what. I made a comment about what nice new cars homeless vets drove. Those people were thieves plain and simple. How do these people sleep at night?

49er · Post by **49er** » Mon Aug 05, 2013 1:33 am

Shawn, I appreciate your honesty although to be honest, I find it chilling. So essentially what you are saying is if someone needs emergency healthcare and can't pay for it on their own or practice self medicine even though it may not be their fault, they should die.

By the way, you seem like a compassionate person in many ways so I am having a hard time believing you really mean this. But in reading your post, that is exactly what you are saying and in my opinion, other people with similar views essentially feel that way.

WOW is all I can say.

49er

PS - By the way Shawn, your taxes for police and fire departments essentially pay for people's misfortune like mine when my apartment building nearly burned down three years ago and needed the fire department to save the building. So essentially you don't want to support those agencies and if people die, too bad.

123.Shawn T.W. wrote:
49er wrote:
123.Shawn T.W. wrote:I went to Mexico, because I believe in paying my own way, and not being in debt.

If I went to Tucson, I would have either had to go on a payment plan for a really long time, or mooch off the hospital ... both things that I don't do.

I was actually very STRONGLY encouraged to go and get professional help ... I was just going to go home and take care of it myself ... the bone was exposed, and I would have needed to separate the first joint ... my wife is a very sensitive person, and just talking about it, she passed out, she would not have been any help in even bandaging it up ... I deal with pain pretty good, I took no pain killers after the surgery ... happened on a Sat, was back at work on Mon ...
Shawn,

Thank you for responding.

I definitely understand the need to not want to be in debt and pay your own way. But my point is what if you weren't in a position to take care of it yourself or go to Mexico? Then what would you have done?

49er
I probably would have died from gangrene ... eventually ...

Or I might have chosen to re-mortgage my house (it is also 100% paid for) or sell something, but I refuse to take a governmentnhandout. My wife was one of the ones wanting me not to do it myself, the other was a retired RN ... My mother also was a RN who worked the OR, and I know quite abit of first aid ... I could have done it myself, just would have been a little messy, and then still would have had to go to Mexico to get antibiotics, as the pharmacies up here don't just hand out stuff!

We have become a nation of "letting other do it" whether it is walking the dog, cutting the grass, pulling weeds, washing our vehicles, fixing the backup toilet, cutting our dogs toenails ... I am very independent, and just use to doing things myself ... I'm gonna actually go now and cast some lead boolits (bullets) so I can reload my own ammo!

Part of the problem with the US health care is now that people have ins, or have free medical care, is that they run to the Dr. or worse yet ... the ER for every little runny nose, or scratch ... most people seem to think that it takes a Dr to put on a bandaid! I fit into part of this problem ... as If I did not have medical insurance I would not have gone for another sleep study here in the US, I would just deal with it, Like I have been for the last 19 years! But ... I have ins, and I want to get my moneys worth out of it, it is a contract between BCBS and myself (through my employer) Ins is a risk, do I get as much out of it, as I put in? Will the ins have to pay out more than it takes in? Will they make a profit?

I do not feel that I am entitled to even basic health care ... even if there is a sign at the hospital that says if I can't pay, not to worry ... when I was younger, a friend of my parents was being treated for cancer at Mary Hitchcock Hospital (now called Dartmouth) in Lebanon, NH, as cancer treatments goes ... the bill just kept getting bigger ... they tried to pay what they could, the hospital made quite a fuss about them being late on their payments, or only making partial payments (even though they had a sign that they did not have to pay!) They struggled for a long time, skimping on food, there car fell in bad repair, but the hospital just wanted their money ... I decided that I would not ever be put in that place, I'd rather die on my own, then be put in that predicament. (My family did help with some meals, and giving them rides for treatments)

If I want to buy my dog a bone, I will if I can pay for it, if not, she goes without ... If I can't buy fuel for my car, I will ride my bike, two winters when I lived in VT we had our house thermostat set at 52, in the summer we turned off our boiler, (which provided both hot water, and baseboard heat) so no hot water ... that is all we could afford! Cold showers are better than none, and we paid our water bill! Even though I worked for a propane company, and would go to homes nicer than mine, and fill there tank paid for by "heating assistance" - we went without!

I don't feel I should pay for somebodies bad misfortune ... whether they think they are entitled to it or not!

mgaggie · Post by **mgaggie** » Mon Aug 05, 2013 1:45 am

Dental work isn't covered under australias medicare system, so it costs a fortune to get anything major done. I have heard of people going to countries in Asia from Australia to get dental work done for half (or quater) of the cost in Australia

49er · Post by **49er** » Mon Aug 05, 2013 1:55 am

mgaggie wrote:Dental work isn't covered under australias medicare system, so it costs a fortune to get anything major done. I have heard of people going to countries in Asia from Australia to get dental work done for half (or quater) of the cost in Australia

I am curious, is it this way with most health insurance plans around the world? If I remember correctly, Canada's plan doesn't provide coverage, right?

49er

mgaggie · Post by **mgaggie** » Mon Aug 05, 2013 2:02 am

49er dental was covered until the early 90's here in australia. No idea about Canada. A medicare levy is taken out of our tax each year i think 2%, but only if you earn over 20k a year.

No idea about canada

49er · Post by **49er** » Mon Aug 05, 2013 2:06 am

mgaggie wrote:49er dental was covered until the early 90's here in australia. No idea about Canada. A medicare levy is taken out of our tax each year i think 2%, but only if you earn over 20k a year.

No idea about canada

Thanks magaggie. Guess I need to do some googling for more information.

123.Shawn T.W. · Post by **123.Shawn T.W.** » Mon Aug 05, 2013 4:48 am

Here where I live in in AZ ... We have a "fire district" I happen to actually live in the district ... Many do not ... If they recieve services they get billed!

We do not have a police force, Sherriff's office is 30 miles away, they can show up in 30-120 minutes to file a report ...

Yes, I think if somebody does not have the means to pay for anything, then thry should go without, they should not just be entitled to it.

mgaggie · Post by **mgaggie** » Mon Aug 05, 2013 5:27 am

49er wrote:
mgaggie wrote:49er dental was covered until the early 90's here in australia. No idea about Canada. A medicare levy is taken out of our tax each year i think 2%, but only if you earn over 20k a year.

No idea about canada
Thanks magaggie. Guess I need to do some googling for more information.

I also seem to like repeating myself

I also seem......

49er · Post by **49er** » Mon Aug 05, 2013 6:13 am

mgaggie wrote:
49er wrote:
mgaggie wrote:49er dental was covered until the early 90's here in australia. No idea about Canada. A medicare levy is taken out of our tax each year i think 2%, but only if you earn over 20k a year.

No idea about canada
Thanks magaggie. Guess I need to do some googling for more information.
I also seem to like repeating myself

I also seem......

Sorry, I am totally perplexed at your response. I just thought that instead of asking a million questions, I should try to find out the answers for myself. I apologize if I didn't say the right thing.

49er

49er · Post by **49er** » Mon Aug 05, 2013 6:16 am

123.Shawn T.W. wrote:Here where I live in in AZ ... We have a "fire district" I happen to actually live in the district ... Many do not ... If they recieve services they get billed!

We do not have a police force, Sherriff's office is 30 miles away, they can show up in 30-120 minutes to file a report ...

Yes, I think if somebody does not have the means to pay for anything, then thry should go without, they should not just be entitled to it.

So if you hadn't had the means to deal with your finger and the complications resulted in severe injury or death, that would have been ok?

49er

If you lack health insurance, consider medical tourism

Re: If you lack health insurance, consider medical tourism

Re: If you lack health insurance, consider medical tourism

Re: If you lack health insurance, consider medical tourism

Re: If you lack health insurance, consider medical tourism

Re: If you lack health insurance, consider medical tourism

Re: If you lack health insurance, consider medical tourism

Re: If you lack health insurance, consider medical tourism

Re: If you lack health insurance, consider medical tourism

Re: If you lack health insurance, consider medical tourism

Re: If you lack health insurance, consider medical tourism

Re: If you lack health insurance, consider medical tourism

Re: If you lack health insurance, consider medical tourism

Re: If you lack health insurance, consider medical tourism

Re: If you lack health insurance, consider medical tourism

Re: If you lack health insurance, consider medical tourism