Ok we all know that the prices there are absolutely rediculous because so many people that cannot afford it, use it. So those peopel that can afford it get jipped.

I'm really between the two. What happens if I don't pay this bill.. Will they just wait untill I get the money, or will it simply become forgoten?

I don't have insurance, and have a really high bill to pay.

[This message has been edited by Squirrel King (edited April 19, 2004).]

The hospital will transfer the lost money over to those who CAN pay - meaning higher bills for everyone else. Sometimes they just eat the money though. As for what they'll do, I really don't know. I'm pretty sure they do forget it though.

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Have a good one,
Freelancer

By the way, don't feel bad about not being able to pay - until this freaking country wakes up and fixes their totally screwed up health care system, there's really nothing anyone can do. Health insurance is totally unaffordable for about 22% of Americans.

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Have a good one,
Freelancer

Move to Canada and you won't have to worry about needed medical bills.

I'm sorry, but I will never ever understand how such an advanced nation as the US could care less about it's citizens as not too provide basic necessary heath care to those who can't afford it.
"I broke my leg but I don't have insurance, nor can I afford to pay the cost of going to the hospital, so I shall suffer in this great nation."
(no that's not sarcasm when I say 'great nation'. contrary to popular belief here, I do believe America is a great nation).

Sorry Squirrel, you gotta pay. And pay you will.

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To artificial life, all reality is virtual.
HTP
babble, babble, b!tch, b!tch, rebel, rebel, party, party.

Well, the system used to work just fine. It doesn't anymore. Insurance has doubled and tripled in cost and it's quite frankly ludicrous now. If America had national health care it would be cheaper for everyone, and the government could stop this crazy inflation..

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Have a good one,
Freelancer

and it would raise the price of taxes to even higher than it is now. I don't want my hard earned money to be pissed away by some beer-swilling redneck named cletus who cracked his head open by falling off the roof of his trailer where he was trying to fix his tv antenna to get better reception for Jerry springer.



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Old aunts used to come up to me at weddings, poking me in the ribs and cackling, telling me, "You're next." They stopped after I started doing the same thing to them at funerals.

Don't quote me on this one, but the increase in taxes wouldn't cost you any more than your current insurance premiums. If anything, it would cost you less, because now EVERYONE will pay it, rather than 75%.

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Have a good one,
Freelancer

Hospitals are required to assist in the event of a medical emergency, whether or not you pay or are capable of it. It's the law. Please actually try to be informed before making totally whacky statements.

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Ω of 14

[This message has been edited by oSiRiS (edited April 19, 2004).]

For the love of God do not even suggest National Health Care.

THE GOVERNMENT IS NOT THE SOLUTION TO EVERY PROBLEM. THE GOVERNMENT IS A MASSIVE, INEPT, P.O.S. INSTITUTION. THE GOVERNMENT WASTES MASSIVE AMOUNTS OF MONEY ON EVERYTHING IT DOES.

That said, National Health Care would be a waste of money, wholly mismanaged, and it would probably be like Canada, where you'd be lucky to find a decent doctor who you dont have to wait *forever* for.

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Ω of 14

Because america is capitalist to a point where people feel as if their rights have been violated when a few bucks of their 'hard earned money' is taken away to help the less fortunate.

Though I'd like to point out that although health care is free in canada, they can still charge you for ambulance transportation.

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When bread becomes toast, it can never go back to being bread again.

You missed the point entirely. Many Americans give freely to charities. The government sucks, and is not efficient at anything it does. This is why we object.

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Ω of 14

I don't trust the government to do ANYTHING correctly. I'm all for starting over and rebuilding the government from the ground up rather than let it continue to be the inept bureaucratic mess that it has become.

The original purpose of the gov. was to make the currency and other things, but the main power was reserved for the states themselves. The government should not have such a big role in individual people's lives because as a matter of record, it does services incredibly half-assed and it wastes incredible ammounts of money doing it.

I interpret the constitution as having the government being at the mercy of the people, not the other way around (like it is today with welfare and national health care ideas in the works). The constitution begins as "we the people", not "we trhe government" or "we the politicians". I believe that it is the duty of the people to enforce their constitution instead of relying on the courts to do it.


I also heard that there is nothing in the constitution that explicitly allows a federal income tax, so that would mean that the IRS as a whole is unconstitutional and should be abolished. People fear the IRS, but collectively, they are granted the constitutional power to destroy it by forming a new government if they wanted to. The governement practically relies on apathy and ignorance of the general public to do what it does these days.

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Old aunts used to come up to me at weddings, poking me in the ribs and cackling, telling me, "You're next." They stopped after I started doing the same thing to them at funerals.



[This message has been edited by Pagewizard_YKS (edited April 19, 2004).]

Amen.

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Ω of 14

Or that kid that has a genetic disease? Or your neighbour that has contracted cancer from the deisel fumes because he lives on a bus route? Or...

And AFAIK, you are required to pay. Even if it's $10/month for the next 50 years.

Until there is another viable way to get basic health care to everyone, increased taxes and government control is the best way to go about it. Industry cannot and will not make sure every one is covered.

Please actually try to be informed before making totally whacky statements.
I've waited just as long at the doctors office my insurance company allowed me to see in the US as I do waiting for the doctor of my choice here.

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To artificial life, all reality is virtual.
HTP
babble, babble, b!tch, b!tch, rebel, rebel, party, party.

Government is never the only viable solution.

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Ω of 14

Why are so many Americans so dead against taxes and tax increases?
Where do you think infrastructure comes from? Where do you think social programs come from?

I am proud to say that I have never begrudged one cent of my tax dollars being spent by my government. Liberal or conservative. If they spend it on something I don't like, I make noise and vote accordingly.

In saying that, I know the country would become anarchy if it weren't for the government taking more than 50% of the money I earn every year to do thier best to make things work. I have to, and do live with it in the greatest country in the world. Thanks to my tax dollars.

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To artificial life, all reality is virtual.
HTP
babble, babble, b!tch, b!tch, rebel, rebel, party, party.

Brainwashed.

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Ω of 14

If you can, post something, even a link, that wold be a better alternative to universal health care.
Last year in this country, we found out that the government needs to spend billions more to fix and then align our health care system.
Knowing that, I still know I can make $200/week washing dishes and not worry about health care. I know there isn't one American citizen who can say that.

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To artificial life, all reality is virtual.
HTP
babble, babble, b!tch, b!tch, rebel, rebel, party, party.

You people keep saying the government is some "massive, bloated, inept, and inefficient" organizatio at everything, and I have yet to see you cite any examples or hard facts. Both of my Parents work for the federal government and they both provide efficient, necessary services to the local community. Why would combining health care into the federal government be a bad thing? At leas tthat way you wouldn't totally be cold-heartedly SHAFTING your fellow Americans.

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Have a good one,
Freelancer

Most of us don't have health problems, so I find that extremely unlikely.

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Ω of 14

Maybe. But also twice the wisdom and experience as you. :/
I know that in order for a country to run and it's citizens to be happy, you need to pay taxes and the government needs to provide for them.

Ever played Sim City? You don't even need to take a poli-sci class.

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To artificial life, all reality is virtual.
HTP
babble, babble, b!tch, b!tch, rebel, rebel, party, party.

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Old aunts used to come up to me at weddings, poking me in the ribs and cackling, telling me, "You're next." They stopped after I started doing the same thing to them at funerals.

You must be joking. Do you realize that America didn't even have income tax before the 1900's? Yet I'm fairly certain the citizens were happy and the country was running. For over a century.

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Ω of 14

Oh, you will have. You will have.
Have you ever done anything that might result in you breaking your leg? No? Oh ok then. You don't need health insurance or have to worry about it. HA!!!


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To artificial life, all reality is virtual.
HTP
babble, babble, b!tch, b!tch, rebel, rebel, party, party.

Right, oS. This coming from the period of child labor, 16-hour work days, no worker's rights, and blatant monopolies. I'm sure the country was running just fine.

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Have a good one,
Freelancer

damn right.

The IRS is a leech sucking the lifeblood out of this country. And that isn't even the half of it. Taxes are so bad that companies are outsourcing and taking all those jobs to india and other countries where employees are paid little more than slaves.



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Old aunts used to come up to me at weddings, poking me in the ribs and cackling, telling me, "You're next." They stopped after I started doing the same thing to them at funerals.

I have used and will use, the road, the highway (I'm a huge user of the 400 series highways here in Ontario), the phone, the internet, my car, bought gas, bought groceries, flushed the toilet, the school, the college, turned on the light, the...
All of which are not possible without government control.
If the government stopped controlling hydro prices today, it's a known fact that prices would triple tomorrow.

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To artificial life, all reality is virtual.
HTP
babble, babble, b!tch, b!tch, rebel, rebel, party, party.

As someone who is about to file income tax for the first time, I can honestly say 'yes'.



...You tell Evad not to make totally whacky statements, and then you go and say something like that. Honestly, there's more to Canada than you hear about on Fox News. I swear, Os, you're one of the biggest partisans at Massassi.

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Flibbledy-dibbledy! Nyaaaaaaaahhh!

-The Last True Evil

And none of those things really have anything to do with income tax, nor were they really relevant before 1880. At all.

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Ω of 14

Yeah. LOL!! Man. You're joking right? Without paved roads between states, with telephones, without all ammenties at your doorstep with a simple phone call.

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To artificial life, all reality is virtual.
HTP
babble, babble, b!tch, b!tch, rebel, rebel, party, party.

I don't get cable television, nor do I really watch TV at all. Nice jab at Fox News though.


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Ω of 14

You're missing the point. The point is, you claimed the country was running just fine without income tax, when clearly it was not. Just like that, you claim this country is runing just fine without government health care, when clearly it is not.

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Have a good one,
Freelancer

Did you ever take any courses in history? Just wondering.

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Ω of 14

Dude, oS. Man, this is funny. You're like some brainwashed McCarthy era drone. The more government control there is, the more communist we'll all be! You're not listening to valid points, and only reply with cookie-cuttered "free market" rationales while covering your ears.

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Have a good one,
Freelancer

Most of those problems solved themselves without the help of the government. In fact, the government inhibited some of the progress that was being made, declaring labor unions a "trust" (monopoly) and breaking them up. The only other issue you mentioned was monopolies, and those were beginning to be dealt with long before the 1913 income tax amendment.

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Ω of 14

All I was getting at was that you should lift the blinders from your eyes, and consider the possibility that private insurance is not the answer. It was just an analogy. Forget about it if it's confusing, which it is.

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Have a good one,
Freelancer

McCarthyism was about hating the Reds and stopping the infection of actual communists within the government. Stopping people. Stopping the Soviets. It had nothing to do with anti-government control.

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Ω of 14

Fine, then. If you're going to be that picky about it, leave out the line whre Mccarthy is mentioned and reread it.

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Have a good one,
Freelancer

yeah omg lol how culd i hav ben so blind i need to open my mind lol. hey dood wanna try some pot? lol

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Ω of 14