I am a US citizen living in Canada for about 35 years. For the most part, the health care system here works well. We receive universal health care and can use our own family doctor or go to community clinic as the need arises to receive free health care. I have not found it difficult to get my own family doctor. But some individuals need to spend more time. Emergency care is always available. I personally had surgery done here successfully. My wife had a series of tests that needed to be done as ordered from her doctor and were done on time, We pay higher taxes here in Canada but that is really the price paid for universal health care - it It is also a more humane and evolved way of living! Many other countries are able to accomplish this - I hope a more united congress with participation from democrats can accomplish this. Regards, James Sofia

I am a US citizen living in Canada. Here in Canada, everyone has excellent universal health care. Taxes here are no higher than in the US. When you need to go to the doctor or the hospital you simply go. There are no limits, copays, no concerns about particular conditions or whether you are covered. It's just like the education system, another government service paid for by your taxes. But our taxes are no worse than yours. It's just that we get something provided in exchange for paying taxes. That's what governments are for. To provide things as a group which would have been difficult to arrange as individuals. Here in Canada, we find it hard to understand why this simple obvious and important program is such an endless debate. What possible reason could there be to do anything else? Someone must have a less than honest agenda if they try to convince you otherwise. Our system is a single payer, non-profit government program, not another way for insurance companies to get rich. Thank You, Paul Peele

I have ulcerative colitis, a chronic autoimmune disease that affects my colon. Since moving to Germany, I have had several flare-ups, including a few that have landed me in the hospital. The worst though was when I got so sick my colon was actually bleeding. I ended up in the hospital for 15 days and needed 3 blood transfusions. Because my German public health insurance is so wonderful, the entire hospital stay - blood transfusions, various medications and IV drips, food, and everything else - cost me only 150 euros. That's 10 euros a day. (At today's exchange rate, that's just under $180 for the full 15 days.) Even with insurance, lengthy hospital stays in the US cost exponentially more and can bankrupt a person. I can't imagine what this would've cost me in the US, but I'm so happy to have this kind of health insurance and that getting the treatment I needed was so affordable. It's also worth noting, I don't pay a penny for doctor appointments - it's all covered by my health insurance. If I feel myself getting sick, my doctor is happy to squeeze me in for an appointment that day or the next day, which I was never able to do in the US. I also have to take daily medication for my disease. In the US, I had to pay for those pills up front until I hit my deductible. A 3 month supply cost about $1,500 in 2011. The full price of the same medication (under a different brand) here is around $200, and because of my insurance, I only pay 10 euros for a 2 month supply. This is because Germany, like many other countries, regulates what the pharmaceutical companies can charge for drugs. They aren't allowed to jack up the price to a point where people can't afford the medicine that keeps them alive. No one should have to sacrifice their health or die because they can't afford healthcare services. Ali Garland

Less stress on Health, big benefits for society #DAresists #Medicare4all I moved to the UK over a decade ago to study music and stayed on, eventually marrying a Brit. Working in the arts comes with periods of financial uncertainty and not having to have the added worry of what would happen if I injured myself or got ill has always been a comfort. I have not had to pay for expensive private health insurance or premiums for the health concerns I've had and such savings allows me to direct my energy and income towards artistic/career decisions and continue to do good work in the arts. I think healthcare is a right and the basis of a well-functioning society. It allows space for people to fulfill their potential and contribute fully to their communities and society overall.

I support universal healthcare because I would be blind without my retinal detachment surgery or beyond broke paying for the surgery and follow up visits for my eye. In Canada, I have experienced the best my province has to offer in terms of emergency eye surgery and all I paid for was prescriptions and hospital parking. I didn't end up in debt to the hospital and doctor as surely would have been the case had I still been in Ohio when the detachment occurred. The United States needs universal healthcare for all across all States. Emergencies happen. They shouldn't ruin lives getting treated.

I have had great care on the NHS during two complicated pregnancies. I would also have had great care in America -- if I could afford it. My treatment would have cost tens of thousands of dollars; in the UK, it cost nothing out of pocket -- as it should be. Healthcare is not a job perk. It is essential, and it should be available to all citizens at the point of need, fully funded through taxes.

I live in France but spend a lot of time in Austria. Ten years ago I was side-swiped by a car while rollerblading and my right arm was severely injured -- I couldn't use it for a year. The treatment involved an ambulance, emergency care followed by six hours of surgery, a two-week hospital stay in Austria, check ups by my French orthopedic surgeon upon my return to France, lots and lots of pain killers AND ten years of weekly physical therapy. My co-pay was less than €100 all together.

My wife and I met in Colorado in 1976. She is Canadian by birth and in the mid-80's we decided to relocate to Canada. She arrived before me to get an apartment and look for work. I stayed in Colorado until my immigration papers came through, then I followed her to Canada. While driving to the border, I developed a nasty and persistent cough. I'd never experienced anything like it before or since. On arriving at my Canadian destination, my wife arranged for me to be seen on an expedited basis by a family physician she had obtained. Since I was new to the city, my wife drove me to the appointment and accompanied me. The doctor, a pleasant fellow, examined me, diagnosed a bacterial infection and gave me a prescription for an antibiotic. At the conclusion of the appointment, I thought I would do the polite thing and ask the doctor how much I owed for the visit. It was apparent that my question caught him by surprise. He and my wife exchanged a humored look. "Don't worry about it", he said. Until that moment I had not truly understood one of the greatest things about the country I had come to. The provincial health care system meant that I didn't have to pay to see a doctor if I became sick. Welcome to Canada! Since my arrival, I have benefited enormously from the health care system. About 15 years ago, I developed arrhythmia (a heart condition) which eventually led to two short hospital stays for radio frequency ablation procedures. Thankfully, I now have a normal heart rhythm due to these procedures. I also have a wonderful family physician who I see on a regular basis for my slightly elevated cholesterol and mild thyroid problem. All of this has been fully covered by my provincial health plan.

My name is Kate Seley and I was married to a Spanish national who passed away on January 20 2017 - doubly horrible day for me. I have lived in Spain for over 40 years and have 3 adult children who I gave birth to here with the national health care system with a minimum of pain and maximum of joy and supportive care. I want to clarify that in European countries with a National Health Care Service, it is NOT considered "socialized medicine". Conservative PM's or presidents, i.e., Cameron in the UK, Sarkozy in France and Rajoy here in Spain have never thought of repealing and replacing. They may increase copayments a bit as they're more austerity- oriented but that's it. It's too popular and they don't see it as it socialism! The GOP seems unique. To return to my family's and my own experience: In this long period we have all been in national health care hospital, my daughter for a bad case of salmonella over 20 years ago and my younger son for a complicated broken wrist and leg.. I myself have undergone a lumpectomy and a titanium bar implant to repair broken humerus, both with with totally satisfactory results. But perhaps the most dramatic case is my husband's. He eventually passed away but he had 4 different types types of cancer -prostate, bone colon and throat as well as chronic congestive heart failure. They managed to defeat the odds and keep him alive almost 4 years, during which he received excellent and sensitive supporting care. Sometimes, during the final year, I used to think that he preferred staying at the public health hospital to being at home cause he felt more secure there. There are no limited visiting hours anda loved one can sleep there in an armchair that opens up into a bed, rather like 1st class airlines seats.. On some floors, you could actually feel positive vibes.. The cancer facilities and especially the Coronary intensive care unit are very state of the art. The Gps in the local clinics or "ambulatorios" are in general competent and caring and medication has only a relatively small copay. 

I'm an American living in the UK. My story is simple. Whenever a health problem arises - or I start worrying about a strange ache, I don't have to worry. And we all know worrying makes your health worse. I go to the doctor and most of the time, I'm ok. Sometimes I need a blood test. It's all free. I pay for this through my national insurance - and so does everyone in this country. Because we don't pay and indebt ourselves, we go to the doctor at the right time and we prevent conditions from worsening. It makes sense and it's what right. 'Life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness' - but only if you're rich? America, time to grow up.

We have universal healthcare here in Luxembourg. The first time I went to the doctor with my son it cost €30 ($35) and all but €3 was reimbursed two weeks later. When I went to the pharmacy for his antibiotics it cost just €1.73. When I went to get a check up at my GP for my thyroid again it cost €3. When I went for my blood tests, which would have cost at least $2,000 in the US, they charged me €0. Both my children are getting orthodontic treatment which when I left Seattle two years ago would have cost about $20,000 per child if we were lucky. Here it will cost less than €1,000 out-of-pocket by the time we are done. We don't have insurance premiums, we don't have insurance cards with co-pays and different levels of service. Everyone is treated the same here. That my friends is what universal healthcare is like in Luxembourg.

I have for 10 years been under the care of an ENT(Ear,Nose&Throat) specialist in Texas. I receive a Medrol injection every 8-12 weeks for Reactive Airway Disease. This cost $40.00 once my United Health Care Insurance Deductable has been met. When I moved to Yucatán I had to seek this routine injection from the Physicians that are located at the Ahorro Pharmacies. The Physicians are rotating Physicians, who are usually young and new in the field and I presume are fulfilling their residency or intern educational needs. They do an assessment and provide a Prescription that I hand carry next door to the Pharmacy and fill. I then return to the attached clinic next door and the physicians then administer the injection absolutely free of charge. I just pay for the medication and syringe. This is very cost saving as there are Ahorro Pharmacies all around the city, Merida. I have to drive one hour in Texas to access my ENT Specialist.

I never had health care coverage while working in the in the USA. With degrees in many technologies said to be in high demand, and no job possibilities in the USA, I left the USA in order to survive. I acquired universal health coverage. Nearly all expenses are covered. This permitted me to have a family. Where is this coverage? Mexico.

This is not because we have no need for it, but because Medicare does not work outside US borders. So we have paid 'out of pocket' for four (4) operations for my wife and four (4) for me. We did not realize, when we went to live abroad, that we would lose this insurance, even though we both are fully vested in it, So now, even living in Mexico - as we do - which is a little cheaper than at home, we have to be very careful with our income from Social Security. Now we are facing another operation (for my wife's meningioma, but we have been postponing it because Medicare does not pay. Going back for the operation to the States is impractical and expense, even with Medicare because then we face the 'out of pocket' expenses Medicare demands, plus travel for us both, and lodging and food for me. I do not know if, and how many, other countries do that to their citizens, but it stinks. A single payer system would cut out the profit motivation in healthcare within the US, and probably would allow Medicare to pay out whereever US citizens are and/or live.

I had to quit my job in northern California to bring my husband to Mexico for dementia care. There was no way we could afford care in the U.S. I had to leave my family and friends to come down here and oversee his care. I gave up my Plan F supplemental health insurance because of the cost and the fact that it does me little good down here in Mexico. I may get a high-deductible supplement to Medicare and use medical flight insurance but that only works if I can be stabilized and then sent home by plan in the event of illness or accident. That won’t work for my husband because a trip for him is next to impossible at his stage of dementia. I fail to understand why our insurance carriers will not pay for care in a country where medical care is much less expensive than at home. I suspect they have agreements with health care providers in the U.S. and gain some financial advantage since it’s always about money in that industry. There was a time when I believed in free enterprise in the health care system but judging the behaviors of drug manufacturers (who charge more to all Americans than to residents of other countries) and by the exorbitant costs of health care that will break the bank of all but the richest Americans, I have begun to consider the philosophy that health care should be a right rather than a privilege. This is from someone who traditionally has paid out of pocket for much of my health care and that of my family; not because we didn’t have insurance, but because we chose to use alternative medicine, which is seldom covered by insurance policies but which serve us well.

Very quickly I was seen by a cancer specialist. I had a tumour removed and received radiation treatment and was placed on a daily medication. About 10 years later, during my annual checkup, which included a mammogram, cancer was again found in the same breast. The next day!! I was given appointments in the same week to see the same cancer specialist and the same cancer surgeon from 10 years ago. I would have been operated on in that same week, but there was a week's delay because there wasn't a slot in the operating rooms. I received follow up care at home and also post op treatments. There were also treatment medications to take and some that were used daily for many years. I had the peace of mind that I needed to help me heal because ALL OF THIS WAS AT NO COST TO ME!! This also includes my annual checkups, not only for the cancer, but preventative injections for flu, shingles, etc. Two years ago, my husband was diagnosed with prostate cancer. He also received timely topnotch care with the most up to date treatments and medications and continued follow-up. Again there was no cost to him!! We are grateful for our Canadian health c

Let's hear a round of applause for French medical care and socialized medicine. After my major surgery, my favorite husband bailed me out of the hospital for 26 euros and brought me home. For the currency-conversion challenged, that's less than $26 US dollars. The bill covered a private hospital room from Sunday afternoon to Thursday morning; five days of 24-hour nursing care, highly competent and genuinely kind; five days of 24-hour nurses' aids and orderlies, discrete and tactful; two surgeons, including bed-side visits before and after the surgery by both of them repeatedly to offer good humor and reassuring reports; one anesthetist; operating team nurses; operating room; recovery room; meals; medication; cleaning staff capable of discussing current events and world travel; sheets, towels, and so forth. Turns out that the 26 euros was for the phone and tv. Really. Everything else was covered by our excellent Secu, which apparently is still not run by the greedy and rapacious. And when I returned home, I was visited twice daily by registered nurses who checked on my progress toward recovery and offered nursing care.

My health care story is simple. We came to Israel in 2011, before there was an ACA, because after his retirement from the USPO, my husband no longer had health care. He was covered under Medicare, but I wasn't, and we just could not afford health care insurance as well as the medicines I needed for my COPD and other illnesses. We moved to Israel, and it's a country where I just don't fit in, but going home isn't possible. My husband has advanced Parkinson's Disease, so we're stuck in a country I hate.

My husband and I have lived in France for ten years. We couldn't ask for better healthcare than that provided here. A regular doctor's visit costs only the equivalent of $27.00. We pay approximately $2400.00 per year for the two of us and that is based on our income; this covers 70% of our healthcare expenses. You can also buy a supplemental private policy to cover the remainder. If you happen to have a chronic costly condition like cancer or in my case Macular Degeneration, all costs are covered 100%. Emphasis is placed on preventative care. Flu shots, colonoscopies, and mammograms are provided to all. Everyone in France pays for healthcare according to their income. Those that cannot pay are covered as well. Drugs are significantly less costly than in the US. Hospitals and clinics are extremely efficient and well-run. We have never had to wait for an appointment or treatment. American citizens deserve this same kind of healthcare. If they had a better understanding of how it works they would demand it.

My family moved to Canada May 29,1975, due to my husband’s work. We thought we’d be here 10 years, it’s now 42 years and counting! Several things helped to keep us here besides my husband’s job. The most important influence was the healthcare program. We were a family of 6, with 2 boys, and 2 girls. Immediately prior to moving to Canada we had formally adopted our second daughter. That very summer we discovered that Beth, (2nd daughter), wasn’t hearing us as well as our older children. We took her to the hospital and the doctor determined Beth needed tubes put into her eardrums to release pressure buildup on the inside of the ear. This happened twice. Well, that was a new experience! NO CHARGE! That floored us. We paid for every little and big thing medically in the USA. Every quarter we paid, as a family, about $130.00 for Healthcare. My hysterectomy cost me $5.00 for the paperwork! Both girls had tonsil/adenoid-ectomies - No Charge! I was lying in a hospital bed recovering from surgery to my right shoulder, (arthritis), when my oldest son, in high school, walked into my room to tell me he, too, was in the hospital recovering from an emergency appendectomy! He had driven himself to the hospital due to the pain!! No Charge for either of us. Not to be outdone, our second son eventually had arthroscopic knee surgery twice, but several years apart. No Charge. My turn to have a total right knee replacement due to arthritis. No Charge! Physic was also covered by Alberta Health