Healthcare Stories
Thank you to everyone who has sent in their universal health care story. As you can see from the very many stories in the pages below, many Americans living abroad feel strongly about this issue. We believe that our stories will make a difference by showing the many sides of universal healthcare - from an average check up, to a hospital stay, to stories about our lives being saved thanks to universal health care.
Would you like to add your story? It's not too late, here's how: Take a selfie with our selfie card (or draw your own!), then add your picture and story in the texbox. You can also make a video and send in the url (just add the link in the textbox).
We'll share these stories with Congress to help in their fight for affordable healthcare for all Americans.
Please note that the stories below are all user submited and reflect individual opinions.
When Government & Healthcare Work Together #DAresists #Medicare4all
I'm an American, and now Canadian, working as a professor at a Canadian university. Moving to my new home country was one of the best and most serendipitous decisions my family and I have ever made. A few years ago, I was diagnosed and treated for a significantly large aortic aneurysm. While recovering in hospital, I was told that I had a large mass (cancer) on my kidney. This single-payer healthcare system saved my life twice so that I can continue to be a father, husband, and researcher/educator. My doctors routinely monitor me via scans, etc. The only things that I have been required to provide in return is my name, birthdate, and positive attitude. Great healthcare does exist beyond US borders.
Singing 30 years of praises from Canada! #DAresists #Medicare4all
I can't sing the praises of universal health care enough. When I immigrated to Canada I was pregnant. I went from paying for each prenatal visit and not knowing how I'd pay for the delivery to free prenatal care both from my family doctor and the local health nurse. Free hospitalization during even during a nursing strike and free post natal care. I had complications requiring a week stay in hospital. I paid nothing. Now, over 30 years later my family and I never worry about how we are going to afford health care nor health care premiums. In my province the poor pay no premiums. And we choose a doctor of our choice (not limited to any one HMO plan). My son requires ongoing specialist care - completely free. No problem with a sub-class of service due to his lack of income (disability pension only). He sees the same specialists as everyone else. I hear from my family in the US about their worries about health care both quality and cost. I have a sister who had to refinance her home just to afford the deductible for a surgery. I have never had to worry about obtaining or affording quality health care since residing in Canada. It's a blessing beyond measure.
Single Payer Works for Trauma #DAresists #Medicare4all
I live in London, and earlier this year, I was sexually assaulted by a stranger. Without hesitation, I went straight to Accidents and Emergencies, where I was dealt with quickly and compassionately by the nurses and doctors on call, even on a busy Saturday night. Most importantly, they immediately alerted and referred me to a free weekly counseling service, which helped me work through near-constant feelings of guilt, trauma, and thoughts of self-harm that came up after the incident. In the US, my insurance would not have covered this counseling, or would have partially covered it, leaving me with a copay of at least $100 per session, which many people can't afford, especially not as an ongoing service. Thanks to single-payer healthcare, I was not only aware of the help I could receive, but I wasn't afraid of sacrificing my financial security for my mental well-being. I love the NHS!
Overseas and Homesick #DAresists #Medicare4all
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.
The best system in the world #DAresists #Medicare4all
17 years in the UK and I've had kidney surgery and have suffered a heart attack. For the latter the treatment was immediate, of course, but also the followup care was terrific. For the kidney stone surgery I had to wait four months but I wasn't critical and it was very successful. Since I've turned 60 all of my medications are now free. Great system! #DAresists #Medicare4all
UK perspective #DAresists #Medicare4all
I think the best explanation you will find is in Denis Leary's book, where he describes what happened in London when his pregnant wife had health problems. What I found extremely worrying when I lived in America was not knowing whether or not a doctor's advice was based on his or her own financial interests.
Health care is important in all countries of the world .... #DAresists #Medicare4all
Health care is important in all countries of the world and not just in the United States and he shows human Governments towards their people and not only that but the State reduce health care disbursements and reduce chronic diseases and thinking people advises health programmes and will cost less and have to be Everybody can get it for free and there are a lot of programs you can use to live healthy and healthy food and I support health care because I can't stand seeing anyone lying on bed and cannot enjoy this beautiful life and man deserves to be used in the service of peoples development
All Covered #DAresists #Medicare4all
As an American living in Germany, I’ve never had to worry about my healthcare. We could choose our insurance company, with half of the cost being covered by us and the other half by my husband’s employer. I gave birth to two children, and had fantastic follow-up visits from the midwife to make sure the babies and I were healthy and to be sure I knew what I was doing with my newborns. When I broke my elbow, I went to the hospital and had it set, and then had the necessary follow-up visits. When I recently had a big operation, I could choose my surgeon, my hospital, and had great follow-up care. One of our children has a dustmite allergy, and the insurance not only paid for desensitization shots, but also the mattress and pillow covers. And so on. Germany has a modern industrialized economy like the United States, but there is this idea of “solidarity” here which means that citizens understand the moral obligation to take care of their fellow countrymates. And while people may have some things to worry about, whether or not they can afford healthcare is not one of those worries.
Don't believe the Republicans! #DAresists #Medicare4all
I have to laugh when I hear the Republicans using "horror stories" of Canadian healthcare as a way to scare people into voting for them. My experience couldn't be further from that. I moved to Canada just over eight years ago, and after having only been here a couple of months, I suffered a bout of extreme and intense pain in my chest/abdomen. I took a taxi to the emergency room of the nearest hospital and after a series of tests and examinations, I was diagnosed with gallstones and set up with a specialist to operate on me. I was not yet working, so unsure how I was going to pay for everything. My surgery was initially scheduled for about a month later, but I had to postpone it due to my getting a job. The surgery took place just over a month later (so much for the long wait times) and I had to spend one night in the hospital post-surgery for observation. The cost for all of this? For a trip to the ER, numerous tests, laparoscopic surgery and a stay in the hospital? $13.54 - that was the cost of the taxi I took to the ER. Everything else was paid for by the wonderful healthcare that all residents are entitled to. I wasn't yet a citizen, or even a permanent resident at the time, but just a new transplant from the US. I hesitate to think what all of that would have cost in the US!
#DAresists #Medicare4all I love the NHS!
I get so fed up hearing conservatives in America lament about how terrible national health care is! I have never had to wait for an urgent appointment and can be seen the same day, if needed. I have been hospitalised twice since living in England and both times I have received exemplary care. There are some differences in the style of room. In the US hospitals have become such big business that they tend to look more like spas! Here in the UK the hospitals do not look as glitzy. And I was in a ward, rather than a private room. Truly, it, too, was a wonderful experience as the other ladies were all very supportive of each other. It is amazing to go to the doctor and not have to hand over any money. Yes, our taxes are higher than in the US, but I receive quality health care, consistently and worry-free care to boot.
Universal Coverage Works in Canada #DAresists #Medicare4all
The purpose of Canada’s universal health care system is to provide ALL residents with equal access to quality medical care. I’ve had a few episodes requiring major surgery and had quick access to all the services I needed. The universal system also provides constant ease-of-mind; we know we have the medical coverage we need.
Thank God For My German Health Insurance #DAresists #Medicare4all
I've lived in Germany since 1999. In 2006 I was working in Miami for business when I was diagnosed with pericarditis and had to have a surprise heart surgery. I was 36 at the time and thought I had a bad cold. I was at the hospital almost a week and the costs were over $100,000.00. I repeatedly called my German insurance company, and they insured me that I was covered for up to 3 months outside of Germany. I was instructed to provide all of the hospital bills and informed that I'd be reimbursed, but that I'd be responsible for paying the hospital back. I returned to Germany, submitted the reams of bills and sure enough over 80k EUR was in my checking account(!) 3 weeks later. That was the easy part. It took me over 6 weeks to actually pay the bills. The process was byzantine and there was very little transparency or logic to all of the charges. Collections agencies were calling me, and when I snapped back, clearly not intimidated and irritated that TRYING TO PAY had become a full time job, they dropped their bullying schtick. It really made my heart to go out to those who couldn't afford care. An Illness like the one I had is terrifying and life changing, how cruel to have to suffer a personal financial catastrophe on top of such an experience. FIX THIS!
Advocacy from years of experience in Canada #DAresists #Medicare4all
As an American who has lived my whole life in 🇨🇦 and having first hand experience with universal health care as the sole way to deliver quality health care I fully support this measure. Vaibhav "We shall overcome, because the arc of the moral universe is long, but it bends towards justice" Martin Luther King Jr. 1968
A nation's choice... #DAresists #Medicare4all
I'm a US citizen living in Canada since 1983. Since the U.S. evokes God under whom it exists, a confidence that runs deep, I wish to contrast the U.S. and Canada in terms of bottomline... I too am a religious/spiritual person. The bottomline is this...which God does the U.S. of A choose to live under; the God of compassion or the god of mammon. You either reign in the health care industry gorging itself on profits - essentially profits wrapped in body bags or you apply universal compassion that undermines obscene profits where everyone has coverage - it's either one or the other. From what I know, both country's have waiting lines, my US friends like to point fingers...the difference is people up here wait in line to see a doctor, down there people wait to die. I love my country, my heart swells when I hear the anthem, but I am sickened by the lack of backbone of political leaders who continually sell their souls out to the "in god we trust" on a dollar bill. To my country, go the distance to be universally compassionate...
My health care story #DAresists #Medicare4all
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.
18 month old daughter with severe case of bronchiolitis #DAresists #Medicare4all
My daughter was 18 months old and had been suffering from congestion for about a week. I didn't think much of it until she woke up one night and I noticed that she was having labored breathing. She laid still in her crib, her chest collapsing. She wasn't crying so it was clearly evident that something was wrong. We immediately took her to the hospital where she was admitted immediately. We spent 3 days in the hospital, the first night being the most intense. She was connected to an IV, had a catheter, and had to wear an oxygen mask. Every few hours the nurses came in to administer her dose of steroids. They bathed her and did their best to keep her from crying. It was difficult to watch because she was just a baby and was being pricked by needles and forced to endure other scary moments that would be difficult even for adults to handle. After a few days, she was cleared to go home. When they handed us the paperwork we weren't quite sure what to do. The nurses looked at us like we were crazy because we just stood there waiting to be handed some kind of bill. Prior to this, I don't think I really had a strong opinion because I had never had an experience to know otherwise. However, from that day on, I feel very adamant about socialized healthcare. The pediatricians, pediatric nurses, and ER staff provided excellent care. Had this happened in the United States, we would have had to have paid a few thousand dollars, not taking into account the medicine that was required afterward either. Her nebulizer and salbutomal inhaler, together, cost less than €20. This is just one example, but I have many others. Both my children were born in Spain so we have numerous experiences dealing with the healthcare system. No parent, or anyone for that matter, should have to worry about the cost of medical treatment when it comes to the health of a loved one.
#DAresists #Medicare4all Died and gone to heaven
Here in Germany I'm surrounded by people who don't have to live with the existential angst of not being able to pay for health care. It makes for a very relaxed and privileged atmosphere, in comparison to the US. During my 3 pregnancies, I had a midwife come to my home after giving birth and showing me everything from breastfeeding to binding a baby wrap. I even got free acupuncture during the pregnancies. When I was self-employed, insurance only cost less than 200 EUR. There are no waiting times to get appointments and the doctors are first-class. I could go on, but I will spare you. I think you get the point. I sometimes joke, that when it comes to health care and other social services, I feel like I've died and gone to heaven.
My dual-national healthcare story #DAresists #Medicare4all
I am now a dual French-US citizenship after moving to France 22 years ago. I have benefited from only quality care in France for myself and my family and have never had to worry about the cost. What I've seen and experienced in the US during these years has made me very grateful to live in France. During one vacation in the US, I got a terrible ear infection in the evening and was in unbearable pain. The only option at that time of day was to go to the emergency room, but I knew how much that would cost, so I accepted my father's offer of some very strong prescription pain medication that he was taking for his back. The pain went away instantly and I was high as a kite! The next day, I went to a clinic and ended up spending $150 for the visit, antibiotics and decongestants. This would have cost a quarter of that sum in France, IF I'd had to pay everything out of pocket, and I would not have had to weigh the risk of taking medication that was not prescribed to me against the financial strain of an emergency room visit. As a family, we had several other experiences during US vacations where we did not seek medical attention due to the cost. My son had a boating accident that ripped open the palm of his hand. We certainly would have taken him to get stitches in France, but decided to take care of it ourselves (luckily my sister is a registered nurse). My husband once had heart attack symptoms, and my sister again came to the rescue and snuck him into a back door of her office to give him an EKG, after we had gone to the hospital and were greeted with a price list detailing what we would have to pay for any treatment he got. Now we take out extra insurance when we go to the US, but the cost of what we would have to pay if anything happened is still a concern. I don't think anyone in the US goes to the emergency room without worrying about the cost. Here in France, my health comes first. Not having to worry about how to afford health treatment should not be a luxury, but unfortunately it is for many Americans. How can people pursue life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness if they can't afford the medical care they need to stay healthy?
Universal Coverage in Trinidad and Tobago #DAresists #Medicare4all
I've lived in Trinidad & Tobago since 1972. Health care is completely government-funded,including ambulance service, hospital care, and the neighbourhood health offices. This is paid for by tax-payers. In 1976 I had my appendix taken out at the Port-of-Spain General Hospital. No cost to me. In 1981 my daughter was born at a government-run maternity hospital. No cost. Beginning in 2010 and continuing until right now, I have had many hospital stays due to heart and lung problems. Most of these began with an ambulance ride to the hospital. I did not have to pay anything. For more routine, non-emergency health care, I attend a clinic at my neighbourhood health office. Both my husband and I attend twice per year for general check ups of our blood pressure, and any other problems that might arise. Blood work is done every year. Appropriate medication is prescribed. Trinidad & Tobago has health offices scattered throughout the country. They run various clinics on different days of the week. There is a Child Welfare clinic that keeps track of children's growth and ensures that they receive their inoculations. There are birth control services. Although tax payers foot the bill, no one is turned away. The poorest of the poor can be seen by a doctor. This system was set up by the British in colonial times and has been continued. The down side: Trinidad is a "developing country" which means that there are not enough doctors, especially specialists. Often, there are drug shortages. My prescriptions cost nothing to fill at government hospital or health office pharmacies but sometimes I have to purchase them at privately-run pharmacies due to shortages in the public system. The waiting time for attention can be very long. Needed equipment might be broken, not working. There is a parallel, very high priced, private medical system in place, very much like what happens in the US. Some doctors have a conflict of interest. Still, having said all this, what is so hard about setting up health care in the US? The infrastructure is already there; so many hospitals and medical offices. Imagine, a little third world country like Trinidad has health care for all but it's a huge problem in the US! I suspect that more developed countries like Canada and Australia would probably be better examples of successful public health care. As retired people, both my husband and I are grateful for Trinidad's public health care system, even with all it's faults and shortcomings. Yes, America needs to learn that health is an expense, not a profit-making endevour. The doctors and insurance companies in the US need to pack up the greed and realize that the population needs and deserves health care. If nothing else, at least the work force would be healthier. I hope this has shed some light on the subject. I also hope that health-care-for-all becomes a reality in America. Regards, Janice Seaton
No more worry about seeking medical attention #DAresists #Medicare4all
Before moving to Germany to study, I had two medical incidents (one of them requiring an ambulance) that my insurance declined to cover. My savings were completely wiped out from the financial shock and the prices for the procedures were exorbitantly high (an ambulance in NY costs about $100/minute which came to $2000 after a 20 minute ride). Since coming to Germany, I've discovered the benefits of a system that is not based on the monetization of healthcare. I no longer have to fear the small print on the contract pages of an insurance company, and I don't hesitate to seek medical attention when I need it.
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