My American friends: In Canada I had prostate surgery, radiation treatment, knee replacement, physiotherapy, numerous X-rays, scans, tests, specialist appts, hospital stays, & drugs. Cost to me total: under $1,000, mostly for travel, some partial payment for drugs, & parking. That's what universal not-for-profit healthcare offers.

@CdnCurmudgeon

America pays actual trillions to the 'medical system" and it doesn't serve millions, harms millions more with partial treatments and costs more than anywhere else. Its a punishment.

Its a scam.

@CdnCurmudgeon

I mean, that all sounds great... but, how to you placate your millionaires and billionaires? Don't they try to interfere in your lawmaking so that regular people don't get free life stuff?

@CdnCurmudgeon

When I lived in Luxembourg I had emergency (outpatient) surgery on my hand. I was seen in ten minutes and the largest expense was €20 for replacement bandages at the pharmacy a couple of times.

@CdnCurmudgeon sad Democrats kinda fighting for #ObamaCare #ACA subsidies / tax credits to pay health insurance mafia extortionists = Stockholm syndrome.😕 To fight MAGAfascist GOP, neoliberal Democrats must become the best of FDR, JFK, LBJ, demand single-payer universal health coverage #MedicareForAll! USA: Uncle Sam's #AmeriCare🤘
#HealthInsuranceMafia
@CdnCurmudgeon Let’s see how long we can prevent Doug Ford from wrecking it.😕
@CdnCurmudgeon Thanks for reminding us of what we will NEVER EVER have in this awful country.

@CdnCurmudgeon
That's great, i also live somewhere in europe with universal healthcare.

But you really need to point out that it wasn't free. You contributed money into the entire system when you were healthy. You probably don't intend to sound like a welfare queen unfairly taking more than you contribute - which my right leaning friends have taught me is their gripe.

So i now make the point always that these programs are responsibly funded and planned, which saves billions for society.

@CdnCurmudgeon Interesting to think that some people are eager to give up all of that for themselves as long as others don’t have it…

@CdnCurmudgeon
Yeah well my grandpappy says up there you can't even gone and done shoot a gun off

(spittoon ding)

(...in the doctor's office)

@CdnCurmudgeon BuT tHe TaXeS!!11 — americans in the comments every time (at least outside of fedi :D)
@CdnCurmudgeon My hip joint replacement surgery in August cost me about $6,500 for all the tests, specialists, hospital, and surgery. It took me six months and 4 orthopedic specialists/surgeons to diagnose the problem with the hip. The last specialist found the answer in 10 minutes and one X-ray. I had no cartilage in the hip joint, the top of hip ball was worn down, and all the joint fluid leaked into the hip into a fist sized mass. The surgery went well, but the recovery sucks. The thigh muscles and skin are still numb 3 months later and will take another 3-4 months or more to fade.
@CdnCurmudgeon just in case any of your American readers don't know this, Canada pays less per person for this level of care than the US government does.