Comment on Is America Really That Bad?
TheEntity@kbin.social 10 months ago
Not an American here, so please correct me if my take is completely wrong. My understanding is that while the highs are possibly higher than in a lot of places, the lows are also much lower and possibly easier to reach. You could be doing perfectly fine one day, and then you get hit by a hospital bill ruining your life. It's surely a great place to be a billionaire or even just plainly well off. Except far too many people aren't and they would fare much better elsewhere.
taiyang@lemmy.world 10 months ago
I’ll jump in and clarify a point as an American, the states vary greatly and the healthcare issue, while undeniably more expensive, general doesn’t leave you destitute if you’re in a blue state. California pushes for universal coverage and if you’re poor enough (which isn’t actual that poor) you can get insurance pretty cheaply, covering those crazy bills. Plus emergency rooms here can be paid by state under some circumstances.
For instance, my wife’s labor and subsequent baby hospitalization for jaundice cost us 200 for two trips and several nights stay, but the bill was 30k. Emplorers of a certain size (iirc 15 full time) are also compelled by law to cover insurance.
There’s also some safety net for free food, unemployment payments, welfare, and even transportation subsidies, although even good government here is like playing hard mode in a sim, so it’s not always as effective as a country like Finland. Some people simply don’t get aid and end up homeless, etc. Still miles above an underdeveloped country though.