On 4/10/2016 1:10 PM, Brooklyn1 wrote:
> On Sun, 10 Apr 2016 09:45:29 -0400, Gary > wrote:
>
>> Dave Smith wrote:
>>>
>>> I spend 4 days in ICU and another 3 nights in the hospital. I was billed
>>> nothing for all that.
>>
>> My God. If that was in the USA, you would face a bill of (just
>> guessing) over $20K.
>>
>> That night 7.5 years ago that I had severe asthma and was stuck
>> sitting on the toilet all night - very labored breathing and even a 7
>> step walk to the phone to call for help would have killed me. After
>> spending about 8 hours on the damn toilet with very labored breathing
>> all night, I was finally healed enough to get up, dressed, and I drove
>> to a "minor emergency clinic." Very labored breathing even for that.
>>
>> As soon as they heard that I had no insurance, they treated me quite
>> shabbily (imo). They didn't want me there and acted like I was some
>> bum off the street after free medical care. I was told that the doctor
>> was running a bit late and I should go to the emergency room.
>
> A clinic would not have told you to drive to the ER, they would have
> called an ambulance.
>
Not if he was capable of driving.

My neighbor went to an urgent care clinic last year. They quickly
diagnosed her with an embolism/blood clot in her leg which could have
traveled to her heart/lungs. She was perfectly rational and capable of
driving a few miles further to hospital. No ambulance required. Oh,
and she had insurance.

Jill