[bitrrrate]

I'll second that. Due to a couple of significant illnesses growing up my family would have been bankrupted two times over if we lived in the US. Also, when one of my parents passed after a couples months of hospitalization, emergency room visits and an ambulance ride, they didn't owe a single loonie (Canadian dollar coin) for the care.

If it was the US, my bereaved parent would not only owe thousands but they would have to be on guard to verify the accuracy of each bill, negotiate with the provider and then setup a payment plan stretching into infinity.

The US healthcare system is another area where capitalism and the 'free market' is failing the consumer.

Frankly, when I hear see someone stridently decrying socialized medicine or single-payer healthcare I wonder if their tune would change after their first medically induced bankruptcy or not being able to afford medication that would keep them alive.