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$400,000 bill for hospital care -- private insurance anyone?

Conservatives in the United States like Republican presidential candidate Ron Paul have long attacked almost any tiny bit of public health care. Mr. Paul believes churches, not governments should take care of  the sick and dying who have no insurance.

PublicValues.ca now reports that Mr Paul's election campaign did not provide workers with medical insurance. Tragically, Paul's former campaign manager, Kent Snyder, died in 2008 from pneumonia and without insurance. As he had no medical insurance, the $400,000 hospital bill was sent to his mother, who was unable to pay. A website was set up by friends to secure charity donations.

The details surrounding the death of Mr. Snyder were revealed after the Tea Party candidate indicated he did not agree with free state health care for the poor. Reportedly, census data released last week showed that the number of people without medical insurance in the U.S. went up to almost 50 million in 2010.

More and more for-profit health care clinics have opened up in Ontario, and they have used ingenious methods to increase the private payments they receive for their services.  Already, private payments for health care in Canada are among the highest in the world and private payments in Ontario are higher than any other province.
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  1. AnonymousSeptember 19, 2011 at 11:02 AM

    That's why we need Universal Health Coverage in both countries, Canada and the USA. Then the costs are distributed to everyone (evenly, hopefully) and those who can pay do, according to their income and those who can't pay, don't. After all we are supposed to be our brother's keeper.

    I watched that debate with Ron Paul and noted when the moderator said to Paul, what happens if someone who could pay for health insurance, but chooses not to, gets seriously ill.....are we supposed to just let him die? and some in the crowd shouted "Yes". These are likely the Pro Life Evangelicals who claim every life is precious (unless that person decided not to purchase health insurance). Hard to figure this type of thinking, eh?

    Pat

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