Make sure you're sitting down for this one.
Pura has pancreatitis right so we're in a constant battle. Costa Rica, EU, even Israel and State of Palestine, her medication was free. In England they even reimbursed her train fare.
When we left we knew she'd run out, she and I weren't married long enough for my insurance to cover her when I left the trade. I'm covered, we pay cash for her. Again, something we believe is normal until we traveled. Come to find out, nobody but us (Americans) knows wtf co-pays are, prescription costs, deductibles, shit like that. So yeah, we knew she'd run out of medication and she did.
We paid outta pocket to see a dr, $69/month, pay for the visit--$119. Get the prescription. 60 pills. 2 a day, normal, yata yata. Those 60 pills, a one month supply, which we just got like two weeks ago.. ready?
15 hundred fucking dollars! One thousand five hundred dollars for 60 pink and green capsules that we didn't pay a cent for while abroad. Bout a 17 hundred dollar day.
I guess everything's relative, even the billionaire needs more. You're right, I, personally, as well as Pura, people trip out how minimal we are--it's fun. But we're 2 out of 300 million. We purchase with our eyes and flaunting is normal behavior. It's embarrassing most of the time. Cars on rims and stupid stuff like that, television is full of diamonds and gold.
When our salaries reach numbers that seem high, it's still balancing on that poverty line because it's so expensive to live. I miss England.
Finland sounds like a peaceful place, thanks for sharing that with me, now it's on my to-do list. Well, if EU allows my damn passport! Pura's British so she's cool, they'll look at my passport like "nope! Not you!"
That is crazy. For a reference -I have treatment for my stomach with a medication that when I started taking it 4 years ago, was 30K a year for 6 treatments. I think I paid 9€ a visit. It is still valued at about 7K a year I think - but have no idea really. The healthcare here is pretty good and they spend more on preventative healthcare than most places - though they could do more.
It seems from what I have seen, Americans think that looking after people is expensive, but the real expense is to not look after people. I would say that it is somewhat by design due to the money it churns. In some ways it is like that business quote.
As said, Finland is far from perfect and there are many points of contention for me, but I do think that there are some positives to helping people live better lives. The US seems to act on an exclusion, rather than inclusion when it comes to basic well-being and I think we are seeing a lot of the ramifications of creating huge gaps in outcomes now.
When I tell me buddies here these types of things and how we're the only culture to pay for medicine, they usually are too busy working to listen.
Have you ever been here man? Ever ventured anywhere through the US?
Nah, I have too many health issues to risk it ;D
One day I will head over - but I haven't really had the attraction to it like I have with European or Asian destinations. I would definitely like to see New York and take some photos though.
You don't wanna break yourself off here, that's for sure, but you might enjoy other things. I'm not opposed to anywhere, I love Europe too man. We got cut 5 countries short--we'll get back.
I always hear New York, Disneyland, Hollywood, those destinations. Man, write this down, if you get a chance to come this way, you wanna see places like Tennessee, West Virginia, Colorado. Much better picture opportunities.
And make sure you give me a heads up