America has the best health care system in the world?
Man charged with killing wife over health costs.
Thu Aug 16, 3:40 PM
KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) – A Missouri man was so distraught over his sick wife’s medical bills that he threw her to her death from their apartment balcony, Kansas City police said.
Stanley Reimer, 51, appeared in Jackson County Circuit Court on Thursday, charged with second-degree murder for allegedly killing his 47-year-ancient wife, Criste, who was suffering from a prolonged illness.
Police found the wife’s body on the pavement four tales below her apartment on Tuesday night. Her despondent husband was in the apartment above.
According to court documents filed by investigators, Reimer told police he was in “extreme financial difficulties and he could not take care of his wife because of her medical condition.”
Police did not specify details of the wife’s illness.
Link: http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/reuters/usreport_usa_medical_balcony_dc
For the irony-impaired, I was not seriously stating that the U.S. has the best health care system in the world. I was being sarcastic.
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I don’t know what that has to do with US healthcare. Sounds like the guy had coping issues. By the way, sounds like his wife was never denied medical attention even though the husband couldn’t pay?
Has any one of you or your family members responding to those ever been denied health care because you cant pay?
Two facts: 1. When your credit is being examined, debts due to unpaid health care bills are not held against you. I know this from first hand experience with my dad.
2. My husband is a physician and so are many of our friends. Whoever said that doctors are paid $300,000/year is WAAAAAAAAAAAAAAY OFF!
In Calif. more than half the bankruptcies are caused by medical business price fixing.
Earlier this week there was a live video town meeting in Calif. to discuss health COVERAGE (what the insurance companies are pushing).
Facilitators were instructed not to mention SB840 which the alleged governor will veto as it would give people health care instead of giving the insurance companies tax monies for basically nothing.
Da Schwartz is firmly in the pocket of very special interests.
America does have the best health care system in the world provided that you are not in America legally.
NOT! People are going bankrupt due to health care costs. Do a search & see.
It’s the best technology with the worst access.
If you have the money to pay for it, the US has the best health care system.
Wouldn’t that be his right to care for his wife any way he saw fit? On one really knows what they said to each other prior to the alleged incident. I question if this this really happened at all.
The best money can buy. If you can afford it.
It has been said over and over again that America has the worst health plans, insurance, etc. than any other democratic country in the world and also that it is a shame that the politicians reckon that war and greed should come first over health care. And in my humble opinion, I agree.
Honestly [I know I'm going to get like 20 million thumb downs for this but] compared to other countries, the US isn’t special. The only difference is that the prices are outrageous and the doctors don’t care, and give you fake diagnosises because they want you to pay more.
What? The US has the best health care…? Who convinced you of that? See “Sicko.” Read some stats. The US has one of the worst health care systems in the world.
EDIT: Yes, I know Sicko was about the connection between money/health care–I did see the movie. The point is, nobody can ever claim that a health care system is excellent, never mind one of the best, when a huge percentage of the population has no access. And if you reckon HMOs are quality, you’re grossly mistaken.
my dad was in the hospital 2 times and his stay was 2 weeks each .he was only out for two weeks before he went back in to the hospital his bill is about 100,000 and lets just say my family isn’t the riches but that’s a lot we should do something about this .
The movie “Sicko” was not saying that America had the worst health care. It was about “socialized” health care, a system of free or low-cost care.
This is very different from “best health care”. Yes, America probably has the best, but it is way too expensive and this is mostly due to insurance companies and lawyers.
Before I respond I wish to add one thing: America is the only western, developed country leaving it’s people without access to affordable universal health care. There is no excuse for this.
That being said, obviously the accused was in need of health care – specifically mental health care – he failed to receive. The consequences of this sorry state of affairs were disasterous:
‘Reimer told police he walked his wife to the balcony outside their bedroom, kissed her goodbye and then picked her up and threw her to the street below…’.
Doctors in the US average $300,000 a year while those in Canada $80,000 a year. But it’s not the doctors who are really getting rich. It is the insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies.
Every country in Europe has some form of national healthcare. We may have the best medical care in the world, but it that level of care is only available to millionaires. For the rest of us, we get a level of care comparable to the third world.
Fantastic answer Golden!!! Right to the point!!!
If we had the best health care system in the world, why would there be so much obesity, diabetes, heart problems and small life spans like there are…
Yup, I caught the sarcasm. I just reckon that this helps make your point. This tale is amusing though, and just goes to prove that you can pay out your butt and not get your problems fixed.
The sad tale of the Kansas City couple is he might of had health insurance. Maybe not. One thing people do not comprehend is the fact that insurance companies can cancel your insurance at any time. When they are selling you a policy they promise you the moon. After extensive payouts for a lingering illness they can cancel your policy. HMO’s usually have a person who has no medical background deciding if they will pay or not.
America does have the best health care in the world, the huge problem is can YOU get it? That is where the rub is. We equate best health care with the ability to receive it. Entirely two different things!