Tony,
America is a wonderful country, but we tend to do more for others than we do for ourselves. If you are in this ccountry illegally, you can get anything done medically at no charge. If you work hard, but don't earn enough to afford insurance or have insurance but can't afford the copay, you are SOL. Most doctors and hospitals don't take payment plans or if they do it is pay half up front and the rest in three monthly payments afterwards. Sometimes you can go to a teaching hospital and get a discounted rate if they need to work on someone with your particular problem.
Everyday doctors and hospitals and well meaning groups bring people from all over the world to our hospitals to have very costly surgeries and proceedures done.
I had an exchange student from Norway back in the 80's. She was appalled by the way our elderly and poor are treated, but she was given all kinds of things that she could have afforded. She did not understand and I still hear from her and she asks me what I am going to do when I get older!
I wouldn't live anywhere else in the world, but we certainly need to work on making insurance and hospital and doctor visits affordable for all.
BrendaO
