Health Care

So last Thursday Maria was admitted to hospital as she had a fever that was going through the roof and her kidneys were not working properly (nothing to do with excessive proseco consumption either!).  She is still in hospital, but looking much better and should be home today, thank goodness.

This got me thinking about health care.  I have been so lucky to have lived in countries where health care is free.  I have totally taken for granted the ability to go to the doctors for regular check ups or when I am feeling ill. I knew that if I needed a procedure in the hospital that this would also be taken care of.  Well now I live somewhere that this is not the case.  I even wonder if I was Maria if I would have gone to the hospital in time as I would have been stressed about my 2000 Franc deductible.  She is even very lucky she had her insurance sorted out as many new people do not yet.  And when they do get it sorted, their chosen insurance company will then back date the first payment to the day they arrived (although sure if they got ill now the insurance company would not help them if they claimed they intended to sign up with them).  I also learnt (which I guess should have been obvious) that I have to pay every time I go to the doctor (possibly couple 100 Francs), which I can see as a deterrent for me going for regular check ups etc.  Additionally, insurance is not cheap, in fact it is very expensive, and I am lucky I can afford it, but what if you can't?  What happens to these people?  I just do not know how anyone in the "developed" world can find a case against national health care.   Is it really okay, to let people who are not so fortunate not have access to good health care?
Absolutely Ridiculous.

Looking stunning even in blinking hospital!