How many Americans have to pull their own teeth?

or deal with their pain in not just dental problems but medical problems too,





because they cannot afford to pay private dental or healthcare fees/insurance under your private-only system?





I inmagine its a lot higher than the people who do it in the UK. We can at least get emergency dental treatment free of charge and all our basic healthcare needs are met.

How many Americans have to pull their own teeth?
I've never had to pull my own teeth, or sit and suffer through major pain, and I don't know anyone who has.


Those who have no insurance here can see a doctor even if they are broke with no money. Most are required to pay a small percentage up front, but then the rest can be paid off in monthly installments if need be.


Also, our hospitals cannot refuse treatment by law, and those bills can also be defered and paid off gradually.


Low income people/family's can also get state provided insurance at very low costs, but you must be at or near poverty level income, and to find doctors that accept the state insurance can be hard.





Help is available to lower income people, but often times is not utilized because they don't know how to go about getting it because our system doesn't like to give things away to those who are simply just taking advantage of the system. And believe me......there are plenty of people that take advantage of things that government offers, so they can sit around and have things given to them without having to do the work themselves.


I'm open to the idea of a socialized healthcare system here, but the concern on most peoples minds is how much we will be raped in taxes, and the quality of healthcare we'll recieve because of the huge rush's of everyone suddenly seeing doctor's and them being so busy all the time.


We'll just have to wait and see how it plays out I guess.
Reply:Yes,the Healthcare system here is shameful!


No argument here...
Reply:Only those on food stamps.
Reply:I agree with you to an extent. But you are also forgetting that we pay very heavy taxes in order to fund the NHS. You may think the treatment is free, but you are paying through the nose in hidden taxes all over the place. The UK has one of the highest income rates in the world. There is a part of me that would rather they reduce my income tax and I will pay for the private health insurance myself. That way, i can choose what hospital treatment i need.
Reply:Not as many as in the UK. Look at this headline that shows how a national health care system fails.


Sure, you get "free" benefits, but have you ever stopped to consider WHERE that money comes from?


Do you socialists think the government can pass laws and then products and services somehow magically appear?


Then you socialists blame the free market when your socialist system collapses.
Reply:oh lady moon my father in law has pulled all his own teeth he lives in bristol just too hard to get a nhs dentist if you are not registered you dont get treatment by the way pa in law is in his 70s
Reply:None! Ha ha, awww yeah! Tell that to Sid Vicious!
Reply:I don't know the answer to your question, but I will say there are children here in America who are forbidden to play outside because if something were to happen, their families would go bankrupt.





If that doesn't spark outrage, I don't know what will. I don't think the Canadian and European systems are perfect, but I sure don't hear Clinton's detractors offering an alternative.
Reply:freedom-vs-slavery - the NHS system has not collapsed - it may be slow at times but no one is refused treatment because they can't afford it - unlike the USA.





Bigbadmommasues that is ridiculous - there is an NHS Dental Hospital in Bristol with an out of hours service that will treat anyone much like the A%26amp;E System. Plus I've just googled dentists in Bristol and found 3 taking on NHS patients!





In the UK no one need go without dentistry just contact NHS Direct or your local Health Authority - who have to find you a dentist by law!!
Reply:i'm not sure, but it was a little boy in a poverty stricken neighborhood that died of an abcess infection. Most people have to get private insurance if they have insurance at all. People like waitresses and customer service people have to wait 6 months to a year to get insurance and it's usually pretty crappy and doesnt pay for very much. You have to usually pay to be seen even with insurance, it was $20 when i left, but i've heard it has increased.





The only thing that is good about it is you don't have hypochondriacs hogging up all the spaces at the surgery cuz they have to pay every time they do, but i remember when i lived in the states and my kids were small, that there were a few times i wanted to take them to the Dr. But i didn't have an extra $20 to take them. Luckily it was not anything serious but it adds alot of unneeded stress to people.
Reply:I don't know were you heard this ..But I'm sure its true .... Yes we can get emergency care ... And there are a lot of programs poor and under insured people can get ...Why they don't use them I could not tell you ... When I was 18 I had to have some corrective surgery done and the government payed the whole bill ... At the time I worked at McDonald's...I also broke my arm and the same thing... But I would rather earn my medical..Look what the American government did with social security...Its bankrupt