EVEN IF YOU HAVE "GOOD" INSURANCE ...
Insurance companies do their best not to pay for covered problems.
A friend who was dying of cancer in the hospital's oncology ward made the effort to see her friends to the elevator. This took a gargantuan effort on her part and it resulted in her being sent home because she was "ambulatory," and her insurance company would not pay for in-hosptal care. With deep emotions and much regret, the nurses removed all her IVs, including the morphine, and she was sent home in an ambulance with oral morphine. Her closest friends and her children endured her anguish and screams of pain until I reached my son, who is a doctor, and asked him how many pills we could safely give her to let her sleep through the night. We followed his suggestions and she slept with her children next to her. She was returned to the hospital the next day, where she died a few days later. We treat our pets better than this.
Universal health care is a right. I was raised in Britain and lived for a while in Canada. A national system of health care makes eveyone feel equally valued in society, is more humane, more cost-effective and makes sense. Medicare should cover everyone (with improvements we make when our money goes to a nationial or state-run system and not to insurance company beurocracies.
I have many tales, but none are as gruelling as my experience with my very close friend.
Hope this isn't too long,