I don't understand what point you are trying to make. What does the fact that you had a level 2 trauma walk into the ER have to do with health care costs? The level 2 trauma person didn't cause the high costs, which is what your initial statement implies. Do you want us to comment on high health care costs? Do you want us to talk about how to minimize the need for emergency health care? Tell us what your point IS and we can respond to it.

So glad that I live in the UK.

Medical care is (mostly) free at the point of entry. The exceptions being dental and eye care - but they are free for certain groups including children, pregnant women and some illnesses and disabilities.

We pay 12% of income in addition to our income tax for the privilege, but it's worth every penny.

Greedy politicians, insurance companies,and big pharmaceutical companies are the main reasons,I used to be a pharmacy tech and it was very depressing so I decided to get out of the medical professions.

One of my favorites was watching our lobby camera and seeing a bunch of young kids come in late (after 01:30 there's no longer a person out front and you have to dial a phone for us to come get you) and one of them sat on the desk holding his side while his friend called. It was because he had been shot, of course. All the best traumas walk in for us. We're right near Boston, so EMS takes any good traumas they get called to straight to Mass General or one of the other five level one centers.

I took a taxi to the ER when I had my heart attack. Was in the hospital for 2 weeks because I had to have quadruple bypass. My sister still bitches at me for that one.

I have a feeling that things in the UK have changed since we were last there, but back in 2012 we were touring in England (on Australian passports), and my wife twice experienced severe asthma attacks. We went to A&E (as they call it there — accident and emergency) at a hospital in Lancashire, where she was treated and discharged later the same day. About a week later it happened again in Yorkshire. This time she was admitted overnight and discharged next day with some medication. How much did all this cost us? NOTHING! (In fact, if you consider the fact that she got a couple of free meals, less than nothing. Well, there was probably a car park fee.) And if you're thinking travel insurance — we had it, but didn't need it.

So, glad I live in Canada where the discussion is now on how do we implement universal pharma-care.

I know the treatment I get is like night and day between when I had no insurance to now having excellent insurance. Not just the medical treatment I receive but the way I am treated as a human being. I know what it is like to need care and not be able to get it due to a lack of coverage. I feel for that level 2 person coming in on foot and they are right, an abulance ride is horribly expensive.

It's very sad but very true. I've had friends in accidents and the only thing on their mind was don't call an ambulance. My friend had to start a gofundme for cancer screenings, and the list just goes on and on. It infuriates me when I hear (usually wealthy) people talk about how awful socialized medicine is. Their response is "They'll never refuse treatment because you're poor, so its fine." until the debt makes your life unlivable. =( I'm sorry that you had this experience, and I imagine it's way more frequent than any of us would like it to be.

I normally would not have any comment to make having never been over there.
But one of my jobs to day was to help an older lady complete travel insurance claim forms for when she got bronchitis while on a trip in the states.
A single visit to an emergency service which wrote her 2 prescriptions and considered giving her some tests, though she was there for some hours, $1,699 USD. Here if you are on a low income, it is free, her scripts that were close to $100 USD would have cost her $12 total here.
An office visit to my eye surgion costs me $300 for the first but only $85 after that, I don't have private cover. Tomorrow I have to see a GP, I don't know what that will cost, but I expect about $60 or free if the receptionist likes me and bills the government. Simple Xrays and blood tests can be free.

Don't sounds good. I reckon that walk in instead of being brought by ambulance? There are a lot of negative things in america health care... I used to work in a group health insurance comm center and try to explain why the insurance paid so little in their claim to someone still not capable of going back to work. Companies buys the Cheapest cost coverage they can find. Insurance are not better or different than a used car salesman and really companies do not want to help at all their employees.

I possibly severely damaged both my ankles in the late 80's here in portland oregon....I will never know how severely, because they told me I had to leave the emergency room area because I didn't have insurance...a doctor actually chose to sneak out and give me some wrapping for my ankle which was hugely swollen to the point of splitting the skin...he felt horrible. I know stories that were worse....I also took a nasty stab to my hand a few months later...my friends forced me to go to the emergency room because I was a little too drunk to sew it up myself...plus there might have been a half hit of acid involved...hehe....the doctors sewed me up, told me my name was john smith if anybody asked....and sent me on my way....very nice people, those doctors...

Just today I was talking with a friend about the Indian nations in Oklahoma and mentioned the tribes provide full & complete health care for the tribe and never send a bill. No deductibles, no co-pays. He was caught by surprise and his reaction was almost funny. He is pretty liberal, and he was stuttering and stumbling to grasp that. It was like he'd just seen his first unicorn.