I am so glad to be a Canadian. Our system isn't perfect, but you aren't going to lose your house if you get sick. We pay more taxes on our income, and we pay high taxes on our purchases (especially in Ontario & Quebec), but not on medicine or healthy food. We can see a doctor at any time, at no cost, but you wait. And wait. Family doctors are hard to find, and of course you have to make an appointment to see them, but you'll never be turned away because you're broke. If you have a prescription, it's out of pocket, unless you have insurance through work to cover drugs, dental, glasses and extras (like semi private hospital rooms, chiropractic, massage therapy, etc). However, if you get cancer and you can't afford treatment, you still get the treatment. There are agencies in place in the health care field who find the coverage for you and get you something. My ex brother in law needed a kidney transplant, and had no healthcare coverage. The specialist he was seeing found him a representative who worked to find him a free health care plan, because he had pre-existing conditions, not trying to preclude him because of it. His mother donated a kidney, he didn't have to pay a dime, and his meds to prevent rejection are covered at 80% for the rest of his life. He also received medical leave pay, and his mother also paid nothing out of pocket. My sister was also offered the medical coverage since she had none. He would have died without the surgery, and had no collateral to pay for it if he had to. I don't know how you Americans do it - in Canada, an illness like cancer is a disease, but for millions of Americans, it's a death sentence.