CA
I work for a high volume bankrupcy attorney. The main reason people file BK is change of income. Yes, medical bills are a contributing factor since you have to list all your debt; however I have rarely seen anyone file primarily because of medical bills.
I would like to know where this statistic of "millions of Americans going to Canada to get their perscriptions filled" comes from. Are millions of Americans crossing the border to do this or is this online?
Also, as mentioned by Mr. Frogman, his point was to show us a collassal failure on the part of France's medical system. 11,000 people died in two weeks, and that is absolutely ridiculas. Heat stroke has nothing to one's tolerance to high temperatures. It is an accelerated condition that occurs to prolonged exposure to heat and when the body becomes too dehydrated. It is a nasty, nasty way to die, yet it is so easy to prevent. Where were the civil servants? What sort of action were they taking?
Here in Texas, there are plenty of communities that can not afford AC. However, during the summer months there numerous public announcements on how to avoid heat stroke. There are charities, city officials, etc who will deliver free fans to those who need them. The local fire department in Austin, for example, will also go door to door and check in folks, especially senior citizens, in low income communities. Many of fans delivered are donated from Sears and The Home Depot. Drinking lots of water (gatorade helps too) and a couple of fans can make the difference between life and death. Sure you will be uncomfortable without AC, but you will live. Very simple measures could have prevented such deaths. Again, where were the "civil servants?" What exactly are they paid for?