RAM and Wise Co.

I know some folks that need help and can't get it. As far as the pulled tooth idea, if it was hurting they would have eventually have to have had it pulled anyway- this would help with part of the cost. Know one guy that worked for WCCO for almost 20 years, we closed and he got some grants , went to MECC and they sold him a line about "get a degree, get a job" . He still can't find fulltime employment and the folks he works for let their employees get just enough hours to keep them from getting benefits. If I were him ,I'd apply for SS. Folks that have worked all their lives , run their own business and wind losing EVERYTHING if they get a serious problem. I broke a leg at work in 87, spent 5 days in Holston Valley, bill ran almost $50,000, not counting a surgeon. None of that was for anything fancy, just a room, an IV ,and something for pain for 2 days. Our healthcare system needs a way to cull out the drug seekers and pay for everyone else. Should someone that ain't the sharpest tool in the shed have to die because they get cancer? This plays a major part in jobs going overseas. And the illegals are going to a hospital that can't turn them down and leaving the rest of us to foot the bill. That would be one way to get rid of some of them- stop any kind of benefit if you can't prove you are a citizen. And if referred to another doctor, these folks are back on their own.

i'm sure it reeks havoc on area hospitals after RAM has been in here and gone...

I am guessing that it possibly does, but the people at RAM are not just from away from here. What makes this one so successful and it is one of the most successful in the US is that we have so many local agencies that work with this and towards this. I know now the health dept here in Wise has a dentist and that is based on a sliding scale fee. They also can do other basic health care things all based on a sliding scale fee. There are also some clinics that are based on sliding scale fees like in St. Charles and I think there is another over towards St. Paul. Mental health...Froniter is based on a sliding scale fee, and I know Frontier is in Lee, Scott, Wise and many of the TN counties. So there are some back ups there, I am not sure about those that come over from Kentucky, but I would guess they have some backs ups. I don't think they leave people that high and dry here is your stuff, wait a year to be seen again.

i jus wish we could do this more than just once a year, maybe once in december using the student center at uva wise?

I worked at it last summer, got to know some really good bulldog railbirds.

like you said so many people are looking for handouts in this country, and yet alot of these people wont even put forth the effort to find a decent job even if it is for minimum wage. jeff foxworthy did a sketch several years ago kinda like this where he described the typical "home".

"you got your stop sign on the wall, tv sitting on the bigger tv that doesnt work, 3 deer heads in each room, then you got your 3 thousand dollar stereo system. because we're starvin but atleast we got tunes."

I know it is a hard thing on some and many don't want it. But i do think we need some kind of national health care program. Where everyone can get some kind of help. It works in Canada. I don't see why it couldn't work here in the US.

It doesn't work as well in Canada as most would think.
If you are older and your chances of living is 30% compared to a younger person who's chance of survival is 80% who do you think will get the health care first? That is one big sticking point with a National Health Care System. Yes I believe it is a great idea but it need's a better plan than Canada has

Many Canadians actually cross the border to get health care here. There prescription plans are much better.

We need something. Not sure what but something that will work for all.

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I know it is a hard thing on some and many don't want it. But i do think we need some kind of national health care program. Where everyone can get some kind of help. It works in Canada. I don't see why it couldn't work here in the US.

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It works in Canada about as well as a [censored] in a punchbowl.

You're more than welcome to give the .gov 60% of your income in order to subsidize inefficient socialized medicine, but don't expect me to do so.

Socialized medicine (aka free healthcare for all) is a big steaming clstrfk.

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You're more than welcome to give the .gov 60% of your income in order to subsidize inefficient socialized medicine, but don't expect me to do so.


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That's the thing most don't realize that it actually costs the canadians more of their income to have national healthcare than it would if they just bought their own insurance. I know insurance for my wife and myself runs $323.00 a month.