12 year old dies because of toothache?

Question

What is you answer America to a 12 year old who died because no one wanted to give him medi-care as he was "poor"

To all in the UK lets be glad we pay tax

It was on 5 news @15-30 today

this is one view from a us citizen

http://jamilaakil.blogspot.com/2007/03/12-year-old-boy-dies-from-toothache-and.html

Answer 1

it was awful, an abcess that spread to his brain due to lack of dental care as his mother could not afford health insurance.

I am so glad for the NHS sometimes.

Answer 2

Todd - hospitals in the US do not perform dental procedures.
Alll they can do is treat for infection.

It was the mother's JOB to get her son treated properly - a hospital would have helped regardless of pay - Yeah sure she would have been billed about $1000 for an emergency room visit , but he would be alive. They would bill her for it

If she qualified for Medicaid she could have had it within a couple weeks - there has to be some sort of neglect or ignorance there

Answer 3

Shameful. Poor kid. The trouble is I need to see the dentist and I pay tax but can't afford it as all my local ones have gone private! Whereas my neighbour on benefits who can't be bothered to work gets it free. Where's the justice in that? Life is unfair.

Answer 4

Here where I live it doesnt matter if you have Medi Care or not only like 3 or 4 dentists in the entire state will take a medicare patients. Very hard for the poor to get proper dental treatment.

Answer 5

I think that most of all its really sad to think that a doctor in a private hospital does not have the compassion to treat a child for free. How could anyone refuse to give medical attention to people with potentially fatal illnesses? Although some good things can be said about private healthcare in comparison to the NHS, at least with the NHS all are treated equally and the poor are not discriminated against and left to suffer. You would think that the richest country in the world, the greatest superpower, would pay more respect to the average citizen. We may have our problems here in the UK but Im glad we do things the way we do.

Answer 6

Itts sad to see these things happen Even with our NHS children go back to homes where social services have been involved and don,t make it Sad just Sad

Answer 7

America may be powerful, but it is behind the times when it comes to the class divide.

God may bless America in some ways

but we are GREAT Britain for a very good reason!


Have you ever thought, that is why people come to this country when they live in poor places with no medical care, people moan about the strain on the NHS but who would have blamed that mother if she came here just to blag our dental system if she could, and save her child's life!

Then the Americans claim We have dodgy teeth...lmao, at least we do not let children die because of an abscess no matter where they are from, and no matter how much it costs us.

Shame on you America!!!!!!!!!!!!

Edit - Thank you Julia Black, your a star!!!!

Answer 8

that is a total disgrace. i wonder just how deep these problems with their healthcare go. even to have a child and maternity care in labour women have to pay through the teeth. yep, thats one tax i'm glad we pay

Answer 9

somegirl.

Many people in this world (ie, the UK and the US) don't have $50 to spend on food, let alone dental care.

It's easy to judge when your from a financially stable background.

Answer 10

Perhaps too much money is being spent on war, I mean lets face it if tha UK can afford national health service (just) I 'm sure America can.

Answer 11

just because we pay tax,it doesn't mean we can be seen by a dentist.Alot of people in my town don't have dentist because they have all gone private.