Comments on: Penthouse Views and Broken Fingers http://jameswynn.com/2006/04/penthouse-views-and-broken-fingers/ i am electric jesus Sun, 07 Sep 2008 15:03:43 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.0 by: Beau http://jameswynn.com/2006/04/penthouse-views-and-broken-fingers/#comment-63 Sat, 29 Apr 2006 16:28:35 +0000 http://jameswynn.com/2006/04/penthouse-views-and-broken-fingers/#comment-63 Good lord thats cheap. You will have to tell us about the trip when you get back. Speaking of which... when are you coming back? Or do you plan on hiding in a japanese suitcase and becoming an illegal immigrant in japan =P Good lord thats cheap.

You will have to tell us about the trip when you get back.

Speaking of which… when are you coming back? Or do you plan on hiding in a japanese suitcase and becoming an illegal immigrant in japan =P

]]> by: Libby Thompson http://jameswynn.com/2006/04/penthouse-views-and-broken-fingers/#comment-60 Fri, 28 Apr 2006 04:18:48 +0000 http://jameswynn.com/2006/04/penthouse-views-and-broken-fingers/#comment-60 Yes, James, you are right. If you had to have the same medical treatment in the same type of facility in the US you would more than likely have to pay about $10, to $15,000. Now, I don't about all the "BS" Stephen was talking about. An average person in the US can not be seen by a doctor because that person can not afford medical insurance and/or does not qualify for any type of so-called government assistance. James, I hope all goes well with your finger. I saw in the picture gallery how much you enjoy putting a couple of those fingers in the air! Take good care of yourself and be safe. (by the way, in most of the hospitals in the US the staff is so over worked and under paid, they can hardly take care of business and have the time to be as nice as the people in Japan were to you. My hat is always off the the people that take care of my loved ones in the hospital whether they are at TCH or allllll the way in Japan. Yes, James, you are right. If you had to have the same medical treatment in the same type of facility in the US you would more than likely have to pay about $10, to $15,000. Now, I don’t about all the “BS” Stephen was talking about. An average person in the US can not be seen by a doctor because that person can not afford medical insurance and/or does not qualify for any type of so-called government assistance.

James, I hope all goes well with your finger. I saw in the picture gallery how much you enjoy putting a couple of those fingers in the air!

Take good care of yourself and be safe. (by the way, in most of the hospitals in the US the staff is so over worked and under paid, they can hardly take care of business and have the time to be as nice as the people in Japan were to you. My hat is always off the the people that take care of my loved ones in the hospital whether they are at TCH or allllll the way in Japan.

]]> by: james http://jameswynn.com/2006/04/penthouse-views-and-broken-fingers/#comment-57 Mon, 24 Apr 2006 10:21:26 +0000 http://jameswynn.com/2006/04/penthouse-views-and-broken-fingers/#comment-57 You're right about most jobs having insurance, but I know my campus job didnt have any insurance and my parents insurance stopped covering me when I was 23. So considering I don't have any real insurance back home, it was DEFINITELY cheaper here. Didn't mean to make it sound like we don't have good insurance in the states, but all of this medical attention would have been quite expensive with the insurance I've had in the past. My operation only costed me ￥7200 (~$62.00 USD). The world reknowned customer service is even present in the hospitals. Everybody was super nice to me, even though my Japanese was terrible, and after the operation they all bowed and said goodbye. Good question about the Zainichi Koreans, my friend is doing a research paper on them. Either way, it would be a good point to mention. You’re right about most jobs having insurance, but I know my campus job didnt have any insurance and my parents insurance stopped covering me when I was 23. So considering I don’t have any real insurance back home, it was DEFINITELY cheaper here.

Didn’t mean to make it sound like we don’t have good insurance in the states, but all of this medical attention would have been quite expensive with the insurance I’ve had in the past. My operation only costed me ￥7200 (~$62.00 USD).

The world reknowned customer service is even present in the hospitals. Everybody was super nice to me, even though my Japanese was terrible, and after the operation they all bowed and said goodbye.

Good question about the Zainichi Koreans, my friend is doing a research paper on them. Either way, it would be a good point to mention.

]]> by: Stephen http://jameswynn.com/2006/04/penthouse-views-and-broken-fingers/#comment-53 Sun, 23 Apr 2006 16:20:42 +0000 http://jameswynn.com/2006/04/penthouse-views-and-broken-fingers/#comment-53 I'm not sure what you mean about socialized medicine. In America, if you have a job with health insurance (these days that is most white collar and unionized blue collar -- even Starbucks offers part-time workers health insurance), you get the same sort of treatment. I had some lab work done last month and I paid $10 of the $150 cost and filed the rest with my parents' insurance. I've had surgery in the US before as well. In the US, if you don't have health insurance, then government programs like Medicare and Medicaid cover you. There are some issues with how well people are covered and how well the whole system works, but it's not like the Japanese have health insurance and we don't. I wonder whether the Zainichi Koreans who live in Japan have health insurance; I know a Chinese student last year who was refused service so he didn't "waste the Japanese government's money." In addition, in Japan, you pay for health insurance as well -- you aren't paying very much because you are a student, but as you get older you pay based on your ability to pay. Japanese efficency certainly kicks ass -- maybe that's the real lesson here. I’m not sure what you mean about socialized medicine.

In America, if you have a job with health insurance (these days that is most white collar and unionized blue collar — even Starbucks offers part-time workers health insurance), you get the same sort of treatment. I had some lab work done last month and I paid $10 of the $150 cost and filed the rest with my parents’ insurance. I’ve had surgery in the US before as well.

In the US, if you don’t have health insurance, then government programs like Medicare and Medicaid cover you. There are some issues with how well people are covered and how well the whole system works, but it’s not like the Japanese have health insurance and we don’t. I wonder whether the Zainichi Koreans who live in Japan have health insurance; I know a Chinese student last year who was refused service so he didn’t “waste the Japanese government’s money.”

In addition, in Japan, you pay for health insurance as well — you aren’t paying very much because you are a student, but as you get older you pay based on your ability to pay. Japanese efficency certainly kicks ass — maybe that’s the real lesson here.

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