I didn't get the joke, but I'll see if my Canadian friend gets it.

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I'm Canadian, and I get it! *thumbs up*

Oh Matthew, so innocently.. evil!

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Doesn't scare me none. I've lived with socialized health care and it's a lot easier than the current system.

It's probably for the best if you don't get it. A lot of Americans are weirdly frightened by the concept of universal (or socialized) health care.

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I think just about anything would be easier than HMOs.

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Ohhh, okay.

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Japan:
1) Go to hospital. Any hospital. No appointment necessary.
2) Show them your national insurance card and fill out a one-page form ("I was born in Showa what?").
3) Tell them where it hurts and get routed to the proper department.
4) Wait your turn.
5) See doctor.

America on HMO:
1) Search list of "approved" doctors.
2) Call one that "looks good" and ask if he's taking patients.
3) Keep calling doctors until one says yes.
4) Make an appointment.
5) Wait an extra hour in the waiting room after filling out ten pages of paperwork.
6) See doctor for five minutes.
7) Receive notice from HMO that they're denying your claim.

Of course, this was back in 2000 or so. I haven't seen one since outside of my incident at the emergency room where I gave up after waiting eight hours and went to the walk-in clinic across the street when it opened.

Bitter much? Me?

8 hours, ouch. I hope you weren't in too much pain or discomfort... not that anyone could get comfortable sitting in an emergency room for any length of time.

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Oh, it hurt, was swelling up and turning interesting shades of yellow and purple. That's why I thought it merited a trip to the emergency room. My mistake. Now I know the only way to enter an emergency room is in an ambulance, surrounded by paramedics.