On Sat, 21 Jan 2006 09:31:25 GMT, zadoc wrote:

Even if
they can afford to see a general practitioner, and they may not be
able to afford it, how long to contact the office of a GP and make an
appointment?

Often weeks in advance to get an appointment.
Uninsured? Cash in advance.
Then they are most likely just to tell them to go to a hospital
emergency room and try to get treatment.
Might lose any & all assets there too if they are not insured.
Once they find out it's going to cost a lot for treatment ...
many die I gather. No coverage.
"Experimental" things are not usually coverd either (if insured), even
if known to be effective abroad or from recent research.

Then there are medicines .... not much covered even for the
insured these days. Can be hundreds of dollars per day in pretty pills ...
Pill A costs X, Pill B costs Y, everyone takes both .. no discount ...
--
Cliff