And the affluent should pay their fair tax share to help make that access a reality for everyone.
By Bob Hertz, Inequality.org
If you call 911 and the fire department comes, you will generally pay nothing. In virtually all cities, fire departments operate as a public service financed by local government, usually via property taxes.
But if you call 911 for an ambulance, you could face a huge bill, even for a short ride. Ambulances typically don’t operate as a free public service. In many states the average balance due runs over $1,000.
Having health insurance does help, but deductibles and exclusions can still leave you with a huge bill. A medical emergency that requires an ambulance can easily drive you into debt.
People sometimes beg not to be put in ambulances, even in situations where they clearly need them. One Boston resident, her gashed leg caught between a subway train and the platform, pleaded with worried fellow passengers to forego any call to an ambulance service.
“I have terrible health insurance,” she explained.
Recent Posts
SAG-AFTRA, WGA Blast Decision To Suspend Jimmy Kimmel: A ‘Type of Retaliation That Endangers Everyone’s Freedom’
Take Action Now “Our society depends on freedom of expression. Suppression of free speech and retaliation for speaking out on significant issues of…
A Statement From U.S. Jews Opposing Trump’s Attacks On Colleges And Students
Take Action Now We write, specifically, as Jewish Americans who condemn the charge of antisemitism being leveled against student activists—many of…
New Poll: Democratic Socialism Is Now Mainstream
Take Action Now A national poll from Jacobin, DSA Fund, and Data for Progress finds broad support for democratic socialist leaders and left-wing…
Gerrymandering & The War On Democracy
Take Action Now It’s one piece of a much larger democratic breakdown.By RJ Eskow, The Zero Hour Report A few days before the Charlie Kirk…