Or rather, they don't let adults pay for it through taxes financing a single payer system with far better leverage to negotiate rates with the industry: You have to pay out of pocket as an individual.

I'm going to the dentist MetLife told me to go to when I needed my wisdom teeth out last year (thank goodness the government hasn't taken away my ability to choose my own doctor. ) I've asked for what help seems reasonable, but believe it or not, I'm no more a mooch than I'm trying to "force other people to pay for getting my teeth worked on. " People are free to bury their heads as deeply in the sand as they like however great and long standing the harm to the country; that's kinda the problem. We'll be discussing payment plans tomorrow; COBRA will retroactively extend my insurance, but until they spend a month processing the paper work so they can send it to me and I send it back with some money, I have to pay the uninsured rate. The dentist will reimburse me after my insurance is restored because, once again, while there's nothing wrong with the finest medical system on the planet, the people providing the actual CARE trust it so much they want to be paid up front. I'm just superstitious enough not to give examples of how much more horrific things could be, since it's not just DENTAL insurance that I'm losing. At least I know not to pass out and total my car because I was afraid to miss work. Now.

How the job and car hunt coming, btw? Since these are the only circumstances under which we still talk, I guess it's the only chance I'll have to ask, and I do still care; I don't have to agree with someone to care about them.