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14 hours agoWhen I was a teenager I used to hang out with the beggars at the major train station in town when I was travelling around to kill time. I bought hot dogs from the cart for a few of them and they thanked me and ate with me, but said they had plenty to eat. Apparently they rented an apartment together in cash with the proceeds of their begging. They weren’t living large, they just didn’t want to or couldn’t work a regular job. I don’t regret spending time with them and hearing their stories, and they wouldn’t take my money because I was just a kid.
I had Kaiser for several years and it’s the best version of the US healthcare system I’ve seen. It was reasonably cheap (compared to other insurance), they didn’t jerk me around for referrals to their specialists, they have optometrists and pharmacies and stuff on site so you can get a few appts done in a day. It was convenient. Now, I’m sure some people have had a terrible time with them and I don’t deny their experiences, but it worked for me.