Feeling like a proud Italian.

The good news. When I recently spent eight days in an Italian hospital. I was treated. Like an Italian citizen. Didn't matter that I was an American. Everyone is considered as a vital human being. Regardless of nationality.  Even if one is a penniless immigrant or refugee.  Your medical needs are put first and foremost.  Leaves me with a positive impression. That Italians are interested in serving the common good. At least when it comes to providing health care. To everyone. And still more good news. Italians aren't health care profit minded. My over one week stay in the hospital, covering everything, cost me $6,200. I'm told that in America, the same service would have run to $40,000. Because American health insurance companies are motivated by ever-bigger built-in profit. Meanwhile, the Italians didn't itemize the bill. To the annoyance of my American insurers. They want more precision. The exact cost for angioplasty. For an angiogram. For a stress test. For the hospital room. Broken into detail. Thing is. The Italians don't operate that way. They merely go by a bottom-line. Figuring they would have spent $6200 on me. Because that's the average cost. For an Italian spending eight days in the hospital. They have eliminated payments to middle men. Doesn't matter whether I received more or less treatment than another. Instead, here's what matters. My life was saved. That's the important thing.  Not the money. Therefore, I got a bargain. Because I was treated the nice and humane Italian way. Leaves me feeling like a proud Italian. --Jim Broede