My cousin Joel had a heart attack three years ago, and it wound up costing him $8.
That is not a typo.
Eight bucks.
Joel and his wife moved to Israel just three weeks before he had his heart attack. Under that nation's Law of Return, Jews from other countries can request and be granted instant Israeli citizenship if they immigrate.
So Joel, who grew up in Queens, was a dual citizen of the United States and Israel when he was riding his bicycle in the Israeli countryside and felt kind of queasy.
An ambulance was called, and Joel was transported to a hospital where his life was saved and he was to spend the next 10 days.
The care he received was excellent, and Joel has made a wonderful recovery. Three years later, he rides his bike all over the Holy Land, and I saw him dance (with far more vigor than style) a few months ago at his older son's New York wedding.
All that wonderful medical treatment was free.
Joel was charged the eight dollars because he wanted a TV in his hospital room.
I was thinking about my cousin this week as the medical bills came in for a member of my family who recently had a minor procedure that didn't involve an overnight stay in the hospital.
I'm not complaining. In fact, I feel extremely fortunate. The surgeon, nurses and anesthesiologist were highly skilled, and I'm one of the lucky Americans who has a company health-care plan.
Still ...
Each month, more than $300 is taken out of my paycheck for my share of the company's family medical coverage. After the $6,000-plus procedure, when all the deductibles and things that are only partially covered by insurance are figured in, I'm owing a good deal more than a thousand dollars.
OK, so maybe I am complaining just a little bit.
My cousin has a heart attack and a long hospital stay, and it costs him only eight bucks.
I'm wondering why Israel _ forced to spend a fortune on defense because it's surrounded by nations that covet its destruction _ can provide universal health care for its citizens, and my country cannot.
So, why don't I just pack up my family and move to Israel?
Well, for one thing, it's seven hours later over there, and even if I got a satellite dish, a Yankees game that starts at 7 p.m. in the Bronx wouldn't begin until 2 a.m. in Jerusalem.
Another thing is that I love my country, and I really don't want to move anywhere else. For that matter, I shouldn't have to, and neither should any other American who wants health care without going bankrupt.
As I said, I consider myself fortunate to have a company health-care plan, but there are nearly 50 million of my countrymen who don't have any health insurance.
Two of those nearly 50 million are adult children of mine. Heaven forbid they should have a serious illness or accident. If they did, they simply could not pay the medical bills even though they have jobs and work hard.
It's not uncommon for an operation and hospital stay to cost tens or even hundreds of thousands of dollars. All over America, people are denying themselves needed procedures and prescriptions, and folks are dying because of the control the pharmaceutical, insurance and other health industries have over our politicians.
Those who profit most from the current system _ for example, the drug companies, who spend far more on advertising than research _ love to decry plans to provide universal health-care benefits to those nearly 50 million men, women and children as "socialized medicine," as if there is something wrong with that.
No one should expect something for nothing. Taxes may have to be raised, but would they be more than what we're paying now for outrageous medical, dental and prescription bills?
No matter the cost, the best nation in the world just cannot be indifferent when it comes to the basic health-care needs of its neediest citizens.
As for my cousin Joel and his $8 heart attack treatment, the privilege of universal health care comes at a price _ a lot of worrying. His younger son, who chose to serve in the Israel Defense Forces, is often involved in very dangerous raids on Palestinian terrorist enclaves.
In our country, when it comes to staying alive, all we really have to worry about is paying for it, and we shouldn't have to do that.
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Sam Pollak is editor of The Daily Star. He can be reached at spollak@thedailystar.com or at (607) 432-1000, ext. 208.
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