I understand this may be parochial but the fee increases are impressive if not "ludicrous State Department fees for US Citizen services"

Fee info here:

photos.state.gov/libraries/china/197340/PDF/PaySlip2013.pdf

From the U.S. Embassy website in Beijing:

"IMPORTANT NOTICE
All consular operations in China, including visa and American Citizen services, will continue normal operations during the U.S. Government shutdown."

beijing.usembassy-china.org.cn/

nnoble,

By your logic, the topic of US passport renewal, which is directly related to the US government shutdown, is also "not what GK is intended (sic)." I'd say your perspective is a bit parochial in its self. :-)

tallamerican, sorry my bad.

It has been law in the US for many years that hospitals cannot refused care to anyone. There have been many scandals when private hospitals have provided minimal care then had indigent patients transported to public hospitals.

I had a major heart attack, called 911, was transported to the closest hospital, was jump started, and had an angioplasty procedure, all before I gave them little more than my name and address.

ObamaCare is about insurance not about getting care. The issue is who will pay for the care given. Ultimately the government pays when the patient can't. Obamacare mandates every American must buy insurance or be fined/taxed. After you pay, you are subject to rules and dictates which, depending on age, lifestyle and cost of procedures, limit the care you can be given.

However, 80% of all US medical costs are incurred in the last 6 months of the patients' life. By deciding to limit end stage care, denying life extending procedures, substantial cost saving can be made. By establishing review and standards setting panels the bureaucracy can control costs. Some say these "death panels" sole reason for existence is to limit the care given and "save" money.

The progressive Obama administration and Obamacare supporters inject equality by making it illegal for rich persons to obtain healthcare outside of the "death panel" guidelines. Also prohibited is travel outside the US for treatment. As it is a cold hearted government that mandates death by bureaucracy, the wealthy are merely taxed if they violate the law. Additionally, the review panels dictate how much doctors and hospitals are to be compensated.

Given the Obama administration's dislike of old persons, and expats, I see little benefit in Obamacare for me personally.

In summary: 1) The government forces us to buy insurance, 2) The government protects the insurance companies by restricting the care given, 3) The government controls what care givers can charge for providing services, 4) The government imposes fines/taxes on those who obtain treatment, or remain, outside the ObamaCare structure.