haifagirl, end-of-life care is an issue for those on private insurance too. When my father was in the ICU, the hospital staff kept trying to take him off the ventilator for “apnea testing” and then “forgetting” to put him back on. My siblings and I took turns staying by his bed to keep this from recurring.
Also, most private insurance companies have lifetime limits, generally of about $1 million. They will not cover any expenses incurred beyond this amount.
Regarding Medicaid, the physicians I’ve spoken too say that there’s a significant difference in coverage between Medicaid plans managed by private HMOs and those managed by Medicaid itself. Generally the latter type offers better coverage.
I do agree with you about the VA. People I know who’ve worked at VA hospitals tell me that the treatment there is not very good. Really our veterans deserve better than that.