47% of Americans could not find the money to pay for a $400 emergency

[Admiral Yi]

It's not a cash versus credit issue.  If you have a credit card with $400 available credit on it, you have $400 available to cover an emergency.

And yeah, I was cheating a bit by not adjusting the $400 for inflation.

The Fed asked respondents how they would pay for a $400 emergency. The answer: 47 percent of respondents said that either they would cover the expense by borrowing or selling something, or they would not be able to come up with the $400 at all.

The original question was asking about cash and cash equivalents.

[Jaron]

An IOU from me is as good as cash.

[Brazen]

Well, in the UK if you have health emergency the state will cover you.

I'm continually shocked by how much of the first world that doesn't apply to.

[crazy canuck]

Well, in the UK if you have health emergency the state will cover you.

I'm continually shocked by how much of the first world that doesn't apply to.

Where does that occur in the first world?  Other than the US of course.

[Brazen]

Where does that occur in the first world?  Other than the US of course.

There are different levels of insurance, see debate below, but... yeah pretty much nowhere, actually. What do Americans spend all their massive amounts of taxes (including income tax that they have to calculate themselves) on?

http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/statements/2015/jun/29/bernie-s/bernie-sanders-us-only-major-country-doesnt-guaran/

[Admiral Yi]

I think our taxes are fairly low, but what we pay gets spent on Social Security, Medicare, defense, and interest on the debt.

[Habbaku]

[Habbaku]

I think our taxes are fairly low, but what we pay gets spent on Social Security, Medicare, defense, and interest on the debt.

  ~83% of our total spending are in the areas you listed.

[Admiral Yi]

Veterans is bigger than I expected.

[Valmy]

So we spend about $3,240 per person on medical expenses per year...by the Feds alone. Holy shit. I wonder what the total of all other public expenditures plus private money that gets spent per person per year on top of that? Doctors must all be millionaires.

How much does the Canadian Federal government spend per person for their dirty red communist system?

[crazy canuck]

Yeah, I don't think it an issue of a lack of expenditure.  But rather how all that money is being spent.

[crazy canuck]

Valmy,

Here are some older figures I found for 2014

In 2014, total health spending per person is expected to be highest in Newfoundland
and Labrador ($6,953) and Alberta ($6,783) and lowest in Quebec ($5,616) and
British Columbia ($5,865).

The Federal government does not spend much, rather it is the provinces that are responsible for health care funding.

[The Brain]

The feds file expenses for their affairs?

[CountDeMoney]

Veterans is bigger than I expected.

In all fairness, there are more than 2.5 million of them from Iraq and Afghanistan.
Even with more than 10 years to try, couldn't get them all killed, you know.

[celedhring]

So we spend about $3,240 per person on medical expenses per year...by the Feds alone. Holy shit. I wonder what the total of all other public expenditures plus private money that gets spent per person per year on top of that? Doctors must all be millionaires.

How much does the Canadian Federal government spend per person for their dirty red communist system?

Spanish average (is up to the regions too) is a mere 1400€ and we get a pretty damn decent universal health care out of it. It's true that prices are highly regulated and kept low, though.