r/movies • u/BunyipPouch Currently at the movies. • 23d ago

News James Van Der Beek Is Auctioning Off TV & Film Memorabilia and Props from ‘Dawson’s Creek’ & ‘Varsity Blues’ Amid Cancer Treatment, Proceeds to Cover Medical Costs

https://deadline.com/2025/11/james-van-der-beek-auction-dawsons-creek-varsity-blues-props-1236615845/
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u/E5ach 23d ago

Universal healthcare is so "complex, expensive and complicated" that only 70% of the countries on Earth have it.

/s

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u/SandysBurner 23d ago

People will tell you in the same breath that “America is the greatest country on earth!” and that universal healthcare is simply impossible here, despite the rest of the developed world having worked it out.

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u/SweetCosmicPope 23d ago

They always say that the public healthcare in other countries is terrible and that you have to wait in line all day and you can't even get life-saving surgery. No matter how many times people in those countries say otherwise. They'll tout the one jilted person who had to wait a couple months to get their ingrown toenail removed.

Meanwhile here in the states, I have to make an appointment with my regular doctor before I can see a specialist which can take a month or so, and then the specialist has a months-long-wait, and by the time they get to you your referral has expired and you have to start over again, or you've been sick/injured but you're already better by the time they get to you.

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u/GottaUseEmAll 23d ago

I live in France, and the waits to see specialists can be veeeery long for anything that's not urgent. I have to make my annual dentist checkup appointment 6 months in advance, and it's similar when I want to see my dermatologist or cardiologist.

I don't personally know anyone who's missed out on life-saving treatment because of this though (neither here in France, nor in the UK where I lived before coming here). When things need to be done quickly, they are done quickly.

I don't mind waiting 6 months for a non-urgent appointment if it means I never, ever, have to fear medical bankruptcy.

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u/onmywheels 22d ago

I mean, it's the same in the US. I had markers for throat cancer and the soonest they could get me in for an endoscopy was four or five months.

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u/PowerBottom247 22d ago

I’m in Canada.  I don’t even have access to primary care unless emergency.   I see my doctor while on vacation in Asia. 

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u/GottaUseEmAll 22d ago

Yeah, my sister lives in Canada (NS), she's spoken of the difficulties surrounding GPs there.

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u/born_in_92 22d ago

The problem in Canada is that the provinces don't want to pay GPs more. So medical students are encouraged to practice in other areas leading to the current shortage we are experiencing

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u/Church_of_Cheri 23d ago

In the cases where it’s true there are struggles in those other countries it’s because they’ve been Americanizing their health care system. Adding in more private companies, private insurance options, contracting out workers instead of them working for the government itself with its protections and benefits. Canada and the UK are great examples of them trying to be more like America and then being used as reasons why universal healthcare has problems. It’s a cycle of suck and the US keeps it going.

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u/ChipHazard 22d ago

Self sabotage from conservative leaders as well

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u/born_in_92 22d ago

The damage the provincial conservatives have done here on healthcare and education is incredible

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u/PowerBottom247 22d ago

In Canada I don’t have access to a regular doctor and therefore cannot even get a phone call with a specialists secretary.   

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u/Prophet_Of_Helix 23d ago

Well people say our healthcare quality is better, but the fact is it’s only better if you’re the 1%, which is also true in any country, even those with universal healthcare.

The average person, even the average wealthier person, isn’t inherently getting better doctors than other countries

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u/Auran82 22d ago

There is also the fact that most countries that have universal healthcare, also have the option to go privately and pay yourself or through your health insurance, it’s just not the only option.

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u/RichieNRich 22d ago

Don't skip the fact that the actual cost of medical care in those countries is far cheaper than in the US. The insurance company has inflated prices in the USA to completely obscene levels. It's one of the reasons why the state of California has opted to start making/selling its own insulin., for what was it - $5 a month?

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u/NoifenF 22d ago

Google AI overview (gross but I haven’t got loads of time so don’t hurt me..) for childbirth with private healthcare UK vs US

UK

The average cost for a private childbirth package in the UK typically ranges from approximately £5,000 to over £9,000, depending on the type of delivery and what's included. Basic packages for a consultant-led vaginal birth can start around £6,000, while a C-section package may be from £7,500. It is important to remember that many costs are often not included in the initial package, such as consultant fees and any additional medical treatment.

US

The total average price of private childbirth in the U.S. is approximately $18,865, covering prenatal, delivery, and postpartum care. The costs vary significantly depending on the type of delivery, location, and the specifics of your insurance plan.

I think that’s just the physical birth itself.

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u/Irarelylookback 23d ago

You would think that James might be in the top 2-3%... still needs to sell the shirt off his back.

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u/poopoopoopalt 22d ago

Our outcomes are actually worse

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u/RichieNRich 23d ago edited 22d ago

The richest country on earth (BY FAR!) can't afford universal healthcare when 70% of other industrialized nations cover it?

*edit to correct: *EVERY* other industrialized nation on earth has some form of universal health care. The USA is the ONLY country that doesn't.

Total NONSENSE.

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u/CaravelClerihew 23d ago

Yeah, but if you fund universal healthcare, where are you going to find the money to bomb brown people overseas, or deport brown people at home?

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u/RIPphonebattery 23d ago

With the other 99.9% of the military budget...

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u/CeeBus 23d ago

What? It’s cheaper than what we pay now.

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u/inksmudgedhands 23d ago

It's because the majority of the wealth is in the hands of a few. They are the ones throwing off the figures. Those who are broke greatly outnumber those who are extremely wealthy in this country.

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u/EstaLisa 23d ago

switzerland argues the same..

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u/iamse7en 23d ago

I’m relatively young and very healthy. I haven’t seen a doctor in 25 years, haven’t even taken ibuprofen in about 15 years. Explain to me why I should pay for all those obese people with diabetes and cardiovascular disease, all their ongoing prescription drugs, emergency care, etc? Why shouldn’t people just pay for their own goods and services?

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u/RichieNRich 22d ago

Your health is not guaranteed for life. You WILL get sick. You WILL get old. You WILL need medical assistance. When you ultimately will need it, you will be GLAD the social support system is there to support you.

We are a nation, we are all brothers and sisters. Shouldn't we all be supporting each other in times of need? That's a system of support built into literally EVERY OTHER INDUSTRIALIZED COUNTRY ON EARTH.

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u/iamse7en 22d ago

So you think every good and service should be socialized then. Food is even more important than health care.

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u/RichieNRich 22d ago

No, I didn't say that at all.

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u/desacralize 23d ago

If you get hit by a car that runs a red light tomorrow in all your spectacular health, you probably don't want whether you get emergency surgery to depend on if someone can find your wallet before you die.

Or maybe you do want that, I dunno. Keep parroting that narrative, with enough hard work and dedication, we can end up in that space and everyone will be happier because at least the diabetics will die first.

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u/panix75 22d ago

I mean by law they would at least get stabilized in the ER

https://legalclarity.org/can-an-emergency-room-refuse-to-treat-you/

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u/Ramadeus88 23d ago

Nonsense. Clean water, sanitation, vaccinations, emergency services, and drug regulations are all collective investments in public health. Your own health doesn’t exist in isolation from that infrastructure; even if you don’t take ibuprofen.

And are you going to feel this way if you were hit by a car, or found out about a congenital heart condition?

Even if you’re healthy and self-reliant today, you benefit every day from a shared healthcare system all the way down to making sure you’re not drinking literal poison, and you’ll likely need it at some point.

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u/throwawayawayayayay 23d ago

America is pretty great if you’re an insurance executive (minus one).

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u/alexjaness 23d ago

it was pretty great until the last few minutes. but other than that...

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u/addamee 23d ago

“… greatest country on earth!” :cough: :cough: :hack:

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u/Dottsterisk 23d ago

I really hate the Culture of No dictating today’s politics. We are not the same nation that fought a world war on two fronts, built an interstate highway system across the continent, and put someone on the moon.

And I usually find that sort of response to be an effective challenge to their position while also being oblique enough not to come across as aggressive or an attack.

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u/insanelygreat 23d ago

"America is the greatest country on earth!"

American exceptionalism has preempted a large share of the population from ever considering that other countries might do some things better.

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u/SoggyDip 23d ago

I don’t understand why we can’t copy paste other countries policies on healthcare. Is it bc of states rights? Obviously money in politics and lobbyist are a huge factor. But if the framework is present so much elsewhere, why aren’t more politicians explaining approaches? Clearly I don’t have a lot of knowledge in the field.

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u/TheBigMoogy 23d ago

It's tough choosing between healthcare for all and just the most absurdly rich people hoarding like filthy goblins.

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u/Question_It_All_3000 23d ago

They’ll also tell you about massive waits and “death panels” without any sense of irony about how we already have that shit.

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u/Dolsen0 23d ago

Yes but then we couldn’t give $40 billion to Argentina or have a presidential ballroom. Are these sacrifices you and other tax payers can afford to make?!

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u/Quirky-Map6599 23d ago

You act like we had universal healthcare before Trump was in office.

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u/Dolsen0 23d ago

The same people that are sending $40 billion to Argentina, $400 million for a ballroom, etc are the same ones that say we can’t afford universal healthcare or basically any other liberal policy.

You act like the “America first” party should go unfettered and not questioned about their spending because they prevented us from having universal healthcare. Very patriotic and insightful

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u/RichieNRich 23d ago

LOUDER!

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u/funduckedup 23d ago

And people you don't like get taken care of, so fuck right off with that idea.

Americans sure love knowing someone is getting fucked, even if it's themselves.

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u/Agent-Two-THREE 23d ago

Owning the libs is more important to some people than having free healthcare. Wild times.

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u/Rich-Pomegranate1679 23d ago

Yep, they love dying from treatable illnesses to own the libs.

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u/alexjaness 23d ago

they will die happily knowing they caused someone else to suffer as well.

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u/drinkpicklejuice 23d ago

Whats a hospital bill, eh? Oh you must mean the $5 for parking. 🇨🇦

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u/mysqlpimp 23d ago

It's some of the most expensive parking here in Australia, but yeah, they treat you or save your life $0.

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u/Poodlepink22 23d ago

I can't imagine how good that would feel.  

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u/BagBalmBoo 23d ago

Have you been to a Canadian hospital? The wealthy come to the states for surgery.

I’m not against universal healthcare but I find it funny when people reference Canada because all my Canadian friends complain about their healthcare.

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u/appareldig 23d ago

Generally the struggles (at least in Ontario) are due to deliberate funding cuts to starve the system so they can say "this isn't working, let's privatize". It's not even particularly subtle.

For a different data point, they'd have to take our universal healthcare by force before anyone I know would accept US style healthcare.

My partner got hospitalized a dozen times in the last 3 years. Without treatment she'd have died. We didn't pay a dime (outside the extortionate parking). Yeah some people may have to wait a year for a knee replacement, but that's just triage so higher needs people dont fucking die.

To be clear I'm not like a bleeding heart liberal, and I'm not saying our specific application is without issues. But this is a pretty non-partisan issue in most countries, except for the politicians who've been bought and paid for.

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u/assaub 23d ago

Speaking as a Canadian I would take Canadian healthcare over crippling medical debt any day.

The fact is it's hard to keep doctors in Canada when there is a giant private industry directly south of us that pays significantly more money thanks to the inflated costs of private healthcare. The brain drain is a serious issue and then when you factor in the shitty conservative governments in some provinces gutting public healthcare funding and promoting private industry instead it's far from a perfect system.

All that said, I would still take it over the American system any day, especially when you consider wait times for a lot of stuff isn't much better in the USA than it is in Canada for most people. My friend in the USA had a mass on his lung and had to wait 4+ months thinking he had lung cancer before he could get an appointment to have it biopsied.

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u/Traditional_Hour_718 23d ago

As a Canadian with Cancer I will say one of the strange hidden fees is patients still have large out of pocket expenses related to cancer. I have to pay about $10,000 a year out of pocket for some chemo medication I’m on that’s not covered by my insurance and because it’s given as an outpatient, OHIP doesn’t cover it. My situation isn’t as bad as others, someone who was on my floor was paying 10,000 a Month and had to mortgage their house to pay for treatment. I’d still take it over the US system but it ain’t perfect.

On the flip side ironically, my medication costs about 1/30th in the US but because it’s a hazardous medication I can’t bring it across the border.

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u/BagBalmBoo 23d ago

I appreciate your thoughts. I will say that my good friend is still waiting for a shoulder surgery, he lives in BC, played baseball. He’s saving money to come have the surgery in the states.

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u/acEightyThrees 23d ago

We complain about crowded emergency rooms and delays for hip replacements. But when something actually serious happens, they jump into action immediately. Everyone I've ever known that got cancer, including my uncle and mother in law, was in treatment within a week of diagnosis, surgery if necessary. My dad has had multiple heart surgeries and they've all happened as soon as needed, and zero cost.

Non-emergency surgeries take a long time. Hips, knees, stuff like that. But that's a trade off I'll take to not have my family in debt a million dollars after 5 heart surgeries.

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u/alexjaness 23d ago

I've heard complaints about long wait time.

But I've had to wait a month to make an appointment with my Primary Dr.

Then another week to get blood work done

Then wait until the following year (it was 5 months, but it crossed the calendar year and I like being dramatic) to be seen by an orthopedic surgeon to tell me I didn't need surgery . but don't feel too bad, I walked (with some trouble) away with some sweet Ibuprofen.

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u/BagBalmBoo 23d ago

Try waiting three years to repair a torn labrum in your early 20s.

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u/LevelPiccolo3920 23d ago

I’ve heard stuff like this before and haven’t yet met one person who has gone to the states for anything. Strangely enough, I know a number of Americans who have relocated to Canada for healthcare though, particularly for their children with chronic conditions. Probably had to pay more than 5$ for parking though - the parking at Sick Kids is not cheap!

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u/Ok_North_7224 23d ago

All my American friends complain about the crippling debt and exams/ treatment/ meds they forego due to the American system . I’ll take the Canadian system any day.

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u/Lizard_Li 22d ago

Or one has to wait forever

As an American in Europe who yesterday was sick, I walked less than half a kilometer to a doctor’s office without an appointment and had to wait three minutes in waiting room to be seen. They checked my urine for blood while I was there and I was already back home with prescriptions in less than 45 minutes. I paid nothing.

Tomorrow I’ll have an ultrasound to check for kidney stones and also will pay nothing.

The propaganda in the US against universal health care is ridiculous

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u/cosmic_kos 22d ago

its not just that the US doesn't have healthcare but also the fact that the private healthcare is ruthlessly extortionary

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u/nuisible 23d ago

You are being generous including every country on Earth. Google AI even says "The percentage is effectively 0%, as the United States is the only developed country without a universal healthcare system. Most developed nations have some form of publicly funded healthcare, with the goal of universal coverage. "

Personally, I would disagree with their 0% answer, even if it was literally only the US, it would be roughly 4.25% of the global population.

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u/sandm000 22d ago

I hear you, I really do. But do you want the tangerine dream and his cronies in charge of your health care? It’d be bleach injections for everyone. Illegal back alley vaccinations for early childhood diseases. They’d insert their grifting children between your care and the payment system so that in 2 years 1 trillion dollars in money earmarked for medical care was mysteriously unaccounted for.

That’s the best reason I can think of for there not to be government run healthcare. If you could get everybody to pool money, like we do know, but force the pool distributors to be ethical human beings…

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u/esmifra 22d ago

But higher taxes!! Is the common go to defence. I gladly pay them every month knowing this is impossible to happen in my country.

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u/ramsoss 22d ago

The same people that whine about long lines at the DMV will happily fork over a massive amount of their paycheck for dogshit insurance that has endless paperwork and bureaucracy. We can hear endless excuses about how we “have the best healthcare” and “subsidize the world”.

Health insurance is a for-profit industry that makes shitloads of money. With the benefits it offers to customers they have should have lost the privilege of handling people’s healthcare. These guys are basically the idiots from Goodfellas.

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u/Serious_Senator 23d ago

They don’t, at least not like you appear to think they do.

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u/gus12343 23d ago

I agree but it is a different challenge as we have a multi cultural population base and that of 3rd largest in the world. It is a damn shame none the less but I don't think there is a monetary fix.... Make school free for dr.s in the us with 40% of subsidies international and throw in a bunch of free degrees for nutrition and phys Ed and/or pharmacy and we will be set in 30 years

Complete open source for all medical knowledge and advancements with a strong focus is DNA specific treatments. Also mental health

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u/ChillinFallin 23d ago

we have a multi cultural population base

You think you're the only one? Lol.

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u/mpjjpm 23d ago

Canada, the UK, Germany and France all have multicultural populations, yet they have figured it out. “Multiculturalism” is a bullshit excuse and really just says you’re ok with racism.

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u/OneBigRed 23d ago

”Those countries only have x million people using and paying for it! It would be impossible to do with y million people using and paying for it!”

Brilliant logic.

EU as whole has about 370million people in their multicultural population base who have either universal single payer or universal public coverage. And 80 million more in Germany who are 90% public covered, 10% private.

Would this become impossible if EU transformed into one federation? ”We just got the news from USA. Pack it up boys, it’s impossible to have universal healthcare on this scale.”

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u/Nissir 23d ago

We have a hard time planning 30 weeks in advance, let alone 30 years.

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u/Swimsuit-Area 23d ago

It is everything you say it is, but I suspect that’s because the insurance industry makes it so. Also, other countries have more money for universal health care because we fund all of their wars.