[jyl]

Traveling with six month old daughter in Italy. She had a 105 F fever. Took her to ER. Treated, they handed me a slip of paper, I took it to a machine, stuck it in, paid about $25.

Another time she was sick in Spain. We asked some ambulance drivers where the hospital was. They said to get in, drive us to the hospital, no charge. She was treated, I forget if it cost anything but it wasn't more than $20.

She didn't need any significant procedure or tests or drugs, either time. We were just worried parents.

At neither hospital did the doctors speak English. But I speak French and it turned out that the Spanish and Italian doctors did too, after a fashion. Not sure why. I asked, and they said something about working with Medecins Sans Frontiers (Doctors Without Borders, French aid group).