Here's why you should get a passport.

[Snowwhyt]

Well my kids are 21, 21, 23, 26, and 27, I’d say at least a half dozen of DE classes, and 30 AP’s, they had their student ID cards, but no license until 17 (when they get them in NJ). All have passports now, they’ve all travelled internationally last year, and some do so several times a year.

Maybe you have government school id’s Wisconsin plastic ids with photo were not enough for AP’s here. My daughter is 24 now and took her first AP at 14. So we used her passport since in less then a year she would get temp driving license from the state. Wisconsin won’t except most college ID IDs either. I think it’s because of the private schools. As the one of the last holdouts on drinking at age 18 we had a lot of fraudulent id’s out. That’s maybe why it’s so difficult here.

 

[LAX]

We travel internationally at least once a year and I am wondering, how do you negotiate? Do you sit down with billing and say "I'd rather pay this amount for now?" They would probably withhold treatment until you pay, correct? We've never needed medical attention and always have trip insurance.

I am sure that was just one way for insurance companies to wiggle out of paying for covered medical care. While one can ask if a discount is available (and possibly get a small one), how do you negotiate in OP's situation? Leave and try to find a cheaper hospital? It sounded like OP's MIL was in pretty bad condition and needed really urgent treatment. It wasn't a case of a broken bone where a short delay of care won't make a difference.

LAX