Hey XSideTop,
I have recently had a fractured shunt tube and revision. I have no idea when the fracture occurred, it wasn't until I started vomiting that my wife hit the panic button. When the ambulance came I felt my neck where the tube was and there was no tube present. The hospital wanted to do 'tests' prior to any surgery, these tests were to occur the following day but that night things went down hill majorly and it was decided not to do any further test and I was rushed in for surgery that morning. That was in February.
Things did not go to plan as the replacement shunt valve failed to maintain the required pressures and I went from too much CSF in the ventricles to not enough causing slit ventricle syndrome. The valve was replaced again in September and ever since I have been in debilitating pain from the headaches. The NS have told me 'All fixed' but unfortunately this has not been the case for me. I have now been told my options are a diet of pain meds or put up with it.

Here in Australia we are lucky to have a public health system that works called Medicare, my understanding is that President Obama wants to bring in a similar program for all Americans to have equal access to medical services. The beauty about Medicare here is that prices on services and (some) drugs are capped and although some specialists charge a fee on top of the Medicare rebate it is usually less than $100, although some specialists do charge more. The public hospitals are all funded via Medicare. You can choose a private hospital, in which case insurance is required but everybody has access to the same level of care whether insured or not. Admittedly the drug companies don't like it as its the Govt that set the prices on drugs so these multinational companies cannot charge exorbitant rates for medications, which for people on minimal incomes can be a saviour.

Best of luck with it all and I hope you have more success than I have.
Please keep us informed on how things go for you.

Merl1n