Canadian and European friends, tell me about your Universal Health Care system

2»

Comments

  • slightofjeff
    slightofjeff Posts: 7,762
    So it's "free" health care ... yet there is a monthly fee? In some cases more than I am paying for insurance through work?

    Sorry, this doesn't sound like a good deal for me.
    everybody wants the most they can possibly get
    for the least they could possibly do
  • Pacomc79
    Pacomc79 Posts: 9,404
    redrock wrote:
    Yes, we all complain about it in the UK.. too long of a wait for a non-essential operation, food in the hospitals crap, etc., BUT.. I don't have to worry about having to be able to pay for having a baby, an emergency (you are then seen immediately), if I can afford treatment for cancer, physio for back problems (or any other problems) or even just a visit the GP or a specialist etc. I've lived in the US and obviously I live in the UK - I would much rather be sick here!

    There was a thread a while back about this. Some horror stories from some US people on how much they have to fork out to be looked after (assuming they haven't got any private insurance). I had a pulmonary embolism a few years ago, from the initial checking in emergency to 5 days in intensive care, scans, etc. all was free. Also had complications at childbirth, again all treatment free (at hospital and home visits after). (well.. not quite free because you pay for it in your taxes, but at no extra cost).

    Just wondering how many people in the US don't see a doctor because they can't afford it.

    Dude, it's just as bad if you have insurance in the US. If you don't have insurance....I'm pretty sure most of it ends up being written off.... because the price of care is so ridiculous I can't imagine most people who don't have insurance end up paying anything anyway. Half of the charges they make against you end up as an insurance write off because the Hospital or care facility has a deal with the insurance company, then they pay some tiny percentage of whatever the total is IE whatever the insurance company policy writer couldn't find a way to not cover legally. In the end they end up bargaining for you essentially. You pay the insurance company for a reasonable bill. Insurance in this country amounts to a reasonable medical bill. That's it.

    People who work in insurance companies should be treated like the mafia. They sell air. Policies are generally good enough in 98% of thier existance to get the money you paid back into them. If you end up really having something bad happen, they cancel your policy anyway.

    Lawyers and litigeousness cause all this shit so basically my award for the two lowest scumbucking worthless careers of all time go to Insurance and Legal personel.
    My Girlfriend said to me..."How many guitars do you need?" and I replied...."How many pairs of shoes do you need?" She got really quiet.
  • redrock
    redrock Posts: 18,341
    slightofjeff wrote:
    So it's "free" health care ... yet there is a monthly fee? In some cases more than I am paying for insurance through work?

    Sorry, this doesn't sound like a good deal for me.
    In the UK, it's via your taxes. N.I (or National Insurance) which covers healthcare, pensions, etc. Percentage paid depends on earnings, rebates etc. (And also if you are not earning). So technically, it is not free but it is a lot cheaper than private insurance, covers all health issues (which most insurances don't - list of exceptions is quite long) and it has no 'small print'.

    I have lived in countries with and without National Healthcare... guess which one I find the best?
  • my2hands
    my2hands Posts: 17,117
    redrock wrote:
    In the UK, it's via your taxes. N.I (or National Insurance) which covers healthcare, pensions, etc. Percentage paid depends on earnings, rebates etc. (And also if you are not earning). So technically, it is not free but it is a lot cheaper than private insurance, covers all health issues (which most insurances don't - list of exceptions is quite long) and it has no 'small print'.

    I have lived in countries with and without National Healthcare... guess which one I find the best?


    i am going to guess that you prefer getting bent over by insurance companies ;)


    i am kidding obviously
  • redrock
    redrock Posts: 18,341
    my2hands wrote:
    i am going to guess that you prefer getting bent over by insurance companies ;)


    i am kidding obviously

    :D

    I would probably be dead now if I had to think twice about going to hospital. When I had the pulmonary embolism, it started with leg pain (which went away), then chest pain which kept on moving. I had discounted heart problems (because I'm so knowledgeable!) and put the pains down to muscle aches (I had been moving stuff about during the day). If I was living in a country without national health and I didn't have private insurance (which I didn't when I first lived in the US as an adult), I would have probably told myself to 'sleep on it and see how I feel in the morning'. But because here I didn't have those worries, my hubby took me to emergency the moment he got home and I told him... good thing too.
  • Collin
    Collin Posts: 4,931
    Julien wrote:
    well, don't ask me why. Belgium is not always easy to understand. But if I had to pay only the 3 euros, the doctor wouldn't be happy because HE gets the 20 euros... some people (older generation and people with low incomes) only have to pay the 3 euros. Practically, the system is working quite well.

    http://nl.youtube.com/watch?v=6AMM0CSm_3s :D
    THANK YOU, LOSTDAWG!


    naděje umírá poslední

Categories