How long is a piece of string?
The first rule of humor is to maintain a sense of humor about the aging process itself, often summarized as: "It's better to grow old with a sense of humor than to grow old with no sense at all".
Well, Medicare for all is estimated to cost $2.5 trillion per year. If you subtract the $75 billion in insurance company profits you only have to come up with $2.425 trillion.
The world is stuck with rampant immorality and law breaking --found today in all political philosophy, not just capitalism.I've come to the conclusion that we made a huge mistake by fighting the revolutionary war to get freedom from England. Canada on the other hand gained their independence though a peaceful process. And look where we are. Canada and England both have universal healthcare and here we are stuck with this predatory for profit system.
It's not perfect everywhere.
That's ridiculous, HD. Our blood results as outpatients are very quick, usually within 24 hours, and are available on the website portals. Hospital blood tests are even faster.
I understand. We've paid dearly for it. The quality and cost to the taxpayer of our health care is criminal.
American hospital's billing numbers are meaningless. Medicare and insurance companies pay a small fraction of those numbers, as do cash patients.
Seems like a system that works. Can you explain how that paying through tax works?
Can anyone in the UK read this and let me know how that system works
Good questions- I'd like to know, too..Responded to Wolf Angels post with some questions. No reply.
Quote
"Seems like a system that works. Can you explain how that paying through tax works?
Is it taxes on wages?
If on wages does everyone pay the same regardless of the how much they are paid? Is there a sliding scale to assure everyone pays equally to get equal treatment?
If on wages what about those that don't work/ never earned a wage due to mental or physical disability?"
I thanked Rakia for the input but that was for Australia not the UK that Wolf Angel posted about
Then there probably is no earned wage due illegal status unemployed due to that & unable to present proper documentation. Do those with medical needs like you experienced receive that kind of care?
Is the system well funded or failing financially?
The U.S. healthcare is not a free market capitalism. The market is tightly controlled by a few giant healthcare insurers (monopoly). The supply of medical doctors are tightly controlled by their associations. Plus, healthcare is a non-negotiable item when someone is sick and just has to pay whatever the price to get treated.
Monopolies are entrenched in the U.S. today. There is no free market for that and other reasons.
Thank Goodness, I live north of the border.
Historically, monopolies weren't just "born"; they were engineered with free market laws.
I don't know how it is now, but years ago when I worked in a private hospital, they had to treat you in an emergency regardless of whether you had insurance or not. Once you were stabilized you were shipped you to the county hospital. They didn't keep you.
What happens when you can't wait but you don't have the money to pay for it privately?
you get no other choice... people in their thousands ..hundreds of thousands have died on the waiting list
That report on Australian healthcare is two years old (February 1, 2024 ) I'll try for some more up to date information.
