hollydolly
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- London England
was that free ?
What do Aussies & Brits think of the US health care system?
- Thread starter fuzzybuddy
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hollydolly
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- Location
- London England
Here all treatment is free at point of use for the majority of the population... regardless of wealth or lack of it.
A Billionaire has as much right to the free at point of use, to the NHS healthcare as those who have never worked a day in their lives....and believe me the rich Do use it.. especially when in an emergency situation.. a fall.. an accident.. a heart attack, a stroke etc.. they may go on after their initial life saving treatment and use private care especially for Physiotherapy.... but the free NHS is the first port of call for the majority of people, and they will work as hard to save the life of a poor man as much as they will a rich man.. because they ( Doctors) don't care or even want to know who has money and who hasn't...
Currently the NHS is in crises, due sotly in part to the government and their lack of funding for new hospitals and also to the massive increase in immigrants in the last few years, using the system, and waiting lists are long, eg ( a year or more for a knee or hip replacement ).. but it's always been until recently the best free care in the world.. and hopefully we'll get back to that before too long..
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hollydolly
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- London England
sorry, Lilac, ignore my last question to you... just saw this...so he did have to pay? ..he had to pay Insurance premiums.. otherwise he would have had to pay out of pocket...so not free at point of use ... like ours.
We pay for the NHS out of our salaries. To save me from rambling on... look here it describes it......but do bear in mind, even those who have never worked a day in their lives... and of course children.. are still entitled to all the care available without out of pocket costs or medical insurance
https://www.kingsfund.org.uk/insight-and-analysis/data-and-charts/nhs-budget-nutshell
Twostep
Well-known Member
- Location
- Tiny town Oklahoma, OK
Similar with Mumsy this fall.
Surgeon wanted to go through with quadruple bypass the morning after diagnosis but SO begged for two days to tie up loose ends.
Medical appointments generally within 24 hours. Diagnostics as well. Specialty appointments from 24 hours to a week.
When I was younger, I had no need for medical insurance, although I was covered by jobs. Being covered by jobs is the worst thing, I think, because we all can't be in jobs with health insurance, and we all can't be working. So, always against healthcare tied to a job.
After my husband died, lost coverage from his job. Had been put on expensive diabetic meds before his death. Remember paying a fortune out of pocket for that. Then, got job w/health insurance in Massachusetts, so only suffered for short time.
Now, with Medicare & pt. D I am ok.
After my husband died, lost coverage from his job. Had been put on expensive diabetic meds before his death. Remember paying a fortune out of pocket for that. Then, got job w/health insurance in Massachusetts, so only suffered for short time.
Now, with Medicare & pt. D I am ok.
Lilac
Well-known Member
- Location
- Flyover Country
The secondary insurance payment is about $150 a month. He can go to the doctor any time for any service needed.
You are still paying an "insurance premium" with NHS, but your bill payment is taken directly out of your paycheck you get it. We just get the bill in the mail once a month. We have the choice of which insurance company we want to have based on what services/doctors we are looking for.
Some people here, like my brother, thinks health care is free in Europe. What isn't understood by him & the others is that everyone is still paying insurance premiums, but in a different manner either out of a paycheck or by being taxed.
People without insurance who don't have the ability to pay still get healthcare. Two friends who worked as ER doctors their entire careers, one just retired & the other about 10 years ago, said no one is turned away.
hollydolly
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- London England
yes but we don't pay £150 a month out of our paychecks for the NHS alone ..at least most people don't... ..that's a lot
Lilac
Well-known Member
- Location
- Flyover Country
What's the percentage taken out of each paycheck for NHS? Also, how much does each person pay in taxes that goes towards NHS? I didn't see that on the link unless I overlooked it.
hollydolly
SF VIP
- Location
- London England
we can't break it down easily like that..because aproximately a third is taken out for National Insurance , and Taxes.. all bundled together..However anyone earning less than £240 per week.. don't pay any at all... or self employed if profits are less than £6,500 per year..ther's also a ceiling on how much is taken regardless of how much we earn...
..but long story short, the average wage earner.. above £240 per week.. pays approx 4.5% of their monthly salary toward the NHS...
At retirement then there's no requirement to pay anything more...
CooCooforCoCoPuffs
Senior Member
Well of course she gave up smoking
.... she didn't even have cancer; it was due to her age she was denied. That is under Medicare - a government system of health care all Americans pay into during employment. The other system of health care insurance in the US is called Medicaid, which is for those who are any age, disabled, or too poor to afford health insurance and are willing to accept restrictions to qualify for Medicaid.
Till the ex-ray comes back and shows you need one...lol,
While living in South Australia, I was happy to see that their health-care was modeled after Canada's. It made it easy for me. Further, in some areas, they were above our standards .. especially when I was in hospital a few times. That was over a decade ago, so, things may have changed. I hope not.
CooCooforCoCoPuffs
Senior Member
There IS healthcare available for everyone in the US who qualifies by income.
There is no place in the entire planet that has "free" health care.
The US spends more than several trillion dollars a year to provide necessary healthcare for JUST poor people in the US who cannot afford their own health care plan, and this includes only a portion of the elderly long term care in nursing homes or qualified elderly private group home providers.
There are various systems of "government" health care, but essentially, they are either income, age, or disability based care systems. It takes a degree to understand how it works, but it works fairly well.
At times people disparage things they don't understand or don't like; but the American system gives Americans some of the best health care in the world, and other people from other countries come to the US because of this high quality health care. Other countries have high quality health care also - but it is always paid for by someone in some way. The more homogeneous a population is, the easier it is to provide health care for various reasons best left for another discussion.
In America, first there is Medicare which is 100% Federally sponsored and most Americans are required to pay into Medicare via "FICA" (Federal Insurance Contribution Act); those who do not, must pay into another system but they do not pay twice for Federal sponsored systems.
The FICA system requires all employees in the US pay into the FICA sponsored system, which is then split into a disability insurance (SSD and SSDI), old age insurance (Medicare) OR another Federal employee system. Veterans and the military are part of yet another Federal system, but they are all interrelated with other systems in some way to cover retired veterans. Anyone who has done honorable service in the US military is eligible for some sort of VA health care, up to 3-4 systems.
To be eligible for Medicare one must have paid from wages over a certain number of months
over a lifetime to qualify for care. Medicare consists of Part A (hospital services) and Part B (physician services/ancillary health care services). You must be either qualified for Social Security disability income for two years or at least age of 65 to use Medicare.
There is also Medicaid, which is government (both Federal and State) sponsored healthcare.
INCOME is usually the factor which disallows one to be on the government based medical program called Medicaid.
Medicaid is a system which is funded by BOTH federal and state governments and is NOT based on age, but on an American citizen's INCOME and ASSETS available to them for health care. The feds provide part of the funds to pay medical bills and the states pay another part to pay medical bills. Each state in the US receives Federal funds based on the rate numbers of poor in each state and income of the population. In addition, if a state wants the federal funding they must follow Federal guidelines.
If a state as a whole, has more poor population, they will get more Federal funds to pay for healthcare for the poor/disabled/unemployable. If a state is a "rich" state, such as California they will get no more than 50% funding via the Federal government.
A state is considered "rich" IF there is a large number of well employed, high wage earning, well off people in the state vs poor persons). This is why California has so many homeless: the benefits for the poor are higher because there are more taxpayers with high incomes paying high taxes - and the climate/poor services provided by taxpaying employed persons.
This is why California has also LOST more middle/high income, but high tax paying people and businesses in the last 10 years: they are tired of paying so much into taxes in California, which has a highest income tax bracket of 12.3% on married couples whereas the average is 8.9% in CA. Massachusetts has a flat rate of 5% up to 1 million dollars in income per year. Seven states have zero income tax. Many states only have sliding scale tax rates (lower incomes pay 0 to 2% in state tax, higher income earners pay a higher percentage; EACH state has a different scale.
Myquest55
Member
- Location
- Happily in MAINE
I'm in the US but still want to compare a bit. I had my youngest son in 1988, in Scotland and it was much more relaxed and easy (even though he was 10 lbs) than the US military hospitals. Dr. kept a close eye on any test results but didn't do the UNNECESSARY the military does to cover their butts.
DH left the USNavy after 12 yrs and we had job-insurance until 65. Now retired on Medicare with a $0 premium Advantage plan, and since COVID my regular checkups have gone smoothly. I've had two knee replacements (I paid a small portion of each) and both eyes had cataract surgery (free) in a timely manner. I have noticed that medical EVERYwhere is short staffed and initial appointments are farther and farther out.
Not sure what to expect from here on.
DH left the USNavy after 12 yrs and we had job-insurance until 65. Now retired on Medicare with a $0 premium Advantage plan, and since COVID my regular checkups have gone smoothly. I've had two knee replacements (I paid a small portion of each) and both eyes had cataract surgery (free) in a timely manner. I have noticed that medical EVERYwhere is short staffed and initial appointments are farther and farther out.
Not sure what to expect from here on.
Murrmurr
SF VIP
- Location
- Sacramento, California
Medical care is free to Americans who live on limited income, receive social services, and/or live on "the poverty line" (it's a generous line).
Beginning one year ago, low-income Americans have had to wait about 3 to 6 months longer for services (such as a hip replacement) than they used to. That's because one year ago, free medical services were hooked up to other free services - dental, vision, hearing, and nutrition - and the transition has been a bumpy one.
Hopefully, the problems will get all ironed out soon.
Twostep
Well-known Member
- Location
- Tiny town Oklahoma, OK
It depends on what services you want. I do not mind our premiums considering the fact that within the last six years SO had two major surgeries and four minor ones with up to six months rehab. Private hospital rooms including bed for family, physical therapy at home and then three times a week, follow ups by phycisians not staff, 24/7 physician hot line, follow ups on a regular basis. Co-pay per incident $125.
No wait times, 24/7 pharmacy, consierge service.
CooCooforCoCoPuffs
Senior Member
One can expect delayed care times to become longer and care to be less diligent.
This is due to
a) persons born between 1940 and 1965 aging and the health care system having to deal with more and more chronic illnesses in the over 55 groups;
b) health practitioners are becoming swamped, pushing appointments and procedures further and further out on calendars;
c) physician practices used to be mostly stand alone in the U.S. more and more frequently in the US, when physicians complete training they enter practice groups governed/managed by corporations. Those corporations see time as money and will manage how much time and expense a physician can grant to each patient;
d) patients will need to be seen by lower echelon practitioners (I think NHS is already at this level); as it is right now most Americans see a physician's assistant (highly educated in life sciences) OR a nurse practitioner (not as difficult to become as a Physician's Assistant in US; BEFORE seeing a physician; a physician manages (signs off on) a set (number of) lower echelon practitioners.
I predict that typical Registered Nurses, one step down from Nurse Practitioners will soon be hired to work under Nurse Practitioners, and in fact some do...but a physician license is required in the US to be the licensed professional who signs off on Registered Nurses (this may have change recently, however).
Corporations more and more lobby these days for even "Medical Technicians" or "CNAs" to be care providers. Medical Technicians (EMTs/Paramedics) is how the military manages much care, using technicians rather than licensed professionals..however, the population they do manage are very simple to solve medical issues and very healthy military members). I would never want to be managed by anyone without a professional license displayed on their name tag in the US. Employees of some doctor practices pose (pretend or act) as if they are a "Nurse" when in fact they are not a professional nurse. In the US ALWAYS ask if the person who is examining you, or asking you medically related questions hold a professional license and what that license is.
To solve the issue of the health care crunch they need to found and fund: 1) more medical schools; 2) more nursing schools; and 3) lower the length of time to become a general practitioner/nurse practitioner/physician's assistant with a limited skill set, restricted to the most in demand areas of health care - such as geriatrics and pediatrics, family practice.
Lilac
Well-known Member
- Location
- Flyover Country
Our primary care is from a nurse practitioner that we have seen for years. The office she was originally in with the MD expanded & she moved to the new location & we followed her. She is technically still under the MD who stayed in the first location.
Hubby & I see a few Orthopedists that also have PAs that work for them. Depending on what the visit is for, we see one or the other. No problems with the PAs them either.
The PA & Nurse Practitioners pretty much go through the same school/training as a MD. Can't remember when exactly, but apparently they have added more hoops to become a PA or NP.
I also had some great nurses the last time I had to stay in the hospital. I was throwing up for 30 hours & none of the meds they gave me wouldn't stopped it. The nurses had enough experience that when they seen what was going on, both said I needed a nasogastric (NG) tube. They told the on duty doctor to write up the orders so they could do it. Within a few minutes of getting the NG tube with the bile being pumped out, I finally stopped.
Teacher Terry
Well-known Member
Medicare is not cheap. Part B is going up to 185/month in January. Then you need a supplement plan that often increases in price yearly as you age. Now at 70 I’m paying 198/month and then you need to pay for part D which is your drug prescription plan.
Twostep
Well-known Member
- Location
- Tiny town Oklahoma, OK
You have not had to deal with Irmaa?
Personally I am not taking any meds anymore. A relief. What insurance paid to get my hormones under control is unbelievable.
I have to agree with this. I do believe most Americans would find it very difficult not to have medical issues dealt with quickly. I know I would.
Teacher Terry
Well-known Member
Two step, no Irmaa doesn’t apply in my case.
Locally we have a doctor shortage and if you are a new patient it takes 6 months to get an appointment with a neurologist for example. I waited 3 months to see a ENT.
Locally we have a doctor shortage and if you are a new patient it takes 6 months to get an appointment with a neurologist for example. I waited 3 months to see a ENT.
Twostep
Well-known Member
- Location
- Tiny town Oklahoma, OK
Count your blessings.
I am sorry you are going through such delays in AZ. SO had a cat scan with "something" on it. He was called if he could make it back to the lab immediately. Which he did.
Knight
Well-known Member
Seems to me comparing different health care systems is like 12 blind men touching different parts of an elephant & declaring the part they touch to be an accurate description.
There wasn't a specific targeted time, age, insured by an employer, poverty level, wealthy to compare. How about narrowing it down to compare age eligible for Medicare & Medicaid vs. what the equivalent is in Australia, the UK, Canada & any other country people have 1st. hand knowledge of.
I understand this was directed to Australia & the U K but with world wide posters some insight into their care could be interesting.
There wasn't a specific targeted time, age, insured by an employer, poverty level, wealthy to compare. How about narrowing it down to compare age eligible for Medicare & Medicaid vs. what the equivalent is in Australia, the UK, Canada & any other country people have 1st. hand knowledge of.
I understand this was directed to Australia & the U K but with world wide posters some insight into their care could be interesting.
hollydolly
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- Location
- London England
as i'e said before ..we don't have medical isnurance as a need here for medical services of any kind for any age.. so regardless of age, we are all entitled to free at point of use.. medical treatment ..that does not include dental.. although dental is highly subsidised.. and children, and those in very dire poverty are entitled to free treatment.
however with dental..there are now fewer dentist offering NHS treatment than ever before.. and people are now paying high premiums for private dentists...those who cannot afford private dental treatment .. are left without care, in many cases.. because they have no access to an NHS dentist in their area.
We've read many stories about people pulling their own teeth because they cannot access any affordable dentist in their area.. and or their simple are no dentists availabel to them.
Stories about people queuing around the block when a new dentist opens so they can register are now becoming almost the norm in some parts of the country
Look at the video taken in feb this year in Bristol west o england... of people queuing in the hope of being registered with a newly opened dentist....
Queue for new dentist got so big that police had to be called in