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Split off discussion of differences in healthcare systems
- Thread starter RayfromTX
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I've seen that or similar data before.
When you look at the USA and healthcare, the only thing you can surmise, is that lobbying has far too much power within the political system. It makes no sense to continue with a system that is so expensive and so ineffective.
America is a country of contradictions.
Every country has their own system with its complexities. Finland is usually associated with the socialist medical group, but differs somewhat from other Nordic countries or Netherlands which have extremely wide public covarage.
Basically the public healthcare should cover "all healthcare", but at least the following is NOT covered:
Adult dental care
Vision except serious serious eye diseases and emergencies. Cataract surgery is on the borderline, basically covered but in reality often paid privately due to poor availability.
Most of rehabilitation
Second opinions
(a large number of treatments usually covered by US insurance policies but considered non-evidence based, unnecessary, cosmetic an so on...)
Public healthcare does charge a co-pay for visits with an annual ceiling of 683 euros. Medication costs are counted as co-pay, medication costs exceeding the ceiling are covered.
What is covered with reasonably good availability:
Treatment of major trauma and serious disease.
Emergencies
Your visit to our only recompression chamber.
Coverage and availablity often match poorly. More than half of families with children (over 2/3rds in the capital metropolitan area) have a private health insurance for their children, usually to get better access to specialist outpatient care.
Private accident insurances and sports insurances are ubiquitous. There are also statutory insurances for occupational healthcare and traffic accidents, with a complex interplay with private and public healthcare providers.
markmud
Self Reliant Diver--On All Dives.
markmud
Self Reliant Diver--On All Dives.
Hi Gareth,
At the point of use, my healthcare is free. Sometimes I have to pay a co-pay for regular stuff. But, otherwise, I flash my healthcare card and I am admitted.
Optometry and one pair of glasses per year are free at the point of use.
Dental cleanings and one x-ray set are free per year at the point of use.
I get to choose my doctors and services. Do you?
My point is, no system is perfect. Our system needs a comprehensive overhaul of laws that govern the system. The government is the biggest problem with our system.
I know of many articles detailing the basic issues that have been associated with NHS. Mostly low end sanitation and bed availability issues. Your government does respond to those issues it seems. But we don't have chronic sanitation nor bed availability issues here.
In our country, whether you can afford it or not, you get healthcare. It is the law.
No system is perfect. Yours has its issues as all of the others do.
For top line healthcare procedures, people from around the world come to the US because we have the most cutting edge procedures in most every city without rationing.
We do pay for it though.
markm
At the point of use under what conditions? Why do people need to be insured if it free? To get to choose whether to go to hospital A or B? Hundreds or thousands of USD seems unnecessary for that.
I get some choice if being treated by the NHS, basically which hospital I get referred to. Since I have no idea how to choose between them I usually base that on how easy they are to get to. I use exactly the same plan if the insurance is paying for it. If I think it might be serious I am going with the NHS. Those are the full scale 24/7 facilities with big teams and proper everything. The private hospitals are ok for simple stuff but are an order of magnitude smaller. Nobody is going there following a car crash. Straightforward hip replacement, yes.
Cleaning was the first thing to be privatised in the NHS, starting in 1983. The results were fewer hours spent doing it and a correlation with MRSA. The initial push was those sorts of ancillary services. One of the strengths of the scale of the NHS ought to be its monopoly consumer position. It really could do a better job cheaper than any commercial supplier but that doesn’t seem to be allowed now.
At the point of use, my healthcare is free. Sometimes I have to pay a co-pay for regular stuff. But, otherwise, I flash my healthcare card and I am admitted.
Optometry and one pair of glasses per year are free at the point of use.
Dental cleanings and one x-ray set are free per year at the point of use.
I get to choose my doctors and services. Do you?
My point is, no system is perfect. Our system needs a comprehensive overhaul of laws that govern the system. The government is the biggest problem with our system.
I know of many articles detailing the basic issues that have been associated with NHS. Mostly low end sanitation and bed availability issues. Your government does respond to those issues it seems. But we don't have chronic sanitation nor bed availability issues here.
In our country, whether you can afford it or not, you get healthcare. It is the law.
No system is perfect. Yours has its issues as all of the others do.
For top line healthcare procedures, people from around the world come to the US because we have the most cutting edge procedures in most every city without rationing.
We do pay for it though.
markm[/QUOTE]
Hello Mark
I am cautious with my answers because in truth I seldom use the medical services in the UK, so have little experience. I guess as an adult male of working age, although now in my 50's I am still relatively low risk of needing medical intervention.
I have a local surgery in my village with 5 Doctors, this is the surgery I am registered at so, general medical matters I would go here, unless I am away elsewhere in the country. There are similar surgeries in the two adjoining villages, one of which I used to be registered at, prior to moving to my current location.
I also have the benefit of geography, in that I have a world leader in heart surgery locally (which my late partner chose to be refereed to when she had a suspected heart issue). I am also mid way between a world leading teaching hospital, in Cambridge, a second hospital in the other direction which my father was taken to when he had a bursts aortal aneurism, which in 90% of cases is fatal, thankfully he is still with us.
To be honest, not being in medicine, I would have no idea how to select a specialist consultant for medical care. I would rely on my GP, and the hospital team to advise me. I don't have the expert knowledge to 'choose' a consultant.
I have never had to provide any form of identification when seeking medical care in the UK. I've done the odd bit of walking wounded stuff, concussion, mild head injury, broken limbs, serious lacerations and the like. A couple of ambulance rides. I think all have been recreational injuries, mounting biking, rugby and other sports injuries. The only diving injury the springs to mind is a diver landed on my head entering the water. But that was only concussion and 10 stitches, but did mean they wouldn't let me dive for two days
.
The only experience of more serious matters is really with my parents, in particular my father, cancer scares, heart issues etc. The care he has received has been very quick and good. As it happens he's got an appointment with a specialist Wednesday, having seen his GP Friday with an issue they want to check out, but he is almost 90, so health problems at his age are not a surprise.
Funnily enough my mum (in her 70s) had a blue light ride (ambulance), a couple of years ago after her pony threw her. She walked into the local doctors, after putting the pony back in the paddock, and as a precaution they insisted she went to the hospital. She did look like she had done a round with Mike Tyson once the bruising and swelling came out.
Gareth
Optometry and one pair of glasses per year are free at the point of use.
Dental cleanings and one x-ray set are free per year at the point of use.
I get to choose my doctors and services. Do you?
My point is, no system is perfect. Our system needs a comprehensive overhaul of laws that govern the system. The government is the biggest problem with our system.
I know of many articles detailing the basic issues that have been associated with NHS. Mostly low end sanitation and bed availability issues. Your government does respond to those issues it seems. But we don't have chronic sanitation nor bed availability issues here.
In our country, whether you can afford it or not, you get healthcare. It is the law.
No system is perfect. Yours has its issues as all of the others do.
For top line healthcare procedures, people from around the world come to the US because we have the most cutting edge procedures in most every city without rationing.
We do pay for it though.
markm[/QUOTE]
Hello Mark
I am cautious with my answers because in truth I seldom use the medical services in the UK, so have little experience. I guess as an adult male of working age, although now in my 50's I am still relatively low risk of needing medical intervention.
I have a local surgery in my village with 5 Doctors, this is the surgery I am registered at so, general medical matters I would go here, unless I am away elsewhere in the country. There are similar surgeries in the two adjoining villages, one of which I used to be registered at, prior to moving to my current location.
I also have the benefit of geography, in that I have a world leader in heart surgery locally (which my late partner chose to be refereed to when she had a suspected heart issue). I am also mid way between a world leading teaching hospital, in Cambridge, a second hospital in the other direction which my father was taken to when he had a bursts aortal aneurism, which in 90% of cases is fatal, thankfully he is still with us.
To be honest, not being in medicine, I would have no idea how to select a specialist consultant for medical care. I would rely on my GP, and the hospital team to advise me. I don't have the expert knowledge to 'choose' a consultant.
I have never had to provide any form of identification when seeking medical care in the UK. I've done the odd bit of walking wounded stuff, concussion, mild head injury, broken limbs, serious lacerations and the like. A couple of ambulance rides. I think all have been recreational injuries, mounting biking, rugby and other sports injuries. The only diving injury the springs to mind is a diver landed on my head entering the water. But that was only concussion and 10 stitches, but did mean they wouldn't let me dive for two days
. The only experience of more serious matters is really with my parents, in particular my father, cancer scares, heart issues etc. The care he has received has been very quick and good. As it happens he's got an appointment with a specialist Wednesday, having seen his GP Friday with an issue they want to check out, but he is almost 90, so health problems at his age are not a surprise.
Funnily enough my mum (in her 70s) had a blue light ride (ambulance), a couple of years ago after her pony threw her. She walked into the local doctors, after putting the pony back in the paddock, and as a precaution they insisted she went to the hospital. She did look like she had done a round with Mike Tyson once the bruising and swelling came out.
Gareth
StefinSB
Contributor
I get to choose my doctors? In theory, yes. Try to get an appointment for a specialist here. That person is usually not available for months and you simply take the one that can see you sooner.
Just because the US typically uses lots of expensive equipment, doesn’t make the healthcare any better. And don’t get me started on the price of medication. Just paid $50 bucks copay(!) for a tiny bottle of ear drops that probably cost $0.25 to produce.
