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Author Topic:   Universal Health Care
Heathen
Member (Idle past 1283 days)
Posts: 1067
From: Brizzle
Joined: 09-20-2005


Message 16 of 33 (315470)
05-26-2006 5:43 PM
Reply to: Message 15 by iano
05-26-2006 5:35 PM


Iano,
I'm paying about $70 per month for a catastrophic plan, which mean I'll get f*ck all really, basic emergency healthcare, but no prescriptions, doctors visits, or pre-existing conditions, (which is a killer seeing as I'm asthmatic).
It would cost me twice that for a 'comprehensive policy'
haven't had to get prescriptions yet (I brought A supply of inhalers with me) but I will have to soon, not looking fwd to it.
the problem I find here as opposed to UK/Ireland is that it's hard to get impartial advice, every inch of healthcare is privately owned and profit driven.. so any advice you get is aimed at trying to get you to buy a product or a service.
or maybe I'm too cynical

This message is a reply to:
 Message 15 by iano, posted 05-26-2006 5:35 PM iano has replied

Replies to this message:
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jar
Member (Idle past 394 days)
Posts: 34026
From: Texas!!
Joined: 04-20-2004


Message 17 of 33 (315471)
05-26-2006 5:47 PM
Reply to: Message 15 by iano
05-26-2006 5:35 PM


In general it costs two to three times more than that at a very basic level. My health insurance cost is about $4000.00 (my personal share for single coverage, the company I retired from also pays part of the costs in addition to that amount) and does not cover dental care, preventive care, has a $500.00 deductable, covers only 60-80% of scheduled costs and anything above scheduled costs I get to pay for. Everything except immediat life threatening emergencies requires pre-approval which can take anything from a day to three weeks. If approval is not given I am responsible for 100% of the costs. The rules to determine what is covered and not covered are about 120 pages long.

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

This message is a reply to:
 Message 15 by iano, posted 05-26-2006 5:35 PM iano has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 18 by Heathen, posted 05-26-2006 5:50 PM jar has not replied
 Message 20 by iano, posted 05-26-2006 6:16 PM jar has replied

  
Heathen
Member (Idle past 1283 days)
Posts: 1067
From: Brizzle
Joined: 09-20-2005


Message 18 of 33 (315472)
05-26-2006 5:50 PM
Reply to: Message 17 by jar
05-26-2006 5:47 PM


Yeah, I was bewildered when I had to choose a plan upon arriving here,
I suspect that's not by coincidence..

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iano
Member (Idle past 1940 days)
Posts: 6165
From: Co. Wicklow, Ireland.
Joined: 07-27-2005


Message 19 of 33 (315473)
05-26-2006 5:55 PM
Reply to: Message 16 by Heathen
05-26-2006 5:43 PM


Basic emergency? What does that do? You mean if you fall of the bike and arrive at the hospital without cover they won't see you or something??

This message is a reply to:
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Replies to this message:
 Message 27 by nator, posted 05-27-2006 7:14 AM iano has not replied

  
iano
Member (Idle past 1940 days)
Posts: 6165
From: Co. Wicklow, Ireland.
Joined: 07-27-2005


Message 20 of 33 (315474)
05-26-2006 6:16 PM
Reply to: Message 17 by jar
05-26-2006 5:47 PM


Its not often I say it but FUCK!
The basic tax for healthcare/unemployment welfare is a 5% tax on your wages (after tax free allowances are deducted)
After that, most basic stuff is free. Say dental: You get cleaning, fillings, extractions, dentures and other basics for nothing. If you decide you want a cap instead of a denture then the gov pays half. I got a cap on a front tooth recently. Cost $1200 and I get half of that back.
A&E is walk in. If you've sliced the tip of your finger with a chisel and don't want to go to the doctor you'll pay $50 at A&E. This just to dissuade people from using it as a GP service (which is gumming up the works). But if your non-elective accident then your treated for free. I got burnt bad on the leg a few years back and got all A&E treatment free and a week long stay in a specialist burns unit for a skin graft for nothing.
Mostly private results in a bit of queue skipping and a nicer room with more tv channels. $500 gets you all manner of stuff from half price GP visits (about $60 without health care plan), physio, phsyco etc
A medical card kicks in for all low waged; free doctors visits, free prescrptions etc. The cut off level is reasonably high considering whats on offer
For drugs you only have to pay up to a limit per month which again isn't crippling for most. If you have a running requirment then any more that (something like $50 per month) and the drugs are free
For all that the health care system is in crisis. Alcohol/drug related stuff accounts for a large proportion of A&E entry. And it doesn't matter what health plan you've got (unless you go very, very private), if a drunk has gotten his face slashed in a fight then he goes first and you wait. And there are a lot of drunks these days - Irelands new found wealth has a kick in the tail!

This message is a reply to:
 Message 17 by jar, posted 05-26-2006 5:47 PM jar has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 21 by macaroniandcheese, posted 05-26-2006 6:31 PM iano has not replied
 Message 22 by jar, posted 05-26-2006 6:41 PM iano has not replied
 Message 23 by nator, posted 05-26-2006 8:08 PM iano has not replied
 Message 24 by anglagard, posted 05-26-2006 10:15 PM iano has not replied

  
macaroniandcheese 
Suspended Member (Idle past 3927 days)
Posts: 4258
Joined: 05-24-2004


Message 21 of 33 (315476)
05-26-2006 6:31 PM
Reply to: Message 20 by iano
05-26-2006 6:16 PM


haha wow. sounds like a walk in the park. i have government tricare insurance cause my dad was in the military. in september it runs out when i turn 23 (and am no longer "a dependant"). at which point i'm too accident and sinus prone to go without. if i pay for the tricare (which is 100% doctor and prescriptions for military hospitals and 85% of outside care) it's $900 per quarter. homg. i can get student insurance through the school which is $900 per year. much better. that covers all things provided at the student clinic and anything refered out from them. but i'm not sure about emergency stuff.
the area i'm in, walk-in clinic visits (pre-insured. you have to pay and they give you a receipt to send to your insurer to be refunded) are $100 for just a check-up.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 20 by iano, posted 05-26-2006 6:16 PM iano has not replied

  
jar
Member (Idle past 394 days)
Posts: 34026
From: Texas!!
Joined: 04-20-2004


Message 22 of 33 (315477)
05-26-2006 6:41 PM
Reply to: Message 20 by iano
05-26-2006 6:16 PM


And that $4000.00 is just my premiums. It does not include any deductibles, co-payments, dental costs, over the counter medications, transportation costs, the costs that the employer pays, lost time, unemployement insurance or incidental expenses.

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

This message is a reply to:
 Message 20 by iano, posted 05-26-2006 6:16 PM iano has not replied

  
nator
Member (Idle past 2169 days)
Posts: 12961
From: Ann Arbor
Joined: 12-09-2001


Message 23 of 33 (315492)
05-26-2006 8:08 PM
Reply to: Message 20 by iano
05-26-2006 6:16 PM


oh, man, I've never had dental coverage except when I was a child. Same for optical.
I was paying about $160/month for your basic HMO coverage for the two of us at my last job, which my employer paid part of and I paid the rest. That means pretty much what jar described.
I'd also like to mention that getting an appointment for something very annoying and painful but not life threatening means a wait of several weeks at least, and a yearly ob/gyn or general exam is usually a 2-3 month wait.
Edited by schrafinator, : No reason given.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 20 by iano, posted 05-26-2006 6:16 PM iano has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 25 by macaroniandcheese, posted 05-26-2006 10:17 PM nator has not replied

  
anglagard
Member (Idle past 836 days)
Posts: 2339
From: Socorro, New Mexico USA
Joined: 03-18-2006


Message 24 of 33 (315512)
05-26-2006 10:15 PM
Reply to: Message 20 by iano
05-26-2006 6:16 PM


Here in West Texas, working for the state and county, I pay $3500/yr for family, college matches. No dental, emergency room $100 plus 20% of all costs regardless, hospitalization $100 per day, prescription copay varies from $10 to $55, deductible $100 for drugs.
The system in the US may have been designed to establish feudalism and serfdom as it is gradually destroying the middle class. Not just day-to-day costs, but even any hope of inheritance. Have mother and mother-in-law that will consume entire estate of each in rest home.
Reform is difficult because drug and insurance companies make massive profits to be distributed among rich shareholders and to buy politicians and advertising time in media to prevent questioning of gravy train. Have the ridiculous situation where 1/2 of all TV adds either government announcements of "dont do drugs" or "take X to make you healthy, happy, sane, sexy, sleepy, hairy, or horny."
No incentive for preventitive medicine causes overall per capita costs to be greater than rest of world. Absurd amount of regulation and paperwork also subtract from health care and overall economy.
[rant]Manipulative politicians prefer to dodge issue and sucker people with emotional issues of perpetual warfare, gay marriage, and abortion. IMHO some are against abortion just to have pleasure of seeing non-rich die of preventable causes later. [/rant]
Decent and workable health care system proven to work in other nations, time far overdue for US to examine what works and do what they do.
Edited by anglagard, : clarity

This message is a reply to:
 Message 20 by iano, posted 05-26-2006 6:16 PM iano has not replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 26 by nator, posted 05-27-2006 7:11 AM anglagard has not replied
 Message 32 by EZscience, posted 05-31-2006 5:41 PM anglagard has not replied

  
macaroniandcheese 
Suspended Member (Idle past 3927 days)
Posts: 4258
Joined: 05-24-2004


Message 25 of 33 (315515)
05-26-2006 10:17 PM
Reply to: Message 23 by nator
05-26-2006 8:08 PM


i have a dental discount plan, but not coverage. and omg the wait to be seen at student death...

This message is a reply to:
 Message 23 by nator, posted 05-26-2006 8:08 PM nator has not replied

  
nator
Member (Idle past 2169 days)
Posts: 12961
From: Ann Arbor
Joined: 12-09-2001


Message 26 of 33 (315556)
05-27-2006 7:11 AM
Reply to: Message 24 by anglagard
05-26-2006 10:15 PM


quote:
Have the ridiculous situation where 1/2 of all TV adds either government announcements of "dont do drugs" or "take X to make you healthy, happy, sane, sexy, sleepy, hairy, or horny."
Don't forget "skinny".

This message is a reply to:
 Message 24 by anglagard, posted 05-26-2006 10:15 PM anglagard has not replied

  
nator
Member (Idle past 2169 days)
Posts: 12961
From: Ann Arbor
Joined: 12-09-2001


Message 27 of 33 (315557)
05-27-2006 7:14 AM
Reply to: Message 19 by iano
05-26-2006 5:55 PM


quote:
Basic emergency? What does that do? You mean if you fall of the bike and arrive at the hospital without cover they won't see you or something??
No, what he means is that only major medical situations are covered, and then, not completely.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 19 by iano, posted 05-26-2006 5:55 PM iano has not replied

  
RAZD
Member (Idle past 1405 days)
Posts: 20714
From: the other end of the sidewalk
Joined: 03-14-2004


Message 28 of 33 (315567)
05-27-2006 8:07 AM
Reply to: Message 8 by SuperNintendo Chalmers
05-26-2006 4:25 PM


Re: Dispelling myths - Current System NOT working
The US manages to spend the most per patient of any of the G7 yet pretty much delivers the lowest quality of care.
This has got to be a clear and unbiased message that the current system in the US is NOT working. It isn't cost effective and it isn't health effective.
Virtually the only thing it is effective at is making CEO's of HMO's wealthy.
We've seen the republican model for health care and IT DOES NOT WORK.
Enjoy ... if you can.

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This message is a reply to:
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Tusko
Member (Idle past 101 days)
Posts: 615
From: London, UK
Joined: 10-01-2004


Message 29 of 33 (315595)
05-27-2006 10:54 AM
Reply to: Message 12 by Heathen
05-26-2006 4:46 PM


Rose Tattoo
I don't think it is very common to be able to get tattoo removal on the UK NHS...
BBC - 404: Not Found
You might be referring to a particular case that was in our news recently of a person who was finding their gender reassignment was being compromised (and a significant amount of distress was being caused) by their "masculine" tattoos. I believe this individual was given the opportunity to have the offending tattoos removed as a result of these rather untypical circumstances.
I don't disupte the mismanagement though.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 12 by Heathen, posted 05-26-2006 4:46 PM Heathen has not replied

  
jar
Member (Idle past 394 days)
Posts: 34026
From: Texas!!
Joined: 04-20-2004


Message 30 of 33 (316399)
05-30-2006 8:46 PM


New report shows Canadians Healtier than Americans.
The news today had an interesting report...
Canadians are healthier than Americans, have better access to health care and have fewer unmet health needs, a new study of both countries reveals.
from Forbes
So it really does look like Universal Healthcare is the way to go.

Aslan is not a Tame Lion

Replies to this message:
 Message 31 by EZscience, posted 05-31-2006 5:32 PM jar has not replied

  
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