Question for Non-U.S. Oppos

"Dru" (therealkennyd)
12/08/2016 at 13:29 • Filed to: None

Quasi political so automotive buffer image.

The general consensus where I live, South Carolina so decidedly red state, is that National Healthcare systems like those in Canada, the U.K., Australia, etc can only be the work of the devil and are woefully inadequate compared to our own.

My personal belief is the opposite, and any empirical evidence I can find suggests that NHS are better on the whole. But moot point.

So, the question for you is, do you generally approve of your country’s healthcare system? Why or why not?

Bonus question for Canadians: have you ever purposely traveled to the United States for the express purpose of healthcare?

DISCUSSION (37)

Chinny Raccoon > Dru
12/08/2016 at 13:37

The NHS is good- obviously there are issues though. A friend of mine is going through a difficult time currently. Lots of the issues are down to underinvestment from central government in the past few years. We do have a government who seem to be very keen on breaking it up to put in a US style system.

I’ve not had to use it much myself, fortunately, but the knowledge that if I became ill I could get care at zero cost at the point of use is very reassuring. Any time I’ve had to visit a hospital- usually because of my own clumsiness it’s been quick and easy to get sorted.

bob and john > Dru
12/08/2016 at 13:38

Canadian: yes actually (well, my mom)

here is the thing with the canadian healthcare system. its free and it works...but it takes SO dam dam long...

When my mom tore the ligaments in her knee, the closest surgery slot to fix it ~6 months down the road. 2 months for the MRI scan.

for fucking real?!?! She went to the states, paid to do an MRi the next day, and got reimbursed by the insurance.

CB > Dru
12/08/2016 at 13:38

Canadian here, and it depends what you go in for. There are some long-ish wait times in emerge (I’ve waited four hours, but other people have had it worse) and on waitlists for procedures, but most stuff is “free”. I was hit in the eye on a Thursday, was diagnosed on Friday with a torn retina and told I could go blind, and had it lasered back together on Saturday. So, two days to have something fixed without paying a penny (other than through my taxes).

Others may have differing opinions, but I think it’s a pretty okay system.

And I have never travelled to the States for healthcare reasons, and would avoid doing so at all costs.

FSI - alcohol enthusiast with a car problem > Dru
12/08/2016 at 13:42

I never gave it a thought to be honest because it’s taken for granted. Our healthcare system is probably about 150 years old and has always worked well despite some flaws.

Leon711 > Dru
12/08/2016 at 13:43

It’s fine, there is also the option of private health plans too. Sometimes you will have a wait for an appointment to see a doctor, or you’ll have to wait for a procedure or diagnosis if it’s deemed not urgent but still necessary, but no one stands over your deathbed wondering where your money is gonna come from.

Considering they have to cater for 60+ million people with the amount of staff they have, the NHS is fine.

djmt1 > Dru
12/08/2016 at 13:48

I love the NHS and my time on Oppo has really shown how much I take it for granted. Once I had a whinge about having to wait a whole 10 days to get a free CT scan at my second closest hospital and about how inconvenienced I was having to take two free bus rides as opposed to one. Needless to say I got a bollocking from a bunch of Americans with various stories which my British mind could barely comprehend. To answer your question, I believe the NHS should be the benchmark for how a healthcare systems should work....

that said we should really stop allowing women to get breast implants on the NHS.

Lumpy44, Proprietor Of Fine Gif > Dru
12/08/2016 at 13:56

I am a Canuckistanian!

Can wait a long time in emerg or for surgery but there is increasing options if you don’t want to wait and pay for it.

Don’t see a need to ever go to ‘Merica for healthcare, maybe Mexico though!

vondon302 > Dru
12/08/2016 at 14:04

Not Canadian but have Canadian friends. The big bitch I hear is the taxes to pay for that

Tareim - V8 powered > Dru
12/08/2016 at 14:14

if it wasn’t for the NHS I would either be under a crippling amount of debt (having to pay for surgeries) or be stuck in excruciating pain so I’m very glad about having the NHS

Wacko > vondon302
12/08/2016 at 14:17

but we are used to the taxes, and when something happens, you are covered, lets say you loose your job and they find a cancer. it’s paid for. Only real draw back is the long wait times to be operated. but cancer is not the best example for wait times since they are generally short wait times for that.

I had to wait about 9 months to be operated on my knee.

Nick Has an Exocet > Dru
12/08/2016 at 14:22

I’m american but travel to the UK regularly. If you hurt yourself a bit or get sick (even an american visiting), NHS is great. Basically for anything you would do with your GP or emergency room is fine.

However, the more complex the problem, the more likely you are to die. A friend of mine has a family history of a particular type of cancer that if caught quickly, can be dealt with. She had a symptom but the test required a referral. The next available specialist was a 4-6 month wait. She spent 4 months waiting to find out if she had cancer.

That’s not okay.

Then when she actually went, he turned out to be a pretty crappy doctor who skipped steps. She had to make another appointment with another doctor which took 2 more months. She spent the better half of a year freaking the hell out.

Wacko > Dru
12/08/2016 at 14:23

as a canadian I approve of our universal healthcare system. meaning that we are all treated the same, rich or poor. you just have to wait.

I find for profit systems unfair. I would never travel to the united states for healthcare, mainly cause i couldn’t afford to.

we have 3 healthy children at home, and it’s good to know if something happens to them or my wife, i wont have to sell our house.

duurtlang > Dru
12/08/2016 at 14:26

The healthcare system where I live isn’t perfect. However, it’s absolutely fine. It’s something not to worry about, something to take for granted. When I need treatment I get treatment. Whether it’s cancer or merely a strong case of the flu. I most certainly wouldn’t want to trade with the US. I’d pay more and get less (or pay far, far more and get the same).

Downside is obviously that we do pay some tax for this system to work. For someone like me who’s never sick it’s not necessarily cost efficient. Right now, at my youngish age. I do hope to get older though, and with age come health issues. Per capita it’s a much cheaper system than what you guys have.

I live in the Netherlands.

S65 > Wacko
12/08/2016 at 14:27

what happened to your knee

Wacko > vondon302
12/08/2016 at 14:30

just for your information i am taxed almost 40% of my income, and pay a sales tax of over 15%. the more you make the higher tax rate you pay. on top of that we pay unemployment insurance, and government pension plan and here in quebec we also have a parental insurance plan. which gave me 5 weeks off paid and 1 year to my wife when we have a kid.

djmt1 > Nick Has an Exocet
12/08/2016 at 14:36

6 months? Considering you’re supposed to be seen with a fortnight, there must be more to this story because that does not reflect actual goings on within the NHS.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > S65
12/08/2016 at 14:39

I’m guessing an Arrow.

Wacko > S65
12/08/2016 at 14:39

meniscal tears, i skied a lot when i was younger (in the 80-90s)and basically always jumping and mongols. then as an adult just working, then one day i was on my knees changing a computer my knee just popped and was in extreme pain for weeks until i went to the hospital to get a cat scan they found 3 tears

Kinja'd!!!

vondon302 > Wacko
12/08/2016 at 15:18

Thx good info. My Windsor buddy said about the same and that you have to pay income tax twice a year.

Svend > Dru
12/08/2016 at 15:22

Okay from a British side of things.

I would say it’s great, not perfect by any means but for it’s cost and service I can’t fault it, much. Would it be nice to have better food in the hospital (which depends on the hospital as to how good, average or bad it is) and better care whilst in (again can go from great, good, average to almost non existent depending on the hospital).

Our service is getting stretched by obesity, ‘travelling patients’ (tourists who’s purpose is to use the free health care (that non British people are to pay for) and then skipping out on the bill) and agency bank staff that cost massively (sometimes seven times as much) over what the regular staff cost and is ironically made up of regular staff by doing their contract and then doing overtime not via HR but by going to an agency.

I can’t complain about the cost at all, sure in England we have to pay high prescription charges (I believe it’s £8 a time) (where they don’t in other parts of the U.K.) but should you have a requirement can pay a once a year fee of £90 a year a get any and all prescription enclosed in it (okay there would be some items that may get excluded but generally almost anything.

I work nights and it’s about £20,000 a year before/after tax.

Here’s my Income Tax breakdown from a year or two ago.

Kinja'd!!!

So may Income Tax and National Insurance Contributions came to less than £2,000 in that year, which is taking our of your paycheck a percentage each month.

(((I’m afraid I’m off to work in ten minutes and won’t be able to reply till 6:30am UTC/GMT when I get home as my ruddy mobile won’t play with Kinja)))

vondon302 > duurtlang
12/08/2016 at 15:22

American here very jealous. Just visited Amsterdam this summer. Lovely country great people made me really think about moving.

Wacko > vondon302
12/08/2016 at 15:28

don’t know about the twice a year thing, since like most Canadians the income tax is deducted on every pay.

Wacko > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
12/08/2016 at 15:29

no a moose!

duurtlang > vondon302
12/08/2016 at 15:33

I’m quite happy with where I live, although I might emigrate (German girlfriend...) next year. However, having visited 9 countries (USA included) this year alone there are more places I wouldn’t mind living. I don’t think the US would reach my top 5 out of those 9, but it’s not bad there either.

vondon302 > duurtlang
12/08/2016 at 15:35

Germany was really fun too. The thing with the States is were so big but 80 percent looks all the same.

vondon302 > Wacko
12/08/2016 at 15:39

Maybe he said proerty tax ? In the states it’s deducted every check but you still have to file every year.Speaking of property hows that?

Wacko > vondon302
12/08/2016 at 15:42

property taxes are municipal, so different in every city.

that i can pay twice a year or just once.

duurtlang > vondon302
12/08/2016 at 15:44

It was my first visit to the US, and I only visited New England. Mass, Maine, Vermont, Connecticut and Rhode Island. The landscape changed, the rest not much at all. Visiting cities, despite being the oldest in the US, wasn’t all that interesting after having seen a few. The lack of diversity did bother me a bit.

vondon302 > duurtlang
12/08/2016 at 15:49

Yeah cities are not our strong suit.

Phatboyphil > Dru
12/08/2016 at 16:02

One thing I’ll throw out here. When I had to research this for school. The reason Canda has longer wait times for surgery, is because most Canadian docs are general docs vs the US were most docs specialize in a area. So the long wait times are due to that, not the SPH.

TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts. > Wacko
12/08/2016 at 16:24

I don’t think that could be any more Canadian...

Wacko > TheBloody, Oppositelock lives on in our shitposts.
12/08/2016 at 16:27

that’s why i said it, but see my reply to S56 for real reason. But it does involve snow so still Canadian.

wiffleballtony > Dru
12/08/2016 at 18:50

My families experience with Canadian health care is that it’s fine for the smaller stuff, but if you need some specialty surgery you could be in for a wait.

wiffleballtony > bob and john
12/08/2016 at 18:52

That is exactly the experience my grandpa had for heart surgery.

Dusty Ventures > vondon302
12/08/2016 at 22:42

The taxes are a bitch, but if you have a significant medical issue (major broken bones, internal injuries, cancer, etc) those taxes would still cost less than the medical bills in the States. And they’re spread out over the course of your working life, as opposed to Stateside where you can get hit with a $50k+ bill all at once.

pip bip - choose Corrour > Dru
12/09/2016 at 04:40

As an Aussie I’ve got no complaints about our system, worked as it should do when my dad had his stroke

vondon302 > Dusty Ventures
12/09/2016 at 05:51

Too true. Medical benefits are more important than pay in the states.