Healthcare

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TheQuiet1

Rock n' Roll Doggie
Joined
Jul 10, 2005
Messages
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Location
N.Yorkshire UK
I want to know about healthcare in other nations. More specifically, I want to know what you actually pay for. Here (as far as I'm aware, I've only just left full time education you see so I've only just started to be charged for things) you pay for:

1. The dentist. At a reduced rate but so many people find it hard to get on the books of a NHS dentist they end up going private where instead of paying for per appointment you pay a fixed sum annually so if you've got teeth problems it works out better, if you don't then it will work out worse. (At least that's my understanding of it. Of my family we have two NHSers, a private and one with no dentist at all but conversations about the differences in dentist billing are, oddly enough, rare.)

2. Prescriptions. Some people are exempt (OAPs, those in full time education, and some illnesses. Diabetics for example don't have to pay but those on repeat prescription for say blood pressure tablets do. Doesn't seem fair but I suppose you need to draw the line somewhere). Also, everyone pays the same price for it (£6.50) regardless of what it is. (Is that £6.50 a national figure or a local one?)

I think that's about it but if anyone else can add anything to NHS charges then please do.

The NHS is funded through taxation but is it general taxation or National Insurance? Because I've read things that adamently say it is just tax, not NI but others say it is NI! :huh:

Providing healthcare is not the only role of the NHS it also provides the British media with front page news and also gives the British public something to moan about other than the weather :wink:

So what does everyone else out in the big wide world pay for then?
 
I'm in the US and I'm uninsured, so I pay for everything -- medical, dental, vision -- out of pocket.

Luckily I'm pretty healthy right now, so it's not too bad, but I better not get sick or hurt or I'm in trouble.

My current perscriptions cost between $15 and $50 for a 30 day supply. I find the best price (usually if I can swing a 100 day supply they cost less per pill, but sometimes that initial cost is steep), but it's all out of pocket also.
 
Another trick for pills that can be safely cut in two (ask your doctor) is to get a prescription for double dosage (often similar prices to lower dosages). Then of course, break the pills in two. :wink:
 
I'm in the US and my family is extremely lucky to have our health insurance premiums paid for by Mr. BAW's former employer. For the two of us and two dependents, our monthly premium is close to $500...right now, our share is $0 but will eventually change as we get older.

We pay $10 to see a doctor, $10 per prescription and $50 for emergency room visits. Surgery and hosptial visits cost nothing.

We have limited vision coverage...exams only, glasses and contacts aren't covered.

We pay $35 per month for a seperate dental insurance plan, which is pretty much useless. It only covers the most basic services and everything else is billed at full cost. For instance, silver fillings are only $25 each but if its a front tooth and you want a porcelain filling, those are $200 each.

Before I was married, I paid $395 per month for health insurance for myself only. It was an 80/20 plan, meaning I was responsible for 20% of the bills. I had a $2000 deductible so I spent 3 years paying off my hospital bills after open heart surgery and 2 years paying off another surgery a few years later. :crack:
 
My monthly premium costs me $318.00. I pay 35% for prescriptions. My doctors visits are covered and so is the ER, hospital, and any surgery.

Dental care and eyeglasses come out of my pocket.
 
I used to have the Blue Cross Blue Shield Federal Employees health insurance ( http://www.fepblue.org ). I really remember nothing about it except that I had a $15 copay and spent around $50 per month for two prescriptions. I think my monthly premium was only around $100. It covered some dental, but I can't remember how much.

Now I just use the NHS and have an NHS dentist (I think I paid around £25 for a checkup).

I haven't had an exam or bought contacts or glasses in over three years. :uhoh:
 
Right now I have kind of an odd insurance status.

I'm covered under my mom's work plan for dental and vision. Dental is something like 80% covered. Last year I paid about $400 on dental stuff. I had been uninsured for about 4 years and I couldn't afford to go to the dentist. I needed 4 fillings and my wisdom teeth out.

Vision I have to pay $15 per exam and any pair of glasses under $100 is free. I think that's limited though, probably one pair per some number of years.

I go to Yale so as a student I can go to their health center and see certain doctors for free. It covers urgent care, seeing a regular doctor, gynecology, inpatient care, mental hygiene, and laboratory services.

I bought their insurance, which is $2000 for one year and is effective worldwide. It gives me free hospital services, emergency services, and I can go see specialists like dermatologists or neurologists or whoever for free. The prescription coverage has a $100 deductable and after that you pay 20%.

I'm also covered under my dad's health insurance still. I told him he could take me off but he won't for some reason.
He's got anthem, I still use the prescription coverage because it's $5 for all generics and $12 for all brand names.
 
My dental coverage is 90% through my employer, up to $2500 annually.

Prescriptions are 80% covered by my employer, I fork over the rest.

Glasses/contacts are covered to some extent, but since I use neither, I have no idea how much it is.

Doctor visits, hospital stays, ER visits, surgeries, medications while in the hospital, tests and so on are all free.
 
anitram said:

Doctor visits, hospital stays, ER visits, surgeries, medications while in the hospital, tests and so on are all free.

Is that for everywhere, or can you only go certain places?

I had a problem with anthem last year at Purdue, as I kept going to their health center and then they told me "by the way, we don't take anthem and you owe us many hundreds of dollars."
 
Kristie said:


Is that for everywhere, or can you only go certain places?


Everywhere. But I'm in Canada, so we're socialist. :wink:
 
Last year I was too old for my dad's plan, and for school it's required, so they automatically bill you for the school one-year plan. That was about $600 tacked on to my tuition. I think I also paid $150 extra for like extreme coverage b/c I was going to Africa. Now my dad has a new job and even though I'm 21, I am covered for health insurance as long as I'm a full time student. I only have one prescription med and it's about $25/mo w/o co-pay. My dad's co-pay is $20 and since they always fight it, I just pay the full amount. I have no dental and no vision insurance. However, my uncle is my eye doctor and I get all my glasses and contacts through him at cost. The dental is the killer for my family. There was a few years where my sister really needed braces, so we couldn't afford to have any work done on my teeth, even basic cleanings so now I have some cavities as a result. Other than that, I'm lucky b/c I've never been to the hospital, never need to go to the Doc, and only have one prescription (which I got 4 months for free b/c my roomie had it and switched and gave me all her extra).
 
And yet people laughed at Bill Clinton when he wanted national healthcare. General Motors has actually been expanding more into Canada, solely because they have national healthcare (and they're all union too, so it isn't a matter of cheap labor). GM spends $3 billion a year on American health costs.

Anyway, national healthcare will come. It's now inevitable, since yuppies now have poor to no health insurance. And when yuppies get mad, laws get changed. When poor people get mad, they're just told to get a real job.

Melon
 
I think the biggest disgrace in this country is lack of universal healthcare

I don't think it will ever exist, there's too much money to be made by doctors and pharma companies
 
would i even be able to be admitted to a hospital without insurance?

if i break my leg or something similar i'm basically bankrupt.

:sigh:

there is so much still wrong with this country.
 
indra said:

:lol:

Sorry if that looked really arrogant. We've actually got a complicated healthcare system which is not obviously entirely free, nor without it's faults. We actually have large flaws in ours. But we can get help if we need it without going bankrupt, which is the single largest difference between our two countries.

I think someone has explained Medicare before, but it's virtually free for all GP visits, hospital stays up to 30 days (I think - or maybe it is 'new' Australians only this is limited to...not sure) so if you break your leg or need your appendix out, no worries. Little Johnny pays.
Medication is tiered in this country. Under Medicare, no medication is really subsidised. We have another healthcare option for low income earners or the disabled, etc. They get a card which gives them prescriptions at $3.80 regardless, pretty much. For those who earn outside the bracket, they then have 2 choices. Suck it up and pay for the premium drugs or if it is available, pay for a 'no-name' brand at a greatly reduced price for the same thing. (In response to what Mrs S said about pharma co's making too much money, we'd have the same problem, but there are some willing to sell cheaper alternatives to undercut opposition. It's almost an open market in their industry as well.)
Specialists are then another kettle of fish. You cannot see a specialist without a referral. This is to prevent self diagnosis and to encourage a GP to be monitoring your health and to direct you as needed, not because you decide. Specialists rarely come under medicare these days, but a few remain. I have a nephrologist who sees me for free. I just have to put up with his infantile sense of humour as a trade-off. My endo on the other hand, is subsidised by medicare but I pay him say $90 a consultation and get about $60 back from medicare. It varies, the profit margin is dictated by a few things.
Then we have this complicated cesspool of immorality on the private healthcare system. A bunch of board members who dont give a flying fig about yours or anyone's health, and run their businesses in a mirrored image of America's overall healthcare system. You buy health cover from these vultures like you would for your car, I suppose. I refuse to get any, not because I dont want to pay (though I freely and strongly object to them), but because the packages are preset and dont allow for idividual needs.
 
nbcrusader said:
Yes.

The government pays a significant portion of healthcare costs.

But the "present" you'll get in return is the hospital reporting you to the collection agencies and having your credit ruined. All because you don't have health insurance.

Melon
 
nbcrusader said:


Yes.

The government pays a significant portion of healthcare costs.

Did you read the thread someone had in Confessionals recently on a relatively straight forward procedure which cost her (him?) tens of thousands?

Would someone mind giving a brief rundown of how exactly your healthcare works? Might be easier than getting half a picture from specific questions and scenarios.
 
Se7en said:
would i even be able to be admitted to a hospital without insurance?


Depends on the hospital. If it's a public hospital, yeah, but if it's a private hospital, don't get your hopes up. I do think most hospitals are requit=red to at least stabilize you if you are seriously injured or ill, even if they are private. Of course you will then be shipped off to a public hospital asap. And sometimes it's tough to tell what is private and what is public. (at least that's the case where I live)
 
Angela Harlem said:


Did you read the thread someone had in Confessionals recently on a relatively straight forward procedure which cost her (him?) tens of thousands?

Would someone mind giving a brief rundown of how exactly your healthcare works? Might be easier than getting half a picture from specific questions and scenarios.

I remember that....it was for a basic apendectomy and cost them $40000.

I live in the US and I barely understand how our health care system works....all I know is to avoid health care at all costs (literally)!!!
 
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