04 Nov 2012 6:38 PM:
I wanted to clarify information about healthcare in the US. As an American who lives in Michigan (USA) and Spain (as I said earlier), I am very well versed in US Healthcare. First, the national healthcare that has been passed here (to go into effect in 2014) is not free. It is AFFORDABLE. All people here will be required to carry some kind of insurance. The huge uproar here is because Americans don't want to be told that they "HAVE" to have insurance..okay, nevermind that we have to have car insurance to drive a car, pay state and federal taxes, etc. Emergency room visits are NOT free and unless the person comes in with a life threatening injury, they can be turned away. If they are treated and cannot pay, then the rates go up either at the hospital or for insurance or both for everyone who can pay, so the hospital doesn't lose money and now virtually all hospitals in the US are "for profit". Everything here is very expensive when it comes to healthcare. For example; I had an out patient surgical procedure done this year. It took 3 hours and then I went home. Prior to the procedure being done, I had to sign a document stating that if my insurance did not pay for it, I would be responsible for the bill of $24,500 and that did not include my doctor or the anesthesiologist! My husband's asthma medication that he takes everyday cost $672.00 for 3 months, our insurance company recently told us that they would not pay anything on my blood pressure medication unless I started using generics...my doctor was totally against this change but we had no choice..if I didn't change, my bill would have been $300 per month. We have the MOST expensive prescription medicine costs in the world! Without insurance (also very expensive) some people cannot even afford the medications that they need just to live! I personnally think this is just outrageous and I am totally in favor of a healthcare system where everyone has to pay in something but it is affordable for everyone.
As for NHS in the UK, I have no knowledge of it. I have to think that all people who are British must pay for this in their taxes, so, FREE may not be totally accurate.
Thread:
Spain plans to privatise more healthcare- is this the way forward?
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