Non-Americans with universal healthcare. Do you prefer your system or privatized like the U.S. Why?

[Quetzal]

Some universal systems like in Canada omits Dental Care entirely.

Wonder how affordable a supplement dental plan might be?

 

[Stevicus]

Wonder how affordable a supplement dental plan might be?

Well, if a string and a doorknob don't work, there might be some low-cost dentists out there:

 

[Twilight Hue]

Wonder how affordable a supplement dental plan might be?

I'm not privy to the cost itself, I can only guess that it's not a whole lot more or less than what we would see in the United States taking into consideration currency rates and inflation respectively.

 

[Quetzal]

Well, if a string and a doorknob don't work, there might be some low-cost dentists out there:

What a deal!

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

Many in the U.S. argue against universal healthcare and how terrible it is, yet I never heard anyone from outside the states voice their disdain for it nor how they held an envious desire for U.S. style healthcare. Someone claimed that this was because you're too oppressed to know better. So what's the case?

Australian here. We have socialised medicine with the option to pay for private health insurance as well. It's not a perfect system, but I'd much rather our system to the system the US has.

 

[Vinayaka]

Me too. I first learned of it when I was up in Toronto.

It seems some employers however do provide dental coverage but those that do not have it will either have to pony up the money, or just settle for pain relievers.

Canada is a mixed system. You can buy (or the employer pays for it, union negotiated) 'extras'. Often drugs, private rooms in hospitals, dental, optical, chiropractic, massage, etc. aren't covered under basics. But the plans usually have at least 3 options.

 

[Father Heathen]

I have read some comments here, and there seems to be some false assumptions being made.

Is healthcare a ¨right¨ ? The US Constitution which enumerates the rights of Americans does not say so. It is a philosophical question.

I read the word free many times in regard to socialized medicine.

Nothing is free. Someone always has to pay for it. This cost is reflected in higher taxes and other money redistribution schemes.

In America , the aged pay a small monthly amount for Medicare, a government administered program that allows one freedom of choice of physician, hospital, etc.

The poor have access to Medicaid, which they pay nothing for, another government administered program.

The majority of Americans have health care insurance through their employer. These programs may be funded 100% by the employer, or in a collaboration between the employee and employer.

There are a variety of programs and services from which the employee can choose, more, if he chooses to pay more. From basic catastrophic coverage to full medical coverage.

There are few for profit acute care hospitals, most are non profit facilities. They can pay their operating costs and carry over a percentage of profit for emergencies in the coming fiscal year.

Most physicians are in private medical groups, and they are for profit, and that is a good thing.

A physician is rarely an employee. He has a vested interest in providing quality service in a timely matter. If he does not, market forces apply and the customer will find another health care provider.

Sometimes insurance companies will only approve services from a network of providers, and no others, yet the patient has freedom of choice within the network.

The freedom to choose a hospital is another benefit of market principles, those hospitals that do not provide quality services to their patients don´t get enough patients to pay their costs.

Americans are always suspicious of government intruding in their lives. We don want the government telling us what doctors we can see, dictate to the doctor what tests or procedures he can use, or tell us what hospital we can check in to.

Anything with government control, is a bureaucratic mess rushing to mediocrity.

I have read of the horrendous waits for surgeries and other procedures in Britain. In the US, if a physician determines that a procedure is required at a hospital it gets scheduled, quickly. When it was determined that my knee needed to be replaced, in ten days I had the surgery.

I know less of the Canadian system, but I do know that many Canadians come to the US for treatment. One man I spoke with wanted his surgery done, and he was tired of waiting in pain, so he came to the US and had it done.

I would much rather pay my healthcare premiums, pay lower taxes, and have my healthcare decisions made by my physician and me, not some government bureaucrat, and an employee doctor who knows I have to see him, regardless

Why do you suppose that none of the non-Americans here would rather have our system if it's so superior?

 

[Father Heathen]

Everyone is, but it feels like Americans are jealous if someone else has something good for "free" so they'd rather lose out on something themselves if someone else got something more. Just what it looks like from the outside. Of course it's usually that terrible guy Marx that's to blame... even if he had nothing to do with it.

Those who make a killing off the medical racket lobby to maintain the status quo and keep voters misinformed and ignorant.

 

[shmogie]

Why do you suppose that none of the non-Americans here would rather have our system if it's so superior?

If your system is superior ? I think you worded your question wrong.



Because change is always scary, and you have had the experience with what you know. Further, you have been misinformed.

You are entitled to have what you want, and if the nanny state is what you like, no problem.

I never said our system was superior, I just stated some facts about how it operates. It has flaws, of course.

However, in my opinion drone government provided healthcare is not responsive to the patients needs and has no accountability for how it operates.

When there is only one game in town , you take what you get.

 

[Kangaroo Feathers]

When there is only one game in town , you take what you get.

... said the American speaking about other people's healthcare.

 

[Lyndon]

If your system is superior ? I think you worded your question wrong.



Because change is always scary, and you have had the experience with what you know. Further, you have been misinformed.

You are entitled to have what you want, and if the nanny state is what you like, no problem.

I never said our system was superior, I just stated some facts about how it operates. It has flaws, of course.

However, in my opinion drone government provided healthcare is not responsive to the patients needs and has no accountability for how it operates.

When there is only one game in town , you take what you get.

Jesus would be ashamed of your attitude on health care!!

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Americans are always suspicious of government intruding in their lives. We don want the government telling us what doctors we can see, dictate to the doctor what tests or procedures he can use, or tell us what hospital we can check in to.

Anything with government control, is a bureaucratic mess rushing to mediocrity.

Insurance takes up so much room there isn't any left for the government to run things if they wanted to, and if insurance won't cover something they won't cover it regardless of what any doctor or clinician states.
And doctors too are often employees of the hospital or facility that writes their paychecks. There are course a good number with their own practice, but for the most part they work for someone else like most other people.

 

[Shadow Wolf]

Because change is always scary, and you have had the experience with what you know. Further, you have been misinformed.

So hearing it straight from the horses mouth is being misinformed? All the years I've been on here it's been pretty consistent that non-Americans do not want or like the American healthcare system, before and after the ACA was passed.

When there is only one game in town , you take what you get.

For many that one game just isn't adequate, and many there is no game at all (this is especially true for mental health and specialist services in rural areas).

 

[Father Heathen]

If your system is superior ? I think you worded your question wrong.

No, our as in we Americans.

Because change is always scary, and you have had the experience with what you know. Further, you have been misinformed.

Perhaps this is why Americans, particularly conservatives, recoil at the thought of universal healthcare, despite obviously being unanimously preferred by those whose countries have it.

You are entitled to have what you want, and if the nanny state is what you like, no problem.

"Nanny state". Such a cute buzzword. Makes price gouging, medical debt, lack of coverage, etc. seem not so bad, right?

 

[lewisnotmiller]

I have read some comments here, and there seems to be some false assumptions being made.

Is healthcare a ¨right¨ ? The US Constitution which enumerates the rights of Americans does not say so. It is a philosophical question.

I read the word free many times in regard to socialized medicine.

Nothing is free. Someone always has to pay for it. This cost is reflected in higher taxes and other money redistribution schemes.

In America , the aged pay a small monthly amount for Medicare, a government administered program that allows one freedom of choice of physician, hospital, etc.

The poor have access to Medicaid, which they pay nothing for, another government administered program.

The majority of Americans have health care insurance through their employer. These programs may be funded 100% by the employer, or in a collaboration between the employee and employer.

There are a variety of programs and services from which the employee can choose, more, if he chooses to pay more. From basic catastrophic coverage to full medical coverage.

There are few for profit acute care hospitals, most are non profit facilities. They can pay their operating costs and carry over a percentage of profit for emergencies in the coming fiscal year.

Most physicians are in private medical groups, and they are for profit, and that is a good thing.

A physician is rarely an employee. He has a vested interest in providing quality service in a timely matter. If he does not, market forces apply and the customer will find another health care provider.

Sometimes insurance companies will only approve services from a network of providers, and no others, yet the patient has freedom of choice within the network.

The freedom to choose a hospital is another benefit of market principles, those hospitals that do not provide quality services to their patients don´t get enough patients to pay their costs.

Americans are always suspicious of government intruding in their lives. We don want the government telling us what doctors we can see, dictate to the doctor what tests or procedures he can use, or tell us what hospital we can check in to.

Anything with government control, is a bureaucratic mess rushing to mediocrity.

I have read of the horrendous waits for surgeries and other procedures in Britain. In the US, if a physician determines that a procedure is required at a hospital it gets scheduled, quickly. When it was determined that my knee needed to be replaced, in ten days I had the surgery.

I know less of the Canadian system, but I do know that many Canadians come to the US for treatment. One man I spoke with wanted his surgery done, and he was tired of waiting in pain, so he came to the US and had it done.

I would much rather pay my healthcare premiums, pay lower taxes, and have my healthcare decisions made by my physician and me, not some government bureaucrat, and an employee doctor who knows I have to see him, regardless

You current system is horrendously expensive. You know that, right?

 

[Terrywoodenpic]

The NHS is not the only horse in town in the Uk there are private doctors private clinics and private hospitals. And private health insurance. Every one as absolutely free to use them and quite a lot of people do. However it is the NHS that does the difficult and expensive procedures and cleans up the mess left by private clinics when things go wrong.

What many people do not understand is that a vast majoraty of GP's are private contractors to the NHS working in surgeris that they own themselves or in partnership.

NHS dentistry is a different matter, but they are also contractors, where I live there is a chain of very poor NHS dental practices with a single owner, who controls what services his dentist can do. The service and standard of treatments are so bad that I have gone to a private dentist to sort out my teeth. A private crown and root filling costs in the region of a £1000 privately. And about £200 on NHS. Neither way is Free.

 

[Jumi]

You mean for medicare? For folks over 65?
Me and my employer are paying for my medical insurance. Government doesn't pay anything for me.

Your government just spends more public money into healthcare than almost anyone else. Sweden just manages to cover the whole populace with that money. So does almost every other country on this list:

source: https://www.visualcapitalist.com/u-s-spends-public-money-healthcare-sweden-canada/

 

[sooda]

I have read some comments here, and there seems to be some false assumptions being made.

Is healthcare a ¨right¨ ? The US Constitution which enumerates the rights of Americans does not say so. It is a philosophical question.

I read the word free many times in regard to socialized medicine.

Nothing is free. Someone always has to pay for it. This cost is reflected in higher taxes and other money redistribution schemes.

In America , the aged pay a small monthly amount for Medicare, a government administered program that allows one freedom of choice of physician, hospital, etc.

The poor have access to Medicaid, which they pay nothing for, another government administered program.

The majority of Americans have health care insurance through their employer. These programs may be funded 100% by the employer, or in a collaboration between the employee and employer.

There are a variety of programs and services from which the employee can choose, more, if he chooses to pay more. From basic catastrophic coverage to full medical coverage.

There are few for profit acute care hospitals, most are non profit facilities. They can pay their operating costs and carry over a percentage of profit for emergencies in the coming fiscal year.

Most physicians are in private medical groups, and they are for profit, and that is a good thing.

A physician is rarely an employee. He has a vested interest in providing quality service in a timely matter. If he does not, market forces apply and the customer will find another health care provider.

Sometimes insurance companies will only approve services from a network of providers, and no others, yet the patient has freedom of choice within the network.

The freedom to choose a hospital is another benefit of market principles, those hospitals that do not provide quality services to their patients don´t get enough patients to pay their costs.

Americans are always suspicious of government intruding in their lives. We don want the government telling us what doctors we can see, dictate to the doctor what tests or procedures he can use, or tell us what hospital we can check in to.

Anything with government control, is a bureaucratic mess rushing to mediocrity.

I have read of the horrendous waits for surgeries and other procedures in Britain. In the US, if a physician determines that a procedure is required at a hospital it gets scheduled, quickly. When it was determined that my knee needed to be replaced, in ten days I had the surgery.

I know less of the Canadian system, but I do know that many Canadians come to the US for treatment. One man I spoke with wanted his surgery done, and he was tired of waiting in pain, so he came to the US and had it done.

I would much rather pay my healthcare premiums, pay lower taxes, and have my healthcare decisions made by my physician and me, not some government bureaucrat, and an employee doctor who knows I have to see him, regardless

There are nearly three times as many nonprofit hospitals as for-profit hospitals in the U.S. — 2,845 nonprofit community hospitals and 1,034 for-profit community hospitals, according to the American Hospital Association.

The main differences between the two types of systems are how each accesses capital, which one pays taxes and which one must offer community benefits.

Nonprofit, for-profit hospitals play different roles but ..

Nonprofit, for-profit hospitals play different roles but see similar financial struggles

 

[Jumi]

When I was younger, before my wisdom teeth came in, one dentist I saw wanted to fill some "cavities," which were actually just gaps between my teeth (and not cavities), and the second opinion I got said that with those gaps I should have enough room for my wisdom teeth to come in without having to get them pulled but getting those gaps filled would mean no room for them which means they would have to come out. Glad I went with the second opinion because I had no problems with cavities (that wouldn't happen until after I turned 18 and would often go years in between a visit to the dentist) and I still have my wisdom teeth.

I had a similar experience and I'm glad I made the realization too before I got teeth pulled and sold implants. Those teeth lasted twenty years and still no problems. I used to always go private, because I was politically into privatized healthcare as a youngster... lol. It feels like getting abused when you get scammed by a dentist like that.

 

[Augustus]

This is true. It's a disaster and should be sorted.

I know you see these stories in the media, but how common is it? Is it most places, or only a few?

Last few times I was in the UK I saw numerous dental surgeries actively advertising for patients, and given the same places wer doing so over many months it doesn't seem like they were in too high a demand.