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Hehe; there you go again - Thatcher bashing; (I'll forgive you) - I remembered an item of post I saw not too long ago:-Fluffy said:Well I am glad we have socialized healthcare in the UK. It is far from amazing (largely because of the massive under funding it endured during Thatcherism) but I think that people in the UK often take for granted the advantages that free health care offers them. Often they don't realise the massive cost of medical insurance or hospital bills encurred in other countries.
Its major downfall is that it is a rather controversial thing since it rests on the idea of how much power a person should have over their wealth, something which is central to almost all political philosophies. Therefore, its temperamental nature is highlighted with each change of government. Things haven't helped since the switch from Old Labour to New Labour since they are now, effectively, in the same camp as the Conservatives leading to yet more underfunding.
I suppose you'd label the Swedish system socialized. Having lived in it for more than 60 years, I wouldn't trade it for anything else. I had a stroke a few years ago, and got a treatment at least as good as anywhere else in the world, and now I'm almost as good as new. It cost me just about what I would have paid for food during the months I was hospitalized. I had no additional insurance than what is automatic for any Swedish citizen.Faust said:I'd like to hear from some of our members who have socialized health care.
What is your assessment of it?
Whats good about it?
What are some of its down-falls?
Faust.
I have seen the opposite of your wife's position. We used to take in foreign students (Board & lodging during their stay at a language school). Once we had a Japanese girl who came home, very upset - she had fallen over and thought she might have broken her arm.jgallandt said:My wife is from England, been in the U.S. almost 3 years now. She loves the doctors over here, and the ability to have done what you need done almost immediately, without being put on a waiting list. She doesn't like having to pay for it though! LOL. We just bought a house, and she realizes that if they would have had socialized medicine over here, our taxes would have been to high to afford it. If you work, you not only have to pay (In taxes) for yourself and family, but foot the bill for the people that don't work. Something needs to be done. But not that.
Lol well I seem to have a more ingrained dislike of Thatcher than of the Conservative Party in general. However, on the issue of healthcare, I do think that all recent governments have treated the NHS badly, not just Thatcher.Hehe; there you go again - Thatcher bashing; (I'll forgive you) - I remembered an item of post I saw not too long ago:-
Serious conditions are usually seen very quickly. It is the optional operations like hernias that usually have longer waiting lists. they can be put back for a while to see to more serious cases.and may take over six months wait. but much more than that they would send you to a private hospital for free as they have limits how long they can keep you waiting.Faust said:Thank you so much for your replies.
I have heard so many stories from people in America about six month waiting lists for serious health problems among other horror stories concerning the evils of socialized medicine that I decided to get some first hand accounts and you have all come through for me.
I have to mention here that these stories are from conservatives who are grounded in the doctrine that anything smacking of socialism is evil.
So, What about those long waiting lists for serious health problems?
Are they real or are they anti-socialist propaganda?
Faust.
I had a nine month wait for my new hip - but I opted to go on the cancellation list, however short the notice - I had mine done inside a month.Terrywoodenpic said:Serious conditions are usually seen very quickly. It is the optional operations like hernias that usually have longer waiting lists. they can be put back for a while to see to more serious cases.and may take over six months wait. but much more than that they would send you to a private hospital for free as they have limits how long they can keep you waiting.
Terry
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Amen! Truly I say to you: Gather in my name. I am with you.
When you go to see a hospital specialist these days xrays and test are usually done at the same time. Scans can take longer as the machines can be booked up. emergency scans are done at once. Things have improved a great deal over the last few years.Seyorni said:The long waits for tests, X-rays and treatment seem to be a major complaint for mamy people. In the US we expect that all relevant medical tests, scans and treatment plans will be undertaken within 24 hours, but we pay a high price for this. There is no reason why this standard of care couldn't be the rule everywhere, even with a single-payer system.
I don't know Ceridwen, but as I said, this is what I hear from people in the states, but I seem to be getting slightly different views from members that have socialized systems.Ceridwen018 said:Insurance companies seem to take advantage of things, and as a result prices go through the roof, however, socialist medicine can be taken advantage of too. For instance, the goverment can keep you waiting long enough that you die before the procedure can be done, and thus they don't have to pay for it. This sounds like a ridiculous scenario, and maybe it is, but all I know is that my mother is a physician, and she seems to think that this happens more often than people would like to admit. Since she is part of the medical community after all, so i think I'll believe her.
Insurance companies are businesses whose primary concern is making money. They do this by calculating the probable health costs per individual and charging a fee approximately double this. Private insurance companies and other ancillary health-related services provide no direct medical care, but their fees feature prominently on medical bills. The fact is, Americans spend more on health care than any other country in the world, yet insurance companies have most people convinced that a socialized health-care system, despite all evidence to the contrary, would actually cost more!Ceridwen018 said:In my opinion, the US method of using insurance seems to be doing just fine. The majority of people are able to afford satisfactory health insurance,
What about this idea? Much like someone can qualify for welfare, people should also be able to qualify to have their medical bills paid by the government. Of course, welfare is extremely abused by many people, but if the system were tweaked, a lot of that could be fixed easily.