USA health system... umm... what the hell?!
- Thread starter Zhukov
- Start date
That doctors just don't want to have to fill out perscriptions, whenever I go (which is hardly), they immediately tell me my options and such, but to be fair I can't go get the perscriptions mysely, because I'm not 16 (I am 15) so thats annoying.PixelKing said:
But the NHS is good for what it is, although I don't like having to wait 4 hours in an eye hospital for my mum to be told that what she had wasn't that severe. The waiting times could be improved on, but we don't directly pay for it, so I don't have a problem with it.
Can I just say that I come from a country where the proposed healthcare system is in place. It's HORRIBLE. Yes, it's that bad. Waiting times (in the emergency room no less) often exceed 7 hours, oftentimes you have to wait weeks to get admission, the service is just plain bad, the system is over-exploited and the private hospitals get no patients. I know of people who DIED because of these flaws, and others (like me) who had to stay in hospital longer because their injuries worsened over time. My Grandmother was recently diagnosed with Cancer. After waiting for weeks to get a result from the (public) hospital, she finally got sick of the waiting and went to a private hospital. The results suggested that if she continued to wait in the public hospital, her condition would have worsened...badly. To top it all off, expect a big increase in taxes.
America's healthcare system needs to change, but they shouldn't adopt a Socialist system. Maybe they should consider the Swiss system (i.e. make getting health insurance obligatory. Free healthcare only goes to people who genuinely cannot afford the cheapest insurance)
America's healthcare system needs to change, but they shouldn't adopt a Socialist system. Maybe they should consider the Swiss system (i.e. make getting health insurance obligatory. Free healthcare only goes to people who genuinely cannot afford the cheapest insurance)
HA! I live in Canada! I don't have to worry about that. I bet you wish you were me now don't you?
Don't come here looking for free glasses and dental work, because you'll be barking up the wrong tree!shewolf51 said:
"Hero in a half shell" is clearly under 18. As an adult in the UK the cost of eye tests is subsidided to £22, and kids/OAPs/those on benefits get the test free, but getting free glasses on the NHS, even for children, is unlikely. There is a system of vouchers which are available to some unemployed people, kids, people on some means tested benefits and those with very complex prescriptions, but these vouchers rarely cover the full cost. My last pair of glasses cost me nearly £600 - but then I did splash out a bit too much.
As for dental care, this is one of the things that the NHS does exeptionally badly. To get free treatment as an adult you need to be registered with an NHS dentists practice. There are never enough of these, as dentists make much more money working in the private sector. There is such a problem that when new practices open it's not unusual for there to be a queue several hundred yeards long to register.
As has also been mentioned, mental health services are not great. You have to be barking at the moon to get a referal to a specialist and GPs are likely to dish out drugs without offering talking therapies - something that is known to be less effective than combining treatments. I don't think mental health being neglected is uncommon in any health systems though. It has always been a "cinderella service" throughout the world.
On the other hand, the main body of the NHS is currently doing sterling work with per capita spending on health being less than half of that in the US, and offering a broadly comparable service, with a life expectancy two years longer in the UK than across the pond. This is despite the best efforts of the current government to ruin the system, but thats another story.
Instead of trying to make a point about a topic I barely understand myself, I shall post a video of Lewis Black making a point about it.
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How many times have people from other countries flown to America to get the best medical service possible? Plenty. The problem isn't a secret agenda, but the American citizens themselves. We have 'insurance', so we don't really care all that much about the cost. That and our law-suit happy ways tend to scare medical facilities.Pinkamena said:
What we need is NOT socialized health care but more competition, something that simply won't happen until the majority of the public asks "How much?" and "Can I get it cheaper/better elsewhere?".
Really? then you should click on my badge.burzummaniac said:I find your name, avatar, and statement very amusingJustin_Drew_Bieber said:.
oh and check my profiles gender. of course now that I've said that you probably don't need to.
Well, I'm sorry that Malta's system doesn't work too well but what about Britain and Canada and Australia and Sweden and so on where it works so well? Also, a big increase in tax is not necesarrily to be expected. America already spends a hell of a lot of money on health care, and here's the thing, if they got free health care, because of the attitude of some many Americans they probably won't use it, sticking to private instead.burzummaniac said:
Fun fact: More money per person in the USA is spent on health care than anywhere else in the world. (source: Wikipedia)
I'm not pressing that buttonJustin_Drew_Bieber said:Really? then you should click on my badge.burzummaniac said:I find your name, avatar, and statement very amusingJustin_Drew_Bieber said:
oh and check my profiles gender. of course now that I've said that you probably don't need to.
For kids it's alright in terms of glasses. I think up to a certain age (16 maybe?) you get free glasses provided you have a prescription from a doctor, and for a few years after I suspect you get a discount if you provide a prescription. So if you come over be careful not to break your glasses.Vertex said:
Mental health care does suck, my mother has been on it for ages, and people have been pretty shit. The doctor's are alright, but it's other services that suck at dealing with it, e.g. the non-doctors/nurses/other direct healthcare providers in hospitals. Also, there seems to be a big dislike in hospitals against people who self-harm which is troubling.
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How ironicorangeban said:
.Doesn't Sweden spend about 50% of it's funds on welfare? Funds which can be allocated elsewhere? I also hear a ton of shit about the British system, usually regarding the quality of the service and waiting times. I'm not sure about the Canadian or Australian systems though. Still, I wouldn't suggest switching to a Socialist system, it just doesn't seem to work well in my eyes. I prefer the Fascist system (which is similar but I find it preferable). I'll try and research the Canadian and Australian systems though.