Healthcare in the UK vs United States?

C_Mababejive

leaptocheap wrote: »

As an American, I'm am interested in hearing what citizens of the UK think about the Healthcare that they receive?

• Are you satisfied with what your government provides?

No I'm not. The NHS does way too much. It is a bloated and overweight organisation which behaves as if it is some kind of philanthropic society rather than one which provides services as a result of national insurance and taxation paid by most of us. In addition,and becuase its such a large organisation,it contains a proportion of lazy people who hide in its vastness. I think the NHS needs a greater proportion of industry involvement and competition.

• Do many people purchase private health insurance coverage in addition to what they receive from the government?

Those who can afford it do. I could but dont as a matter of principle. I have paid once,im not paying twice.

• What do you feel the quality of care is that you received from the government health coverage?

The level of care is variable from very good to life threatening. Its the luck of the draw really. The elderly are most vulnerable IMHO.

• Do you feel that you are taxed more than the benefits that you receive are worth?

Well it depends who you are. So far i have been a nett contributor as i am rarely ill but who knows what the future may bring. I do not have confidence that i will receive the best care should that time come.

• What would route would you suggest that the United States should take?

The existing insurance backed system is fine. The reason why it has problems is becuase health care providers are charging way too much in the full knowledge that insurance schemes can be ripped off. Government needs to regulate and legislate that end of the operation. I know many US citizens do not do socialism and are less than keen on funding health care for others who perhaps dont contribute.

What say you?


To most Americans you UK Healthcare is a mystery to them. All we receive is political hype and sound bytes. In the end it is what the citizens think that really matters.

Thanks very much in advance
- Chet Scott

No worries and welcome aboard to MSE and socialist Britain where you can choose the lifestyle of sitting on your backside whilst others work for you.

lavandergirl_2

http://www.consumeraffairs.com/news04/2005/bankruptcy_study.html
Medical Bills Leading Cause of Bankruptcy, Harvard Study Finds

(N.b. to declare bankruptcy, americans need to add their personal/credit card and mortgage debts. Thus some people think the bankruptcy is "personal' rather than 'medical')

In the USA, if you are poor you qualify for medicare. The problem is for those under insured and uninsured. Health insurance are also mostly work related , however when you lose your job, you lose your coverage.

PANORAMA
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2VyNbuWbirU&feature=related

Film Adaptation on Tommy Douglas (father of Medicare in Canada)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lf1YAznsnVA


American Health care system is good if you can afford it but I would rather have the NHS than their system.

maybebaby80

I am currently pregnant and have found the standard of care from the NHS to be excellent.

Midwife appointments, ante natal classes, scans, medication, dental treatment is all free and of a very good standard. Yes, the maternity unit at the hospital could probably do with a little bit of a make over and I would LOVE to be able to afford private care because I have become a little bit obsessed with watching Portland Babies on Sky tv filmed in the posh Portland Hospital where they get private rooms, sky tv and double beds where husbands can stay over but I honestly couldnt think the standard of care would be better than I have received so far.

tandraig

leaptocheap wrote: »

As an American, I'm am interested in hearing what citizens of the UK think about the Healthcare that they receive?

• Are you satisfied with what your government provides?

for the most part - yes I am. I live in Wales and prescriptions are now free here for residents.

• Do many people purchase private health insurance coverage in addition to what they receive from the government?

I believe that some people get free private insurance as a perk of the job and I dont know the percentage of the population who also buy insurance. also even if we mostly use the NHS we can always use the private sector if we wish and can afford it (many people do this when waiting lists for some operations are too long - am thinking of knee/hip replacements etc)

• What do you feel the quality of care is that you received from the government health coverage?

despite my rant on another thread I think for the most part the service is good.

• Do you feel that you are taxed more than the benefits that you receive are worth?

no - certainly not - I think its excellent value for money considering the cost of private insurance.

• What would route would you suggest that the United States should take?

I think Americans seem to be under the impression that the NHS is free! it isnt!! it is paid for by the public under the NATIONAL INSURANCE scheme!!! this is to my mind a government run insurance which ensures care is free at the point of delivery! very different from the state run service of say Russia.

To most Americans you UK Healthcare is a mystery to them. All we receive is political hype and sound bytes. In the end it is what the citizens think that really matters.

Thanks very much in advance
- Chet Scott

I find it appalling that the richest country in the world still operates their health care according to who can pay!!! and they call it democracy?

LondonDiva

instaunt wrote: »

Not really, that's the problem with the NHS. What we think doesn't matter in the slightest.

With private care, doctors malpractice insurance goes up and their bosses get mad if they even mildly injure someone. Here in the UK a doctor can kill several people through blatant negligence and they don't even get a slap on the wrists. (No, not an exaggeration.)

In the US the doctors are allowed to diagnose patients. Here in the UK their mandate is to keep costs low. That's why we have the highest cancer death rates in Europe - diagnose late, none of those pesky expensive cancer drugs to pay for ... not that the NHS pays out for the good drugs anyway! (Personal experience with 3 family members and 1 friend dying from cancer that should have been diagnosed and treated.)

In the US if you are injured and need to go to the emergency room you can. Here in the UK, in some emergency rooms they turn you away if you have not phoned NHS Direct first. (Personal experience that one, ribs sticking out and you're not allowed in to the emergency room unless you've phone the central office to tell them that ribs are sticking out and they okay you going to the emergeny room. 3 nurses and 2 doctors standing around an empty emergency room chatting whilst you try to hold the phone to your ear and explain your problem to some secretary who puts you on hold.)

In the US, if you get in to an emergency room you probably see a doctor the same day, you're not left in agony without so much as a paracetamol for 24 hours because the one and only doctor on duty is too busy ... and they at least speak english and don't require a translator I'm assuming?

Private healthcare insurance has it's flaw and outprices many people. But I would say that excellent healthcare for the majority of people is far better than bad healthcare for everyone and more and more people in the UK are switching. People whinge about the cost of private healthcare insurance but you can bet those people can still afford cigarettes and a booze binge every other weekend.

I'd be happier if there were more private hospitals/facilities so we had the option of not going to the NHS. Then, if you don't want to dies ... I mean, don't want NHS care and can afford private insurance then great. If not, the old NHS system is there for you.

Rant over.

Absolute poppycock

Dr.Rock

dmg24 wrote: »

MHcare is very good in the US if you have insurance at the time of diagnosis. If not, you either pay in the same way you would her if going private, or you ... go to the streets? I don't know the stats off the top of my head, but a great proportion of homeless people in the US are those that have severe MH problems. The same applies to the UK homelessness population, but not nearly to the same extent.

I don't know the exact stats for this either but I reckon about 75% of the homeless people who approach me in the streets when I'm in the US are mentally ill. The other 25%, of course, being veterans.

Humphrey10

leaptocheap wrote: »

• Are you satisfied with what your government provides?
• Do many people purchase private health insurance coverage in addition to what they receive from the government?
• What do you feel the quality of care is that you received from the government health coverage?
• Do you feel that you are taxed more than the benefits that you receive are worth?
• What would route would you suggest that the United States should take?

Yes.

I don't know many people who have, I know a few who see private dentists though.

It's ok, I've never had problems getting same-day dr appts etc. Refferals to more specalised things take longer, but never long enough to effect my health.

No. I pay far less in taxes than I would have to pay for private medical care.

A tax funded healthcare system. I really can't see how anyone could prefer a system that lets people die from minor conditions just because they can't pay.

giantmutantbroccoli

leaptocheap wrote: »

• Do many people purchase private health insurance coverage in addition to what they receive from the government?
• What do you feel the quality of care is that you received from the government health coverage?
• Do you feel that you are taxed more than the benefits that you receive are worth?
• What would route would you suggest that the United States should take?

Some do, some don't. It depends very much on a) how much money they have, as private is invariably far more expensive and b) what their personal politics are - some won't go private because it's against their principles. No one I know has private health insurance.
The quality of care I have personally received is for the most part excellent, especially the dental care. Unfortunately it does differ between different areas, hospitals and individual doctors.
Absolutely not! I'm in the process of having my teeth fixed - it's taken 5 years of serious orthodontic work and now I'm about to get implants, all for free because I'm going through the teaching hospital. I've been seen by some of the top specialists in the country. The cost of getting implants privately in the UK is about £4500 per tooth, and I need two, so that's a saving of £9k plus the cost of the orthodontics. There's no way I've even covered the cost of this treatment, and it's not like I don't go to the doctors as well. So yeah, well worth it!
That's a tricky question because of the sheer scale of the thing. People tend to forget it's harder to build an infrastructure like a healthcare system from scratch on such a large scale. I wondered if maybe there was a way to build up a healthcare system but on a state level rather than a national level?

mark236

Americans haven't got a clue about the rest of the world and must be one of the only civilised countries in the world where healthcare is down to how much money you have.

It is hard to understand why anyone in the USA would be against a public health service, but just listen to the right wing politicians and media programmes such as Murdoch's Fox News Channel where anybody who disagrees with their bigotted right wing views is a left wing loon.

The NHS may not be perfect, but it is light years ahead of America's profit driven system. I am so glad I do not live in a country where the profits of insurance corporations decide on your fate.

Bananabelly

MissMoneypenny wrote: »

I wouldn't like to rely on the Australian healthcare system.

My Australian sister told me that in Australia you must never call an ambulance if you have accident as you have to pay for it! It shocked her when she found that out as she was used to the UK system of no charge for an ambulance. She had to pay a lot of money for her childrens braces and glasses too. In the UK children get those for free.

An Australian friend told me that the the Australian healthcare system does not include operations like knee operations. She said that as insurance for that was expensive, they tended to get insurance to cover those extras when they got older and they chanced it for their children. Fortunately, her family made a load of money when they sold land as Sydney grew, but not so good for those that can't afford to pay.

The NHS may have its faults, but at least we don't have to get into debt to pay for our families healthcare, or worse......go without it.

Sorry, but this is very ill-informed. I have lived in both Australia and the UK for long periods of time, and worked in both healthcare systems fairly extensively.

In Australia you need to become a member of the Ambulance service, which is around $60 a year or $100 for a family I think, and then ALL ambulance services are completely free. It is also covered under almost any private health fund.

The health care system in Australia covers any required operation (except cosmetic surgery), including knee operations! What a ridiculous statement :mad:. If you are a public patient and it is a non-urgent operation you will wait, sometimes for months, exactly as you would do in the NHS. In Australia it is easier to pay privately to see a consultant and get the ball rolling though.

I don't know anyone in Australia who is forced to go into debt to fund health care, as it is all available free, if you are prepared to wait. If you are not, you can pay privately and you will still get refunded the medicare funded cost (private doctors often charge a bit more so you will have to pay a 'gap' - this is often what private funds help with).

The only kind of correct statement in that post is about braces and glasses for children, which are generally paid for privately. However, those on low incomes have access to help with these, and they are also usually funded by insurance depending on the plan you are on.

It really annoys me when people perpetuate rumours from 'friends' etc that are completely untrue. The NHS is a fantastic system if for nothing else than it's absolute equality. People in the NHS (myself included!) work really hard almost all the time, and their primary concern is always the patient. No waiting around to see if someone is covered by insurance, like in the US. THe Australian system is similar to the NHS, with slightly more of an emphasis on private insurance, however this mostly is used to avoid the waiting list on elective surgeries and for extras like physio, etc (but people can get these publicly too). Any Australian citizen that turns up to an emergency department will be treated and not have to pay out of pocket. End of.

Rant (almost) over.:o

ETA: Back to the OP, scaremongering like that in the post I quoted (and the other one about the NHS by instaught) is the reason why most Americans with good private insurance (that they haven't used for a major illness yet, and been denied coverage) are scared of socialised medicine. It is mostly scaremongering by the insurance companies anyway to serve their interests and almost all untrue.