Just did a fact check, average spending in the USA per capita is $10, 948 per annum. In the U.K it is $4,500, less than half !
American Healthcare: How your system works
by Diogenesister 100 Replies latest social current
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DesirousOfChange
Of course many Americans would like Universal Health Care. Problem is they want it for "free". Or, at least they want it at someone else's expense. The truly poor can get free healthcare, esp women & children. Free to them at least. Someone has to pay for it in the end. And of course, that's the citizens who are working and paying taxes. About 50% of Americans pay NO income tax but many still receive a "refund" via the Earned Income Credit.
Most of us (who do pay taxes) think our taxes are high enough already. For example -- If my employer pays a $10,000 bonus for Christmas (or end of year bonus) to me, the cost to the company is $10,765 (plus some other minor taxes based on that amount). After federal, state, local and social security taxes are withheld from my bonus, I will receive about $6,000 total (or only about 55% of what it cost my employer).
At what point am I paying enough in taxes to provide benefits to others (many of whom pay NO taxes)? Plus, for the 40+ years I worked, I paid all or part of my health insurance cost of premiums, plus still had to pay a deductible and co-pay (usually 10%). Now that I'm over 65 yo, I qualify for the federally provided Medicare health insurance (which covers elderly & disabled). But I still am required to pay some costs out-of-pocket. Last year that amount was $4000. Plus, often we must appeal to get procedures that the insurance company originally denies.
There ain't no free lunch.
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Diogenesister
We hear anecdotes about Canada and England and Europe but no facts
Well in the UK everything is free at the point of use, from primary care to complex cutting edge surgical procedures such as the separation of conjoined twins and heart lung transplants etc
For example when I had my twins my initial appointment was with my GP (primary care physician) who referred me to the community midwives. They were responsible for my overall care with regular checkups/scans etc. I was also referred to the care of a specialist obstetric cardiologist for heart scans (as well as my twins whilst in utero) as well as my named obstetrician. All this free of course.
Pregnant women also receive free dental care and for the first year after birth. We do have NHS dentists, but we have to pay towards costs on a three point scale (so a small amount for check ups rising to the largest amount for root canals etc. Kids & OAPs get free dental care.
Anyway my son was born with a fused skull and was under the care of Great Ormond Street specialists. He had a 9 hour operation with a neuro surgeon, plastic surgeon and paediatric anaesthetist (all consultants).( The Dr he's under Mr. Dunnoway travels the world with a charity correcting facial deformities in third world kids who would be ostracized otherwise ).
The aftercare, including specialist opthalmologists, has been regular right through his childhood
No cost of course.
I cannot conceive of having to fear not being able to pay for healthcare.My sons operation, carried out 13 years ago, would have been in the region of £50,000 even then. That's just the operation, no drugs or hospital care etc.
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Diogenesister
Paul was born with a heart condition called truncus arteriosus – whereby there is only one large artery leaving the heart instead of two. This means that too much blood goes to the lungs and too little oxygenated blood reaches the rest of the body, leading to difficulties with breathing.
After his initial diagnosis in 1967, when he was just a few months old, Paul’s local hospital referred him to GOSH. At the time, clinicians could only offer a palliative operation that would help relieve the symptoms of the condition for as long as possible.
Innovative surgery
Eight years later a GOSH surgeon introduced a new operation called the Rastelli procedure, that was developed by international colleagues. This meant Paul’s condition could now be treated.
Paul is thought to have been one of the first in the UK to have this operation, when he was just eight years old. At the same time as the Rastelli procedure, surgeons also closed a hole in Paul’s heart.
The operation on Paul’s heart was a success, and his care at GOSH continued until he was 17 years old. During this time, he had further treatment at GOSH, including valve replacement surgery.
Paul said, “I’m so proud to be a part of the NHS’s story and am grateful for the incredible care I received at Great Ormond Street Hospital. Thanks to this, I’m now thought to be one of the eldest survivors of truncus arteriosus in the UK.
“When I was 17 and about to have my second major operation at GOSH, I felt the enormity of what was about to happen. It felt like a second chance at life, and a chance for me to do my bit in the world.
“In my role as a Church Minister, I now support people in the UK as well as overseas. Charitable work has given me my career as well as my life.”
Paul now has treatment at Barts Hospital in north London. His consultants also work at GOSH and care for children and young people with congenital heart conditions, like Paul’s.
Paul added, “It was a surprise to be chosen by GOSH to represent them, amongst some big names.
“I’ve not been involved in anything as public as this before. However, I feel it is important to show our pride in our universal health system, and the support its charities give.
“It has been fun.”
Caring for children with rare cardiac conditions today
GOSH is a specialist centre for many heart conditions children are born with, which are known as congenital cardiac conditions. The Hospital’s Cardiology team receives referrals from across the UK and the world.
Emma Carter, Senior Chief Cardiac Physiologist – Specialty Lead at GOSH said, “In the space of 50 years we have gone from offering palliative care for truncus arteriosus to being able to diagnose the condition in foetal life and operate within months of being born.
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Reasonfirst
Hi Diogenesister, what could've been a sad story (and, would've been for most families in this screwed up world) became a happier story, I feel very happy too, for you and Paul.
Generally, the more I read on this topic, the more I appreciate Australia's health system. I pay token amounts (circa $7) for most prescriptions. Sure, that system has some big hassles (Drs dropping out of the system for one) and, of course, the fact that everything costs - but is the cost a fair one????
But generally, most Australians have access to reasonable health care, paid for (mostly) through taxation.
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Diogenesister
All of us (who do pay taxes) think our taxes are high enough already. For example -- If my employer pays a $10,000 bonus for Christmas (or end of year bonus) to me, the cost to the company is $10,765 (plus some other minor taxes based on that amount). After federal, state, local and social security taxes are withheld from my bonus, I will receive about $6,000 total (or only about 55% of what it cost my employer).
Most people in the UK pay tax. Your bonus is pretty much unheard of in the UK...unless you're the CEO of a major company. So there's pros & cons but I'm afraid a system where you're a job loss and illness away from disaster....no thank you. I've seen too many otherwise healthy young people get cancers that would bankrupt an American (and frequently do).
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Diogenesister
Phizzy Just did a fact check, average spending in the USA per capita is $10, 948 per annum. In the U.K it is $4,500, less than half !
When you pay through the nose for everything and are grotesquely over medicated by greedy doctors, it's not surprising!