Healthcare Around the World vs the US

[kiwiman127]

What's more important isn't the out of pocket, it's what the overall cost per capita. America is getting raped and the sad fact is, people actually defend that BS! Now that's ideology over reality.

 

[alan1]

http://www.nytimes.com/2013/06/02/h...s-the-world-in-health-expenditures.html?_r=1&

Cost over here in Australia is $0 to the patient.

Who pays for it?
Or do all the doctors, nurses and drug companies work for free in Australia?

 

[gallantwarrior]

I just filled a prescription for Lipitor in Canada for $64, which is half of the cost in the US. Next year, when I turn 65, all prescriptions will cost me $2.

My recent hospital stay for a minor heart attack was fully paid for under my OHIP coverage. I cannot express how much our medical system frees patients to focus on their recovery.

I never have to worry about co-pays or hitting a ceiling on my treatments. The hospitals aren't concerned about how they'll be paid, their only concern is my health.

So, if you aren't concerned with paying your bills, who is?

 

[Mr. Sauerkraut]

i can only give you my view.

Everybody in Germany is beholden to have a health insurance. This is very expensive but nearly everyone is insured. Ordinary workers and employees are automatically insured, when they have a job. We can upgrade our health insurance. Especially for the teeth this is really nescessary. But in case of a serious illness, we can absolutely trust our system.

What happens when a person is between jobs in Germany?

when a german worker or empoyee loses his job, he get´s 63% of his last wages for 1 year. he stays health and pension insured in this time.

When a german doesn´t come back in job after one year he get´s "Hartz4"

this means: His rent will be payed (but his flat isn´t allowed to be too big) and he gets nearly 420$ for food and anything else. And he is allowed to make a small money job (nearly 250$) without fee cutting. He stays health insured.

You can´t sink deeper like this in Germany.

 

[LoneLaugher]

i can only give you my view.

Everybody in Germany is beholden to have a health insurance. This is very expensive but nearly everyone is insured. Ordinary workers and employees are automatically insured, when they have a job. We can upgrade our health insurance. Especially for the teeth this is really nescessary. But in case of a serious illness, we can absolutely trust our system.

What happens when a person is between jobs in Germany?

when a german worker or empoyee loses his job, he get´s 63% of his last wages for 1 year. he stays health and pension insured in this time.

When a german doesn´t come back in job after one year he get´s "Hartz4"

this means: His rent will be payed (but his flat isn´t allowed to be too big) and he gets nearly 420$ for food and anything else. And he is allowed to make a small money job (nearly 250$) without fee cutting. He stays health insured.

You can´t sink deeper like this in Germany.

Excellent. Will you PLEASE contribute more to the politics and current events forums here. We NEED some new perspective.

 

[Mr. Sauerkraut]

Well, this has also something to do with mentality. We want this high social standard here, because we want to be as far as possible away from any "nazi" idelogism. As you know, people were seperated in this time in "lifeworthy" and "lifeunworthy".

In america is still the "if you want it, you can get it" opinion. That means on the other side: "If you didn´t get it, you didn´t really want it". This is the view of the "winners" to the "losers" of your society.

It needs a very hard time to cange a people´s mentality. We had this damned war, with wich we are identified until today. You have now this big depression. Meybe it is enough, maybe it´s not. We´ll see.

But our social system is only for keeping you away from starving, becoming homeless or dying by a sickness. Not more. Life under this circumstances isn´t that funny. And if the agency for work gives you a job, you have to take it. Otherwise your fees could be cut down.

 

[Political Junky]

i can only give you my view.

Everybody in Germany is beholden to have a health insurance. This is very expensive but nearly everyone is insured. Ordinary workers and employees are automatically insured, when they have a job. We can upgrade our health insurance. Especially for the teeth this is really nescessary. But in case of a serious illness, we can absolutely trust our system.

What happens when a person is between jobs in Germany?

when a german worker or empoyee loses his job, he get´s 63% of his last wages for 1 year. he stays health and pension insured in this time.

When a german doesn´t come back in job after one year he get´s "Hartz4"

this means: His rent will be payed (but his flat isn´t allowed to be too big) and he gets nearly 420$ for food and anything else. And he is allowed to make a small money job (nearly 250$) without fee cutting. He stays health insured.

You can´t sink deeper like this in Germany.

Thanks so much for the explanation, if only we could get something like that in the US.

 

[Mr. Sauerkraut]

Thanks so much for the explanation, if only we could get something like that in the US.

As said: It´s a mentality thing.

it starts with the definition of "freedom" in the common sense. As I see, this means in majority the freedom to make money on any way you want. And nothing else.

If anything is privatized by some companies and companies have the one and only goal to make money then you have the things you see in your countries.

Our health insurances have the order by state to provide the people with healthcare. This costs a lot of money but they do their job.

But a pure private company finds always a way (they quite have to) to grow their profits year by year. The easiest way is to raise wages and cut efforts.


Imagine a baker would double the price for his bread and make it only half size and replaces the half of the flour with saw dust. Would you allow that? Why do you allow your banks, insurances and other companies to act this way? is this still, what is meant with "freedom"?

 

[Dragonlady]

I just filled a prescription for Lipitor in Canada for $64, which is half of the cost in the US. Next year, when I turn 65, all prescriptions will cost me $2.

My recent hospital stay for a minor heart attack was fully paid for under my OHIP coverage. I cannot express how much our medical system frees patients to focus on their recovery.

I never have to worry about co-pays or hitting a ceiling on my treatments. The hospitals aren't concerned about how they'll be paid, their only concern is my health.

So, if you aren't concerned with paying your bills, who is?

My doctor and hospital bills are paid by the Ontario Health Insurance Plan - OHIP for short. I never even see the bill and I complete no paperwork. My doctor/lab/hospital bills OHIP directly.

One of the reasons medical costs in Canada are so much lower than the USA is that doctors/labs/hospitals only bill OHIP and not 100 different insurance companies. OHIP negotiates reimbursement rates with the CMA (doctors) and sets reimbursement rates for labs and hospitals. As a result, doctors don't waste time negotiating with insurance companies and there are no third party billing or collection companies working for doctors or hospitals. There is no pre-approval required for any treatment or tests.

Administration costs are less than 10% of our medical expenditures versus 30% in the USA.

 

[ClosedCaption]

Well, this has also something to do with mentality. We want this high social standard here, because we want to be as far as possible away from any "nazi" idelogism. As you know, people were seperated in this time in "lifeworthy" and "lifeunworthy".

In america is still the "if you want it, you can get it" opinion. That means on the other side: "If you didn´t get it, you didn´t really want it". This is the view of the "winners" to the "losers" of your society.

It needs a very hard time to cange a people´s mentality. We had this damned war, with wich we are identified until today. You have now this big depression. Meybe it is enough, maybe it´s not. We´ll see.

But our social system is only for keeping you away from starving, becoming homeless or dying by a sickness. Not more. Life under this circumstances isn´t that funny. And if the agency for work gives you a job, you have to take it. Otherwise your fees could be cut down.

I agree we need more perspective from the International Community in this forum because a lot of people think that America is the only way it should be or they cannot fathom any other system besides the US.