Anyone wish they were back in the UK

[Boiler 44,857]

The US has a much bigger 'free' system the the UK does, those with private insurance are in the minority, as they are in the UK.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

*shrugs*

I just don't like the fact that US healthcare depends on jobs. And I don't like it for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the last thing you need to worry about when out of work is whether or not you are going to get sick, or how you are going to get your meds.

Healthcare started out as a job benefit in the US when it was cheap enough to offer. Nowadays the cost of healthcare actually straps companies to the point they don't hire. And, IMO, my private health information doesn't belong at my place of employment. Yet there it sits, in the HR office. Mind boggling.

The concept of health insurance costing as much as a car payment each month is ridiculous. Especially given the fact that coverage still leaves us with deductibles, out of pocket costs, and co-pays. At least when I buy a car and make payments on it, I get four wheels and not three.

I think if a person ever spends any time without health insurance, especially if they need medications each month or have any kind of long term illness, their perspective would change regarding a system that eliminates people because of their circumstance. At least I would hope they would have enough self respect to feel they were as worthy of a healthy life as the guy with a job.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

when you're brought up that in order to get good health care you gotta get a good job...it doesn't really sink in that what you "have to" do is all that detrimental based on what others "don't have to" do.

I knew in order to get benefits i'd have to have a good job, so I went to school and got a good job with good benefits that I have to pay for...at the same time, it's all I really knew to do. I imagine if I went from not paying at all to having to pay for what I believed to be the same exact care, it would make me feel a different way about it.

I'm down for free sh*t. But I'm not down for having to deal with wait lists, lines and better care (if that's even what it means).

I'm sure you know not every child in the US can afford a college education. So they can get a good job with benefits. Many of these children are from working poor families. The kind of people who never take a handout. So these children are very much like you, I suppose, as they will do as they were brought up.

They will work at jobs with lower wages than you. Perhaps at places that offer insurance, but at a cost to high. A cost that is sometimes 25 to 30 percent of their take home pay. So they won't take the insurance, but they will labor away never taking welfare benefits, food stamps or other benefits. And if a catastrophic illness befalls them, they will be forced to declare bankruptcy, a devastating humiliation.

[Pooky 3,680]

Didn't say it was free. One of the points of the NHS, though, was to be free at point of delivery, which it is, no matter what your financial circumstances and you do not have to fit in certain categories (as was stated in a previous post) for this to be the case or fill out insurance paperwork to get treatment. If you're not a tax payer then, essentially, yes, your NHS service would be free as you wouldn't have actually contributed towards any of your care. As mentioned in my previous post, it is paid for through general taxation rather than specific healthcare insurance and, again, taxation paid for by the general population is less than insurance premiums sometimes paid in the US. Furthermore, if you have a longstanding condition, you will get treatment in the UK. In the US, it will depend on the insurance company and whether you are able to get cover for a pre-existing condition. From talking to a US friend of mine, she is only able to use a certain amount of healthcare and will not be covered if the amount spent exceeds this. Pre-existing conditions and amount of healthcare you've already received do not affect whether you get treatment in the UK.

Again, not saying it's perfect, but the US model is in no way perfect either.

Just to clarify, in the UK you pay toward the NHS with your National Insurance Contributions, which are separate from your Income Tax. NI goes towards the NHS and your State pension. So, in effect, you are paying specific healthcare "insurance", only the scale is the same for everyone and everyone in employment contributes, according to their ability (income).

[scotinmass 588]

Just to clarify, in the UK you pay toward the NHS with your National Insurance Contributions, which are separate from your Income Tax. NI goes towards the NHS and your State pension. So, in effect, you are paying specific healthcare "insurance", only the scale is the same for everyone and everyone in employment contributes, according to their ability (income).

Only if you work. Everyone gets treatment regardless of whether they pay NI or not. Plenty people get it completely free.

[Robert&Karen 264]

Only if you work. Everyone gets treatment regardless of whether they pay NI or not. Plenty people get it completely free and other people pay for them.

Fixed it for you.

[GandK 168]

Stupid topic for some maybe.

After nearly 3 years in the US, me and my wife can't wait to move to Scotland. America has it's pro's but it seems to have more con's.

We are both on a good income here but for whatever reason, money doesn't last ####### here. On top of that were both sick to death of the extreme arrogance people have in South Carolina. The place is nice, don't get me wrong.

I have had about had it with all the bull$###### that happens here. Example, I was waiting for my wife to get out at wal-mart and stood outside and had a smoke. This guy was going nuts as I was smoking. I stepped back a few more feet and said sorry and basically tried to ignore him. As i leaned against the wall, for whatever reason he thought I was pulling something out my pocket so he went to his ruck sack and pulled out a gun and shouted, threated etc.

I honestly have to say this is not the first time I've seen this kind of ####### in America. Off all the bloody years, the last 2 years have taken it's toll. Even my wife is sick and tired of this crime ridden, ignorant people. She even says it was never like this until about 3-4 years ago.

Yes, I can understand that cities are like that but were in a population of 45,000 and crime keeps rising and your money is about as worth wiping your backside with.

I am seriously giving up and heading back home to the Highlands of Scotland.

Not looking for sympathy by the way. I'm just pi$$ed off with life here is in the Southern belt.

Sorry for your experience. But I think it is naive to generalize America based on your experience in one city.

How about moving to another state? California perhaps. My fiancee parents live near lake tahoes in northern california, small town but the people there are very nice and friendly and almost no crime. They don't even lock their doors when they go out to walk the dogs..

Again, my experience of living in America is from california where most of the people are pretty open-minded and friendly.

[Boiler 44,857]

Just to clarify, in the UK you pay toward the NHS with your National Insurance Contributions, which are separate from your Income Tax. NI goes towards the NHS and your State pension. So, in effect, you are paying specific healthcare "insurance", only the scale is the same for everyone and everyone in employment contributes, according to their ability (income).

NI is just a general tax, nothing to do with the NHS.

[scotinmass 588]

Sorry for your experience. But I think it is naive to generalize America based on your experience in one city.

How about moving to another state? California perhaps. My fiancee parents live near lake tahoes in northern california, small town but the people there are very nice and friendly and almost no crime. They don't even lock their doors when they go out to walk the dogs..

Again, my experience of living in America is from california where most of the people are pretty open-minded and friendly.

Ditto for New England. (Well maybe best to lock your doors in the Boston area!)

[Pooky 3,680]

NI is just a general tax, nothing to do with the NHS.

It is the specific contribution toward your medical coverage in the UK. SO it has quite a lot to do with the NHS.

[Gary and Alla 3,694]

Don't you watch the news, read the papers?

Just a small example. You have lost your AAA rating.

Nearly 15% of the U.S. population relied on food stamps.

That's up 12% from a year ago, and 34% higher than two years ago.

I don't have to mention the national debt.

Unemployment, was there jobs created last month? No

You can go on about Europe, UK, whatever other country with it's debt crisis. The cost of living has shot up big time this last 3-4 years.

Have a nice trip back, good luck.

[Boiler 44,857]

It is the specific contribution toward your medical coverage in the UK. SO it has quite a lot to do with the NHS.

No it is not, it is part of general taxation.

I would be hard put to think of any hypothecated tax in the UK.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

Have a nice trip back, good luck.

Ignore feature broke?

[Trompe le Monde 1,107]

Ignore feature broke?

:rofl: :rofl:

[TracyTN 237]

*shrugs*

I just don't like the fact that US healthcare depends on jobs. And I don't like it for a lot of reasons, not the least of which is the last thing you need to worry about when out of work is whether or not you are going to get sick, or how you are going to get your meds.

Healthcare started out as a job benefit in the US when it was cheap enough to offer. Nowadays the cost of healthcare actually straps companies to the point they don't hire. And, IMO, my private health information doesn't belong at my place of employment. Yet there it sits, in the HR office. Mind boggling.

The concept of health insurance costing as much as a car payment each month is ridiculous. Especially given the fact that coverage still leaves us with deductibles, out of pocket costs, and co-pays. At least when I buy a car and make payments on it, I get four wheels and not three.

I think if a person ever spends any time without health insurance, especially if they need medications each month or have any kind of long term illness, their perspective would change regarding a system that eliminates people because of their circumstance. At least I would hope they would have enough self respect to feel they were as worthy of a healthy life as the guy with a job.

Don't think there are many that would disagree with you on this point, certainly not me.

I just find it always peculiar that when having this discussion, those who aren't huge NHS fans are the first to admit the failings of the US system, but those on the other side will hardly ever admit that the NHS has its faults, too. THAT makes me shrug.