What do you miss most about the UK?

[rjm_cmyk 75]

Can I just add that as someone moving to the Bay Area but currently sitting in Watford listening to the rain hammer down as we start our <cough> summer I really won't miss the weather. Yes I will miss the sunny spring days in the UK and yes I know all about the rain and fog in SF during the <cough> winter.

[lost_at_sea 995]

Can I just add that as someone moving to the Bay Area but currently sitting in Watford listening to the rain hammer down as we start our <cough> summer I really won't miss the weather. Yes I will miss the sunny spring days in the UK and yes I know all about the rain and fog in SF during the <cough> winter.

Hah, I was thinking the same. Although I hope you're not moving to San Francisco proper like us, where it is pretty much chilly and overcast most days (there's a reason everyone wears hoodies 24/7)! At least in the Bay Area, you're never more than a few minutes drive from ACTUAL decent warm, sunny weather.

I won't mind that this was probably my last proper winter. Nor that I'll likely get to pack away my umbrella.

Edited June 15, 2013 by lost_at_sea

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

, and I gain the ability to get tex mex and better burritos.

Tex-Mex? In Cali? It ain't the same mi amigo. Hahaha.

I asked my husband this forum question. He said he misses nothing. I guess after 4+ years he's settled in and quit comparing.

To all you pre-2008 VJ members-- why don't people miss duvets anymore??

[lost_at_sea 995]

Tex-Mex? In Cali? It ain't the same mi amigo. Hahaha.

Oh, I know. But it's better than the state of things in London (it's just not good, no matter what anyone tells you - some burritos are passable, but the taco situation is dire).

Don't worry, I take frequent trips to Austin where I mostly gorge myself on Torchy's Tacos.

Anyway, don't spoil it for me! I've gotta hold on to SOME positives. London is better than San Francisco still, in my opinion, which is not helping my pre-emptive home-sickness.

Edited June 15, 2013 by lost_at_sea

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

I love the American healthcare, but the process was mind-boggling at first. I'm starting to get the hang of it now, but I still find it confusing. When you take the provider process out of the equation, the actual care that you receive is second to none. But I imagine that if you don't have excellent insurance ymmv. They do tend to throw a lot of drugs at you, which took some getting used to.

The "process" is still mind-boggling for me, and I am the American!

IMO, the process - the system - has become increasingly more complex as time passes.

I can recall (as a young woman in my 20's) having insurance through my employer that cost me nothing. My husband also was covered at no cost. We were both on each others policies. (When my son was born 25 years ago, we were paying nothing for our health insurance). As time passed, things changed and employers had to ask employees to start to bear some of the cost each month. At first these amounts were very small - maybe 10 dollars or so a pay period. Then, employers started to forbid couples from carrying each other on policies if the spouses had coverage elsewhere.

I'm not sure when the concept of deductibles and percentages of payment came into being, but I know it existed when my son was born. Back then though, it was pretty typical for doctors and hospitals to just accept whatever payment the insurance company sent and write off the balance. (When my son was born, we only paid small amounts to a couple of providers. The rest wrote off the amounts that the insurance did not cover. It was a ceasarean birth so there were extra costs.) Anyway, this changed over time as the insurance companies started paying smaller perecentages AND as health care costs continued to rise.

The insurance companies continued slowly to change the rules. Doctor visit co-pays were introduced. Like the initial introduction to employee cost sharing, these were very low. Drug prescription plans were introduced because people were having trouble paying for prescriptions. (When I was younger, drugs weren't covered. But they were also cheap.)

As far as Medicare goes, I can slightly recall the early years of pensioners needing to get a Medigap policy to cover costs that Medicare didn't pay. These Medigap policy costs were tiny. At a bank I worked for, we use to collect the premiums for the local Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Little old ladies would come in to cash their Social Security checks and would pay their Medigap policy at my teller window. The cost was something like $3.60 for the month. (This was the mid 70's).

Yadda, yadda.......so it goes till we get to the point where we have what we do today. I illustrate this stuff because, well, it's frankly mind-boggling to me that we have seen this sort of drastic change to US healthcare in just thirty or so years.

IMO there will always be "hidden" things within US healthcare that one can't quite prepare for. Our recent foray into "little surprises" regards Wes' condition. He will need dialysis and a kidney transplant before he hits Medicare qualification age. Fortunately he has health insurance at work. And fortunately for anyone with kidney disease in the US, there is a Medicare plan for anyone who goes into renal failure - no matter what their age. So.......his work coverage will apply until he needs dialysis. (This - of course - as long as he is well enough to work.) His work cover will pay for the building of a fistula through which dialysis will be administered and we will have to pay the deductibles. Once he is sick enough for dialysis, Medicare will pay and will also pay for a transplant. We will be responsible for what work cover doesn't pay. Medicare will pay for immuno-suppressant drugs for the new kidney, but only for three years. After that, they stop paying..............are we still in work? Will the work prescription plan pay for these drugs?

Welcome to US healthcare.

Oh, I know. But it's better than the state of things in London (it's just not good, no matter what anyone tells you - some burritos are passable, but the taco situation is dire).

Don't worry, I take frequent trips to Austin where I mostly gorge myself on Torchy's Tacos.

Anyway, don't spoil it for me! I've gotta hold on to SOME positives. London is better than San Francisco still, in my opinion, which is not helping my pre-emptive home-sickness.

London is better than anywhere.........

[JoannaV 174]

We could discuss healthcare all day. Putting all political concerns aside, there is so much variation in situations and experience on both sides of the pond.

More things I miss: only having a couple of summer days (my husband also LOVES the British weather, rain and all!), and barely any bugs...

Duvets? Well right now no-one is missing duvets because it is a bazillion degrees. But we do own duvets. What was going on back in the day that made y'all miss duvets?

I haven't found a suitable American butter yet. I need to be brave and try some more. The one local farm butter I tried tasted like sour cheese, which is why I'm wary. So I use cheap butter for baking but use Kerrygold for spreading etc. We went to the Caribbean a couple of years ago and they had Anchor butter, which I'd forgotten about...that stuff is gorgeous... But I would prefer not to have to utilise a freighter for my butter lol.

[JoannaV 174]

Also, maybe this applies more to women I don't know, but from time to time I come across discussions where people are talking about all the clothing brands they miss. So if you do have a favourite pair of underwear LOL then stock up! Not that there aren't good clothes over here, just that sometimes it can take forever to discover the brand that's right for you.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

We could discuss healthcare all day. Putting all political concerns aside, there is so much variation in situations and experience on both sides of the pond.

More things I miss: only having a couple of summer days (my husband also LOVES the British weather, rain and all!), and barely any bugs...

Duvets? Well right now no-one is missing duvets because it is a bazillion degrees. But we do own duvets. What was going on back in the day that made y'all miss duvets?

I haven't found a suitable American butter yet. I need to be brave and try some more. The one local farm butter I tried tasted like sour cheese, which is why I'm wary. So I use cheap butter for baking but use Kerrygold for spreading etc. We went to the Caribbean a couple of years ago and they had Anchor butter, which I'd forgotten about...that stuff is gorgeous... But I would prefer not to have to utilise a freighter for my butter lol.

It's not a political issue, Joanna. It's real life in America. It's not about politics.

I put up our story as an example of how the system affects real people. And I do believe, having lived it, that it is relevant to any British citizen considering a move to this country.

I wish you luck with your search for decent butter.

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

Duvets? People used to rant and rave that there were no duvets in America. Every few months a new thread would pop up about duvets. Some got almost heated. I dunno why. I just didn't get it being American.

[Rebecca Jo 1,962]

Duvets? People used to rant and rave that there were no duvets in America. Every few months a new thread would pop up about duvets. Some got almost heated. I dunno why. I just didn't get it being American.

Marks and Spencer has special international shipping rates. I ordered a duvet from them and had it shipped over here for the princely sum of £15.

[lost_at_sea 995]

God, I hate duvets. I'm more of a sheets + blankets and a quilt (which I believe American's call "comforters"? you know, like this: http://www.homestoreplus.co.uk/shop/bedding/patchwork_quilts_and_throws/cocoon_santini1/46/) on top, kind of person.

Edited June 15, 2013 by lost_at_sea

[Nich-Nick 3,354]

It's not a political issue, Joanna. It's real life in America. It's not about politics.

I put up our story as an example of how the system affects real people. And I do believe, having lived it, that it is relevant to any British citizen considering a move to this country.

.

I had to buy software to keep up with the billing and insurance when my (former) husband had cancer. The last calendar year of his life, the billing from treatment at the #1 Cancer Center in the world* was $448,000 and that was only nine months worth.

*http://health.usnews.com/best-hospitals/rankings/cancer

[Hotter Otter 1,211]

Can I just add that as someone moving to the Bay Area but currently sitting in Watford listening to the rain hammer down as we start our <cough> summer I really won't miss the weather. Yes I will miss the sunny spring days in the UK and yes I know all about the rain and fog in SF during the <cough> winter.

I'm going to miss the British weather in that it is rarely uncomfortably hot or uncomfortably cold, although all the rain and grey cloudy days will not be missed. Being from the westcountry it rarely gets cold in the winter so I'll probably be wearing 6000 layers in the New England winter. I'm going to miss walks in the countryside and weekend visits to castles and National Trust places. I will not miss motorway service stations, petrol prices or the amount it costs to go anywhere on the train!

[civilservant 42]

the petrol prices in the US arent better, when you consider the way the engines are ridiculous inefficient. I mean 300 on one tank of gas in a sedan? Jeez.

[fcat 79]

the petrol prices in the US arent better, when you consider the way the engines are ridiculous inefficient. I mean 300 on one tank of gas in a sedan? Jeez.

Of course they are better, what you choose to drive in the USA is upto you though. I have a Volvo S70 plus another two cars in the US and the Volvo gets the same gas mileage as the Volvo i have in the UK!