"Sicko"

[jundp 191]

I will happily go to my private doctor.....do whatever in a timely manner and pay cash and show my insurance card, before I would spend hours in some free govt operated clinic waiting for something that would only take minutes and have to deal with govt employees with an attitude.

Nice that you have that option. Many people don't even have the insurance card, let alone the cash for a private doctor.

The thing about national health care is that you would still be able to go to your private doctor and spend your money. But those less fortunate would have access to health care too.

[angie007 0]

Angie....speaking as a Canadian who only just moved down a few months ago, my experience with US healthcare has been fine so far. After having lived in Ontario my whole life, I'm finding it refreshing to be able to get a Dr's appointment when I want and quickly if I need to come in that day with something like a UTI or a sick kid. I made an appointment with a specialist and I didn't have to wait 4-6 months like I did in Ontario. I love that I can go in and actually talk to my Dr about whatever I need to (not just 1 item per visit cuz he wants to charge OHIP!)

We pay a co-pay each time we go to the dr's office ($20/visit or $40/spec. visit) but we submit that back to our Healthcare spending account through benefits and get it backa few weeks later.

I find it slightly disconcerting that I have to pay each time and that they ask for my insurance card each time to check my group #/ id#...but mostly it hasn't been a big deal.

I do find it disgraceful that the United States Gov. can pay billions towards defence budgets and there are people at home who need care, badly. The conservatives will get on their damn high horse saying everyone should work harder and pay their own way, but honestly we are a vast country, with a huge variety of people and innocent children don't deserve to have substandard care.

That's my rant, i think it's important to have insurance, otherwise you're screwed

you're right...i broke my back last january ( I slipped in our porch steps and landed on my back) so I went in the doctor to have an xray done and she said that I'm fine and it will eventually heal..I was scared that there might be some internal hemorrhage or broken bone or something and still hurts to this day...isnt that awful?

well, i guess there is no perfect system in this world...i was just scared that if i might get sick or my family in U.S. we'll be in debt...that's why I wanted to hear from people's experience...thanks for sharing yours with me..it takes away some of my fears to think that i wll be living in U.S..

[angie007 0]

It's not as bad as Sicko...but it's not a great situation. My wife had a tough time trying to figure out the concept of premiums, co-pay, and deductibles. Luckily we have good insurance, for now.

Medical premium costs have been rising double digit percentage points for years. The number of uninsured Americans keeps growing.

Hopefully we'll see our next president worry less about war in Iraq and Afghanistan and more about uninsured children and those living under the poverty level.

Amen to that....

[angie007 0]

Thanks to all you guys...everybody in VJ have been so helpful and nice..thanks for sharing your experiences and insights to this topic..It made me feel better..

[angie007 0]

My experiences with the US healthcare system have been very good to be honest. The thing that’s different is paying when you leave? Showing your insurance card and making that all important co-pay. Back home your done and you walk out the door! Honestly this system is great as long as you have insurance.. it’s a different system if you don’t! A simple visit to the doctor can run easily into the 100's!!

I hope the US does as another poster said.. maybe scale back on the (in my opinion) bloated military by just by a few billion ya know.. enough so the poor can actually afford to go to the doctor if they get sick. As for everyone else, if you have insurance and can afford “better” then go for it by all means. I as a tax payer don’t mind at all if taxes go up and I don’t mind paying extra so others don’t have to worry about being hounded to death by collection agencies if they commit the crime of being sick.

That just reminds me on another thing that doesn’t appear to be available here (in Florida at least?) is maternity leave. I was very shocked to discover that people here having babies are treated like they are sick by their employers. They get to use up their “sick time” and holiday time or risk going unpaid or worse! It’s no wonder so many schedule to be induced and mark the calendar or go and have it removed. I’ve never heard of such insanity before!!

That is so sad for new mothers...In canada new monthers get a one whole year vacation leave...they can go back to work after that or not go back at all..

[aidan80 9]

My experiences with the US healthcare system have been very good to be honest. The thing that’s different is paying when you leave? Showing your insurance card and making that all important co-pay. Back home your done and you walk out the door! Honestly this system is great as long as you have insurance.. it’s a different system if you don’t! A simple visit to the doctor can run easily into the 100's!!

I hope the US does as another poster said.. maybe scale back on the (in my opinion) bloated military by just by a few billion ya know.. enough so the poor can actually afford to go to the doctor if they get sick. As for everyone else, if you have insurance and can afford “better” then go for it by all means. I as a tax payer don’t mind at all if taxes go up and I don’t mind paying extra so others don’t have to worry about being hounded to death by collection agencies if they commit the crime of being sick.

That just reminds me on another thing that doesn’t appear to be available here (in Florida at least?) is maternity leave. I was very shocked to discover that people here having babies are treated like they are sick by their employers. They get to use up their “sick time” and holiday time or risk going unpaid or worse! It’s no wonder so many schedule to be induced and mark the calendar or go and have it removed. I’ve never heard of such insanity before!!

That is so sad for new mothers...In canada new monthers get a one whole year vacation leave...they can go back to work after that or not go back at all..

It isn't sad it's inhumane in my opinion! People wonder why so many couples break up, why people are stressed so much and why so many are popping so many pills just to hold out. Just one of the many, many reasons! We're not robots we're people and I think people deserve more than just "sick time" for the purposes of starting a family.

[Flames9_RN 358]

I believe in many European countries they get a lot a time off for pregnancy as it should be!! I was shocked on how little time off one gets in the USA!

[Chica Yeyé 41]

My take is that access to health services should be a human right (sh1te, maybe it already is and someone will slam me, oh well, as if I cared).

It sickens me to know there are people who are working 2 or 3 jobs yet cannot afford health insurance, so they -and their children- are, indeed, screwed.

The system is wrong. Do I know how to fix it? No. But I can say it's broken, that's for sure.

[TracyTN 237]

Any film which pitches the UK system as somehow ideal is a load of #######.

Sort of like Michael Moore.

Even if 50% of the film is a load of #######, it's still horrendous and terrifying!

There's no question that the US system is not perfect - and that it needs an overhaul.

But to champion national health as the savior is, at best, disingenuous. And at worst, misleading.

[mox 298]

But to champion national health as the savior is, at best, disingenuous. And at worst, misleading.

Well...that's an opinion based on...er...opinion.

I won't say that national health is a savior (although I have a strong suspicion that it is), but I do know enough to say that the waters have been completely muddied by special interests on both sides. I believe every single American is entitled to health care (and not just emergency care) that will not destroy them financially. If this goal is met by something other than a national health service, that's fine by me. But a system that forces someone to make the decision of buying sorely needed medication or buying groceries or paying their rent is not only broken, it's shameful.

[Alex+R 0]

My take is that access to health services should be a human right (sh1te, maybe it already is and someone will slam me, oh well, as if I cared).

It sickens me to know there are people who are working 2 or 3 jobs yet cannot afford health insurance, so they -and their children- are, indeed, screwed.

The system is wrong. Do I know how to fix it? No. But I can say it's broken, that's for sure.

The human rights world is always debating whether or not health care (and other social and economic rights) is a human right. My take is yes. Some say calling something that requires means to provide (and is therefore not possible in every place in the world) cheapens political human rights that are attainable without anything but the will of the people. Other people say, how can you expect sick and hungry people to demand political human rights?

I tend to believe starving people are not going to be preoccupied with demanding their rights. They're going to be preoccupied with finding food.

eta: more to the point, the UDHR does mention health as a right

Edited February 28, 2008 by Alex+R

[TracyTN 237]

But to champion national health as the savior is, at best, disingenuous. And at worst, misleading.

Well...that's an opinion based on...er...opinion.

I won't say that national health is a savior (although I have a strong suspicion that it is), but I do know enough to say that the waters have been completely muddied by special interests on both sides. I believe every single American is entitled to health care (and not just emergency care) that will not destroy them financially. If this goal is met by something other than a national health service, that's fine by me. But a system that forces someone to make the decision of buying sorely needed medication or buying groceries or paying their rent is not only broken, it's shameful.

I completely agree with the parts of your post in bold face.

I just happen not to believe that national health is the ONLY vehicle in which we should get there.

[mox 298]

I just happen not to believe that national health is the ONLY vehicle in which we should get there.

Well I guess I can agree with that.

[Blues Fairy 0]

I guess commercial health care would not be so expensive in the States if it were not for the malpractice lawyers. Though, according to the reports, the direct impact of malpractice on the costs of healthcare seem to be small, it's the fear of lawyers that makes the doctors inflate the fees for the simplest things, just to cushion themselves against possible legal hassle. I don't know if this damage is at all reversible in any forseeable future; but there must be ways to regulate malpractice suits and the fees.

The absence of maternity leave is my sore spot, too. I just don't know how on earth we're going to crack this one.

[DeadPoolX 9]

I guess commercial health care would not be so expensive in the States if it were not for the malpractice lawyers. Though, according to the reports, the direct impact of malpractice on the costs of healthcare seem to be small, it's the fear of lawyers that makes the doctors inflate the fees for the simplest things, just to cushion themselves against possible legal hassle. I don't know if this damage is at all reversible in any forseeable future; but there must be ways to regulate malpractice suits and the fees.

The absence of maternity leave is my sore spot, too. I just don't know how on earth we're going to crack this one.

You're absolutely right about that.

While it's true physicians earn more than the average person, malpractice insurance eats away a huge chunk of that. Many physicians are heading to Texas because we currently have what is considered "inexpensive" malpractice insurance somewhere around $85,000 per year. That's more than most people end up making as a salary and yet that's considered a "good price" for malpractice insurance. It can be as high as $200,000 per year in other states.

When you figure those costs into the picture, it's not hard to imagine why physicians would inflate their prices. They have business expenses to pay for, as well looking to earn a living on a personal level.

So yes, I'd place most of the blame on the malpractice lawsuits filed against doctors -- many of which are completely unnecessary. If a physician botches a surgical procedure (or something serious), then by all means, sue away! However, if the medication a patient is given ends up making him or her break out in a relatively minor rash, there's no point in suing. Just tell the doctor and fix the problem.

Unfortunately, many people don't think this way and look at any potential medical issue as an "easy way" to gain some money from "rich doctors who can afford to lose a little cash." It's exactly that type of thinking that's put us in the sort of position we're in today.