World Wide Experiences with Socialized Medicine

[nostatic]

Originally posted by Tshabet
I was once seriously injured in Switzerland and can heartily recommend their helicopter rides and morphine drips.

no such thing as a bad morphine drip...

[gbmalm]

Health care for the average American SUCKS. In fact it was recently revealed that even for the Wealthy it SUCKS. That is why they are flying to France, ala Charlie Rose, to have serious procedures done. Blame GREED, from pharmaceuticals, insurance companies, hospitals, AMA, and just plain inertia. I've got so many stories, (confidential of course, to protect the corpses!), of patients allowed just 15 minutes, while the provider is reading the wrong chart and RANTING that "STRESS DOES NOT KILL", while not following-up, and providing the wrong medication! Oh boy, WE'VE GOT IT GOOD!

[Paco Anton]

In Spain we have a National Health System which means that you can get free access to all kind of medical services without paying a dime (or Euro cent in this case).

The system is so designed that even illegal inmigrants receive full attention, no questions asked. The system works ok but you have to wait a bit more to get treatment or get operated.

The National System usually has the best doctors in the field as heads of the main hospitals. These doctors usually do private practice in the afternoons, but their prestige is derived from their position in national hospitals. The rest of the docs are good.

There are also several private health insurance companies. You use them to wait less for tratments or to have a single room in the hospital instead of a shared room in a public hospital. These companies usually own or have agreements with private owned hospitals.

I pay around 120 € (150 $) a mont for full coverage for my wife, my 3 mo. old son and myself for the private company. All inclusive (I think except sex changes and breast enhancements)

[Izze]

Last year i had an racetrack motorcycle accident where i broke a rib and punctured a lung.
Got an ambulance helicopter trip, intensive care surgery and stayed at the hospital for 3 days.
Everything for free (payed via the tax system that is).

Actually not totally free. I had to pay for my telephone calls via the hospital wired system.
The medicine is not totally free either, but once you have payed in total for more than ~$220 in a year you do not have to pay any more.
The hospital food also quite sucked big time.

Otherwise from my understanding the worst part of the Swedish health care is that you might have to wait for a while for non life threatening surgery etc....but i think this has improved the last years.

Comment: I'm pro capitalist otherwise, but not really when it comes to general health care.

[dewolf]

Every person, regardless of race, color, creed and/or social status deserves the right to free medical care if it's beyond your means. I find it abhorrent that those with social status/$$$$ get preferential treatment with less serious conditions than those that are truly ill. I am in a lucky position living in Australia. We have a very decent socialised medical system which is added to our taxes. For my family of four it runs to about AU$800 p.a. I have had ct scans, x-ray's, ultrasound etc and no bill's at the end of it. My child has had surgery on a small but annoying birth defect in his right foot with no bill at the end.
I had some chest pains last year and was seen to immediately. As soon as I walked in and told the sister I was in a bit of discomfort, within minutes I was on an ekg machine, having blood taken etc. Zero wait time. As it should be for all. Thank God it was nothing to worry about.

Scott

[gbmalm]

Exactly! I live in the U.S.A., and am considered one of the lucky ones. I'm 53 and recently retired, with absolutely no health 'issues'. I have insurance. It costs me $6000/year, and they only cover 80%, after copayments! The major medical doesn't kick in until you've spent somewhat more than that. What do people of average or lower incomes do? (It's little better than the Dark Ages), Our system is built on GREED, with few getting extremely wealthy, and the rest suffering!

[Moneyguy1]

I have no comparisons to relate, but the care my wife got after her bowel was pierced here at Tucson Medical Center was far from good. She sat for nearly 5 hours before "emergency" surgery was performed, leading to death by massive infection.

I suppose some medical centers are better than others.

[Rick Lee]

Originally Posted by dewolf

Every person, regardless of race, color, creed and/or social status deserves the right to free medical care if it's beyond your means.

I am so glad yours is a minority opinion in the US. What else do you think everyone else should have given to them if they can't afford it? A house? A car? A vacation? You're welcome to pay for it if you choose. I'd rather my government redistribute as little wealth as possible.