Free healthcare in your country?

geniepr · Jan 18th, 2008, 01:29 AM

Sorry if this was posted before. Me and my DH just finished watching the movie documentary Sicko and saw many countrys that have a national healthcare where the citizens don't have to pay for medical bills. Here in the USA a lot of people have lost their houses because of their health care.

My question here is where are you from? Do you really don't have to pay for your health care?

JAN! · Jan 18th, 2008, 01:42 AM

Canada. We don't pay for our health care. But we do our part in taxes. In Ontario, our sales tax is 14% (I believe it's reduced to 13% now) and we get a few types of taxes deducted from our paycheques.

Heath-kkf · Jan 18th, 2008, 01:47 AM

That is one misconception. Yea, there are countries which provide health care to mostly everyone, but it isn't really "free". These countries require a whole lot more taxes than the U.S.

geniepr · Jan 18th, 2008, 01:51 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JAN!

Canada. We don't pay for our health care. But we do our part in taxes. In Ontario, our sales tax is 14% (I believe it's reduced to 13% now) and we get a few types of taxes deducted from our paycheques.

Oh, at least here in PA our taxes are 7% and the deductions of our paycheck is around 20% and still my husband have to pay almost $400 monthly for his healthcare.

Cal · Jan 18th, 2008, 01:58 AM

We have a great health system here in Australia - Medicare. Whilst is seems free (and to some people it is), we all pay an annual 1% Medicare Levy. We also have private health insurance, I think ours is around $250 per month, top cover.

For example: My son has a lot of developmental issues. Though the Government he gets free hearing aids, free teaching assistance, free transport to school, etc. Whilst this is not Medicare, it is still provided through the government.

We have very high personal taxes here though, we pay 49%. It's a sliding scale though with the top bracket being 49.

Pursegrrl · Jan 18th, 2008, 03:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Heath-kkf

That is one misconception. Yea, there are countries which provide health care to mostly everyone, but it isn't really "free". These countries require a whole lot more taxes than the U.S.

Exactly. Nothing is 'free.'

Tanja · Jan 18th, 2008, 03:53 AM

Here in germany everybody gets healthcare but for most people (who work) it isn't free but it's not to expensive either. You pay about 13-14% of your gros salary but you share thes percentage with your employer so it's actually about 6,5-7%. When you're unemployed or retired the states gives you the same healthcare for free so everybody gets the medical treatments they need. IMO the public healthcare system is pretty good e.g. for a cat-scan you wait max. 2-3 days if it's an emergency you get it immediately.
I have a chronical illness which requires a lot of therapy and very expensive meds (about 700€/months) but I only pay 30€/months for these prescriptions.

mellecyn · Jan 18th, 2008, 04:55 AM

Yes, it´s not free. And "sicko" exagerated a lot of things but I think it was more to bring the attention to the current situation in US.
In France we pay around 30-40% and in Denmark 40-45% taxes in total (local tax, retirement scheme, health, unemployement, education, etc..)

In Denmark you then don´t "pay" for any visits at your doctor, specialists, hospitals and surgeries. What you pay for is dentist, optician, medication.

In France you have the "gouvernment cover" + you need to get an extra health insurance at your employer. Then you don´t pay extra (only for dentist, optician).
There is no "you ´ll have a blood test instead of a CT scan, it´s cheaper", no they´ll do what´s the most efficient.
But there is a lot of some money wasted....to much medication, too many Xrays, many plastic surgeries disguised into medical surgeries.

And if you´re poor, you´re untitled to entirely free medical care.

I don´t want to watch "sicko" it´s gonna make me feel extremely bad and revolted.

Anna Jane · Jan 18th, 2008, 12:40 PM

I don't really know the specifics, but here in the UK we do not directly pay for out heathcare i.e if I went to hospital I won't get a bill at the end of my treatment. We pay for it through our taxes! Although some people decide to pay for private heathcare rather than NHS.

merika · Jan 18th, 2008, 12:48 PM

Well in the US it's what some people call WYPIWYG - What You Pay Is What You Get.

geniepr · Jan 18th, 2008, 01:45 PM

And here in the US even when we pay more than $400 a month for health care, we still have to pay a lot for "copay" when we actually gt tratment. Also the healthcare company still have the right to deny expensive procedures. Like my husband who pays $400 for his still have to pay $30 for every doctors visit and each medication prescribed. (And he has epilepsy so he is in constant treatment)

keya · Jan 18th, 2008, 07:10 PM

$400 a month? auch! Where I live, health care is free, but we have higher taxes than in the US. It still comes out cheaper for everyone, though, as there is no health insurance company involved, looking to make a profit. In the US, you pay a premium on your health services to ensure profit for the health insurance companies, which is something you don't have here. You get the treatment you need, other alternatives aren't considered just because they are cheaper.

Sternchen · Jan 18th, 2008, 07:13 PM

In Germany we pay for our healthcare through taxes. It's not free

ImASadGiraffe · Jan 19th, 2008, 10:59 AM

In the US, I'm in the 25% tax bracket. The sales tax in my area of IL is about 8.5%. I pay a $15 co-pay to see a regular doctor, $75 for an emergency room, and my monthly prescription cost is $100 as a co-pay. If I need to have a medical procedure, I pay a $300 deductible plus 10% of whatever procedure it is, up to a $2500 maximum out-of-pocket. Monthly, my insurance premium is $110.

So yearly, if I have no procedures done, I pay $2,535 for premiums, one visit to the doc, and monthly prescriptions. That is 5% of my annual income for basic care, on top of being in the 25% tax bracket. Of course, if I need surgery or something, add another $2500 on top of that, which is another 5% of my income, and am I necessarily going to have that money in cash available for an emergency?

I would rather have a 30% tax rate and not have to be concerned how I'm going to pay for a procedure.

wordpast · Jan 19th, 2008, 11:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ImASadGiraffe

In the US, I'm in the 25% tax bracket. The sales tax in my area of IL is about 8.5%. I pay a $15 co-pay to see a regular doctor, $75 for an emergency room, and my monthly prescription cost is $100 as a co-pay. If I need to have a medical procedure, I pay a $300 deductible plus 10% of whatever procedure it is, up to a $2500 maximum out-of-pocket. Monthly, my insurance premium is $110.

So yearly, if I have no procedures done, I pay $2,535 for premiums, one visit to the doc, and monthly prescriptions. That is 5% of my annual income for basic care, on top of being in the 25% tax bracket. Of course, if I need surgery or something, add another $2500 on top of that, which is another 5% of my income, and am I necessarily going to have that money in cash available for an emergency?

I would rather have a 30% tax rate and not have to be concerned how I'm going to pay for a procedure.

I agree.

Jan 18th, 2008, 01:29 AM	#1
geniepr Member	Free healthcare in your country? Sorry if this was posted before. Me and my DH just finished watching the movie documentary Sicko and saw many countrys that have a national healthcare where the citizens don't have to pay for medical bills. Here in the USA a lot of people have lost their houses because of their health care. My question here is where are you from? Do you really don't have to pay for your health care?

Jan 18th, 2008, 01:42 AM	#2
JAN! <3 Location: Toronto	Re: Free healthcare in your country? Canada. We don't pay for our health care. But we do our part in taxes. In Ontario, our sales tax is 14% (I believe it's reduced to 13% now) and we get a few types of taxes deducted from our paycheques. __________________ If you don't like how I drive, get off the sidewalk.

Jan 18th, 2008, 01:47 AM	#3
Heath-kkf Needs to No-No.. Location: Southeast Michigan	Re: Free healthcare in your country? That is one misconception. Yea, there are countries which provide health care to mostly everyone, but it isn't really "free". These countries require a whole lot more taxes than the U.S. __________________ Report Counterfeit Bags On eBay

Jan 18th, 2008, 01:58 AM	#5
Cal For Avandome Location: Australia!	Re: Free healthcare in your country? We have a great health system here in Australia - Medicare. Whilst is seems free (and to some people it is), we all pay an annual 1% Medicare Levy. We also have private health insurance, I think ours is around $250 per month, top cover. For example: My son has a lot of developmental issues. Though the Government he gets free hearing aids, free teaching assistance, free transport to school, etc. Whilst this is not Medicare, it is still provided through the government. We have very high personal taxes here though, we pay 49%. It's a sliding scale though with the top bracket being 49. __________________

Jan 18th, 2008, 03:53 AM	#7
Tanja Member Location: Munich/Germany	Re: Free healthcare in your country? Here in germany everybody gets healthcare but for most people (who work) it isn't free but it's not to expensive either. You pay about 13-14% of your gros salary but you share thes percentage with your employer so it's actually about 6,5-7%. When you're unemployed or retired the states gives you the same healthcare for free so everybody gets the medical treatments they need. IMO the public healthcare system is pretty good e.g. for a cat-scan you wait max. 2-3 days if it's an emergency you get it immediately. I have a chronical illness which requires a lot of therapy and very expensive meds (about 700€/months) but I only pay 30€/months for these prescriptions. __________________ It is only with the heart one can see rightly, what is essential is invisible to the eye. - Antoine de Saint-Exupery-

Jan 18th, 2008, 04:55 AM	#8
mellecyn Take me to LV Location: 300 km from LV somewhere in Europe	Re: Free healthcare in your country? Yes, it´s not free. And "sicko" exagerated a lot of things but I think it was more to bring the attention to the current situation in US. In France we pay around 30-40% and in Denmark 40-45% taxes in total (local tax, retirement scheme, health, unemployement, education, etc..) In Denmark you then don´t "pay" for any visits at your doctor, specialists, hospitals and surgeries. What you pay for is dentist, optician, medication. In France you have the "gouvernment cover" + you need to get an extra health insurance at your employer. Then you don´t pay extra (only for dentist, optician). There is no "you ´ll have a blood test instead of a CT scan, it´s cheaper", no they´ll do what´s the most efficient. But there is a lot of some money wasted....to much medication, too many Xrays, many plastic surgeries disguised into medical surgeries. And if you´re poor, you´re untitled to entirely free medical care. I don´t want to watch "sicko" it´s gonna make me feel extremely bad and revolted. __________________ "You never change things by fighting the existing reality. To change something, build a new model that makes the existing model obsolete" Buckminster Fuller

Jan 18th, 2008, 12:40 PM	#9
Anna Jane Member Location: Bristol,UK	Re: Free healthcare in your country? I don't really know the specifics, but here in the UK we do not directly pay for out heathcare i.e if I went to hospital I won't get a bill at the end of my treatment. We pay for it through our taxes! Although some people decide to pay for private heathcare rather than NHS. __________________ On the hunt for: BALENCIAGA Ink Twiggy/City BALENCIAGA Black First (04/05/FB) *BALENCIAGA Black Hobo SGH* MARC JACOBS Maroon Venetia/Stella

Jan 18th, 2008, 12:48 PM	#10
merika Sac Himalaya Location: In front of a computer	Re: Free healthcare in your country? Well in the US it's what some people call WYPIWYG - What You Pay Is What You Get. __________________ I will also gladly authenticate your chocolates for you.

Jan 18th, 2008, 01:45 PM	#11
geniepr Member	Re: Free healthcare in your country? And here in the US even when we pay more than $400 a month for health care, we still have to pay a lot for "copay" when we actually gt tratment. Also the healthcare company still have the right to deny expensive procedures. Like my husband who pays $400 for his still have to pay $30 for every doctors visit and each medication prescribed. (And he has epilepsy so he is in constant treatment)

Jan 18th, 2008, 07:10 PM	#12
keya Member	Re: Free healthcare in your country? $400 a month? auch! Where I live, health care is free, but we have higher taxes than in the US. It still comes out cheaper for everyone, though, as there is no health insurance company involved, looking to make a profit. In the US, you pay a premium on your health services to ensure profit for the health insurance companies, which is something you don't have here. You get the treatment you need, other alternatives aren't considered just because they are cheaper.

Jan 18th, 2008, 07:13 PM	#13
Sternchen We're having a boy!! Location: Beauty RAOK	Re: Free healthcare in your country? In Germany we pay for our healthcare through taxes. It's not free __________________ My 2 wonderful girls, Nicole (5) and Julia (1) will be big sisters soon! My pregnancy blog

Jan 19th, 2008, 10:59 AM	#14
ImASadGiraffe Relax... Location: IL	Re: Free healthcare in your country? In the US, I'm in the 25% tax bracket. The sales tax in my area of IL is about 8.5%. I pay a $15 co-pay to see a regular doctor, $75 for an emergency room, and my monthly prescription cost is $100 as a co-pay. If I need to have a medical procedure, I pay a $300 deductible plus 10% of whatever procedure it is, up to a $2500 maximum out-of-pocket. Monthly, my insurance premium is $110. So yearly, if I have no procedures done, I pay $2,535 for premiums, one visit to the doc, and monthly prescriptions. That is 5% of my annual income for basic care, on top of being in the 25% tax bracket. Of course, if I need surgery or something, add another $2500 on top of that, which is another 5% of my income, and am I necessarily going to have that money in cash available for an emergency? I would rather have a 30% tax rate and not have to be concerned how I'm going to pay for a procedure. __________________ 11/21/08