12-30-2005, 05:11 PM
Hi there. If you live in the US could you take a minute to vote in this poll. I'm not trying to evoke a discussion here, I'd just like to know which system you prefer.
12-30-2005, 05:11 PM
12-30-2005, 05:21 PM
What happens if you have no preference? Not trying to make life difficult but I'm sure there are some that may not be able to choose between the two for different reasons )
12-30-2005, 05:49 PM
When put in such black and white terms, I'm unable to pick one over the other.
A hybrid of the two would be a sight to behold - asking way to much for either to absorb the other, sadly.
UK NHS never let me down and I had BUPA insurance with my last UK job in case of waiting lists, so I'll pick that one.
A hybrid of the two would be a sight to behold - asking way to much for either to absorb the other, sadly.
UK NHS never let me down and I had BUPA insurance with my last UK job in case of waiting lists, so I'll pick that one.
12-30-2005, 05:56 PM
I go with US healthcare. May be expensive and such but they saved my hubbys life and they saved me too.
Now their dentists, don't get me started evil
Now their dentists, don't get me started evil
12-30-2005, 06:16 PM
I have never had a problem with UK healthcare and and US healthcare is responsible for bankruptcies galore, so UK it is.
12-30-2005, 07:10 PM
How can you trust a healthcare system that decides based on what the insurance Co says?
I'm with on dentists here!!!
UK it is for me too.
I'm with on dentists here!!!
UK it is for me too.
12-30-2005, 07:16 PM
Sorry Ben I thought I put in a no preference thingy! Had to run and didn't look properly
And I can't seem to edit the poll?
And I can't seem to edit the poll?
12-30-2005, 07:24 PM
pilgrim_007 @ December 30th 2005, 5:49 pm Wrote:
A hybrid of the two would be a sight to behold
Now that would be too sensible for politicians to come up with... :roll:
12-30-2005, 07:39 PM
I have to pick USA, but then I have had good insurance in the almost 40 years that I've been here. The difference for me was that I needed surgery for a pilonidal cyst, and everytime I checked, it was months away. In the end, the NHS and I got bored with the game and forgot about it.
Soon after I got here, there was a re-infection. As soon as the infection was gone, I was in for the surgery. If you've never had an infected pilonidal cyst, trust me, you don't want to risk a second infection.
An additional consideration was that, at St Mary's, Sir Somebody Somebody was going to use an archaic practise that would have me lie on my front for two weeks and still have a significant chance of failure.
I had had a previous problem of a mis-diagnosis of something quite simple by Sir Somebody Else at St Mary's.
Soon after I got here, there was a re-infection. As soon as the infection was gone, I was in for the surgery. If you've never had an infected pilonidal cyst, trust me, you don't want to risk a second infection.
An additional consideration was that, at St Mary's, Sir Somebody Somebody was going to use an archaic practise that would have me lie on my front for two weeks and still have a significant chance of failure.
I had had a previous problem of a mis-diagnosis of something quite simple by Sir Somebody Else at St Mary's.
12-30-2005, 08:14 PM
Its a hard one to call really, cuz as other people have said NHS has never let me down. When I had my back done here I nearly died just looking at the bill lol. Thank god I had insurance.
I do think its over priced here for what you get. I mean cost the insurance company $100.00 just to have some guy to look at my xray whilst I was under the knive. Would have thought all that should have been taken care of before.
SO I cannot answer really
I do think its over priced here for what you get. I mean cost the insurance company $100.00 just to have some guy to look at my xray whilst I was under the knive. Would have thought all that should have been taken care of before.
SO I cannot answer really
12-30-2005, 09:27 PM
The US system is nothing less than social aparteid, dividing up the haves, the have nots, and those who are slipping through the cracks in the middle. People take jobs just because of the insurance offered, not because they particularly want the job. People take risks by not having insurance, their health must suffer as a result, some people never go to the dentists, & how many children are involved in all this? People have unnecessary ops & procedures because doctors are businesses and need to generate income, insurance prices are ridiculous I look at my insurance bills for example - recently I took my daughter to the docs with an eye infection, simple diagnosis blah blah, $700 billed to the insurance company. Who pays for these inflated prices? We do. It's a totally crap system.
12-30-2005, 10:04 PM
This thread could easily turn into a rant,lol
Here's my little "episode"
Dentist
Need a crown, k, does crown, but not RC as he does not want to do it unless needed, crown glued on temp.
Weeks pass of still having, pain, so it's decided to do the RC, during the RC he breaks a metal file in the tooth, and can't get it out.
Tells me I have to go to an another dentist to get it out, as he tried for an hour but could not shift it, tells me he won't pay for it, even though he screwed up!!!
Before I get out the car park, he submits his fee's to the insurance.!
Other dentist gets it out and does a good job, glues on crown, we're all done?
No.
Total bill, $7500 all in, of course I balk and call insurance Co, who say they could not give a hoot unless the other dentist submits in writting that dentist(1) screwed up, for which dentist(2) wants a fee to do!
So I call dentist(1) and explain that had I been changing a tire on his car and scratched the paint, how pissed would he be if I sent him to the paint shop to get it fixed but said I would not pay? he said that's different!!!
K, now I'm mad, so I call several lawyers, each and ever damn one of them says, "yep, you'll win, but there won't be enough money to make worth our while!"
Have a nice day!
And add insult to injury the SOB resubmitted his fee's to help me? which ended up costing me another $200!
I ended up going to the dentistry board in NJ, and am awaiting a "peer review" still bullshit, I won't see any money back but it will tie the b@stard up in paper work for weeks!
System here sucks, plain and simple, I understand that sh!t happens, the file could break for anyone, but to wash his hands of it and get away with it, simply because the dollar value is low!
Here's my little "episode"
Dentist
Need a crown, k, does crown, but not RC as he does not want to do it unless needed, crown glued on temp.
Weeks pass of still having, pain, so it's decided to do the RC, during the RC he breaks a metal file in the tooth, and can't get it out.
Tells me I have to go to an another dentist to get it out, as he tried for an hour but could not shift it, tells me he won't pay for it, even though he screwed up!!!
Before I get out the car park, he submits his fee's to the insurance.!
Other dentist gets it out and does a good job, glues on crown, we're all done?
No.
Total bill, $7500 all in, of course I balk and call insurance Co, who say they could not give a hoot unless the other dentist submits in writting that dentist(1) screwed up, for which dentist(2) wants a fee to do!
So I call dentist(1) and explain that had I been changing a tire on his car and scratched the paint, how pissed would he be if I sent him to the paint shop to get it fixed but said I would not pay? he said that's different!!!
K, now I'm mad, so I call several lawyers, each and ever damn one of them says, "yep, you'll win, but there won't be enough money to make worth our while!"
Have a nice day!
And add insult to injury the SOB resubmitted his fee's to help me? which ended up costing me another $200!
I ended up going to the dentistry board in NJ, and am awaiting a "peer review" still bullshit, I won't see any money back but it will tie the b@stard up in paper work for weeks!
System here sucks, plain and simple, I understand that sh!t happens, the file could break for anyone, but to wash his hands of it and get away with it, simply because the dollar value is low!
12-30-2005, 10:59 PM
I'm with Annie, wonderful treatment for husband.
Me, just wonderful well woman clinic.
My dentist-the best!
Me, just wonderful well woman clinic.
My dentist-the best!
12-31-2005, 01:15 AM
Personal experience has left me with a low opinion of New York doctors and the US health system.
Nothing to write home about. They seem overly keen to cut you open or fill you full of drugs.
Nothing to write home about. They seem overly keen to cut you open or fill you full of drugs.
12-31-2005, 10:02 AM
US Healthcare a business? so is the UK healthcare. Doctors won't do referals because it costs them money.
US Healthcare are knife/drug happy? the UK can be drug happy too. the number of times children are given antibiotics by some doctors when they really are not necessary, all because the doctor won't spend time with the child and mother. Spending time costs money. and knife happy - non keyhole surgery just because.
And drugs that are necessary to save a life, the NHS won't pay for because they are too expensive. The UK has had, for a long time, some of the worst cancer treatment rates in the western world. Deaths from breast cancer were the highest of all 1st world countries (don't know what they are now and can't be bothered to look them up).
If I was forced to choose I think I would have to choose the US system but I would have to have a proviso that it would be the US system in New York state because of their social system. There are many states that don't provide enough for those who have to do without insurance. NYstate has a very good social system, especially for all children and general medicine for those who are poor.
Neither system is perfect and there are always going to be those who exploit each system to their own advantage. But what swings it for me is a conversation I had a few years ago with a doctor friend in the UK about a woman I know here who was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. She was getting treatment and the treatment was beginning to work after nearly a year. My doctor friend took one look at me and told me straight that if she had been in the UK she would be dead because they wouldn't even try to save her if her cancer was that far on. And it wouldn't make any difference if she tried to go privately for her treatment because the treatment she was getting at the time just wasn't available in the UK. 5 years later she is still here to see her daughter graduate from school and see her son move upto high school.
US Healthcare are knife/drug happy? the UK can be drug happy too. the number of times children are given antibiotics by some doctors when they really are not necessary, all because the doctor won't spend time with the child and mother. Spending time costs money. and knife happy - non keyhole surgery just because.
And drugs that are necessary to save a life, the NHS won't pay for because they are too expensive. The UK has had, for a long time, some of the worst cancer treatment rates in the western world. Deaths from breast cancer were the highest of all 1st world countries (don't know what they are now and can't be bothered to look them up).
If I was forced to choose I think I would have to choose the US system but I would have to have a proviso that it would be the US system in New York state because of their social system. There are many states that don't provide enough for those who have to do without insurance. NYstate has a very good social system, especially for all children and general medicine for those who are poor.
Neither system is perfect and there are always going to be those who exploit each system to their own advantage. But what swings it for me is a conversation I had a few years ago with a doctor friend in the UK about a woman I know here who was diagnosed with stage 3 breast cancer. She was getting treatment and the treatment was beginning to work after nearly a year. My doctor friend took one look at me and told me straight that if she had been in the UK she would be dead because they wouldn't even try to save her if her cancer was that far on. And it wouldn't make any difference if she tried to go privately for her treatment because the treatment she was getting at the time just wasn't available in the UK. 5 years later she is still here to see her daughter graduate from school and see her son move upto high school.