European Healthcare
Jul 19th 2004, 2:48 am
#16
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: European Healthcare
"nightjar" <nightjar@ <insert_my_surname_here>.uk.com> wrote:
> Which country? It varies.
This is very true. My experience was from Germany, where my daughter got
excellent treatment, I got a bill (not free, even for acute care). She also
saw a doctor in France and got a couple prescriptions before flying home.
Both were fairly easy and we did get a bill for both (which insurance covered).
Friends who have been in Italy found the healthcare system harder to navigate,
although they ultimately got care, and found there were some significant
cultural differences, especially concerning care of the patient in the hospital.
--
Julie
**********
Check out my Travel Pages (non-commercial) at
http://www.dragonsholm.org/travel.htm
> Which country? It varies.
This is very true. My experience was from Germany, where my daughter got
excellent treatment, I got a bill (not free, even for acute care). She also
saw a doctor in France and got a couple prescriptions before flying home.
Both were fairly easy and we did get a bill for both (which insurance covered).
Friends who have been in Italy found the healthcare system harder to navigate,
although they ultimately got care, and found there were some significant
cultural differences, especially concerning care of the patient in the hospital.
--
Julie
**********
Check out my Travel Pages (non-commercial) at
http://www.dragonsholm.org/travel.htm
Jul 19th 2004, 3:58 am
#17
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: European Healthcare
On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 13:57:58 +0200, in rec.travel.europe, [email protected] (Luca Logi)
arranged some electrons, so they looked like this :
... VacuumHead <[email protected]> wrote:
...
... > My American family, none of them have been abroad, insist American
... > healthcare must be better and more available.
...
... If your American family has never been abroad, how do they know?
Wishful thinking. ;-)
arranged some electrons, so they looked like this :
... VacuumHead <[email protected]> wrote:
...
... > My American family, none of them have been abroad, insist American
... > healthcare must be better and more available.
...
... If your American family has never been abroad, how do they know?
Wishful thinking. ;-)
Jul 19th 2004, 4:28 am
#18
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: European Healthcare
"VacuumHead" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In general, how is the quality and availability of healthcare in
> Europe?
> My American family, none of them have been abroad, insist American
> healthcare must be better and more available. I've heard the opposite
> from actual Europeans and Yanks who went abroad.
The French healthcare system is excellent. I was particularly impressed with
the emergency services, SAMU, after finding my husband having convulsions
one morning. Markedly different from US ambulances, a doctor travels with
the crew and is also available to talk to you to evaluate the situation when
you first call the emergency number. The crew arrived at our house in less
than 10 minutes.
Another thing that I like very much is that, as in Spain, you are given your
lab results directly and can study them before taking them to the doctor.
All your lab reports, x-rays, MRI's, etc. are yours to keep. This makes life
much easier when changing doctors. The only time this does not apply is when
the work is done at a hospital, but even then it is normal to ask for a
copy.
Lana
news:[email protected]...
> In general, how is the quality and availability of healthcare in
> Europe?
> My American family, none of them have been abroad, insist American
> healthcare must be better and more available. I've heard the opposite
> from actual Europeans and Yanks who went abroad.
The French healthcare system is excellent. I was particularly impressed with
the emergency services, SAMU, after finding my husband having convulsions
one morning. Markedly different from US ambulances, a doctor travels with
the crew and is also available to talk to you to evaluate the situation when
you first call the emergency number. The crew arrived at our house in less
than 10 minutes.
Another thing that I like very much is that, as in Spain, you are given your
lab results directly and can study them before taking them to the doctor.
All your lab reports, x-rays, MRI's, etc. are yours to keep. This makes life
much easier when changing doctors. The only time this does not apply is when
the work is done at a hospital, but even then it is normal to ask for a
copy.
Lana
Jul 19th 2004, 5:38 am
#19
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: European Healthcare
Someone (WHO? OECD?) did an international comparison last year which
gave France as offering the best overall healthcare: but this year one
of the big issues in France is that the system is facing a large
financial deficit, not to mention the problems in essentially social
care uncovered by last summer's heatwave crisis.
Generally speaking, you're probably more or less equally well covered
for emergencies (car crashes, heart attacks) in any of the developed
countries. All systems have inequalities of different kinds. In the
US, some people don't get more than the most basic cover, and
effectively quality and access of care is rationed by price. In
Britain, the NHS has the advantage that you don't have to worry about
the cost of your individual healthcare, but because the bulk of
healthcare is funded directly by taxation (and the price of setting
the system up was letting the senior hospital doctors run the show),
the very best is up to the highest international levels, but access to
less professionally exciting or urgent care (e.g., routine orthopaedic
operations, care for the elderly) has been subject to all sorts of
local variations and, effectively, rationing by waiting, though this
is being cured by - guess what- lots more money. And it has always
been the case that your family doctor (general practitioner) acts as
the gatekeeper to specialised hospital services.
On 18 Jul 2004 16:20:28 -0700, [email protected] (VacuumHead) wrote:
>In general, how is the quality and availability of healthcare in
>Europe?
>My American family, none of them have been abroad, insist American
>healthcare must be better and more available. I've heard the opposite
>from actual Europeans and Yanks who went abroad.
>123
gave France as offering the best overall healthcare: but this year one
of the big issues in France is that the system is facing a large
financial deficit, not to mention the problems in essentially social
care uncovered by last summer's heatwave crisis.
Generally speaking, you're probably more or less equally well covered
for emergencies (car crashes, heart attacks) in any of the developed
countries. All systems have inequalities of different kinds. In the
US, some people don't get more than the most basic cover, and
effectively quality and access of care is rationed by price. In
Britain, the NHS has the advantage that you don't have to worry about
the cost of your individual healthcare, but because the bulk of
healthcare is funded directly by taxation (and the price of setting
the system up was letting the senior hospital doctors run the show),
the very best is up to the highest international levels, but access to
less professionally exciting or urgent care (e.g., routine orthopaedic
operations, care for the elderly) has been subject to all sorts of
local variations and, effectively, rationing by waiting, though this
is being cured by - guess what- lots more money. And it has always
been the case that your family doctor (general practitioner) acts as
the gatekeeper to specialised hospital services.
On 18 Jul 2004 16:20:28 -0700, [email protected] (VacuumHead) wrote:
>In general, how is the quality and availability of healthcare in
>Europe?
>My American family, none of them have been abroad, insist American
>healthcare must be better and more available. I've heard the opposite
>from actual Europeans and Yanks who went abroad.
>123
Jul 19th 2004, 6:46 am
#20
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: European Healthcare
In article <[email protected]>, szozu wrote:
> "VacuumHead" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > In general, how is the quality and availability of healthcare in
> > Europe?
> > My American family, none of them have been abroad, insist American
> > healthcare must be better and more available. I've heard the opposite
> > from actual Europeans and Yanks who went abroad.
>
> The French healthcare system is excellent. I was particularly impressed with
> the emergency services, SAMU, after finding my husband having convulsions
> one morning. Markedly different from US ambulances, a doctor travels with
> the crew and is also available to talk to you to evaluate the situation when
> you first call the emergency number. The crew arrived at our house in less
> than 10 minutes.
While it is not conclusive yet, the U.S. system of "scoop n' run" seems
to be showing better and better results vs. the general practise of
field stabilization then transport in much of europe. Modern trauma
centers have technology that just isn't available in the field, medical
imaging being one of the most important.
Many point to Princess Diana as a prime example.
jay
Mon Jul 19, 2004
mailto:[email protected]
>
> Another thing that I like very much is that, as in Spain, you are given your
> lab results directly and can study them before taking them to the doctor.
> All your lab reports, x-rays, MRI's, etc. are yours to keep. This makes life
> much easier when changing doctors. The only time this does not apply is when
> the work is done at a hospital, but even then it is normal to ask for a
> copy.
>
> Lana
>
> "VacuumHead" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > In general, how is the quality and availability of healthcare in
> > Europe?
> > My American family, none of them have been abroad, insist American
> > healthcare must be better and more available. I've heard the opposite
> > from actual Europeans and Yanks who went abroad.
>
> The French healthcare system is excellent. I was particularly impressed with
> the emergency services, SAMU, after finding my husband having convulsions
> one morning. Markedly different from US ambulances, a doctor travels with
> the crew and is also available to talk to you to evaluate the situation when
> you first call the emergency number. The crew arrived at our house in less
> than 10 minutes.
While it is not conclusive yet, the U.S. system of "scoop n' run" seems
to be showing better and better results vs. the general practise of
field stabilization then transport in much of europe. Modern trauma
centers have technology that just isn't available in the field, medical
imaging being one of the most important.
Many point to Princess Diana as a prime example.
jay
Mon Jul 19, 2004
mailto:[email protected]
>
> Another thing that I like very much is that, as in Spain, you are given your
> lab results directly and can study them before taking them to the doctor.
> All your lab reports, x-rays, MRI's, etc. are yours to keep. This makes life
> much easier when changing doctors. The only time this does not apply is when
> the work is done at a hospital, but even then it is normal to ask for a
> copy.
>
> Lana
>
Jul 19th 2004, 9:38 am
#21
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: European Healthcare
"nightjar" <nightjar@<insert_my_surname_here>.uk.com> wrote in message news:<[email protected]>.. .
> "VacuumHead" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > In general, how is the quality and availability of healthcare in
> > Europe?
>
> Which country? It varies.
>
> In the UK, you get excellent free treatment for acute problems. Chronic
> problems can have long waiting lists for free treatment in a National Health
> Service hospital, although that varies around the country. However, if you
> belong to a medical insurance scheme, or have the cash, you can avoid the
> waiting lists by going to a private hospital. You will probably see the same
> consultant as you would in the NHS hospital and some treatments, such as MRI
> scans, will even be carried out in the local NHS hospital. You also need to
> go private for treatments that are not considered essential, such as, except
> in extreme cases, controlling snoring or laser eye surgery to correct
> vision. Britons who have experienced the French health service rate it as
> much superior to the British NHS in terms of doctor availability and speed
> of treatment.
>
> Colin Bignell
I'm sure that UK HC in general is very good, but as you say there are
extensive waiting lists in some areas. Just recently there was an
article in the local paper about foreign patients increasingly coming
to Belgium for treatment, primarily the Dutch and the English (not the
British as a whole).
Anyway, HC does indeed vary greatly across Europe.
> "VacuumHead" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> news:[email protected]...
> > In general, how is the quality and availability of healthcare in
> > Europe?
>
> Which country? It varies.
>
> In the UK, you get excellent free treatment for acute problems. Chronic
> problems can have long waiting lists for free treatment in a National Health
> Service hospital, although that varies around the country. However, if you
> belong to a medical insurance scheme, or have the cash, you can avoid the
> waiting lists by going to a private hospital. You will probably see the same
> consultant as you would in the NHS hospital and some treatments, such as MRI
> scans, will even be carried out in the local NHS hospital. You also need to
> go private for treatments that are not considered essential, such as, except
> in extreme cases, controlling snoring or laser eye surgery to correct
> vision. Britons who have experienced the French health service rate it as
> much superior to the British NHS in terms of doctor availability and speed
> of treatment.
>
> Colin Bignell
I'm sure that UK HC in general is very good, but as you say there are
extensive waiting lists in some areas. Just recently there was an
article in the local paper about foreign patients increasingly coming
to Belgium for treatment, primarily the Dutch and the English (not the
British as a whole).
Anyway, HC does indeed vary greatly across Europe.
Jul 19th 2004, 10:18 am
#22
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: European Healthcare
On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 11:46:48 -0700, Go Fig wrote:
> In article <[email protected]>, szozu wrote:
>
>> "VacuumHead" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>> > In general, how is the quality and availability of healthcare in
>> > Europe?
>> > My American family, none of them have been abroad, insist American
>> > healthcare must be better and more available. I've heard the opposite
>> > from actual Europeans and Yanks who went abroad.
>>
>> The French healthcare system is excellent. I was particularly impressed with
>> the emergency services, SAMU, after finding my husband having convulsions
>> one morning. Markedly different from US ambulances, a doctor travels with
>> the crew and is also available to talk to you to evaluate the situation when
>> you first call the emergency number. The crew arrived at our house in less
>> than 10 minutes.
>
> While it is not conclusive yet, the U.S. system of "scoop n' run" seems
> to be showing better and better results vs. the general practise of
> field stabilization then transport in much of europe. Modern trauma
> centers have technology that just isn't available in the field, medical
> imaging being one of the most important.
>
> Many point to Princess Diana as a prime example.
Haven't you got this upside down? The story I recall was that, would
there have been an attempt at field stabilization, Diana might have
survived.
> In article <[email protected]>, szozu wrote:
>
>> "VacuumHead" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>> news:[email protected]...
>> > In general, how is the quality and availability of healthcare in
>> > Europe?
>> > My American family, none of them have been abroad, insist American
>> > healthcare must be better and more available. I've heard the opposite
>> > from actual Europeans and Yanks who went abroad.
>>
>> The French healthcare system is excellent. I was particularly impressed with
>> the emergency services, SAMU, after finding my husband having convulsions
>> one morning. Markedly different from US ambulances, a doctor travels with
>> the crew and is also available to talk to you to evaluate the situation when
>> you first call the emergency number. The crew arrived at our house in less
>> than 10 minutes.
>
> While it is not conclusive yet, the U.S. system of "scoop n' run" seems
> to be showing better and better results vs. the general practise of
> field stabilization then transport in much of europe. Modern trauma
> centers have technology that just isn't available in the field, medical
> imaging being one of the most important.
>
> Many point to Princess Diana as a prime example.
Haven't you got this upside down? The story I recall was that, would
there have been an attempt at field stabilization, Diana might have
survived.
Jul 19th 2004, 10:23 am
#23
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: European Healthcare
devil wrote:
> On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 11:46:48 -0700, Go Fig wrote:
>
>
>>In article <[email protected]>, szozu wrote:
>>>"VacuumHead" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>>news:[email protected]...
>>>>In general, how is the quality and availability of healthcare in
>>>>Europe?
>>>>My American family, none of them have been abroad, insist American
>>>>healthcare must be better and more available. I've heard the opposite
>>>>from actual Europeans and Yanks who went abroad.
>>>The French healthcare system is excellent. I was particularly impressed with
>>>the emergency services, SAMU, after finding my husband having convulsions
>>>one morning. Markedly different from US ambulances, a doctor travels with
>>>the crew and is also available to talk to you to evaluate the situation when
>>>you first call the emergency number. The crew arrived at our house in less
>>>than 10 minutes.
>>While it is not conclusive yet, the U.S. system of "scoop n' run" seems
>>to be showing better and better results vs. the general practise of
>>field stabilization then transport in much of europe. Modern trauma
>>centers have technology that just isn't available in the field, medical
>>imaging being one of the most important.
>>Many point to Princess Diana as a prime example.
>
>
>
> Haven't you got this upside down? The story I recall was that, would
> there have been an attempt at field stabilization, Diana might have
> survived.
>
she was allowed to bleed out in the field while they tried to stabilize
her -- it took an hour and a half to get her to the hospital -- a short
distance away
the scoop and stabilize on the way is by far the best especially when
serious internal bleeding is the problem
diana probably would have died anyway -- but her only chance was
immediate emergency surgery not fiddling around with fluids and oxygen
by the side of the road for an hour
> On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 11:46:48 -0700, Go Fig wrote:
>
>
>>In article <[email protected]>, szozu wrote:
>>>"VacuumHead" <[email protected]> wrote in message
>>>news:[email protected]...
>>>>In general, how is the quality and availability of healthcare in
>>>>Europe?
>>>>My American family, none of them have been abroad, insist American
>>>>healthcare must be better and more available. I've heard the opposite
>>>>from actual Europeans and Yanks who went abroad.
>>>The French healthcare system is excellent. I was particularly impressed with
>>>the emergency services, SAMU, after finding my husband having convulsions
>>>one morning. Markedly different from US ambulances, a doctor travels with
>>>the crew and is also available to talk to you to evaluate the situation when
>>>you first call the emergency number. The crew arrived at our house in less
>>>than 10 minutes.
>>While it is not conclusive yet, the U.S. system of "scoop n' run" seems
>>to be showing better and better results vs. the general practise of
>>field stabilization then transport in much of europe. Modern trauma
>>centers have technology that just isn't available in the field, medical
>>imaging being one of the most important.
>>Many point to Princess Diana as a prime example.
>
>
>
> Haven't you got this upside down? The story I recall was that, would
> there have been an attempt at field stabilization, Diana might have
> survived.
>
she was allowed to bleed out in the field while they tried to stabilize
her -- it took an hour and a half to get her to the hospital -- a short
distance away
the scoop and stabilize on the way is by far the best especially when
serious internal bleeding is the problem
diana probably would have died anyway -- but her only chance was
immediate emergency surgery not fiddling around with fluids and oxygen
by the side of the road for an hour
Jul 19th 2004, 10:43 am
#24
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: European Healthcare
"devil" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news
[email protected]...
> On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 11:46:48 -0700, Go Fig wrote:
> Haven't you got this upside down? The story I recall was that, would
> there have been an attempt at field stabilization, Diana might have
> survived.
The Paramedics spent over an hout trying to stabilise her.
That said she was dead the moment the airhead decided
not to use her seat belt. There was one survivor from that
vehicle, he WAS wearing a belt.
Keith
news
[email protected]...> On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 11:46:48 -0700, Go Fig wrote:
> Haven't you got this upside down? The story I recall was that, would
> there have been an attempt at field stabilization, Diana might have
> survived.
The Paramedics spent over an hout trying to stabilise her.
That said she was dead the moment the airhead decided
not to use her seat belt. There was one survivor from that
vehicle, he WAS wearing a belt.
Keith
Jul 19th 2004, 11:05 am
#25
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: European Healthcare
In article <[email protected]>, devil
<[email protected]> wrote:
> On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 11:46:48 -0700, Go Fig wrote:
>
> > In article <[email protected]>, szozu wrote:
> >
> >> "VacuumHead" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >> news:[email protected]...
> >> > In general, how is the quality and availability of healthcare in
> >> > Europe?
> >> > My American family, none of them have been abroad, insist American
> >> > healthcare must be better and more available. I've heard the opposite
> >> > from actual Europeans and Yanks who went abroad.
> >>
> >> The French healthcare system is excellent. I was particularly impressed
> >> with
> >> the emergency services, SAMU, after finding my husband having convulsions
> >> one morning. Markedly different from US ambulances, a doctor travels with
> >> the crew and is also available to talk to you to evaluate the situation
> >> when
> >> you first call the emergency number. The crew arrived at our house in less
> >> than 10 minutes.
> >
> > While it is not conclusive yet, the U.S. system of "scoop n' run" seems
> > to be showing better and better results vs. the general practise of
> > field stabilization then transport in much of europe. Modern trauma
> > centers have technology that just isn't available in the field, medical
> > imaging being one of the most important.
> >
> > Many point to Princess Diana as a prime example.
>
>
> Haven't you got this upside down? The story I recall was that, would
> there have been an attempt at field stabilization, Diana might have
> survived.
No, IIRC, she was at the scene for almost an hour. I doubt it would
have changed much either way... but serious trauma needs a trauma
center.
jay
Mon Jul 19, 2004
mailto:[email protected]
<[email protected]> wrote:
> On Mon, 19 Jul 2004 11:46:48 -0700, Go Fig wrote:
>
> > In article <[email protected]>, szozu wrote:
> >
> >> "VacuumHead" <[email protected]> wrote in message
> >> news:[email protected]...
> >> > In general, how is the quality and availability of healthcare in
> >> > Europe?
> >> > My American family, none of them have been abroad, insist American
> >> > healthcare must be better and more available. I've heard the opposite
> >> > from actual Europeans and Yanks who went abroad.
> >>
> >> The French healthcare system is excellent. I was particularly impressed
> >> with
> >> the emergency services, SAMU, after finding my husband having convulsions
> >> one morning. Markedly different from US ambulances, a doctor travels with
> >> the crew and is also available to talk to you to evaluate the situation
> >> when
> >> you first call the emergency number. The crew arrived at our house in less
> >> than 10 minutes.
> >
> > While it is not conclusive yet, the U.S. system of "scoop n' run" seems
> > to be showing better and better results vs. the general practise of
> > field stabilization then transport in much of europe. Modern trauma
> > centers have technology that just isn't available in the field, medical
> > imaging being one of the most important.
> >
> > Many point to Princess Diana as a prime example.
>
>
> Haven't you got this upside down? The story I recall was that, would
> there have been an attempt at field stabilization, Diana might have
> survived.
No, IIRC, she was at the scene for almost an hour. I doubt it would
have changed much either way... but serious trauma needs a trauma
center.
jay
Mon Jul 19, 2004
mailto:[email protected]
Jul 19th 2004, 11:45 am
#26
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: European Healthcare
VacuumHead wrote:
> In general, how is the quality and availability of healthcare in
> Europe?
> My American family, none of them have been abroad, insist American
> healthcare must be better and more available. I've heard the opposite
> from actual Europeans and Yanks who went abroad.
Why would you not take the word of someone who actually knows over that
of someone who had no idea?
> In general, how is the quality and availability of healthcare in
> Europe?
> My American family, none of them have been abroad, insist American
> healthcare must be better and more available. I've heard the opposite
> from actual Europeans and Yanks who went abroad.
Why would you not take the word of someone who actually knows over that
of someone who had no idea?
Jul 19th 2004, 11:47 am
#27
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: European Healthcare
"Chasm" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
...
> I'm sure that UK HC in general is very good, but as you say there are
> extensive waiting lists in some areas. Just recently there was an
> article in the local paper about foreign patients increasingly coming
> to Belgium for treatment, primarily the Dutch and the English (not the
> British as a whole).
The different countries withing Britain each have their own National Health
Service, although those of England and Wales are more closely linked than
the other two. They will have different policies about the treatment of
patients abroad, partly because each country has different problems of
availability. The English NHS has been hiring doctors from Germany recently,
because of staff shortages in some hospitals.
Colin Bignell
news:[email protected]...
...
> I'm sure that UK HC in general is very good, but as you say there are
> extensive waiting lists in some areas. Just recently there was an
> article in the local paper about foreign patients increasingly coming
> to Belgium for treatment, primarily the Dutch and the English (not the
> British as a whole).
The different countries withing Britain each have their own National Health
Service, although those of England and Wales are more closely linked than
the other two. They will have different policies about the treatment of
patients abroad, partly because each country has different problems of
availability. The English NHS has been hiring doctors from Germany recently,
because of staff shortages in some hospitals.
Colin Bignell
Jul 19th 2004, 12:52 pm
#28
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: European Healthcare
[email protected] (Luca Logi) wrote:
>VacuumHead <[email protected]> wrote:
>> My American family, none of them have been abroad, insist American
>> healthcare must be better and more available.
>If your American family has never been abroad, how do they know?
Maybe they read!?
>VacuumHead <[email protected]> wrote:
>> My American family, none of them have been abroad, insist American
>> healthcare must be better and more available.
>If your American family has never been abroad, how do they know?
Maybe they read!?
Jul 19th 2004, 3:20 pm
#29
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: European Healthcare
VacuumHead wrote:
> In general, how is the quality and availability of healthcare in
> Europe?
> My American family, none of them have been abroad, insist American
> healthcare must be better and more available. I've heard the opposite
> from actual Europeans and Yanks who went abroad.
I don't know whether American healthcare is "better" or not, but unless
you are fairly affluent, it CERTAINLY isn't as "available"! From all
I've heard from European friends, It's better and more available to
EUROPEANS in Europe - unfortunately the U.S. has no reciprocal
agreements re healthcare with other countries. Consequently, when
Americans travel abroad, it's important to be sure that either your U.S.
health insurance will cover you outside our borders, or you have travel
medical insurance (even if you don't bother with other forms of travel
insurance). A lot of American "senior citizens" for whom Medicare is
their primary insurer just assume that it covers them overseas, and it
does not! (Nor do many Medicare "supplement" policies, although I have
friends who claim theirs do.)
> In general, how is the quality and availability of healthcare in
> Europe?
> My American family, none of them have been abroad, insist American
> healthcare must be better and more available. I've heard the opposite
> from actual Europeans and Yanks who went abroad.
I don't know whether American healthcare is "better" or not, but unless
you are fairly affluent, it CERTAINLY isn't as "available"! From all
I've heard from European friends, It's better and more available to
EUROPEANS in Europe - unfortunately the U.S. has no reciprocal
agreements re healthcare with other countries. Consequently, when
Americans travel abroad, it's important to be sure that either your U.S.
health insurance will cover you outside our borders, or you have travel
medical insurance (even if you don't bother with other forms of travel
insurance). A lot of American "senior citizens" for whom Medicare is
their primary insurer just assume that it covers them overseas, and it
does not! (Nor do many Medicare "supplement" policies, although I have
friends who claim theirs do.)
Jul 19th 2004, 8:48 pm
#30
Guest
Posts: n/a
Re: European Healthcare
"VacuumHead" <[email protected]> wrote in message
news:[email protected]...
> In general, how is the quality and availability of healthcare in
> Europe?
> My American family, none of them have been abroad, insist American
> healthcare must be better and more available.
Why must it?
Not suprising however. I've met several Americans who were really suprised
that other countries were as developed or even more so than the United
States. There seems to be a belief amongst some that they are the only
developed country in the world :-\
news:[email protected]...
> In general, how is the quality and availability of healthcare in
> Europe?
> My American family, none of them have been abroad, insist American
> healthcare must be better and more available.
Why must it?
Not suprising however. I've met several Americans who were really suprised
that other countries were as developed or even more so than the United
States. There seems to be a belief amongst some that they are the only
developed country in the world :-\
