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U.S. Private Healthcare vS NHS

U.S. Private Healthcare vS NHS

Old Nov 28th 2007, 10:59 pm
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Default U.S. Private Healthcare vS NHS

I can't believe I am saying this but I am actually looking forward to having the NHS back again when we return!
Okay.... maybe that is not entirely true. It's more like, I'm looking forward to ditching the expensive private healthcare costs we currently fork out for each month and to be fair we are a very healthy family (touch wood)... for example our deductable is $3k per year and I think so far we've paid in about $400 for the year. How people who have medical conditions/accidents (god forbid) cope with the cost is frightening.... anyway, aside from the expense, I do find it odd that in the USA you can pick just about any channel on the TV and there will be one advert or another telling you 'you need this drug for this and that'.... everything from depression to under-performing men's bits, to '4 periods a year' to a fidgety leg! These commercials tell you to tell your doctor to write the prescription! In the UK if I dared to tell my DR what to prescribe I'd have been asked 'what qualifications do you have to tell me my job'.
The other concern is that these adverts are on all day (no watershed) and children are so absorbent and if you had the TV on often enough
I think anyone could understandably become a full on hypochondriac.

I read about an American lady who moved to England a few years ago and she made a point about UK healthcare... us Brits tend to slag off the NHS but this made me think differently. She said that after she moved to England she went to a GP to get her usual med's and found that in her words 'I was being heavily over medicated in the USA and I am now happier and healthier than ever before'. Basically the British GP found that much of what she was prescribed in the US was unnecessary. Now this doesn'tsuprise me one bit because from personal experience I can say that since going to my GP here in Florida, I have never been offered so many drugs in my life and I personally take control over myself and decide what I believe to be the best for me, but there are many that take what they are told to take without question and it's no wonder that so many (I think I read over 50%) of US women take some form of mind altering drug on a regular basis.

I'm curious to know what other's experiences have been and what others think about the difference between the US and UK healthcare.... and would it be enough to make you live in one country over and above the other?
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Old Nov 28th 2007, 11:35 pm
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Default Re: U.S. Private Healthcare vS NHS

US Health Care is great if you can afford it. Luckily I always could. For the 45+ million Americans who can't afford it, it's a disgrace.

Drug adverts should be banned. They never used to have any and it's a fairly recent tactic of Pharmaceutical Companies (within the last 10 years or so). Since their inception profits for these companies have soared. So have their advertising budgets. While proportionately their R&D budgets have dropped. It's a vicious circle.

The NHS is being bureaucrated to death. The waits are far too long. The Trusts set unrealistic 'goals' and surgeries and hospitals waste time and effort trying to meet these unrealistic goals with false results. For example....our local Surgery was told to reduce wait times for appointments. So their response was to tell anyone calling for an appointment that they need to call Monday morning for an appointment that week. After you spend an hour an a half on the phone trying to get through on Monday morning, you finally reach a live person and they inform you that all the appointments are booked for that week and to call again next week. What they never bother to tell you is that you can make an appointment for the next week right then. One receptionist even went as far as to tell me you couldn't do that. It took me two years to figure out their appointment game.

My DH has a chronic condition and needs pain medication. Every week we have to drop his prescription refill off at our local surgery, the Doctor signs it, then it's sent to the chemist, then we pick up his supply of medication. Every week, they delay sending his prescription out because the girls working in the surgery decide he only takes 2 tablets a day and it's too soon to refill his prescription. Every week we call them and tell them that he doesn't take 2 tablets a day, he takes 8, and to please refill the damned prescription because he needs it for his pain and abrupt withdrawal of the medication cause all sorts of horror stories.

We have been waiting 18 months for a CT Scan. So far DH has had 3 ultrasounds. Each time he get's one, the Specialist tells him he needs a CT scan and he will schedule one and each time we get the new appointment letter it's for another ultrasound.

If you want to avoid the que and move to the top of the list you have to go private to get the tests you need and then slip back in at the head of the que. It's becomming a very common practice.

I will say that if you have an emergency the NHS is great. Fast, efficient and professional. It's the everyday muckety muck I get PO'd about........but I'm an American and I want everything instantly.

I'll also add that despite my bitching about the waits & the red tape, the fact that knowing I will always have health care even if I am not working and getting it theough an employer like in the States gives me a large dose of peace of mind.

It's really too bad that we can't take the best of both systems and come up with someting that works for everyone.
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Old Nov 29th 2007, 1:12 am
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Default Re: U.S. Private Healthcare vS NHS

The US, not just the issue of the 45+ million who don't have insurance, it's the huge number who have inadequate insurance that is also a problem.

I'm luck that I've got pretty good insurance and it doesn't cost me the earth, but I've been in a situation where I've had shit cover that cost a fortune to having no cover at all, it's scary.

The NHS does have it's faults, especially the post code lottery which means some places are better than others, but overall, it is a good bench mark of cover offered. It is a bit crap for those who are elderly and so have to wait far to long, but for many in the US they have the same issues not because of waiting times but because they can't afford the treatment or the drugs.
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Old Nov 29th 2007, 11:44 am
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Default Re: U.S. Private Healthcare vS NHS

Thing about the UK health system though, is that if you are prepared to chip in for Bupa or other private provider (at a tiny fraction of what you would in the US) - the health care goes from being free but with long waits, to absolutey top notch fantastic.

Something I would never have considered before, but after living here, if we ever moved back to the UK, I'd happily pay a small medical insurance premium (when compared with US plans) for excellent private care.

Last edited by Dan725; Nov 29th 2007 at 11:50 am.
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Old Nov 29th 2007, 12:36 pm
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Default Re: U.S. Private Healthcare vS NHS

I agree that the health insurance over here is a disgrace. Just this morning, I got to work and found a memo on my desk, stating that the company is increasing their weekly dependent coverage rate from $113 to $178. Yes, that's per WEEK, not per month. That's over $700 a month. WTF???? Also, we used to get our insurance covered by the employer 100%, but now we have to pay a percentage ourselves. It's not much, so I'm not really bothered about that, but thank the sweet Lord I don't have to add anyone to my insurance. Who in the working class category can afford that and still have enough to eat? FFS, that's more than my rent costs. :curse: Give me the NHS any day.
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Old Nov 29th 2007, 12:44 pm
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Default Re: U.S. Private Healthcare vS NHS

Originally Posted by katesbackagain
I agree that the health insurance over here is a disgrace. Just this morning, I got to work and found a memo on my desk, stating that the company is increasing their weekly dependent coverage rate from $113 to $178. Yes, that's per WEEK, not per month. That's over $700 a month. WTF???? Also, we used to get our insurance covered by the employer 100%, but now we have to pay a percentage ourselves. It's not much, so I'm not really bothered about that, but thank the sweet Lord I don't have to add anyone to my insurance. Who in the working class category can afford that and still have enough to eat? FFS, that's more than my rent costs. :curse: Give me the NHS any day.
That's horrendous!!! What do other BE folks pay??

I think in general, state universities in the US give employees a pretty good deal. Both places I worked, health insurance was "free" (covered 100% by the employer) for single people, though those who were married and/or had children paid a fair bit for coverage (I think something like $400 pcm).
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Old Nov 29th 2007, 12:53 pm
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Default Re: U.S. Private Healthcare vS NHS

Originally Posted by dunroving
That's horrendous!!! What do other BE folks pay??

I think in general, state universities in the US give employees a pretty good deal. Both places I worked, health insurance was "free" (covered 100% by the employer) for single people, though those who were married and/or had children paid a fair bit for coverage (I think something like $400 pcm).
I'm paying $420 per month for a "high end PPO" plan to cover family of four. As of Jan 08 that's going up to $540, so I'm switching to a different plan ("consumer driven HRA") with the same provider, and the monthly payroll deduction will drop to $276.
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Old Nov 29th 2007, 1:02 pm
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Default Re: U.S. Private Healthcare vS NHS

Originally Posted by katesbackagain
... FFS, that's more than my rent costs. :curse: Give me the NHS any day.
your rent is less than $700 a month? I want to be living where ever you are obviously then
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Old Nov 29th 2007, 1:06 pm
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Default Re: U.S. Private Healthcare vS NHS

Originally Posted by dunroving
That's horrendous!!! What do other BE folks pay??

I think in general, state universities in the US give employees a pretty good deal. Both places I worked, health insurance was "free" (covered 100% by the employer) for single people, though those who were married and/or had children paid a fair bit for coverage (I think something like $400 pcm).
At the mo, $65 for pretty good hmo, family plan, it's only $60 for a single person, with dental chipped in...dental isn't that great though. $15 co-pay and no deductible, and most things are 100% covered, except elective stuff which can be 30-80% covered, but that elective list is fairly large....but the company is paying around $1500 a month on top per person.

Where we use to live, $250 a month which covered nothing and had around $3K deductible per year, emergencies were another category of deductible and the list of things not covered would fill the bible.

Baring in mind we're also in our mid 20's and healthy.
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Old Nov 29th 2007, 1:27 pm
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Default Re: U.S. Private Healthcare vS NHS

Originally Posted by Bob
your rent is less than $700 a month? I want to be living where ever you are obviously then
Hehehehe! Trust me, it's not really even worth that. A couple of the neighbours are loud, ignorant pigs, the apartments are old, and the stairwells are so narrow you can barely fit anything up them. Still, it'll do, dunno what I'm going to do with all my stuff when I leave, though, I had to ram my small loveseat through the front door, so it's looking a bit worn now. Was hoping to get a pretty penny for it, but now.....
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Old Nov 29th 2007, 5:25 pm
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Default Re: U.S. Private Healthcare vS NHS

We're fairly lucky. Started a new job 5 months ago with a company that is self-insured so the health plan is excellent. Coverage both medical and dental for my husband and I is only $40/mo. Coverage is free for me so we're paying $40 just for my hubby. We have a $15 co-pay & a $3k deductible per year for family. But I've been to the dr's several times so far in the last 2 months, and so far I've only had to pay an extra $20 or so in addition to the co-pays. This is 100 times better than my last job where we had to pay an extra $10 - $50 in addition to the copays for an office visit.

It's rather sad just how little is covered under some of the health ins. plans out there. I sincerely hope that some combination of national healthcare and private can be reached to help reduce the burden on families. I have a chronic condition that is probably only going to worsen with age and I worry about that.
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Old Nov 29th 2007, 6:09 pm
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Default Re: U.S. Private Healthcare vS NHS

Originally Posted by USAGypsies
I can't believe I am saying this but I am actually looking forward to having the NHS back again when we return!
Okay.... maybe that is not entirely true. It's more like, I'm looking forward to ditching the expensive private healthcare costs we currently fork out for each month and to be fair we are a very healthy family (touch wood)... for example our deductable is $3k per year and I think so far we've paid in about $400 for the year. How people who have medical conditions/accidents (god forbid) cope with the cost is frightening.... anyway, aside from the expense, I do find it odd that in the USA you can pick just about any channel on the TV and there will be one advert or another telling you 'you need this drug for this and that'.... everything from depression to under-performing men's bits, to '4 periods a year' to a fidgety leg! These commercials tell you to tell your doctor to write the prescription! In the UK if I dared to tell my DR what to prescribe I'd have been asked 'what qualifications do you have to tell me my job'.
The other concern is that these adverts are on all day (no watershed) and children are so absorbent and if you had the TV on often enough
I think anyone could understandably become a full on hypochondriac.

I read about an American lady who moved to England a few years ago and she made a point about UK healthcare... us Brits tend to slag off the NHS but this made me think differently. She said that after she moved to England she went to a GP to get her usual med's and found that in her words 'I was being heavily over medicated in the USA and I am now happier and healthier than ever before'. Basically the British GP found that much of what she was prescribed in the US was unnecessary. Now this doesn'tsuprise me one bit because from personal experience I can say that since going to my GP here in Florida, I have never been offered so many drugs in my life and I personally take control over myself and decide what I believe to be the best for me, but there are many that take what they are told to take without question and it's no wonder that so many (I think I read over 50%) of US women take some form of mind altering drug on a regular basis.

I'm curious to know what other's experiences have been and what others think about the difference between the US and UK healthcare.... and would it be enough to make you live in one country over and above the other?
when I was in the US I had a good career but coverage for myself and son was $300 a month and didn't bother covering my husband as went up extra $300 couldn't afford it.
after having my daughter I stopped working and so coverage ended (my husband was uncovered for the whole 6 years in the us) and my meds where $250 a month. this was for 2 different inhalers so not major health issues.
my sister in the us has been there 8 years and she said it went from her being 100% covered by employer when she first moved to $500 a month she pays currently.
I haven't had much dealings yet with the NHS but it's been lovely to pick up my meds at £6.95 each and get my daughters shots two days after registering.
I always thought about my lovely home in the US and wondered what is the good of this if me or my husband falls ill- it could all be gone in an instant- even in the times when I was covered by a 'good' plan I don't think it would have been enough.
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Old Nov 29th 2007, 6:49 pm
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Default Re: U.S. Private Healthcare vS NHS

Originally Posted by Hayley
I haven't had much dealings yet with the NHS but it's been lovely to pick up my meds at £6.95 each and get my daughters shots two days after registering.
Yes, this is what I miss. I don't actually take meds for anything on a regular basis, but I dread it when I know I'll have to take something, it's like Russian Roulette. Can I afford, can't I afford it?

I don't know if it's still the case, but birth control pills were also free when I was there. That's a good way to control unwanted pregnancy, not talking about those irresponsible snots that want a kid to get benefits, but for the young women who genuinely want to stop it happening but can't afford the medication.

Originally Posted by Hayley
I always thought about my lovely home in the US and wondered what is the good of this if me or my husband falls ill- it could all be gone in an instant- even in the times when I was covered by a 'good' plan I don't think it would have been enough.
I work with one or two people who've had to file for bankruptcy after medical care. That to me is totally disgusting. You work for something your whole life just to have it taken away by illness.....I won't say anymore, it makes me so mad. :curse:
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Old Nov 29th 2007, 7:06 pm
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Default Re: U.S. Private Healthcare vS NHS

Originally Posted by katesbackagain
I don't know if it's still the case, but birth control pills were also free when I was there. That's a good way to control unwanted pregnancy, not talking about those irresponsible snots that want a kid to get benefits, but for the young women who genuinely want to stop it happening but can't afford the medication.
still can, not just for the pill either.
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Old Nov 30th 2007, 8:38 am
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Default Re: U.S. Private Healthcare vS NHS

Originally Posted by Scout

We have been waiting 18 months for a CT Scan. So far DH has had 3 ultrasounds. Each time he get's one, the Specialist tells him he needs a CT scan and he will schedule one and each time we get the new appointment letter it's for another ultrasound.

.
If they are screwing up on your appointment for a CT scan you can contact the patients affairs department at the hospital to complain. They will take this in hand and sort it out. Just make sure you put it in writing. You will probably get it done within a week or so. Ask for a copy of their complaints proceedure.
You can also call the specialists secretary and explain whats happening. They can sort it out as well.
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