anotherlimey

Uh-oh, I would read the threads started by some of the expat nurses, they are enlightening to say the least.

If I had to pick one and money wasn't an issue and I didn't have a choice of hospital I think I would pick the NHS anyday.

candy wy.

in the uk they don't have a name for every ailment anyone can have.
if you go to the doctors here with a snifly nose they will check you for allergies, not because they need to but because it makes them money. you are lucky to get out of a doctors surgery here without having some type of test. if you think that is good, wait till you start getting the bills. don't know what you think is a good insurance package, but unless its 100% with no deductables then the costs can soon add up. as for the nhs yes there are problems but don't knock it till you have tried the american system, you might realize it isn't as bad as you think.

fatbrit

Your present savings (http://britishexpats.com/forum/showp...94&postcount=3) may manage a bottle of generic antibiotics and day surgery on an in-growing toenail if you're lucky.

TouristTrap

Baby in hospital for 3 days due to chicken pox becoming infected.

Bill= $8 000.00 and that was 8 years ago.

elfman

Maybe not about MRSA in particular, but there's this:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/7700998/

Hospital-acquired infections are worsening in the United States, even though the problem is widely recognized, according to a report issued Monday. "Hospital-acquired infections rates worsened by approximately 20 percent from 2000 to 2003 and accounted for 9,552 deaths and $2.60 billion, almost 30 percent of the total excess cost related to the patient safety incidents," the company said in its report. Such infections include antibiotic-resistant bacteria that are very difficult to treat, including staphylococcus and streptococcus infections.

Bob

giving birth 20 years ago cost the in-laws $30K...and that was no complications...

smeg

I've had a couple of experiences here ....

In the UK I was in the hospital for an over night stay (In Chester) on the NHS. Hospital and staff weren't welcoming, comfortable or pleasant, and I'd had a weeks long wait between diagnosis and stay.

3 years ago I was in a BUPA hospital in Chester again for a pilonidal sinus extraction. Much nicer, own room, friendly staff.

Right now, I've just come out of a 5 day hospital stay here for an emergency appendectomy. I saw the doc on a monday, went for a CAT scan at North Shore Medical in Lynn, Mass at 2pm on Tuesday, by 4:30pm Tuesday I was being operated on as an emergency admission. I had a very comfortable, friendly, and dare I say fun 5 day stay. The room was nice, cable TV, constant monitoring by nice staff who took the time to get to know me and chat. I felt very looked after, the equipment was new and modern and everyone knew how to use it. In general, just a good experience.

I'd have to say that of all three, the NHS was easily the worst experience, the BUPA experience next and the US hospital was the best by far.

And cost? My medical insurance covered everything so far. It's not cost me a penny and I don't expect it too.


Everyones milage will, of course, vary wildly

AdobePinon

Over 70% of the antibiotics in the US are used on farm animals. You want superbugs? You're coming to the right place.

AdobePinon

I don't know about the rest of you, but the standard conversation on visiting the Doc goes something like:

Doc/Nurse: We just need to run these three tests. Won't take long.
Me: What do you hope to learn from these tests?
Doc/Nurse: These are just standard tests that we give all of our patients.
Me: Who pays for them?
Doc/Nurse: They should be covered by your health insurance.
Me: Minus the deductible. How about we just skip these tests?

AmerLisa

I have a valid NI number, no british accent, and I can use my daughter's address and go back to the same surgery that I previously went to before we moved over to the US.

The problem is, of course, that while the NHS does do surgeries and treat people for free, its not always done on the spot or quick as you please. I've had three surgeries in the UK, the first two were emergencies, so of course they were done quite quickly. But, the third was scheduled and it took a good few months to have it done, plus they canceled it a few times. I think, unless its an emergency, you'd probably have a hard time getting a scheduled anything done with the NHS.

Also, to the original poster, your wife would have to be a resident, and have a NHS card, plus be registered with a doctor's surgery. I've heard as well that they are clamping down on things and actually wanting to see passports before doctor's surgeries will register new patients.

I might add, that retirement in the UK sounds more and more like an interesting prospect. Something my husband and I may work towards, unless things change drastically here....but I doubt they will.

anotherlimey

Was your problem in the UK an emergency?

anotherlimey

What would be the point of that? I'm not a UK resident but my passport has a UK address, and I'm guessing an American resident in the UK would have their old US address in their passport for some time after they've become resident.

AmerLisa

to show a proper visa to stay in the country. And yes they are asking....

Bob

having duff nhs care is luck of the draw, just like good insurance and hospital care over here is....
And your medical insurance is far higher premium than back in blighty...and if you lost your job, you'd then be buggered and with no medical...

The missus has good medical insurance, covers 80% of all medical visits and fee's for her till she hits $1000...as her spouse, it's $3000 before it becomes 100%...and we'd be sunk basically if anything happened even with that coverage, not to mention if got long term sickness with prescriptions, would be well stuff, certainly couldn't just get another job if we wanted because a lot of insurance wouldn't cover pre-existing conditions, certainly for x amount of time.

anotherlimey

Ah, the visa, forgot about that. I'm pretty sure you'll still get into hospital without too much of a problem though.