US still has the worst, most expensive health care of any high-income country

I guess we all have our personal anecdotes. I am aware of a few stories like you reference. However, I know several Canadians, a German and a Brit that would disagree with your take on quality healthcare in the US vs Europe. Few prefer the US system, mainly just those with unlimited funds.

I have also been fortunate to travel to Europe multiple times and always ask how people like their healthcare, gun laws, etc. It has been interesting and it's not simply a one size fits all. Most people there seem satisfied with their healthcare, unlike here. Several countries have tiered systems, but most all provide basic health care and have far cheaper drugs. Also, I think you are underestimating wait times in the US, especially for those that dont have an existing relationship with a specialist. If you are on medicaid good luck finding a good doc in a timely fashion, hence the expensive ER popularity.

As for the ACA, it was a step in the right direction but needs a great deal of improvement. Sadly, no elected politicians on the right want to accept it and work to improve it. It has proven to be popular by a majority of Americans and ironically is most popular in red states, especially Florida.

 

Elitists? Who are the elitists? Just curious.

 

How many personal injury attorneys are in Sri Lanka?

If you had taken your 10yr old to an UC the bill would have been more like 150-$200 for that Flu/covid testing.

 

And then the ER gets stiffed and the prices go up to cover the costs from the increase volume on non paying patients.

Shared cost medicaid causes this also, I would see some people with that who needed to have a certain out of pocket cost every month. Some would come ate the beginning of the month just to make they out of pocket so that the rest of the month if they saw their doctor or whomever they didn’t pay anything.

 

The couple folks around here who are 100 convinced they are right and the other side is wrong on all counts. They talk down to anyone not cloaked in blue.

 

Interesting that you think that is a one sided trait.

 

Most Europeans and Canadians will say they like their system. Unless they are over 70 they don’t have a reference point to compare it to. They have always known high taxes, they have always had long waits, they have never been able to get 2nd opinions. They accept that their major emergencies are likely fatal because that is all they have ever known

 

Sounds like some elitist thinking if you ask me.

 

It’s not that non elitists don’t know things, it’s that they know things that aren’t true.

 

Not sure what this means, you think these countries don’t have EMS services??? If their population is outliving the U.S., you think they are managing that without access to healthcare, even though relatively speaking their population actually DOES have access? Or do you just actually think they don’t have ambulatory care for some reason?

I guess one difference is here in the U.S. we have our own “socialized medicine” in the form of Medicare for 70 year olds, whereas in the rest of the first world (literally all of it) they generally have some variation of Medicare for their entire lives. So whatever the system their country has, they have the same system at 40 as they do at 70. Here we generally have a mess of different insurers and systems, until one hits 65 at least.

 

Although Canadians and probably most Europeans complain about the shortcomings of their systems almost none them want to ditch their single-payer systems for an American style system. In fact, a major concern in Canada over the NAFTA wasn't a fear of cheap imported goods from Mexico it was the possibility that Canadians would have to give up their healthcare system so that US based health insurance companies could do business in Canada. Although they are not happy about it Canadians grudgingly accept long waits for elective procedures as price worth paying for never having to worry about the possibility of six figures of medical debt and medically caused bankruptcy.
Debate over NAFTA's effect on health care a sign medicare will be dominant election issue

 

I remember sitting on the couch with my Canadian Uncle listening to one of the Obama debates and him commenting over and over "We tried that shit in Canada it doesn't work".

 

It's further interesting that you dont think I've called out both sides for years here.
This post was specifically in response to a post about liberal posters.

 

On the other hand Canadians will never have the opportunity to experience this shit.
‘UVA Has Ruined Us’: Health System Sues Thousands Of Patients, Seizing Paychecks And Claiming Homes

 

If it was accurate you would be correct.
I however have never said it was one sided.

Elitists 100% exist on both sides. Elitism isnt limited to one group. My fellow Christians can be the worst at it.

 

I haven't had a primary in some time because after waiting 3 months for my appointment they canceled it two days before my visit. When I called I asked if I'm supposed to wait another month to see my doctor and the receptionist said "at least." This was the FHC provider of the year in volusia that year. Everyone has an anecdote about how great or how poor a system is. What we do know is that our system is the most expensive regardless of how great some claim it to be.

 

My wife performs wheelchair evaluations for patients in need of varying types of chairs depending on a patient's level of function. She often has to write letters of medical necessity to advocate for patients because insurance companies will use any possible opportunity to deny needed equipment. She despises UHC as do many other friends and coworkers in Healthcare. She told me of a time they denied a wheelchair to a patient with ALS long enough so that when it was finally approved the patient died before delivery.

People often ask who do you demand accountability from when you deal with faceless corporations. Despite the many layers of red tape the line eventually ends on the desk of a person whose job is to deny these claims. They are beneath contempt and deserve the worst karma possible. Sub human forms of life.

 

The need was on December 24th 2022 at 10:30pm. Temp was at 104F and we were concerned due to the sudden changes.
Now tell me...An urgent care is a 9-7 business, is this your idea of substitute medical care? This is our expectation?