I heard in France, Germany and western European countries have free health care, but that you have to pay for premium care.
Is this true?
2006-08-10 17:08:01 · 6 answers · asked by motorized vehicle 3 in Health ➔ General Health Care ➔ Other - General Health Care
No. The people pay for it in exhorbitant taxes. We pay about 30% of our gross paychecks back to the government in taxes. The people in the socialist countries of Western Europe pay around 75%. I like what we have here...
2006-08-10 17:11:44 · answer #1 · answered by christopher s 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
United Kingdom has "free" health care that is actually pretty good. But, the money has to come from somewhere, so taxes are high and waiting lines for procedures are long.
Ireland has same. I know in Ireland companies offer health insurance benefits for employees, so that they can get faster premium service.
End of the day, nothing is really free.
2006-08-11 00:15:01 · answer #2 · answered by spkmymind 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I have many relatives in Germany where they have "free healthcare" (actually, it is called socalized medicine) and they get what they pay for. I have had a number of relatives come over to the US to receieve proper treatments for their illnesses because they could not go see the specialists they needed in Germany.
A few years back, I had a small surgery on my ankle. Within a week of my surgery a relative in Germany had a very simillar prodcure. I was home and walking independently by the end of the day. Three weeks later, my relative was still in the hospital and could barely walk.
Trust me, socialized medicine is a bad, bad, BAD thing.
2006-08-11 00:17:18 · answer #3 · answered by robbet03 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In the UK it doesn't cost to go to the doctor, but we do have to pay a standard 6/7 pounds to get medication. In the case of going to hospital for surgery etc. That is also free but the waiting lists are insanely long, e.g. some people wait a year for hip-replacements. Therefore, a lot of people pay out of their own pocket and get private medical insurance.
2006-08-11 00:15:10 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
No health care system is "free." Taxes pay for it. Remember sales taxes outside the U.S. are often twice that in the U.S. (I'm assuming you're American) as well as incoem taxes being higher. That's how these nations can afford health care systems that are quite low cost.
Just reverse that thinking, you pay low taxes in the U.S. so use the difference to invest in your own health care insurance.
2006-08-11 00:32:22 · answer #5 · answered by fugutastic 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The Swiss have free healthcare, college, etc....but yeah, they have to pay taxes out the @$$
2006-08-11 00:14:23 · answer #6 · answered by morningview3 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋