Healthcare in the US?

Question

I don't really understand the healthcare system in the US(I am from UK)
Do you have to pay for everything? Like if you broke your leg and had to call 911 you would be charged for treatment? Do you have to pay to give birth in hospital?
Do most Americans have health insurance? How much is that and what does it cover?
Do you have to pay to see a GP?
Obviously in the UK everythimg is free so does that mean we pay more taxes than US?

Answer 1

As stated before, yes- you have to pay for EVERYTHING - General Checkups, Broken Bones, heart attacks, all pre-natal checkups.... unless you qualify for low income assistance... (It is fairly difficult to qualify... having children helps...)

All health insurances are different- and have different coverages... the cheapest one I found for a single young woman was $145 (US) a month- but did not cover any sort of maternity/childbirth. (It was more of an emergency health plan... so if I ended up in the hospital I wouldn't lose everything I own) Even if you get the most expensive/best health insurance you can bet there is SOMETHING that it will not cover... (Health insurance here is similar to private in England)

The taxes in England are more than the US - but really aren't THAT much more than in the US... considering the things it covers

Answer 2

There is no universal health care in the US.
If you are lucky you have private health insurance that covers most of your medical expenses and prescriptions.
This costs me $350.00 a month.
At every doctor visit I must pay a $25.00 "Co-pay" and none of the treatments are covered until I meet an insurance deductible of $500.00
Low income families with no health insurance coverage can get federal and state medical coverage called medicaid. Senior citizens and the the disabled get medicare, and if low enough of an income get medicaid also.
In my state, if you call 911 and an ambulance comes to get you and you have no insurance you will get a bill. Some communities the emergency medical service is run by a volunteer fire department, which are non profit, and if you do not have insurance they do not send a bill.
If you are pregnant and have no medical coverage you can recieve Medicaid. Which pays for everything.
65% of americans are not covered by health insurance.
You may pay more in taxes. I firmly believe, if they raised my taxes and I got free health care, I'm all for it.

Answer 3

If you can afford to pay $350.00 or more a month, yes you have health insurance in the usa...but there are many who have no health insurance (almost 50 million) because they can't afford it!!! An american with a life threatening condition like cancer and with no health insurance means either come up with the cash or die if it is life threatening!!! NO CASH OR HEALTH INSURANCE MEANS NO Treatment in the USA!!!!!!!!Most states have made it impossible for a poor person to qualify for help!!!! YOU DO HAVE TO PAY FOR EVERYTHING OR IT IS SCREW YOU!!! DIE THEN!!!! IT IS ALL ABOUT MONEY HERE!!! GREED!!! EVEN IF YOU DO HAVE INSURANCE you still have to pay 20% of all medical cost and deductibles that can be up to $10,000.00 dollars!!!! many file bankrupsy that had health insurance and of course even more that had no health insurance!!!!

BE GLAD YOU ARE WHERE YOU ARE NOW!!!!!!

Here is an interesting site... click on the links and read all the articles and you will see how sick our healthcare in the USA is....http://www.healthcare-now.org/index.htm

Answer 4

well to put if simply it SUCKS!!! yes we have to pay for everything, the ambulance, all the supplies they use, everything!!!! If your laid up in the hospital and they give you an aspirin it is recorded and you are charged. Last year my boyfriend was in the hospital for 5 days and the bill was over 7,000.00 Luckily he has insurance, as well as our son, but since we aren't married i don't have any. So he still has a 500.00 deductible but after that everything is free, as long as we stay in our network. So since i don't have insurance i would have to pay for everything if i say, broke my leg, god forbid!!! Some low income families have Medicaid which pays for everything, but you've got to be on welfare or have a very low income to receive that. The elderly gets medicare and most of everything is paid for but they still have out of pocket expenses. Hope that answered your question.