is the cost of medical insurance and treatment really a lot more?

Question

is it really a lot more than in countries like UK canada and Australia? i was just wondering if these other countries were a little more advanced and cheaper than it is in the united states? can someone give me a website where i can read about this please? thanks everyone.

Answer 1

Well, they have WAGE locks, so doctors can only make so much money. THAT means, they're currently having a doctor shortage, because who wants to take out $250,000 in student loans and study for 10 years, to make $50,000?

They ALSO have extremely high taxes. It's the TAXES that actually pay for the medical treatment, but ONLY for people who qualify. You have to be a citizen/subject in order to have coverage. SOME people look at taxes to pay for medical care as "free".

But everyone over there who CAN afford to pay for PRIVATE care, usually does - because the PRIVATE care is a higher level of care, with much shorter waits. No waiting for 6 months for that open heart surgery, on a list, ya know.

And the proof that the US has "better" care - heads of states and fameous people that need stuff done, come here. THEY want the best for THEMSELVES, they don't want the level of care that their general populations have to take.

Answer 2

Formerly working for 2 health insurers, being a health insurance consumer, currently an independent agent, and someone who is familiar with the Canadian system, I might be able to answer your question.

In the US, there are various problems plaguing the health care industry in terms of cost. The first being the aging population, we are running into increased demand for medical services. The second is the cutting edge technology, we can do things now that were not possible a few years ago, and there is a cost. The third is the pharmecuetical industry, they charge more in the US than anywhere else in the world. The fifth is the legal environment, doctors run tests that they do not deem necessary to cover themselves from the possibility of a malpractice lawsuit.

All of these factors add to the cost of care, the cost of care drives the health insurance rates. Since many people cannot afford coverage, the hospitals have to try to collect on individuals. Many of these individuals cannot afford to pay, so it becomes a write off to the provider. This increases costs for the rest of us.

While Canada offers universal coverage, my grandmother broker her hip in Winnepeg. It took many months to have it fixed. So while it is cheaper, there are costs.

The system in the US needs to change. An idea I have is to socialize all expenses over a certain amount (say $100,000). This will drive down the costs to the insurers, lowering rates for everybody. Since the first $100,000 is the vast majority of claims, taxes would not have to increase by that much.....

Having the government try to socialize the whole thing would be a disaster in my opinion. Just look at some of the programs they already run....

Answer 3

We pay about $250 in health insurance. Our current plan covers about 80% after a yearly deductible. The drug portion by pay $10 per generic, brand names run from $30 to $60 depending on what tier the insurance company puts them at. We can receive drugs through the drug servicing part of our insurance in mail. Three months at a time and just pay for two months. My husband takes 17 different medication. Many of those do not have generics so we have to pay the higher amounts for them. Some drugs he is able to get through the Veterans Administration. So that helps us out on medication.

Currently our PCP charges about $79 for a regular office call. So our portion would be just over $15.00

But then, my husband is eligible for Medicare through Social Security Administration. But our insurance doesn't pay for anything until we have $3000 out of pocket expenses. So we have to pick up what Medicare does not pay. For instance he had back surgery last year. We had to pay his surgeon $560 that was not paid for. The insurance company considered it double coverage if they were to pay the 20% left from Medicare.


I was reading the following website today about anecdotal comments different people had had comparing UK, Canadian and US medical care.