Political Discussions
Health Care and Economic Strength?
Posted by polybore • 2/08/09 • Subscribe to this Discussion [RSS] • Report This Topic
Topics: health care, taxation
Polybore has had one heck of a day. Polybore Jnr bumped his head today, bumped it hard enough to concern his parents.
We were able to contact a National Health Service nurse by phone (no cost) who advised a check up by a Doctor. Unfortunately due to over a foot of snow fall today we were unable to get the car onto the main road.
Because we were unable to get to the Doctor we were sent an Ambulance (which arrived within half an hour through terrible road conditions) with a paramedic crew who, after a walk through the snow took Polybore Jnr to hospital, 20 miles away, to get checked out immediately by a doctor.
After a visceral emotional rollercoaster ride the excellent news is that Polybore Jnr is all good.
Ok. So in the Uk we pay for this kind of service through income tax. However we did not have to fill out a single piece of paper or fear any kind of cost or claim process. It all just happened.
When money is tight this type of free at the point of use health care system has to be a major economic advantage?
User Comments
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Whats your tax rate?-
Here are the UK income tax bands. www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/it.htm
Starts at 10% rising to 40%
These rates are modified by a tax credit system (targeted tax reductions. www.hmrc.gov.uk/rates/taxcredits.htm
An interesting universal benefit in there "child benefit" currently stands at £20 per child a week.
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Polybore, when Punky was 4 months old, and crawling, Punky slipped and smashed into the floor face first.
Punky bled for 12 hours straight before we got into the hospital. First, the on call pediatrician (from a supposedly reputable private ped's office) blew us off not once, not twice, but four times. Then, by the time we could get to the hospital, and be seen it was early in the AM.
Punky was still covered by our insurance (state based) but the problem with our health care goes far beyond cost alone. Had we not had insurance, however, I'm not sure how long my infant would have bled.-
Terrible service. That must have been awful for you.
Wow Punky was fast at geting the hang of crawling! -
Yeah, and everything else, too. Unfortunately
Interesting and related story - we have state insurance, for me it's because I am uninsurable, for my kid it's because private insurance for children is expensive, and employee based health care is shaky at best - and we wanted continuous coverage.
Well, we signed up pre-birth for "The" best pediatrician in the area. They begrudgingly accepted certain state insurance. We were accepted, all was well. Until I tried actually dealing with the office itself. For such a prestigious association, and for an office that charges top dollar ans supposedly should provide top service because they take top private insurance providers and only a few state based plans, they were the WORST pediatric office I have ever seen.
Their service was horrendous. Their care for the children, awful. Their concern for potential harm for serious injuries? Non existent. I had to report one doctor for advising patients to force their infants and toddlers to sleep in their own vomit as a punishment for crying until they got sick. (seriously, I was furious).
The office changed it's policy, and no longer accepted any state based providers, and Punky got really sick. Punky had been sick for weeks, but we couldn't get in, and they just blew us off, anyway. We were in need of a doctor, and fast.
I found one office, and called them asking if they were taking patients (accustomed to a waiting period). they said yes. i asked if they accepted state insurance, they not only said yes, but confided that most of their patients were on state insurance, and they were getting an influx due to other offices changing their policies.
I then explained our situation, and they rushed us in THAT DAY. As it turned out, Punky was getting an ear infection, all was well.
We've never had better service. Injury? Bring 'em in right now. On call doctor? We'll meet you at the hospital. Need an X-ray? We'll call ahead so you don't have to wait.
Complimentary check up calls, awesome well visits - I mean we couldn't be happier.
The moral of the story? Private isn't better. When money isn't a factor, you get better care.
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High health care costs in the US are bleeding the country dry. We pay more than any other nation, but we don't the best health care.
Looking at the personal level, many are reduced to just using the emergency room, which raises costs dramatically, even more so because those using the emergency room can't pay. Even the emergency room doesn't solve all problems. Dentists in my area require money before they render any services, even emergency services. One result a couple years ago in my area: a kid's tooth infection reached into his brain and killed him.
Of course, this is all about CSI worrying about his taxes. Some people are willing to play Solomon like that. I'm sick of it, and I'm glad that a majority of Americans see a need for reform, even if they won't go for a single system like in the UK. The bad old days of nineteenth-century economic liberalism mixed with social Darwinism are perhaps finally coming to an end. The country will be the stronger for it.-
Indeed. Polybore has been shocked by the current state of the US health care system. Things can only get worse in the current economic climate as people lose employee health care or can't meet the payments on insurance.
This 60minutes documentary on a 3rd World Medical charity switching it's focus to the US is a real eye opener.
www.cbsnews.com/stories/2008/02/28/60minutes/main3889496.shtml
It is a disgrace and it nust harm the US economy to have people unable to work because of untreated illness.
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