What are your opinions on free healthcare?

[Sky.]

You can choose if you want to go to a doctor or hospital

But you'd obviously want to take the shot right? You can't put a price on your life... Can you?
The american government seems to think they can.

 

[KOMKO190]

I find it stupid that some developed countries do not offer free healthcare, as I'd say it's really really needed.

Unfortunately, healthcare isn't really free - listen, you pay it via taxes. Here in Croatia the healthcare isn't really free, but it's cheap.
You must pay health insurance contributions to the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO), which funds the healthcare system. Healthcare is not free in Croatia. You'll also need to make a co-payment of 20% of the cost of any medical treatment you receive. (source: Google)

But that's still better than USA's healthcare system (even though I wouldn't call it a system, more like a business).

 

[Sky.]

I find it stupid that some developed countries do not offer free healthcare, as I'd say it's really really needed.

Unfortunately, healthcare isn't really free - listen, you pay it via taxes. Here in Croatia the healthcare isn't really free, but it's cheap.
You must pay health insurance contributions to the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO), which funds the healthcare system. Healthcare is not free in Croatia. You'll also need to make a co-payment of 20% of the cost of any medical treatment you receive. (source: Google)

But that's still better than USA's healthcare system (even though I wouldn't call it a system, more like a business).

That's quite interesting, how you sort of have national insurance, and you have to pay 20% of your treatments price.
I have a few questions if you wouldn't mind answering.

What are your opinions on 100% free healthcare like the NHS, do you think Croatia's system has its advantages?
Do treatments cost a lot, taking for example a simple checkup how much would you have to pay?
Is the quality of care good, do they provide you with good meals when in hospital etc etc.
Does this apply to medicine, or is it just for treatment.

 

[KOMKO190]

That's quite interesting, how you sort of have national insurance, and you have to pay 20% of your treatments price.
I have a few questions if you wouldn't mind answering.

What are your opinions on 100% free healthcare like the NHS, do you think Croatia's system has its advantages?
Do treatments cost a lot, taking for example a simple checkup how much would you have to pay?
Is the quality of care good, do they provide you with good meals when in hospital etc etc.
Does this apply to medicine, or is it just for treatment.

I'd say every system has it's advantages and flaws, I couldn't really give a concrete opinion on this as I wasn't really ever on such treatments as I'm just healthy.
Now, treatments do not cost that much, around $30 for a consultation fee.
For the quality of meals - I couldn't really give a concrete answer for this as I was never in a hospital where I've had to stay overnight. But what I can do is ask my mother what she was fed while she was in the hospital (when she gave birth to me).
This applies for medicine as well, prices aren't high at all.

EDIT: Remembered my mother talked that her food was fine, not the best one out there, but was eatable and you could live with it.

 

[Sky.]

I'd say every system has it's advantages and flaws, I couldn't really give a concrete opinion on this as I wasn't really ever on such treatments as I'm just healthy.
Now, treatments do not cost that much, around $30 for a consultation fee.
For the quality of meals - I couldn't really give a concrete answer for this as I was never in a hospital where I've had to stay overnight. But what I can do is ask my mother what she was fed while she was in the hospital (when she gave birth to me).
This applies for medicine as well, prices aren't high at all.

That's a cool system, and I'll probably do some more research on it
Thanks for responding

 

[KOMKO190]

That's a cool system, and I'll probably do some more research on it
Thanks for responding

No worries, glad to be of some help. Just fact check the things I've said as I am unfortunately not 100% sure if all of them are correct.

 

[Stockfish]

I find it stupid that some developed countries do not offer free healthcare, as I'd say it's really really needed.

Unfortunately, healthcare isn't really free - listen, you pay it via taxes. Here in Croatia the healthcare isn't really free, but it's cheap.
You must pay health insurance contributions to the Croatian Health Insurance Fund (HZZO), which funds the healthcare system. Healthcare is not free in Croatia. You'll also need to make a co-payment of 20% of the cost of any medical treatment you receive. (source: Google)

But that's still better than USA's healthcare system (even though I wouldn't call it a system, more like a business).

Jako dobro napisano, bravo!

Couldn't have said it better myself.

 

[Rahul.]

For anyone in the US is this true: I heard that some people have like a band around there wrist, so if they have a seizure the ambulance doesn't come/pick them up so they can avoid the cost of that? Is that true?

 

[SkapDoesMC]

Does Canada cover all healthcare, or is it only a few things?

Unsure, I think we do, Doctors visits are free (provided they say to get a pharmaceuticals)Hospital Fees and Eye Exams.

Mhm, in America ambulances could cost you 2500$ just to get you to the hospital.

Fucking kill me then.[DOUBLEPOST=1610378284][/DOUBLEPOST]

the government strives to have a hospital fifteen minutes away at max.

My city of like 700K people has like only one hospital and it is in the other side of my city, a whole 20ish minutes just to get there in a normal car.

 

[Justin Z.]

My city of like 700K people has like only one hospital and it is in the other side of my city, a whole 20ish minutes just to get there in a normal car.

WOW. Really?? Where do you live (country)?

 

[SkapDoesMC]

WOW. Really?? Where do you live (country)?

Canada

 

[Justin Z.]

Canada

Ouch.. Didn't know it was that bad there.

 

[KOMKO190]

Jako dobro napisano, bravo!

Couldn't have said it better myself.

Hvala!
Wasn't sure if it was correct as I've stated I didn't ever really need to get medical help - and besides that, I'm 14, so I don't really know a lot about how a certain system functions.

 

[SkapDoesMC]

Ouch.. Didn't know it was that bad there.

Canada is a huge ass place, so It would be hard to put in a hospital everywhere, also there aren't that much doctors, I remember going to the doctors and waiting like 2 hours to get in, pretty sure we had a small crisis about not much doctors.

 

[Thefluffypver]

But you'd obviously want to take the shot right? You can't put a price on your life... Can you?
The american government seems to think they can.

You can choose if you want the shot or not. I don’t believe the government will give the Au population a dangerous shot on purpose.

 

[Funkel]

As a German, I think free healthcare is good. Because when I look at the USA what some people have for medical bills I am glad to live in Germany. Sure we pay through taxes into our health insurance but I find that okey.

 

[NameAidan]

What you are all forgetting is the size of each of the countries you are all talking about, and the amount of taxes each person pays in those countries.

For starters, almost all Americans have health insurance (it is practically free, or very very cheap based on your economic standpoint). In this case the insurance pays for the ambulance ride. So that $2.5k ride is $0. This is the same for 90% of common shots. The insurance covers it. Those occasions in which you have to pay it will be a simple $40.

Let's now move onto the idea of taxes (for middle class) and population count:
Netherlands: 17 million people - 15%ish tax rate
Canada: 37 million people - 22%ish tax rate
UK: 67 million people - 20%ish tax rate
United States: 330 million people - 15%ish tax rate

The amount of people compared to the tax rate of the country simply doesn't allow for the there to be free healthcare. The country would either go into a serious depression, or tax rates would have to increase about 4x the amount they are currently at (60% tax rates) to have similar funding to that of a country with free healthcare. So in the end, the amount of money which would be needed to go to taxes in order for everyone in the United States to be completely covered would put a ton of people making about $20 / day after taxes (then having to pay rent, buy food, etc.). So, in a sense we have more money in our pockets, but pay for healthcare compared to a lot less money in our pockets, but free healthcare.

Everyone says "America puts a price on life" as you all pay taxes towards healthcare. If your country didn't put a "price on life" your taxes with be about 1/2 of what they are currently.

 

[Justin Z.]

Canada is a huge ass place, so It would be hard to put in a hospital everywhere, also there aren't that much doctors, I remember going to the doctors and waiting like 2 hours to get in, pretty sure we had a small crisis about not much doctors.

Okay, well. It is quite understandable now that you so it, but it still sucks haha

 

[Sky.]

What you are all forgetting is the size of each of the countries you are all talking about, and the amount of taxes each person pays in those countries.

For starters, almost all Americans have health insurance (it is practically free, or very very cheap based on your economic standpoint). In this case the insurance pays for the ambulance ride. So that $2.5k ride is $0. This is the same for 90% of common shots. The insurance covers it. Those occasions in which you have to pay it will be a simple $40.

Let's now move onto the idea of taxes (for middle class) and population count:
Netherlands: 17 million people - 15%ish tax rate
Canada: 37 million people - 22%ish tax rate
UK: 67 million people - 20%ish tax rate
United States: 330 million people - 15%ish tax rate

The amount of people compared to the tax rate of the country simply doesn't allow for the there to be free healthcare. The country would either go into a serious depression, or tax rates would have to increase about 4x the amount they are currently at (60% tax rates) to have similar funding to that of a country with free healthcare. So in the end, the amount of money which would be needed to go to taxes in order for everyone in the United States to be completely covered would put a ton of people making about $20 / day after taxes (then having to pay rent, buy food, etc.). So, in a sense we have more money in our pockets, but pay for healthcare compared to a lot less money in our pockets, but free healthcare.

Everyone says "America puts a price on life" as you all pay taxes towards healthcare. If your country didn't put a "price on life" your taxes with be about 1/2 of what they are currently.

But what your forgetting is that there's no need for medicines to cost $800 or $2500. The UK provides free healthcare through the NHS, prescriptions cost £8 for all your medicines. Why should you have to pay more in the US than a country like the UK. Healthcare in the US is just a monopoly, people can't live without it, so they pay the premium.

I'd like to quote this article from the ONS (uk's statstics people)
https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopula...espendingcomparewithothercountries/2019-08-29

• In 2017, the UK spent £2,989 per person on healthcare, which was around the median for members of the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development: OECD (£2,913 per person).
  
  
• However, of the G7 group of large, developed economies, UK healthcare spending per person was the second-lowest, with the highest spenders being France (£3,737), Germany (£4,432) and the United States (£7,736).
  
  
• As a percentage of GDP, UK healthcare spending fell from 9.8% in 2013 to 9.6% in 2017, while healthcare spending as a percentage of GDP rose for four of the remaining six G7 countries.
  
  
• The UK’s publicly funded NHS-based health system contributes to the UK having one of the highest shares of publicly funded healthcare (79%) in the OECD.
  
  
• In 2017, the UK spent the equivalent of £560 per person on health-related long-term care, which was less than most other northern or western European countries, but a similar amount to France (£569) and Canada (£556)

I'm asking you why that spending gap is so evident - when the USA, is arguably a richer country than the UK. Why can't they provide a sort of insurance.

The UK, even covers illness abroad through the GHIC card, meaning if you fall ill abroad you're covered (i think its EU only)

https://www.nhs.uk/using-the-nhs/he...-a-free-uk-global-health-insurance-card-ghic/

So, please tell me why Americans should pay for insurance just to save a bit on tax.