Those of you with "socialized medicine"...

[Angry_Games]

Tell me, is there anything in the world you would give up your free health care for?

 

This question is for Canadians, Brits, French, everyone who lives in a country with socialized (ie: FREE) healthcare.

 

 

 

 

Give me your best as well as worst healthcare story (not you Americans, your thread is coming soon)

[fmc_boss]

Well, over here it seems to be a matter of 'you get what you pay for';

 

Just yesterday the Govt. throws $8 Million at the Horse flu that's going around, whilst a 32yr old lady is forced to bare her 1st child, by herself, sitting on a public toilet, after being told by hospital staff that they were unable to attend to her.

...the hospital was nice enough to clean her up after the event & send her on her merry way.

 

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22488582-421,00.html

[Angry_Games]

Well, over here it seems to be a matter of 'you get what you pay for';

 

Just yesterday the Govt. throws $8 Million at the Horse flu that's going around, whilst a 32yr old lady is forced to bare her 1st child, by herself, sitting on a public toilet, after being told by hospital staff that they were unable to attend to her.

...the hospital was nice enough to clean her up after the event & send her on her merry way.

 

http://www.news.com.au/story/0,23599,22488582-421,00.html

 

Is this something that is normal? Or an aberration? And the question still stands: is there anything you would give up your free health/medical care for?

 

Every country has some medical horror stories once in a while, that's normal for any region that has thousands or millions of persons. But are there enough consistently bad cases like that to warrant a feeling that your health care system needs to be changed?

[fmc_boss]

Is this something that is normal? Or an aberration? And the question still stands: is there anything you would give up your free health/medical care for?

 

Well, it's not 'normal', but there has been an increasing trend of these type of incidents over here, usually blamed on lack of staff.

 

This particular one rubbed me up the wrong way, which is why i commented on it, but in answer to the question of if i'd give up/trade off, the answer @ this point in time is 'no'. I'd like to see the trade options, though...

[kitfit1]

Two years ago, Mrs kitfit was diognosed with a cancerous lump in her breast. Since then she has had the lump removed, a course of radiotherepy, a course of cemotherpy and at the moment is going through a course of herceptin. At a rough guess, the cost must be somewhere around £150,000 to £200,000. As an individual, if push came to shove, i could find that money if i had to. But of course, i don't have to. As far as i am concerned, despite all the moaning and groaning that goes on in the UK about the NHS, it is the best healthcare system in the world, bar none. It is'nt FREE, of course, we pay for through our taxes and national insurance. But we all at some time or another have to make use of it, and knowing that you don't have to remortgage your house to save your wife's life is one hell of a way of removing the stress from someone who is gravely ill.

 

So the answer to the question is, no, there is nothing i would give it up for. As a side note, any UK government that tried to get rid of the NHS would NEVER get back into government again.

[Guest element]

From New Zealand, just a hop skip and a jump from Auzzie. We too have this free heath care. Generally though my family and I have used the private system.

 

Why ? Well efficiency and a good professional job. A lot of the new doctors that we get in don't speak english and are as a result very hard to work with.

 

Much is made of how 'cool' it is that it's free. But waiting lists make it a dam lottery if you're gonna live or die. :mad:

 

 

Much like our education system. If you pay for it, it's generally faster/better/more robust.

[Angry_Games]

From New Zealand, just a hop skip and a jump from Auzzie. We too have this free heath care. Generally though my family and I have used the private system.

 

Why ? Well efficiency and a good professional job. A lot of the new doctors that we get in don't speak english and are as a result very hard to work with.

 

Much is made of how 'cool' it is that it's free. But waiting lists make it a dam lottery if you're gonna live or die. :mad:

 

 

Much like our education system. If you pay for it, it's generally faster/better/more robust.

 

but as a whole, the free healthcare is still top-notch (other than doctors not speaking english too well)?

 

 

I'm especially interested to hear from Canadians since we live so close (and we keep telling each other we are moving to Canada for the hockey and the socialism).

 

 

The American way of thinking (spin) is that the taxes are high to pay for it and people wait on lists for 10 months to get a simple procedure done.

 

I'd also like to invite Canadians, French, and Brits (and other Euros and Aussies etc) to watch the Michael Moore movie "SiCKO".

 

I don't want a bunch of Moore haters in here flaming it away. I simply want Brits, French, and Canucks watch it and tell me their thoughts on the portrayal of your health care systems.

[Guest element]

Well when your high on the list yes. And when the higher up medical professionals are actually trained as such yes.

We have a major issue with bureaucrats that don't actually know the first thing about real medicne. And it's not just isolated to the heath care system.

 

 

Many of our professionals are considered amoungst the best in the world. But they are either hamstrung by red tape or too worn down to care.

[judge264]

Copy! It's good to be high on the list!!! And OBTW, same consideration in the USA! Socialism is good!!! Until you have a year to wait!!!

[red930]

overhere in holland its not free-free.

We pay true a monthly fee(insurance) and taxes.

The monthly fee is as high as one can affort, the higher the better ofc.

but it is kinda free, taxes thingy. The heathcare system is good as far as i can tell, im not a docter.

Hospital, docters and such have to be with in 10 mins from your house, hospitals within an half hour, thats a thing the insurance wants, hence if you dont have one like that ,(dockter) you need to switch.

Otherwise mentalcare is free, waiting lists are not really a big problem, month tops if its not that bad with ya, or they sent you abroad.

 

Might be considert expensive, kids are tottaly free ofc, exept dental, but it is by law alway's availble

[fmc_boss]

but as a whole, the free healthcare is still top-notch (other than doctors not speaking english too well)?

 

....

 

I'd also like to invite Canadians, French, and Brits (and other Euros and Aussies etc) to watch the Michael Moore movie "SiCKO".

 

The Healthcare system, like many others, has been stretched to breaking point for far too long, & in addition to that, some poor short term fixes have been brought in, one of which being 'imported professionals'.

 

But going from Family experience, there are still top-notch people & facilities available over here, but there's just not enough of it.

 

I've been meaning to watch 'sicko', i'll have to rent a copy.

[Guest element]

In a country of 4 million they just hand off the excuse that we cannot compete with the salaries UK/USA etc can offer.

But it's just BS from the politically motivated Buro's. As they are the ones sucking the services dry so we can't afford said professionals. :mad::mad::mad:

 

And it really vaires from Hospital to Hostpital district to district etc. Even down to the guy with the white coat in front of you.