Can we talk about how much the American healthcare system sucks?
Can we talk about how much the American healthcare system sucks?
So I have an ulcer. I dry heave at least once a day and I haven't eaten in 21 days. (Please do not give me advice, I hate it, I don't want medical advice from people over the internet. At best, if you do, I'll respond with a "thanks.")
I'm in a somewhat smaller town, not really small, about 80,000 people maybe. There is exactly one gastroenterologist in this town. I went to him when I hadn't eaten in 6 days. For a $50 copay, he said to take some Mylanta along with the Protonix I was already taking and call him in two weeks if I wasn't better. So I call him yesterday. I talk to the nurse. I tell her all my symptoms, none of which have changed. She sounds very concerned.
I hear nothing all day. This morning, I call again. The doctor hasn't even gotten to my information. So the nurse sends a message that I called again, which he probably also won't see.
I have tried to get a second opinion, or just another prescription for something, but there is not a single gastroenterologist within a 90 minute drive that would see me within three months. I'm pretty sure if I don't eat for three months, I'll be pretty dead. I mean, I'm living on Ensure and Gatorade, but I doubt that will get me to three more months.
Oh, and this is the second time this has happened. The first time, I had to take a bunch of tests like a CT scan and an X-Ray and a blood panel and they found nothing. I had a scheduled colonoscopy anyway, so they just went down my throat as well and that's when they found the ulcer. No one even suggested an ulcer before that.
Why am I saying all of this? I'm not even complaining about all of this. I'm complaining about the fact that this has cost me almost $2000 already and I feel lucky because I have good insurance. I'm not poor, but I don't really have $2000 to spare. I'm paying it off in installments, but god damn, I have to pay all of this money and they have stopped even giving a shit about me.
What would someone in my position without insurance even do? Die? That's what conservatives fucking want.
We need universal healthcare and a complete overhaul of the healthcare system now.
And any time you hear someone complain about how long a wait you have in Canada or the UK to see someone to help you and how America has the best healthcare system in the world and how people from other countries come here for treatment, send them to this post before telling them to get fucked.
TL;DR No one gives a shit about you in American healthcare except maybe the nurses and all they do is suck money out of your bank account.
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I've never heard anyone say that the American healthcare system is the best in the world. Even from critics of universal healthcare.
The best systems are mixed systems like you see in Germany or the Netherlands. As someone from the UK, don't fall for the propaganda about the NHS. It's really not very good.
I’ve never heard anyone say that the American healthcare system is the best in the world. Even from critics of universal healthcare.
Count yourself lucky. I live in a conservative area in the US, and it is a constant refrain.
Worst part is, these people bitch about their own healthcare quality and costs all the time. It's just...
... exhausting.
Second this. I've heard it many many many many times. "You may have to pay but you won't wait and it's the best in the world! People come from all over the world here for treatment!"
It's said by politicians.
And you can tell when a politician is lying by whether or not their lips are moving
It's not very good now that the Tories have starved it of funds for over a decade with a view to selling it off.
In 2005, Direct Democracy: An Agenda For A New Model Party was co-authored Jeremy Hunt Michael Gove, David Gauke, and Kwasi Kwarteng, among others.
On page 78, it states that
Our ambition should be to break down the barriers between private and public provision, in effect denationalising the provision of health care in Britain.
And on page 74 asserts that
patients, either through the tax system or by way of universal insurance, [should] purchase health care from the provider of their choice
NHS c. 2009 was excellent. Don't forget that.
Oh great, this conspiracy theory again.
The one area of public policy in the UK that has unanimity between the parties is the NHS. Any party that "sold the NHS off" would be out of power for a long time. It would be electorally foolish.
Our ambition should be to break down the barriers between private and public provision, in effect denationalising the provision of health care in Britain.
So like the two countries I listed earlier then. Where they have universal healthcare provided by affordable insurance systems. Nothing like the US.
patients, either through the tax system or by way of universal insurance, [should] purchase health care from the provider of their choice
Wow. Patients given choice_? Perish the thought! You should be forced to have mediocre healthcare, peasant!
NHS c. 2009 was excellent. Don't forget that.
Healthcare outcomes for diseases like cancer, heart disease etc were as low as countries in Eastern Europe. I don't care how "efficient" a healthcare system is if it isn't doing it's main job of keeping people alive.
Wow. Patients given choice? Perish the thought! You should be forced to have mediocre healthcare, peasant!
Do you think private healthcare is illegal in the UK or something? Have you not heard of people going private?
It is a bold move to say that "Tories want to privatise nationalised services" is a conspiracy theory, given the number of times they have already done it.
- British Aerospace
- British Gas
- British Airways
- British Petroleum (BP)
- All 10 Regional Water Authorities
- National Power
- British Rail
- Royal Mail
- The National Probation Service
- The Forensics Science Service
ETA: They also tried it with the Forestry Commission.
It was thought that British Rail was so beloved that no one would dare sell that off, too.
Yes, you can go private in the UK, but it's more expensive than it could be because the private companies have to subsidise the NHS.
They privatised those industries fairly quickly, why is it taking them so long to do it with the NHS, if it's definitely going to happen as people keep telling me?
Let's be honest, it's just scaremongering bollocks that politicians employ to get you to vote for them. Labour do it with the NHS, the Conservatives do it with the economy. It's all shit.
Em, no. No it isn't. Private healthcare gets to cherry pick off all the more straightforward stuff (knee replacements, dermatology) but curiously enough is quite content for the NHS to handle all the expensive stuff (intensive care, trauma).
It took over 40 years to privatise everything on that list. Not exactly "fairly quick".
Feel free to consider it "scaremongering bollocks" all you like, but be aware that government ministers literally wrote a book about how much they want to do it.
And be aware everyone thought that British Rail would never be privatised, either. But of course it was. After it had been run into the ground through underfunding.
It's funny when people say "but the wait times!" when providers here are constantly overbooked and you have to wait months anyway.