So glad my Mother gets healthcare in Britain

[nun]

My mother lives on a small fixed income. She owns her home, but only gets a small pension and has very little savings.

Recently she was diagnosed with the early stages of Type II diabeties, and cataracts. She's on meds for her glucose levels, has a strict diet to follow and sees a dietician each month. She had to wait 3 months for the cataract opertation, but had that last week and says her eyesight is now wonderful.

She likes her doctor and he or a nurse visits her at home once a month to check her circulation and take a blood sample.

For this my mother does zero paperwork and pays absolutely nothing. I'll take socialized medcine anyday

[Alan]

I have lots of similar examples with my parents, elderly relatives and friends over the past few years.

Problem is you have to put up with the long dark winters and cool wet summers.

[Tadpole]

nun,

Right now I pay about 8% of my retirement income for health insurance and Medicare. Don't know what percent we will have for co-pays and deductibles yet. I would gladly pay 15% to a single payer system like the UK just for the peace of mind and predictable price. But most other people with employer subsidized insurance don't agree with me so we will never see it.

[Birdie Num Nums]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan I have lots of similar examples with my parents, elderly relatives and friends over the past few years. Problem is you have to put up with the long dark winters and cool wet summers.

Hey! That sounds like home to me.

[Peter]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan I have lots of similar examples with my parents, elderly relatives and friends over the past few years. Problem is you have to put up with the long dark winters and cool wet summers.

+1. Could have posted the above myself.

Peter

[Alan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Birdie Num Nums Hey! That sounds like home to me.

It certainly does

Where I'm from (and am currently vacationing) is about 7 deg further north from Seattle. (2 deg north of Edmonton) so the wintertime is pretty brutal when it comes to lack of sunlight.

Currently the sun rises here at 4:40am and sets at 9:30pm, so the days are pretty nice in the summer.

[Purron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan I have lots of similar examples with my parents, elderly relatives and friends over the past few years. Problem is you have to put up with the long dark winters and cool wet summers.

Yeah, but you don't have to worry much about earthquakes, tornados or hurricanes in the UK.

[Silver]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tadpole nun, Right now I pay about 8% of my retirement income for health insurance and Medicare. Don't know what percent we will have for co-pays and deductibles yet. I would gladly pay 15% to a single payer system like the UK just for the peace of mind and predictable price. But most other people with employer subsidized insurance don't agree with me so we will never see it.

+1
I would most gladly pay at least 15% for a single payor system....or more.
I strongly believe in health care access for everyone. But even more....our current health care system is so corrupt that I'd love to see it ripped to shreads.

[Alan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Purron Yeah, but you don't have to worry much about earthquakes, tornados or hurricanes in the UK.

Very true, but not as exciting.

[MasterBlaster]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan Problem is you have to put up with the long dark winters and cool wet summers.

And hot beer, and endless stories of how the Americans saved the Brits in two world wars.

[DangerMouse]

Hear, hear. MIL has been in hospital in Oz for the best part of the past year. Cost to her, zero. No co-pays, no hassles. Give me socialised medicine any day of the week.

[Meadbh]

Quote:

Originally Posted by nun My mother lives on a small fixed income. She owns her home, but only gets a small pension and has very little savings. Recently she was diagnosed with the early stages of Type II diabeties, and cataracts. She's on meds for her glucose levels, has a strict diet to follow and sees a dietician each month. She had to wait 3 months for the cataract opertation, but had that last week and says her eyesight is now wonderful. She likes her doctor and he or a nurse visits her at home once a month to check her circulation and take a blood sample. For this my mother does zero paperwork and pays absolutely nothing. I'll take socialized medcine anyday

Glad to hear your Mum is having a good experience, Nun. The NHS has been working very hard over the past few years to ensure that nobody waits more than 18 weeks for elective surgery. Obviously your Mum made the target.

Guide to waiting times

[Alan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MasterBlaster And hot beer, and endless stories of how the Americans saved the Brits in two world wars.

I've heard about the wars, but what is this about "hot beer". At this latitude you'd have to heat it up to get it hot. We don't drink our ale icy cold, we like it in the 50's. (try swimming in water at 55 deg F to see how hot that is).

For lagers and US style beers it is served very cold and all the places that serve it have "cold shelves" for that purpose. However, I've always been an ale man myself.

Beer in the Pub - CAMRA

Quote:

Real ale is served at cellar temperature 12-14 C (54-57 F), which is somewhat cooler than room temperature. If real ale is too warm it is not appetizing, it loses its natural conditioning

[Alan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Meadbh Glad to hear your Mum is having a good experience, Nun.

+1

[MasterBlaster]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alan At this latitude you'd have to heat it up to get it hot. We don't drink our ale icy cold, we like it in the 50's. (try swimming in water at 55 deg F to see how hot that is)

I know, I know you like it un-cooled...

[Alan]

Quote:

Originally Posted by MasterBlaster I know, I know you like it un-cooled...

I would pull a face like that if I had to put that white frothy weak looking stuff to my lips as well. It looks like someone just tried to sell him an annuity

[donheff]

I too would pay 15% for a decent single payer system. The mantra I keep hearing is that we can't afford universal health care. Everyone else can, but not us? It isn't a matter of what we can afford it is a matter of what type of system we will accept. And a sensible, single payer approach is socialism so it is off the table here. Bottom line, we won't accept a sensible system so instead we get what we deserve.

[Purron]

Quote:

Originally Posted by donheff I too would pay 15% for a decent single payer system. The mantra I keep hearing is that we can't afford universal health care. Everyone else can, but not us? It isn't a matter of what we can afford it is a matter of what type of system we will accept. And a sensible, single payer approach is socialism so it is off the table here. Bottom line, we won't accept a sensible system so instead we get what we deserve.

I agree and would love to discuss this more. This is perhaps the single most important issue facing retirees (at least those in the USA) - particularly early retirees who often don't get subsidized health insurance from their former employers.

Reality is, it would be deemed "political" and the thread would be closed. Happens every time.

[M Paquette]

Quote:

Originally Posted by donheff I The mantra I keep hearing is that we can't afford universal health care that pays $10 for a Tylenol, $40 for a Band-Aid, or $8,995 for a 'free' scooter mobility assistance device.

Fixed that for you.

Everyone seems to be all enthusiastic about schemes to limit medical costs by playing with the demand side, e.g., give old people $400/month to buy insurance, and they can cover the difference from their huge stash they set aside for old age. (You did set aside a huge stash for old age medical expenses, right?)

Nobody seems to want to do much on the supply side, regarding the guild system that caps the supply of GPs and specialists, or using free market competition on the price of pharmaceuticals ("Horrors! Allowing free market pricing will cut into our executive compensation and advertising R&D budget!")

There are a number of systems that do work. The goofy American mashup system would appear to be less sustainable than others.

Recommended study guides:
Sick Around The World | FRONTLINE | PBS
Healthcare Economist · Health Care Around the World: An Introduction

[LOL!]

Medicare is socialized medicine. My mom doesn't seem to be paying anything here in the US for her heart attack, pacemaker and lots of other old-age stuff.