What's with healthcare....

[Gareth Cairns]

This was going to be a blog but I want discussion and information from the community; 

The UK NHS is funded by 14% tax, that's a mean of £3,360 for the median salary of £24,500 yr. Or £280 a month. And no one can be turned away because they may actually need the service they are trying to pay for....

A prescription is £8 whether it's for £2 pain killers or £900 chemotherapy treatments(some are tablets to take home) and drugs given in hospital are free.

I want to know what the average figures are in America, because I think we probably don't get a fair representation in our press; poor families in southern USA were quoted as paying 400 a month, more than their rent, for health insurance.

[Vertigo_One [Ops Mod]]

But your argument, Latch, was and I quote "Vertigo health care expenses are a big drain on major economies all over Europe austerity all over the place look at Greece.". Now in order to mean something, the word "expensive" must be reletive to something else. What is the word expensive reletive to? Expensive reletive to the US system I'm assuming, since you also said 

Its just unrealistic to expect that everyone could afford that or that the govt or insurance companies could. 16 years ago my father had a heart transplant. I know several people who are on kidney dialysis all that cost a lot of money yet everyone expects things like that to be available to everyone. Thats just unrealistic. It will bankrupt countries

The thing is though, there are countries that do provide these services to everyone and they are NOT bankrupt. Their economies are doing perfectly well. In fact, economies with this system are spending less as a whole on healthcare than economies that do not (the US spends 16% of its GDP on healthcare, the UK spends 8%). So your argument that it would be too expensive to offer these systems to everyone is false.

[Gareth Cairns]

I'm horrified, truly horrified.

After working in the NHS for 14yrs and putting up with all manner of drunk and aggressive idiots, I left to build websites.
So I know how our system fails and cost is an issue.
But it hasn't been destroyed and despite the depression we soldier on.

In the last year I've had surgery to my neck and a number of prescription drugs
I have no idea how much the surgery cost cos I paid no bill.
But all the drugs came to £30 over 6 weeks, which I paid.

But I've paid about 32,000 in national insurance since leaving school.
Given that I earn pounds not dollars and vice versa, that may as well be $32,0000.
Your premiums are not markedly different to this figure, so there should be the money to cover your needs.

I can't help but ask, does anyone else see the profit margins of these companies as blood money? Is that too strong?
People who have been left bankrupt and destitute because they had an accident or cancer. It's immoral.

It's an adjustment but I pay a lot more tax in order to have that peace of mind, the NHS WILL NOT fail to treat me, let me die or leave me in debt. You, as a nation, have the income to give this to every American, do you not deserve it?

I know it's partisan but tell me I don't have a point?
If we can fund coffee shops in the Dominican republic we can kick off over this.
Federal legislation covering an insurance company's operating margins is the thing, don't measure what they spend, measure what they keep, it's your friggin money and it shouldn't pay for an executive's 5star life before it saves yours.

[Latch33570]

vertigo first I wasn't arguing I was giving an example. Apparently you do so I'll bite. Greece is a perfect example of the expense of healthcare draining the system and the austerity cuts are having a seemingly (according to the news anyway) big toll.http://www.google.com/url?sa=t&rct=j&q=austerity%20and%20he...

We both know what the word expensive is and I gave examples of mine and people I know. I will do a little research and try to see what it would cost the govt for the same treatment in EU. I know It wouldn't cost you directly but How much does it cost the govt?

[Vertigo_One [Ops Mod]]

Latch, of course the healthcare system will be difficult to maintain WHEN THE COUNTRY IS ABOUT TO DEFAULT.

What you are failing to do is to prove that the healthcare system in Greece was what caused the country to default in the first place.

The point is that you argued that if cover was provided for everyone, the country would go bust. However there are many examples proving you wrong, which you have not explained.

Furthermore, you still have not explained why, if universal healthcare is so expensive, does the US spend 16% of its GDP on healthcare, where as the UK spends 8%.

[Gareth Cairns]

If we could get some support for a P4A group and lobby that would be good.

[Latch33570]

Vertigo I admit defeat, you win. It is our healthcare that's so expensive and not sustainable. But I have been for universal healthcare for a while. In our system the major players have no incentive to reduce cost therefore it is too expensive. The average citizen doesn't realalise that it does cost them and will in the future. They don't realise it because they don't pay it directly. They just end up paying higher and higher insurance rates. I know this is off topic but I think we will strugle on till AI revolutionises every economy in the world. I think that will happen and soon.