What experiences do you have with yours and how do you feel about it in general? I propose this question because I recently found out that my ingrown toenail surgery is on a waiting list set for four years and isn't moving. So yeah Australia's healthcare system is non-existant how is yours?

All Medicare has done for me is turned my tax return into a tax bill.

There must be a lot of people with ingrown toenail in Australia then :) Seriously though, the probable reason for the long waiting list is that it is not a serious condition (I know it might feel serious but compared to many other ailments of the feet it isn't) and more serious cases are being but in before you. Perfectly reasonable.

The healthcare system here in Denmark are relatively good. Not as good as it has been though. Waiting lists are long and a lot of people complain about it but then again danes have a tendency to complain about the civic system. It doesn't help that doctors and nurses are moving to the private hospitals where they make more money and that the government more or less encourages them to do it by cutting spending on the healthsector....

Phew! long rant.

The Australian Medicare has been exceptionally helpful to me in the past, what I find to be non-existent is the American health care system (which I base solely according to Michael Moores documentary about it. I will throw my sword down and let somebody prove Michael Moore and myself wrong).

Free! Go socialism.(UK)

Dommyboy:
The Australian Medicare has been exceptionally helpful to me in the past, what I find to be non-existent is the American health care system (which I base solely according to Michael Moores documentary about it. I will throw my sword down and let somebody prove Michael Moore and myself wrong).

America also has 300 Million people (not counting illegal immigrants) to Australia's 21.5 Million.

The sheer size of the USA is a big stumbling block.

rossatdi:
Free! Go socialism.(UK)

Do you all still tax per TV, spigots on the house, and all that jazz? Or where the brits when I was there pulling my leg?

edit: America's is awful. Period.

FREEEEEEEE!!!!

I'm a American, I pray to god each night I don't get sick.

Canada's is fantastic, despite the stuff that the US medical lobby feeds into the chain e-mail cycle. If you need care urgently, you get it. If you don't, you wait a while. Elective procedures and tests take a long time to get, but I don't have any problem with that. The only aspect of the Canadian health care system that I take issue with is the fact that insulin pumps and the insulin that they pump aren't covered, which is completely heinous.

rossatdi:
Free! Go socialism.(UK)

Free but not well organised nor done.

ace_of_something:

rossatdi:
Free! Go socialism.(UK)

Do you all still tax per TV, spigots on the house, and all that jazz? Or where the brits when I was there pulling my leg?

Well we get taxed per household for TV but I don't watch TV (what's the point with an internet connection?) so I don't pay it. I don't think we get taxed on spigots anymore, how old are you I had to look that word up!

I've had several operations (mostly minor) with the NHS and received great care. In fact value for money I'm probably winning (lots of problems as a baby, 6 weeks premature).

Doug:

rossatdi:
Free! Go socialism.(UK)

Free but not well organised nor done.

I'd debate that. If you get sick, you get treated. That's a lot more than a lot of countries.

Xaryn Mar is right... The Danish healthcare system is being hollowed out :/

But it's still pretty good, but healthcare comes at the expense of higher tax. The good thing about the system is that everyone can get (most) healthcare, no matter if you're rich or poor. In theory I like our system.

rossatdi:

Doug:

rossatdi:
Free! Go socialism.(UK)

Free but not well organised nor done.

I'd debate that. If you get sick, you get treated. That's a lot more than a lot of countries.

If you get sick, you get put on a waiting list and shoved to the back of the quote if your treatment is long or expensive in order to help the hosipitals balance their accounts. EDIT: And to help meet "Government Targets" which are frankly stupid!

And GPs don't even let you book appointments in some area (like mine).

Doug:

If you get sick, you get put on a waiting list and shoved to the back of the quote if your treatment is long or expensive in order to help the hosipitals balance their accounts. EDIT: And to help meet "Government Targets" which are frankly stupid!

And GPs don't even let you book appointments in some area (like mine).

I got an operation to remove a nasal polyp which is completely quality of life and had no time restraints. I got it within 2 months. Nature of the beast is that if price can't limit demand rationing (in the form of queues) must. Yes we have to wait but if you're literally going to die you'll jump to the front of the line. If not you'll have to wait 3 hours at a GPs, rather that than pay hundreds of pounds to get told you have a cold.

I think I'm losing out on the NHS due to the fact I've never been to hospital for any treatment except my birth, oh crap that's probably tempting fate now I'm gonna get run over by a truck *sad face*

rossatdi:

Doug:

If you get sick, you get put on a waiting list and shoved to the back of the quote if your treatment is long or expensive in order to help the hosipitals balance their accounts. EDIT: And to help meet "Government Targets" which are frankly stupid!

And GPs don't even let you book appointments in some area (like mine).

I got an operation to remove a nasal polyp which is completely quality of life and had no time restraints. I got it within 2 months. Nature of the beast is that if price can't limit demand rationing (in the form of queues) must. Yes we have to wait but if you're literally going to die you'll jump to the front of the line. If not you'll have to wait 3 hours at a GPs, rather that than pay hundreds of pounds to get told you have a cold.

About 17,000 people have died because the NHS is poor - ok, its better than the USA 'survival of the richiest' but we're still the worst in Europe:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/jan/18/health

Doug:

About 17,000 people have died because the NHS is poor - ok, its better than the USA 'survival of the richiest' but we're still the worst in Europe:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/jan/18/health

However, the King's Fund, an independent health thinktank, said that while the basic methodological approach of the study seemed to be valid, the conclusions were not placed in context. An extra 17,000 deaths might seem high, but that figure needed to be set against annual mortality, which was between 750,000 and one million deaths every year. The countries with which the UK was being compared spent more of their GDP on healthcare.

Look at that! I didn't have to even write my reply! It was in the article. We're damn lucky to have the NHS, damn, damn lucky.

rossatdi:
We're damn lucky to have the NHS, damn, damn lucky.

Seconded.

Having had 2 life saving operations and lots of very cheap drugs off the NHS I always feel I have to stick up for them. Of course there is room for improvement, but you can say that about pretty much anything. Except me of course. I'm perfect *cough*

Go team Canada and their "free" healthcare.

Broken but still highly effective and (mostly) free!

scumofsociety:

rossatdi:
We're damn lucky to have the NHS, damn, damn lucky.

Seconded.

Having had 2 life saving operations and lots of very cheap drugs off the NHS I always feel I have to stick up for them. Of course there is room for improvement, but you can say that about pretty much anything. Except me of course. I'm perfect *cough*

Shit, he's not breathing! Fucking NHS gave him the wrong pills again! Call an ambulance. *How long!?!* Sorry mate, shame you didn't go private.

hypothetical fact:
What experiences do you have with yours and how do you feel about it in general? I propose this question because I recently found out that my ingrown toenail surgery is on a waiting list set for four years and isn't moving. So yeah Australia's healthcare system is non-existant how is yours?

come to NZ. when I had an ingrown toenail I just went to see my gp and she did the surgery right there in her office.

Kringel:
Xaryn Mar is right... The Danish healthcare system is being hollowed out :/

But it's still pretty good, but healthcare comes at the expense of higher tax. The good thing about the system is that everyone can get (most) healthcare, no matter if you're rich or poor. In theory I like our system.

Agree w/ Xaryn Mar as well..

I'm really into universal healthcare. The problem with our government is that they try to apply the logic of the market to something that should never be governed by the ideal of profit-optimizing or cost-benefit

Good morning blues:
Canada's is fantastic, despite the stuff that the US medical lobby feeds into the chain e-mail cycle. If you need care urgently, you get it. If you don't, you wait a while. Elective procedures and tests take a long time to get, but I don't have any problem with that. The only aspect of the Canadian health care system that I take issue with is the fact that insulin pumps and the insulin that they pump aren't covered, which is completely heinous.

what he said

rossatdi:
Free! Go socialism.(UK)

HIGH FIVE!

Everyone for themselves,

YAY for America, to put money even before human life!!!

its not that bad, and I have healthcare so I really don't care.

Still 50 million Americans without healthcare, in the riches most powerful nation on earth......Irony?

Don't really have one here in the States. However, if you're going to die you can just go to a hospital and they have to treat you. Then you just never pay!

Edit: I CHOOSE not to have health insurance. I could easily afford it (my employer offers is super cheap), but I'm very much against the concept of paying someone just in case. I wouldn't have auto insurance if it weren't required by law now. That's what is really bullshit. The gov't requires us to have auto insurance, but doesn't bother to offer it up or anything.

rossatdi:

Doug:

rossatdi:
Free! Go socialism.(UK)

Free but not well organised nor done.

I'd debate that. If you get sick, you get treated. That's a lot more than a lot of countries.

Aye, i agree.

It might not be fantastic but end of the day, most of the time you'll get treatment, unless it's deemed to expensive to treat you because Doctors aren't turning away people who are not supposed to be treated.

Fine, thank you.

Basically, my healthcare system is heavily socialized, meaning most treatment is free. There's a tiny deductible that you will have to pay each year, then beyond that all is free up to and including things that would take all your money forever and ever. I find the US model of "healthcare"... abhorrent. Frightening.

But! I have lots of complaints against my healthcare system. I think everyone, in every system, does. My theory is based around the rather self-evident fact that mostly, you come into contact with the healthcare system when you are sick. When you are sick, you tend not to be in your best mood, and things that would otherwise not bother you much will stick in your memory and earn anything from your ire to your massive psychotic hatred. There are many things I could point out that I loathe.

On the whole, though, the availability of basically free, quality healthcare is one of the few good reasons I see for staying in this country. That, and my irrational fear of anything new.

Najos:
Don't really have one here in the States. However, if you're going to die you can just go to a hospital and they have to treat you. Then you just never pay!

Edit: I CHOOSE not to have health insurance. I could easily afford it (my employer offers is super cheap), but I'm very much against the concept of paying someone just in case. I wouldn't have auto insurance if it weren't required by law now. That's what is really bullshit. The gov't requires us to have auto insurance, but doesn't bother to offer it up or anything.

Safe then sorry, and if you can pay for it they will make you.

Also auto Insurance, you are getting something out of it, the govt lets you drive....Driving is not a right.

rossatdi:

Doug:

rossatdi:
Free! Go socialism.(UK)

Free but not well organised nor done.

I'd debate that. If you get sick, you get treated. That's a lot more than a lot of countries.

No if you get sick you go to be treated but then end up with MRSA or another type of superbug.

I live in the US and I have really good health care. I have two providers, in fact. I am under my parents' health care system and I have medicaid. It really works out very well for me. I haven't even had to pay a copay in years. I realize that I am one of a very lucky few that the health care system works well for though.

rossatdi:
Free! Go socialism.(UK)

hehe Canada`s system is also free... ish. I mean, you pay taxes and part of thoses taxes go to the healthcare system. It just proves that nothing in the world is ever free. In terms of speed and effectiveness, its actually pretty good, considering we don`t pay hospital admission or care. I mean it depends on the ailment, an ingrown toenail will probably be on a waiting list for a while, so that the cancer patients can get their chimotherapy and etc.

scumofsociety:

rossatdi:
We're damn lucky to have the NHS, damn, damn lucky.

Seconded.

Having had 2 life saving operations and lots of very cheap drugs off the NHS I always feel I have to stick up for them. Of course there is room for improvement, but you can say that about pretty much anything. Except me of course. I'm perfect *cough*

Yeah i triple that. I have been really well looked after since i was 7 for the kidney stones i have. And i Know for a fact that life-threatening situations are dealt with extremely well. Maybe your GP doesn't have time to deal with your sniffles, but thats because he has got more serious things to sort out.