Well, not free…. Taxes and all that. But free at the time of service, sure.
E: not sure what triggered the downvote train. Nothing I said is untrue. It’s not free, it’s paid for with taxes. It’s not a dig against socialized care, I’d much prefer to have that vs the financial disaster that US healthcare is.
And yet somehow, they end up paying less for health care than Americans do…
Not free I agree but I prefer getting taxed a lot and have those services rather than not.
The way I see it, if we tax for example fuel, well the price of fuel rises for the customers, so customers buy less fuel, then fuel companies lower the price so their stuff gets bought and now your fuel is around the same price as before, but you have free healthcare.
Cue Americans angry that other countries don’t force their citizens into bankruptcy for getting sick in 3… 2…
Nah, I just get annoyed when people rub their free healthcare that we already know about in our faces. Especially on a site like this where most everyone agrees that the US healthcare system is trash.
We rub it in until you finally do something about it. Dont act like the majority of americans knows their system is trash when you still have half of the voters voting for a party that wants to make it even worse.
It’s not free, it’s paid from taxes. Money that’s not spent on bombs and such.
Different priorities, I guess. 🤷
What makes me really sad as a non american is that a lot of research and medical progress comes from america, financed by medically bankrupt americans and the rest of the world gets to enjoy it for free. I had an ex that had a brain tumor and there was a experimental american drug that used to cost thousands of dolars a dose. They sue the government for it and got them to pay for the entire treatment. 10 doses 100% paied for by our public health care.
Even more sad? My dog had diabetis and the public vet clinic would give us insulin and needles for the whole month for free.
a lot of research and medical progress comes from america, financed by medically bankrupt americans
The real beneficial research is financed by taxpayers. The medically bankrupt finance the obscene profits of health care corporations and pharmaceutical companies, who do not spend much at all on primary research. The “research” they invest in is how to productize and market drugs.
We feel do completely overshadowed by American sports and culture that we take what few victories we have and run with them.
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It wasn’t “free” - you paid for it in taxes
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How are those wait lists going for you, which are currently being debated by your MPs?
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It’s funny how y’all are shouting about this to Americans. Do you really think they aren’t aware you have socialized medicine?
- It wasn’t “free” - you paid for it in taxes
And gladly. That is an excellent use of my tax dollars. It tends to keep people healthy, without going broke.
- How are those wait lists going for you, which are currently being debated by your MPs?
For my current health needs, I have no complaints about wait lists.
- It’s funny how y’all are shouting about this to Americans. Do you really think they aren’t aware you have socialized medicine?
If Americans knew about socialized medicine, they’d have it, since it is less expensive than private healthcare, and leads to better outcomes.
I can make an appointment with my doctor within 24/h, even faster in an emergency. And I pay 5€ for a visit.
A gastroscope appointment, also not an emergency, took less than a week. And it cost me 30€.
Belgium btw.
The reason we keep reminding you guys is because of people like you.
- A few years ago a study was done and it determined the worst case scenario for an individual (or family) implementing a Single Payer Healthcare system in the US was that an individual or families tax bill would go up about 1800/yr. No copays or deductibles.
Rn, I’m at the better end with an employer provided plan and I pay 300/month which is 3600/yr not even factoring in copays, deductibles, prescriptions etc etc. it’s already DOUBLE than just paying it in taxes.
But no, clearly private businesses are way better in your healthcare am I right?
- Europeans seem to have better “wait lists” than us right now.
Keep on parroting those right wing talking points though!
I pay around 600 for myself and my wife, and that’s with my employer continuing to pick up a significant share of the cost of health insurance that I literally never see a deduction or bill for.
1,800 a year beats hell out of $7,200, a $5k deductible, 20% co ins, and $11k OOP max.
I don’t understand the long wait list complaint. If I tried to see my Dr I would have to wait months. I routinely hear of people waiting over a year for specialists. In fact, my wife was scheduled to be medically induced for pregnancy due to health reasons and we had to wait day of because they were understaffed! We have to wait and we have to pay!
It’s a system that allows 100% of the population to seek aid. Whereas the American system explicitly pushes disincentive via cost.
Claim greatness again when all of us can seek medical care without debt.
Pushes early and more treatable health concerns into later, less treatable, and more expensive concerns.
For profit healthcare operates even against its own interests.
An interesting argument you could make against our healthcare is that we all pay for unhealthy habits like smoking/drinking. The solution is that we tax the fuck out of those things and make them prohibitively expensive.
So idk. If you’re anti socialized healthcare, I’d recommend you talk about how booze and cigarettes will get more expensive. The wait list bullshit is laughable when compared to going balls deep in to debt if you or your family ever get sick.
I’ve received in-patient care, overnight studies, emergency procedures, and much more in Spain without ever paying a dollar in copays or fees, and I’ve never waited more than 2 weeks for non-urgent care or an hour for urgent care.
My taxes are $600/month total in Madrid. Given that I have epilepsy, my insurance alone in the US was $490/month, AND I paid more in taxes ($1100/month).
So, yes, universal healthcare isn’t “free,” and it’s supported by taxes. And still, Americans are taxed more AND have to pay for insurance? And then you still have to pay copays? I don’t think “dur dur me taxes!” is actually the strong argument you think it is. And wait times are no longer (or in fact are shorter) in many countries with universal healthcare. But you know what’s longer? Life expectancies.
Here in Murica, with insurance, if you need a surgery for a knee or hip replacement, news flash, the doctor usually schedules your surgery for several weeks to months out. Almost no American will be diagnosed as needing a knee replacement, and have said knee replacement that day or that week.
Herp derp wAiT LiSTs!!!111 right here in the US.
Defending our gold plated shithole country, especially with false talking points, doesn’t help you or this gold plated shithole country.
Honestly I hear a lot of this complained about in Canada to try and make a Privatized system seem more reasonable…
And seriously it’s grass is greener nonsense. I have American friends with joint issues. They may got their care maybe like two months faster than I did… And some of them are still paying it down five years later. I can afford to hobble for a little longer if it means the bank doesn’t own my soul.
Here’s the funny thing: you pay less for socialized medicine over insurance premiums and co pays lmao
This is the most basic fact that people in the US need to be made aware of: we spend literally twice as much per person on healthcare as the rest of the developed world. Twice as fucking much!
Sure, but isn’t the principle more important to Americans that your tax money should not be used to help others? Paying a premium to privatized health care doesn’t matter too much, they’re already rich. Having immigrants, homeless, sick people etc be beneficiaries would be “unfair”.
You wouldn’t believe how much more Americans already pay in taxes for healthcare than other countries and then having to pay insurance on top of that.
Insurance has allowed the healthcare industry to balloon costs beyond any reasonable limit. Allowing the government to dictate prices instead can only help drive cost of medical care down and make the situation much more affordable for all, even factoring in what we pay now in both taxes and insurance.
remember that time canadian socialized medicine told a vet in a wheelchair that it would take too long to get the help she needs so wouldn’t it be better if she just euthanized herself?
there’s pros and cons to every system
edit: just to be clear, i agree nobody should have some insane medical debt from a broken arm. in american when i broke my arm i went to a private doctor and paid a couple hundred bucks. it was fine, not in the poor house over it.
That doesn’t sound like a problem with socialized medicine, so much as a problem with Canada’s socialized healthcare system.
Like I’m pretty sure their right wing has been doing everything they can to dismantle their healthcare system. That’s definitely going to reduce the speed and quality of care.