To the European and Canadian residents among us -- Would you trade your health care system for the system now existing in the USA?

No, sincerely, the German Empire.

Excellent question

No, UK. You must be joking, at least we have a system you do not.

No. U.K.

Are you insane?

My kids are in France and delighted with their health care.

US here. I know the q is not for me, but I’ll answer anyway!

It’s not the quality of the health care that concerns me, but the availability, or lack thereof, due to insurance and pharmaceutical costs.

I think that as a far as medical technology, the US is on a par with any other place you’d like to name.

That being said, I’d like to see the availability widened. As a person over 65, my Medicare premium is a little over $100 per month. Payment of that premium entities me to the full spectrum of medical benefits through my choice of several insurance companies offering a version of “Medicare Plus”, including such things as $10 copay for primary care, small or 0 copay for prescriptions, and free access to fitness programs with personal trainers available. I would very much like to see such a program for all US residents.

Australia, formerly UK – No. (Does the US have a healthcare system?)

@Earthbound_Misfit Does the US have a healthcare system?

Yes, and it, like so many politically controlled programs here, is badly in need of a complete reform. The reform package known as “Obamacare” didn’t go far enough, due to the compromises needed to pass in the legislature, and some may say it was designed to fail.

@Strauss, I was being sarcastic.

^^Oh…~

@Earthbound_Misfit Even so, I think that needs to be mentioned in any discussion about healthcare in the US.

The US healthcare system is good if cost is no object.

No UK. We do struggle with our NHS funding and services are overstretched but sick people get excellent treatment and that’s what it’s about, in my opinion.

Yes. Canada. I would love my mental health issues to be ignored so I could slip through the cracks and live free without medicine forced on me that makes me drool at night and to have panic attacks at night. Also I would like to have the top of the line breakthrough advanced healthcare. If I want .

^^How is the medicine forced on? Do they make you get blood tests?

Yes they make me get blood tests. It was hinted that I might lose my disability funding if I go off of them. I refused once and got wrestled down by 17 nurses and given a shot in the bum and locked in seclusion for 16 hours. Solitary confinement. I was also hinted that I can be put In a Community treatment order CTO ,and lose my guardianship If I don’t comply. Also their are nasty side effects for going off so I don’t want to risk it again. That’s why I want to go back to Jasper National Park where I can beg a dr. to lower my dose over time to zero.

@JLeslie Can we take the conversation to PM? I am embarrassed.

^^Some of that sort of thing goes on in the US too. When the mentally ill get hospitalized they might have to take meds to get out. I don’t know if we require meds for disability or food stamps? I don’t think so, but there are movements to control the money given out by the government in a variety of ways, from drug testing, to only allowing certain foods to be bought with food stamps, and other ways people want to restrict the flow of funds to the mentally ill and disabled. It might be more restrictive in Canada, I hadn’t ever thought about it. Plenty of people do fall through the cracks here.

Oops, sure. I just saw your post.

Nobody need health insurance.
Everybody needs health care.

” like so many politically controlled programs ” – our U.S. “system”, to the extent there is a system, is corporate controlled. Big Pharma and Big Insurance run the show. Even the ACA gave the insurance companies 20+ million new customers. Medicare is restrained from negotiating drug prices by legislation pushed by drug companies.

Irony of ironies, the continuous promising that the federal government will make things better has more and more people believing that they should expect the federal government to have a solution. We may get single-payer/Medicare-for-all as a result. This would be a boon for everyone but the health insurance companies – no tear shed for them.

@dabbler This would be a boon for everyone but the health insurance companies

If we went to Medicare-for-all it wouldn’t be bad for the health insurance companies. Using current Medicare as a model, basic Medicare costs me a little over $100 per month, deducted from my Social Security payment. First that same $100+ I can enroll in a Medicare Plus program, offered by most major players, e.g., United, Kaiser, Aetna, etc. If my income wss low enough, my premium would be paid by the State Medicaid program.

Now all we have to do is lower the eligibility age to 0!

@dabbler the solution MUST depend on the Federal government. The ONLY reason it has not been implemented here is that the people who own the government profit from the mess as it is.

I’ve asked to have this moved to social in case you guys want to opinionate and discuss this further.

Thanks, Crow!

Well.. former Canadian resident, currently in the US.

Simply no comparison for me. Canadian style all the way. I didn’t even know what a deductible or a co payment was until my mid twenties.