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Julie · Joined: 10 Jan 2008 Posts: 567 Location: Arizona, USA

Hi everyone,

I know most of you are based outside of the US so I was wondering how you feel about your healthcare systems? We're facing the election of a new president in Nov. and the democrats are very big on setting up universal healthcare. Have you run into any big problems with it? Overall, do you find it efficient? How much do you pay in taxes (I assume it comes out of your taxes?)? I'm concerned about waiting lists to see specialists, especially because I've been in treatment for my anxiety on and off for years...I don't want to have to wait to see my therapist or psychiatrist! However, healthcare in the US is quite out of control I think, but I'm quite sure that no system is perfect. There have been times I've wanted to go to the emergancy room but I didn't because I was concerned about how much it would cost -- even with decent insurance, which we have! I'd be very interested to hear what you all think!

Thanks!
Julie

Cath · Posted: Sun Mar 16, 2008 3:11 am Post subject:

I must say since moving to Australia I have found the health system here to be brilliant. I don't have private health insurance.
My son I took to the doc because of his migraines, the next minute before we knew it we were referred to a specialist about them. They NEVER offered that to me in the UK. We did have to wait 3 months for an initial appointment but she was so good it was worth the wait, follow up appointments I could get straight away. I had to pay to see her but got most of it back from medicare.
Smear tests results are processed within a few days, my last UK one took over 4 months to come through!!!
I get a solar scan for skin cancer every 6 months.
You have to pay to see the doctor here. My surgery bulk bill so it doesn't cost me anything.
Presciptions are quite expensive and you have to pay for children's prescriptions too.
Here you pay 1.5% of your taxable income to medicare (public health system) but if you earn over $100,000 (a couple) and don't have private hospital cover insurance you have to pay an additional 1%
But no complaints so far from Australia.

Julie · Joined: 10 Jan 2008 Posts: 567 Location: Arizona, USA

Hi Cath,

Thank you so much for the reply! It sounds like Australia's healthcare is a bit different then since you have to pay to see the doctor and for prescriptions...maybe a cross between what they have in the UK and here in America? We already pay a medicare tax here, actually, but it's for the elderly or the disabled and from what I hear it's not nearly enough to cover their costs. 1.5% certainly sounds reasonable to me. Maybe if our government wasn't pissing away so much money on God knows what we could fund this without raising taxes...

In the Michael Moore movie "Sicko" they explore healthcare in different countries and they talk to a former British politician and he said something to the effect of, "If you can find money to kill people [in war], you can find money to help people."