The US has Medicaid for people with low income, or no income-also for people who are disabled. The insurance is free. They pay nothing into it or very low cost. You just have to qualify based on income. It’s full healthcare coverage better than some private insurances. You won’t be end up with a hospital bill. Also there is low cost insurance available for people with children and they don’t qualify for Medicaid. This programn is ran on the state level. How come no one mentions this.
A woman I know makes too low an income for most programs and two much for Obama care there are people that fall thru the cracks ! I myself got sick , my insurance at work ended because, the cobra cost was too to high with no income ! 4 years I had no care now I qualify for Medicare but my health is far worse now because lack of care
@@user-wc8fp4cx6c In the Great State of California, this would mainly only happen for administrative reasons; if you're still low income, they probably need you to update your contact info "Some people losing coverage are no longer eligible because of changes in their personal lives, such as starting a job with higher pay. But some might see their coverage lapse because of paperwork mistakes or simply missing a notice in the mail. " If that doesn't work, the state has "Covered California" which can offer you very low premium health care plans. If you're in a red state....move to one of the good ones 🙂
I've been exactly in that situation. I was unemployed with no income and I had to get free government INSURANCE for a while. The difference between the U.S. and the U.K. in that regard (as I understand it) is that the NHS is not only government funded but government operated. If you're on NHS you go to an NHS provider, which is basically a public department. In the U.S., even people on Medicare, Medicaid or who get subsidized even free care, it's still private insurance in a private system. The only thing we have that compares to NHS is the Veterans Administration and at least up to recently it had a lot of the same problems as NHS. The idea that people here are "dying in the streets" because they can't afford health care is nonsense. Anyone these days can get medical care and hospitals are required by law to treat you in an emergency whether you can pay or not.
@@tomservo75 the difficulty is finding a doctor to take the Medicaid , and Medicare if you have the money to buy a Medicare supplement it’s good , also the drug plan mine runs 200 for the supplement and 175 for the drug plan with out of pocket costs
I have no idea where she lives, but my Primary takes care of everything. Only other I need to go to is an orthopedic surgeon and an urology specialist for surgical procedures. My nephew is diabetic and his primary prescribes insulin. I can usually see a Dr the next day. A surgeon may take longer but can be speeded up by the primary directly referring me to them. Insurance policies vary with regions and coverage. Those who can’t afford insurance are covered by state and federal programs, thst are funded by the state. Hospital stays can be discounted for people who can’t pay. Most hospitals in my area are not for profit or church started owned and have charity foundations that cover people who can’t pay. No one us turned away becouse they can’t pay. I can only speak of northern part of state of Ohio. We gave state of the art medical centers as well such as Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals, Ohio Health, Anita, etc. Your insurance is not free either you pay for it in taxes…there are no free rides, somebody has to pay.
Many do. Some don't. Partly it depends if your "primary" is an old-fashioned GP, a board certified "Family Physician", an Internist, a Gynecologist (whom some women use for primary care) or what. Your nephew is probably seeing a Pediatrician and I'd say most of them do provide the full range of treatment to diabetic children.
I hate when people make these videos that say this is the system. She may have had a bad experience, but that’s not the normal. And as far as her saying, you have to be your own advocate. Absolutely you do. Everybody does everywhere around the world. Do you think your doctor sits home and wonders how you’re feeling today. they have hundreds of patients. You need to look after yourself, no matter where you are in the world.
1st sign there is a lack of knowledge of US Healthcare, is talking about healthcare in the US like it is a singular entity and not a mass of vastly different entities. Remember each State acts like a country in Europe, then there are the different Hospital Systems Complicated by different insurance systems with each having an array of different products with different options.
Low and very income families qualify for Medicaid. Government subsidized healthcare. You don’t have to pay more than 3$ for appointments or $1 for most prescriptions. You are just limited to the people who accept Medicaid.
And the time to fill out the paperwork. And the year or two it takes to be approved, or rejected and re-apply. And the time to find a doctor that both accepts Medicaid AND is taking new patients, and are within reasonable traveling distance, especially if you are reliant on public transport or work full time.
What the heck is she talking about? This is complete BS, I have never heard of anyone having this experience, I think she either needed someone to hold her hand through the process or she’s fabricating the situation. Low income people can get Medicaid and depending on your income level you may not pay at all. Also most hospitals have financial aid, an example is my sister who got a septic infection and she ended up in the ICU and then after a regular hospital room. She had insurance but a really high deductible. The hospital waived anything the insurance didn’t pay for. Most people get their insurance through their employer and their share which is usually low from their paycheck. Also medical services can’t discriminate against people based on their income. Your insurance company usually have preferred providers and they give you that information. Also most people have a GP or family practice doctor. That doctor will then refer you to specialists if there’s a problem that’s beyond what they handle. Also no doctor will refuse to fill a prescription that’s BS and she should have told the endocrinologist office that she needed a Rx filled, in the case of insulin they would take care of that before she even had an appointment.
Sometimes wait times in US is long only for certain specialists but to see my primary doctor is a low wait time. Also the US government has assistance for low income people/families to help with medical insurance. It is a medical assistance. And if you are on a medication for years you usually have refills and only have to go in every once in a while for a check up to make sure it is still working!!
U.S. health care is expensive on paper but verry little comes out of pocket. Like ten-15.00 $. And that's to get your medication for your illness. (insurance picks up most the cost) But in return you get seen right away.
exactly! If you don’t have insurance it’s bad but I’ve been sick my whole life and while the plans vary in what I pay it’s never been nuts. I’ve also had ambulance rides and didn’t pay anything
I am so tired of analyses of healthcare systems from individuals with no particular expertise on the subject. Here are few points you won't hear much: 1. No healthcare in the world is "free" and any discussion of the subject that does not compare what the taxes that the average UK citizen pays to support the NHS with the average insurance premium paid by a US citizen is a half-*ssed discussion. 2. The US is a huge country with population densities in some places as low as 1 person per square km. It is simply not possible to have a top quality hospital and top quality specialists near to everyone. People who are choosing where to live need to consider healthcare availability if they care about it. 3. I'm sorry but no doctor--no "GP" certainly--can be an expert in everything. I'm trained as an internal medicine doctor which essentially treats non-surgical diseases of adults and even in that somewhat limited area of medicine I find it difficult to keep up. For my own care, I absolutely seek out a specialist and one at a teaching hospital preferably. I'm getting pretty old and that means I am accumulating specialists for various problems--cardiologist, hepatologist, dermatologist, ophthalmologist and so on. But I know that each and every one of them is on staff with one of the top hospitals in the world (literally rated as such by a variety of publications). 4. I don't know what she's talking about regarding medical records. The Obamacare law pretty much required every provider to use electronic records that are usually available both to other providers and to the patients themselves. Transferring records between countries is obviously more difficult and yes, the patient needs to do some work to make it happen because written permission will be required. 5. The bottom line here seems to be that she just isn't familiar with and used to the US system. It's hard to learn something new and easy to rant about it on UA-cam. This one's for Thurston: Yes, if like me you want to see a top doctor, there can be a wait. One true failing of the US system is that we are short of doctors, just like the UK system. We both depend on foreign-trained doctors. We need to fix that but it isn't easy because the training of a physician is a very expensive proposition and requires, among other things, a hospital system where that training can occur under supervision. Concerning meds, I have excellent insurance and typically pay $13.00 for a 3 month supply of generic drugs, $38.00 for certain branded drugs. You cannot go by list prices of drugs. Almost nobody pays those but what you pay will depend on your insurance. The complexity is a fair criticism of the US system.
I see an internal medicine dr. I've gone through 4 at this one office, but that first Dr was the only office willing to take me after I submitted an application. I love that they refer me out. I don't want my GP doing colonoscopies on me. I wouldn't want them doing an ablation on me. I certainly don't want them doing brain surgery on me.
Gosh she’s so petty. You have to be an adult and make adult decisions. Yes you absolutely have research and be your own advocate. She’s complaining about having too many choices. She chose to pick those doctors and she knew that they were popular. Now oh no other people want to use those doctors as well. She’s woefully ignorant on how healthcare is regulated for low income and elderly people.
I think she just wanted to get a UA-cam check. For instance, if she is an established patient at an Endocrinologist she could just have asked her pharmacist to submit a request for a prescription or told the nurse she needed a refill. I may have missed something. I am sure that is what she did in real life but what she did on virtual reality sounds dramatic.
I think she said she had to wait 3 months before she could see the endo, leaving her without a script at all for 3 months. I've had to have my previous drs call in a hold over script once when I moved states. That said, if I moved from the US to say, Thailand or South Korea or UK, I'd have to wait too. I don't imagine they'd just say "OK! Here's your meds! Exactly as they were. Bye." I'd have to go along with whatever system they have in place.
Endos are really the best to be managing diabetes, a friend of mine didn’t get a good understanding of his diabetes until after he was hospitalized and started seeing a really good Endocrinologist.
I am in California and i love my healthcare team. My GP gets me in immediately if i need to be seen (he has come in early to create an appointment slot for me), his assistant knows me by name (she has run in to me out of the office), i have been referred to specialists when needed. I had 2 surgeries in the last year, plus many medications, three emergency room visits and a week long hospital stay. i think I've paid less that $80 out of pocket over the last 3 years (never more than $10 at a time. Plus the emergency staff were on top of it, i was seen and assessed right away, they took me seriously and took great care of me. Originally my insurance was provided by the government because of my income and now it is provided by my husband's employer. Both are very good insurance and i still have the same doctors.
Thank goodness that her experience is not typical, from my experience or the experience of friends and family. I'm American and have always had reasonably priced healthcare through work and have never had issues getting prompt appointments. General care, specialists, tests, vaccines -- always available in a professional and efficient manner. And the whole platinum, gold, silver etc level of choices -- might be true in some cases -- but it's usually based on the size of your family -- single, married, number of kids etc. I've never been forced to select "levels" of care. Huge country with lots of options and choices, but I don't find it hard to navigate. Choices and options are good.
I have no problem with my health care. I did have to wait a month for a new primary care doctor, we have a shortage in my area. But since then everything has been prompt. My meds are free.
What is this girl talking about? The vast majority of Americans do not buy individual policies, but rather belong to group plans. There is no bronze, silver, gold, platinum except as descriptors for Obamacare government-subsidized individual policies. Young people who rarely need healthcare often buy bronze plans because they have very low monthly premiums. People who do not want any out-of-pocket costs purchase platinum policies. Simple. But, again, MOST people are covered by employer group plans and pay very little for their healthcare. And if they do, in most cases it’s tax deductible. The NHS, like Thurston stated, has horrible waiting periods for anything other than routine care. Strikes by physician residents because they make around $40,000 a year to start! Dental care? Please. I’d recommend viewers watch UK television channels like ITV 1 and BBC1 to get a truer picture what actually happens. I’ve often wondered why the private insurance system in the UK flourishes if their national health system is so great. Frankly, I wonder who her intended audience is - Americans? Can’t be because most have not shared her experience. And does she think for one second that she’s going to influence/impact anything? Come on - she’s like so many entitled people moaning about something in order to get views. A huge yawn for me. Ugh.
@@BTinSF Not to my knowledge. Medicare supplement plans are required to pay the 20% unpaid balance for ALL Medicare Part B approved and paid services. There are no deductibles, copayments, approved/non-approved provider panels, etc., - very little to distinguish one from another. A completely different beast as far as I know.
It probably depends where you are. In a rural area where there aren't many specialists, a GP is likely to do things they might not do in an urban area where there are lots of specialists. But if I had Type 1 diabetes as a young person her age, I'd want to be seeing an endocrinologist. She's got her whole life ahead of her and with the best care it will be a lot longer.
My GP refers me out to specialists and I'm glad. I have about 12 specialists I see and I'm a complicated patient. My GP does regular bloodwork, basic illnesses/injuries, and coordinates between the rest. But I don't want my GP doing an endoscopy or colonoscopy on me. I don't want him reading my echos or doing a heart ablation. That said, I am complicated and I am near enough to 4 major cities with several large hospital systems available. If I still lived in my old hometown, I'd have to depend on the less than knowledgeable GPs there that nearly killed me because they didn't want to send me anywhere else.
The US system is vastly complicated. If you have insurance through an employer, you are usually limited to a small number of options. I have had employer insurance, COBRA, Obamacare, and am now on Medicare. And I'm in a major city (Houston, TX) with a LOT of medical options. So I have sometimes had several companies / HEMO's, each with a choice of multiple plans, resulting in 30 or more options that each has different coverages, monthly costs, deductibles, etc. Even Medicare, though a "single payer" system, has dozens of choices, and I had to use an agent to find the best choice among hundreds of Medicare supplemental options.
It's a misconception that our healthcare is expensive. Most of us get it through our employer. 90% nationally, 93% here in California, 98% in Massachusetts...whoever is left over, there's normally a program at the state or county level to take care of them. And there's a federal program specifically for seniors to get free healthcare, and also for veterans to get free healthcare (I'm in that last category). My last job, it wasn't offered for free, but it was only like 30 USD/month, and I was making over 3000 USD/month. Of course I did not take the offer, as I have VA Medical (free medical coverage for veterans). Of course, being a moderate liberal from California, I support all those programs for the less privileged...we are one of the states that provides a stronger Medicare program, known in the state as Medi-Cal, for lower income individuals. Most of your anti-Trump states pay more into that program so there's more support for the poor. As far as your knee, surely it would be legal to go to an Urgent Care (privately funded and privately owned non-emergency medical office) to get it looked at sooner? In the USA, an Urgent Care facility is usually under $200 if you pay cash. 🙂
Of course insurance in the US is based on tiers, because we have choice. Young people in their twenties typically don't need as much healthcare as people with families and senior citizens do. Therefore they don't have to pay as much for insurance coverage that they will never use. It's called freedom.
8:05 you don't have to, no. If you have a "PPO plan", meaning you can go to any doctor, you can simply find somebody who has a short waiting list or none at all. 🙂
Go read his community posts. He's gotten three copyright stirkes and can't post for a while while he's contesting them. The fact that his channel isn't deleted after two weeks with three strikes probably means he'll be fine though. But yeah, he's currently been blocked from posting until the strikes get resolved.
I'm American and have a couple of chronic conditions. I have always preferred that my primary doctor provide all my prescriptions, even though I do go to specialists occasionally to review treatment options with someone more aware of latest research, etc. If I had a primary that refused to write a prescription, I would find a new one; when I move I have sometimes gone through 2-3 doctors / HMOs to find one I'm happy with.
I suspect that the three-month wait to see an endocrinologist was for an initial appointment, which are more involved and time consuming, so most doctors limit the number of new patients they will see. My primary doctor once recommended a diabetes specialist and I found she was booked solid for months for initial appointments and I couldn't even book anything. I ended up seeing one of her associates for the initial appointment and after that was able to switch and see her for follow-ups.
If only there was a way for the Brits to Eliminate 20% of NHS cost from the people paying the least taxes. Oh I think Nigel Farage has a solution for this exact problem.
@riveness isn't it obvious? Get rid of the immigrants who came to the UK to do nothing more than leech the system. There are 10.4 million non British born people in England and Wales. If you had the 20% that contributed the least leave to their country of origin, or better yet to the asshole nations that punished The UK for leaving the EU. Then it would be like gold falling from the sky.
Specialists have waiting lists. There are 330 million people here and not enough drs for each specialty. If you have food posioning or break an ankle, you can be seen the same day. Also, her complaint about choice is valid. It can be overwhelming to have 100 choices. BUT having a choice is also a good thing. If you hate your dr or think theyre an idiot, you can just go elsewhere. Youre not stuck with one who refuses to do anything. You get a second opinion and its fine. Her take on prescriptions is....interesting. i take many meds for chronic conditions and my price depends on my insurance. Ive just switched but my last ins had me pay $15 for most meds($50 for any specialty meds like biologics). Not much. Sure you can hunt down coupons or deals or whatever but its not worth the time and hassle for me. Waiting times also vary based on location, specialty, etc. I needed an MRI and had an appt the next day. They once found a spot on a CT and boom, 2 days later Im being tested for cancer. Ive also waited months for an appt with a dr because he was one of the few in my area. Ive never had to wait months for surgery. I had a friend whos mom had TN(aka su1cide disease) who waited months for the surgery but she was pushed off due to an emergency needing the ER. Had to wait about a year before she got surgery. Me, on the other hand, called, scheduled it for a week later, and boom, done. Ive had numerous in office or one day procedures done the same day or within the week. Some things about the US system is bad, but some is good. Some things about the NHS is bad, and some is good. That said, when youve ever heard of people needing cutting edge or rare surgeries, where do they go? Ive seen so many fundraisers from people in Canada who need to come to the US(Chiari malformation). One guy did a whole blog on it. Bedridden and nobody would even see him, let alone do a surgery. He raised the money, came to America, and had it fixed by the best dr for that. Hes now walking, working, and living life. Whereas before, Canada left him to die slowly. A lot of inventions come from the US. The first hearing aide comes from the US. The pacemaker, Holter monitor, etc all come from the US. Free healthcare places didnt invent that. They didnt pioneer heart transplants. So....would a system like the NHS invent all those things? Or does it take a free market?
Today I got a good example of the way the US healthcare system works for many. I had a CT scan in May. The hospital (UCSF Med Center) billed $7438.42. Medicare "allowed" $258.72 and they paid $206.12. My Medicare supplement policy paid the remaining $52.60. I paid nothing. FREE HEALTH CARE, right? Well, not exactly in that I pay $244.60/month for Medicare and I paid for the supplement with 26 years of military service. Still, at the time of service I paid nothing just as I would in the UK so in that sense my care was free as in the UK. By the way, the "waiting list" for the scan was a week or two--I don't remember exactly.
Lav, if you ask other Europeans, you would probably say the same about their own systems, lots of problems, everybody has complaints....it's good to have options though...the USA is land of options. 🙂
Thurston, I'm betting a good allergist could make a real difference in your symptoms which are all--the nose issues, the asthma and the rest--of a piece. I also suspect your asthma isn't being managed up to cutting edge standards. Certainly that's about more than using a "rescue inhaler". "New UK-wide guidelines have been drafted and should be finalised by the end of this year. This time, the BTS (British Thoracic Society), SIGN (Scottish Intercollegiate Network), and NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) have worked together, so there will be a single guideline to help clinicians." Among other things, it is likely to de-emphasize the use of "blue inhalers" as they refer to them and rely more on chronic preventive medications. "“Give people asthma treatment and don’t rely on regular emergency relief treatment. That should mean giving treatment with a low dose of an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) to tackle the underlying inflammation with the possible addition of a long-acting β2 adrenergic (LABA) in a combined inhaler, while saving the SABA (short-acting beta adrenergic drugs) containing blue inhaler for emergency relief when needed.
I’m new to this channel, but I came here hoping that it wouldn’t be someone speaking misinformation about the US! If that’s the treatment she received, I’m shocked she didn’t take a different route. US healthcare is not just one single option. It also sounds like she chose an HMO plan (referrals) versus a PPO plan which doesn’t require referrals. Ugh
We are seeing more waiting times in the U.S. just in the last few years post-COVID. Prior to that I could see my GI specialist on a week or less notice. Since so many people were not seeking medical care, clinics went out of business and doctors started retiring in droves, also because of COVID and the related restrictions. Appointments that were very easy to get 5 years ago are much harder now. If you're out of asthma medication and your doctor won't prescribe you, then she's crap. Find a new one, they are not just going to tell a diabetic she has to wait a month when running out of insulin, her experience is very atypical. There were times when I ran out of meds that my psych doctor prescribed. When she was on vacation and my supply ran out, my GP authorized an emergency refill. So yes to get in and see my primary doctor right now is a 2 month wait but that's a very *RECENT* post-COVID phenomenon. But if I needed an emergency refill, another doctor will do it, and if something urgent comes up, we have urgent care clinics where you can just walk in and be seen. It's inconvenient but you can get the care you need when you need it.
So she a rich white woman complaining. The road weren't built or maintained by the city . It was managed by merchants who need their good to be delivered. Ever sine government took over everything became expensive. Veteran hospitals project to cost 500mil grow to 1.5bill because government pay more when it done by unionized workers. People forget the amount of money spend researching and producing a formula. Some corporations are scummy. She forget how much money went to it to test every possible variable. Some people can't eat gluten so they have to find substitute. Even then it took more as some are also are allergic to dair products which is why it ost double or triple or more depending on the food your getting.
I think there’s a lot of variability in the US system. Some areas have shortages of doctors so it can be tricky finding a GP taking new patients AND covered by your insurance.
She is not giving you the whole story!!! You MUST ho to your primary doctor to get a referral to a specialist. You can't just call a specialist and get an appointment. Its like that for anyone here unless you just want to pay out of pocket for some reason. You might be able to go to a specialist without insurance or a referral. There are several ways to get insurance free or very low cost. Medicaid or the marketplace. The marketplace is on a sliding scale based on your income. She obviously makes too much for Medicaid. Anyone can just make a one line statement about their countries healthcare and make it sound really good or really bad.
I love my GP. Not all doctors are created equal though. Some primary care still specialize in certain things. And yes, my doctor can treat most of all the basic stuff.
Alot of those tests are paid for by your insurance. Later you may get a smaller bill for what the insurance doesn't paid. Always heard of Canadians needing cancer or heart surgery coming to the US because of the long wait up north. My dad was a diabetic. He always went to a second doctor for his diabetics. Did have to travel farther. She needs to go home sounds like. I agree it's a pain to deal with the system at times. Usually doctors will help direct you to another doctor.
If Your GP or primary care doctor feels that they can’t provide you the best care for a specific issue, then they will refer you to a specialist. You usually don’t have to choose the specialist yourself. Your doctor contacts the specialist and then the specialist contacts you to schedule your appointment with them.
The "coupons" she's talking about is a program called "GoodRx" and I suggest you Google it. Also, many drug manufacturers do have programs to provide certain drugs at a steep discount to very low income people. Again, these systems are complex but one source of help may be your pharmacist. Ask them what may be available to you if paying for drugs you need is a problem.
Kudos to you Lav, for understanding something about the difference that I'm afraid the majority of Americans don't understand!! That of supply and demand. Waiting for "free" care or just paying to have it done now. So many Americans your age don't see that, they just see "Well they give free health care why can't we" and just don't understand anything. The details are this: In any given health care system, there are three facets: First is the cost (I mean the overall systemic cost, how much does it cost to run a hospital, etc.), the availability (how long or short a wait), and quality of the care. You can only have two out of the three. *There is no health care system in the world that maxes out all three categories* it's just utopian fantasy. In the U.S. we've sacrificed the cost factor. We want the best care and availability, which all costs money, be it for medical research or for more doctors and hospitals. The reason for the increased queues in UK health care is extremely simple: It's the availability factor that gets given up. When you take a limited resource and offer unlimited access to it (I assume there's no quota for # of doctor visits a year), and then on top of that increase the number of people (high immigration levels) it has to service, *you're piling more demand onto a system with fixed resources* and that will always result in longer queues. It's really as simple as that. In a market-based health care system, private individuals or companies can open new clinics and hospitals and hire more doctors, it's not dependent on fixed government resources. So it's expandable to account for population growth. And since it's not "free" people make more judicious use of it. "Gee I could go to E.R. for this sprained knee, but even with insurance it will cost $500, maybe I'll just ice it tonight and go to the walk-in clinic tomorrow where it will only cost me $20"
Also don't forget which country spend the most on medical researchers. The other country buy the generic version. Look at some pharmacy that sell generic off the counter medicine. They buy it and improve to make a better but cheap enough. Other country di not soend money on defenses as America has base in those but since Ukraine and Russian war all European country now are spending money on defenses. Even poor might have medical research or medicine donated to them. Perhaps use them to develop a less effective version ad they don't have the fund to produce quality medication.
Clarifications: Monthly healthcare through a typical employer for a single person is about $500 a month. More for family coverage. Some employers cover it all, some cover none. If your employer doesn't offer a plan, if you're unemployed or self-employed, it's closer to $1000 for reasonable care. You can get a super-cheap 'catastrophic' coverage only, that doesn't cover regular doctor visits and such, but might limit a $20,000 ER visit bill. Getting a new doctor: I had to call ten doctors before I found one near me taking new patients. You need a GP/Primary care physician, an eye doctor, a dentist, a OB/Gynecologist if you have female parts, GI doctor if you have digestion issues. Dermatologist for skin issues. Psychiatrist/psychology for mental health. Each one is a different application, different office visit cost, different coverage from each insurance. They don't know how much will be covered unless they clear a procedure with the insurance company first (pre-approval). Sometimes even that doesn't work if the insurance changes their mind. Often, the insurance will underpay the doctor. You have to become an advocate and dispute the lack of coverage. In one year, my husband had surgery and several follow ups. I got $4000 more covered through calling, complaining, offering paperwork, etc. Probably took me about 30 phone calls across the course of several months. Medications: Some are covered, some are not. Even if the doctor prescribes something, insurance can say no. Doctor might say 'the only thing that will work for you, because of your allergies, is this medication. It is $900 a month without insurance." Insurance will say, "No, you could take this cheaper one. We'll only cover the cheaper one." despite you being allergic to the cheaper one. The coupons are sometimes offered by drug manufacturers because they are well aware that their medications are incredibly expensive and insurance is hit-or-miss. We had to pass a federal law in this country to limit the monthly cost of life-saving insulin, as lots of people had to choose between food and insulin, or try to make theirs 'last' long enough, and died. A regular appt, like to check out your knee, probably takes about a month here, too. If it's more acute/painful, you can go to the Emergency Room. That costs a few thousand dollars minimum. An ambulance costs a few thousand dollars as well, so drive yourself if you can. Throughout most of my young adult year (say, 18-30) I went without health insurance because I couldn't afford it. Now that I'm 55, I cannot, as we have more issues as we get older. Typical Costs: Health insurance premium $500 a month Doctor co-pay for a regular visit (the amount not covered by insurance): $30 If you haven't spent your annual deductible yet, insurance covers nothing until it is. Lower cost plans might have a $1000 deductible. So, you have to pay $1000 in health care before the insurance kicks in each year. That doesn't include the amount spent on the insurance premium. Typical prescription cost: $10-25 if covered. $100-500 if not covered. Specialist - in order to see a specialist, many insurances require you to FIRST see your primary care doctor (and pay for that visit). You'll prob have to wait a month for that. The doctor will then refer you to a specialist if they believe it's warranted. The insurance won't cover a specialist if you don't go through this process. You'll prob have to wait another month for that. Specialist will have a visit fee, and whatever tests they order. Some covered, some might not be. Then, if there is a procedure to be done, like surgery, you'll prob have to wait 4-5 months unless it's life-threatening. Then, you get the scary $40,000 bill and $20,000 is covered by insurance, with another $15,000 'discounted' (i.e., the hospital can't make insurance pay for it), and you have the $5000 to pay. If you have to change doctors (you move, a doctor retires, etc. ) You have to fill out a form to have your medical history forwarded. This doesn't include previous doctor histories, so if you move often, you need to request histories from EVERY doctor you've had in the last whatever years, if relevant to your current health. They have to examine you again to prescribe any medications, because relying on another doctor's assessment opens them up to being sued. You typically get a prescription for 1-3 months. If you need to renew, you might have to make another office visit for another exam. And often the Doctors office, pharmacy, and insurance company have communications breakdowns and you can't get medication you NEED daily, or they won't pay for a renewal if it's within 30 days of the last one, so you have to wait, and risk losing a few days. And getting enough to cover you on vacation is very difficult.
I will not go point by point to refute what you’ve written, but I’ll just say that most is written as fact when it isn’t for everyone. Simple examples - my employer paid the totality of my monthly healthcare premium and I paid nothing. No do-payments for doctor’s visits. No annual deductible to be met. Tier 1 through 6 medications were covered - I paid $30 monthly copayment for a Tier 6 physician-ordered heart medication or $75 for 9) day supply. Changing physicians is simple - I have an electronic medical record system and all my providers have access to it. Again, I am not saying that some people don’t have your experience, but others certainly do not.
NHS is pretty much equivalent to the bronze plan that she mentions. Maybe worse. It seems like she is taking a lot from the media coverage of the US system more than her actual experience. One of the nice things about US insurance, and it really aren't that many, is that you can choose to pay for more if you want something better. Or you can keep a little extra cash in your pocket and pay for less coverage. The equivalent in the UK would be taking supplemental insurance, which costs about the same as upgrading your plan in the US. From an American perspective, complaining about choices is such a funny thing.
It's a roll of the dice. Cheaper is the way to go unless you lose and have a serious illness or injury. This is the big choice Americans can and have to make: How much do they want to gamble. In a system like Britain, it's a tax and you have to pay it and get what coverage it provides. I'm a cautious person by nature: I would pay a bit more and get the best coverage available to me and I would sleep better for having done so.
@@BTinSF But that's the thing, NHS rolls the dice just as much. My friend had to wait 6 months to get a cancer screening in the UK. And there are much lower limits to the care they will provide.
My primary care doctor takes care of everything from bloodwork to making appointments for me to see specialist. I don't know what state or area she lives in but, it might just be because she's new to the country.
9 pounds per month for two inhalers? I pay $20 for two. And I have to pay for the insurance coverage. Also, My PCP takes care of the majority of my healthcare needs. Inhalers, blood pressure meds, migraine meds, antidepressants, allergy stuff. I used to be a pharmacy tech across the street from her office and she prescribes diabetic meds. She doesn't do the super specialty insulins, but most PCPs will take on most stuff unless it's really complicated and absolutely requires a specialist.
UK healthcare is a fairly unusual system, found mostly in Anglophone countries, in that the government owns and runs it and doctors are salaried employees of the government. It is all paid for by taxes (and I'm less familiar with that aspect of it--apparently Brits pay a "social services tax" and the NHS is part of that). I say this is unusual because in developed economies a much more common system is one where the government runs or strictly regulates an insurance system--somewhat like Medicare--but does not actually own the medical facilities or employ the providers. Actually, the original Obamacare concept was a lot like the system in these other developed countries but, like so much else, it got watered down and distorted beyond recognition in its passage through Congress. What would be interesting to hear more about, from someone who really knows, is the training of UK physicians. For example, how many years is UK "medical school" and how much postgraduate training does a UK "GP" have? Of what does that training consist such that they are comfortable treating practically everything if they truly do? Since I know there are specialists in the UK similar to those in America, what is the standard of care for a GP to refer a patient to a specialist and who--the GP or the patient--takes the initiative (can a patient go around their GP and make their own specialty appointment?). I note the royal family, in their several recent illnesses, have gone to a particular London hospital and been cared for by specialists. Would the average citizen been cared for in the same way or would they have remained in the hands of a GP?
I am in another UK group and the biggest complaint I hear is having to wait for an appointment. They have also said it is very difficult to get to a Specialist and this causes delay in diagnosis. I must make this perfectly clear, these are only things I have read in an online group.
There's pros and cons to both systems, but I appreciate the depth of care that we're given here in the US. Yes, they charge our insurance an arm and a leg, and yes, I hate the unbriddled and incredibly arbitrary cost model that drives a lot of the price of healthcare, but you usually get in pretty quick (unless you're a new patient to a specialist, in which case you could wait a month or so) and in my experience, the care is very thorough. "Adam Ruins Everything" has an episode that talks about the US healthcare/insurance system and it's pretty shocking
You can be seen for any reason almost right away you just have to pay for it immediately. The UK, Canada ect. you pay over time via taxes and you don’t see the price right away. Government managed healthcare means that the government creates laws about how much healthcare you are allowed to get. Look at MAID and see how much they value you.
Hey my brother, I got two videos for you to react to. One of them is by Metta Beshay why the UK has so many accents, and number two is infographic show why UK is getting ready for war with Russia. Both excellent videos.
The US has Medicaid for people with low income, or no income-also for people who are disabled. The insurance is free. They pay nothing into it or very low cost. You just have to qualify based on income. It’s full healthcare coverage better than some private insurances. You won’t be end up with a hospital bill. Also there is low cost insurance available for people with children and they don’t qualify for Medicaid. This programn is ran on the state level. How come no one mentions this.
19 million people have been thrown off Medicaid beginning in 2023 to make room for our trillion dollar war budget.
A woman I know makes too low an income for most programs and two much for Obama care there are people that fall thru the cracks ! I myself got sick , my insurance at work ended because, the cobra cost was too to high with no income ! 4 years I had no care now I qualify for Medicare but my health is far worse now because lack of care
@@user-wc8fp4cx6c
In the Great State of California, this would mainly only happen for administrative reasons; if you're still low income, they probably need you to update your contact info
"Some people losing coverage are no longer eligible because of changes in their personal lives, such as starting a job with higher pay. But some might see their coverage lapse because of paperwork mistakes or simply missing a notice in the mail. "
If that doesn't work, the state has "Covered California" which can offer you very low premium health care plans.
If you're in a red state....move to one of the good ones 🙂
I've been exactly in that situation. I was unemployed with no income and I had to get free government INSURANCE for a while. The difference between the U.S. and the U.K. in that regard (as I understand it) is that the NHS is not only government funded but government operated. If you're on NHS you go to an NHS provider, which is basically a public department. In the U.S., even people on Medicare, Medicaid or who get subsidized even free care, it's still private insurance in a private system. The only thing we have that compares to NHS is the Veterans Administration and at least up to recently it had a lot of the same problems as NHS. The idea that people here are "dying in the streets" because they can't afford health care is nonsense. Anyone these days can get medical care and hospitals are required by law to treat you in an emergency whether you can pay or not.
@@tomservo75 the difficulty is finding a doctor to take the Medicaid , and Medicare if you have the money to buy a Medicare supplement it’s good , also the drug plan mine runs 200 for the supplement and 175 for the drug plan with out of pocket costs
As an #RN I have no clue what she's talking about. Somebody's lying trying to get views
She's moaning that things cost money and require effort.
I have no idea where she lives, but my Primary takes care of everything. Only other I need to go to is an orthopedic surgeon and an urology specialist for surgical procedures.
My nephew is diabetic and his primary prescribes insulin.
I can usually see a Dr the next day. A surgeon may take longer but can be speeded up by the primary directly referring me to them.
Insurance policies vary with regions and coverage.
Those who can’t afford insurance are covered by state and federal programs, thst are funded by the state. Hospital stays can be discounted for people who can’t pay. Most hospitals in my area are not for profit or church started owned and have charity foundations that cover people who can’t pay. No one us turned away becouse they can’t pay. I can only speak of northern part of state of Ohio.
We gave state of the art medical centers as well such as Cleveland Clinic and University Hospitals, Ohio Health, Anita, etc.
Your insurance is not free either you pay for it in taxes…there are no free rides, somebody has to pay.
Many do. Some don't. Partly it depends if your "primary" is an old-fashioned GP, a board certified "Family Physician", an Internist, a Gynecologist (whom some women use for primary care) or what. Your nephew is probably seeing a Pediatrician and I'd say most of them do provide the full range of treatment to diabetic children.
I hate when people make these videos that say this is the system. She may have had a bad experience, but that’s not the normal. And as far as her saying, you have to be your own advocate. Absolutely you do. Everybody does everywhere around the world. Do you think your doctor sits home and wonders how you’re feeling today. they have hundreds of patients. You need to look after yourself, no matter where you are in the world.
She's full of it.
1st sign there is a lack of knowledge of US Healthcare, is talking about healthcare in the US like it is a singular entity and not a mass of vastly different entities. Remember each State acts like a country in Europe, then there are the different Hospital Systems Complicated by different insurance systems with each having an array of different products with different options.
Low and very income families qualify for Medicaid. Government subsidized healthcare. You don’t have to pay more than 3$ for appointments or $1 for most prescriptions. You are just limited to the people who accept Medicaid.
And the time to fill out the paperwork. And the year or two it takes to be approved, or rejected and re-apply. And the time to find a doctor that both accepts Medicaid AND is taking new patients, and are within reasonable traveling distance, especially if you are reliant on public transport or work full time.
@greendragonpublishing
And then pay for the insulin
What the heck is she talking about? This is complete BS, I have never heard of anyone having this experience, I think she either needed someone to hold her hand through the process or she’s fabricating the situation. Low income people can get Medicaid and depending on your income level you may not pay at all. Also most hospitals have financial aid, an example is my sister who got a septic infection and she ended up in the ICU and then after a regular hospital room. She had insurance but a really high deductible. The hospital waived anything the insurance didn’t pay for. Most people get their insurance through their employer and their share which is usually low from their paycheck. Also medical services can’t discriminate against people based on their income. Your insurance company usually have preferred providers and they give you that information. Also most people have a GP or family practice doctor. That doctor will then refer you to specialists if there’s a problem that’s beyond what they handle. Also no doctor will refuse to fill a prescription that’s BS and she should have told the endocrinologist office that she needed a Rx filled, in the case of insulin they would take care of that before she even had an appointment.
Sometimes wait times in US is long only for certain specialists but to see my primary doctor is a low wait time. Also the US government has assistance for low income people/families to help with medical insurance. It is a medical assistance. And if you are on a medication for years you usually have refills and only have to go in every once in a while for a check up to make sure it is still working!!
what? my General Physician does most of the shit i need unless its out of his expertise then he sends me to a specialist.
Her: Complains the specialist is booked out 3 months
Also Her: Complains there are thousands of other doctors she could go to instead.
U.S. health care is expensive on paper but verry little comes out of pocket. Like ten-15.00 $. And that's to get your medication for your illness. (insurance picks up most the cost) But in return you get seen right away.
exactly! If you don’t have insurance it’s bad but I’ve been sick my whole life and while the plans vary in what I pay it’s never been nuts. I’ve also had ambulance rides and didn’t pay anything
I am so tired of analyses of healthcare systems from individuals with no particular expertise on the subject. Here are few points you won't hear much:
1. No healthcare in the world is "free" and any discussion of the subject that does not compare what the taxes that the average UK citizen pays to support the NHS with the average insurance premium paid by a US citizen is a half-*ssed discussion.
2. The US is a huge country with population densities in some places as low as 1 person per square km. It is simply not possible to have a top quality hospital and top quality specialists near to everyone. People who are choosing where to live need to consider healthcare availability if they care about it.
3. I'm sorry but no doctor--no "GP" certainly--can be an expert in everything. I'm trained as an internal medicine doctor which essentially treats non-surgical diseases of adults and even in that somewhat limited area of medicine I find it difficult to keep up. For my own care, I absolutely seek out a specialist and one at a teaching hospital preferably. I'm getting pretty old and that means I am accumulating specialists for various problems--cardiologist, hepatologist, dermatologist, ophthalmologist and so on. But I know that each and every one of them is on staff with one of the top hospitals in the world (literally rated as such by a variety of publications).
4. I don't know what she's talking about regarding medical records. The Obamacare law pretty much required every provider to use electronic records that are usually available both to other providers and to the patients themselves. Transferring records between countries is obviously more difficult and yes, the patient needs to do some work to make it happen because written permission will be required.
5. The bottom line here seems to be that she just isn't familiar with and used to the US system. It's hard to learn something new and easy to rant about it on UA-cam.
This one's for Thurston: Yes, if like me you want to see a top doctor, there can be a wait. One true failing of the US system is that we are short of doctors, just like the UK system. We both depend on foreign-trained doctors. We need to fix that but it isn't easy because the training of a physician is a very expensive proposition and requires, among other things, a hospital system where that training can occur under supervision. Concerning meds, I have excellent insurance and typically pay $13.00 for a 3 month supply of generic drugs, $38.00 for certain branded drugs. You cannot go by list prices of drugs. Almost nobody pays those but what you pay will depend on your insurance. The complexity is a fair criticism of the US system.
I see an internal medicine dr. I've gone through 4 at this one office, but that first Dr was the only office willing to take me after I submitted an application. I love that they refer me out. I don't want my GP doing colonoscopies on me. I wouldn't want them doing an ablation on me. I certainly don't want them doing brain surgery on me.
Gosh she’s so petty. You have to be an adult and make adult decisions.
Yes you absolutely have research and be your own advocate.
She’s complaining about having too many choices.
She chose to pick those doctors and she knew that they were popular. Now oh no other people want to use those doctors as well.
She’s woefully ignorant on how healthcare is regulated for low income and elderly people.
I think she just wanted to get a UA-cam check. For instance, if she is an established patient at an Endocrinologist she could just have asked her pharmacist to submit a request for a prescription or told the nurse she needed a refill. I may have missed something. I am sure that is what she did in real life but what she did on virtual reality sounds dramatic.
I think she said she had to wait 3 months before she could see the endo, leaving her without a script at all for 3 months.
I've had to have my previous drs call in a hold over script once when I moved states. That said, if I moved from the US to say, Thailand or South Korea or UK, I'd have to wait too. I don't imagine they'd just say "OK! Here's your meds! Exactly as they were. Bye." I'd have to go along with whatever system they have in place.
Endos are really the best to be managing diabetes, a friend of mine didn’t get a good understanding of his diabetes until after he was hospitalized and started seeing a really good Endocrinologist.
I am in California and i love my healthcare team. My GP gets me in immediately if i need to be seen (he has come in early to create an appointment slot for me), his assistant knows me by name (she has run in to me out of the office), i have been referred to specialists when needed. I had 2 surgeries in the last year, plus many medications, three emergency room visits and a week long hospital stay. i think I've paid less that $80 out of pocket over the last 3 years (never more than $10 at a time. Plus the emergency staff were on top of it, i was seen and assessed right away, they took me seriously and took great care of me.
Originally my insurance was provided by the government because of my income and now it is provided by my husband's employer. Both are very good insurance and i still have the same doctors.
Thank goodness that her experience is not typical, from my experience or the experience of friends and family. I'm American and have always had reasonably priced healthcare through work and have never had issues getting prompt appointments. General care, specialists, tests, vaccines -- always available in a professional and efficient manner. And the whole platinum, gold, silver etc level of choices -- might be true in some cases -- but it's usually based on the size of your family -- single, married, number of kids etc. I've never been forced to select "levels" of care. Huge country with lots of options and choices, but I don't find it hard to navigate. Choices and options are good.
I have no problem with my health care. I did have to wait a month for a new primary care doctor, we have a shortage in my area. But since then everything has been prompt. My meds are free.
What is this girl talking about? The vast majority of Americans do not buy individual policies, but rather belong to group plans. There is no bronze, silver, gold, platinum except as descriptors for Obamacare government-subsidized individual policies. Young people who rarely need healthcare often buy bronze plans because they have very low monthly premiums. People who do not want any out-of-pocket costs purchase platinum policies. Simple. But, again, MOST people are covered by employer group plans and pay very little for their healthcare. And if they do, in most cases it’s tax deductible. The NHS, like Thurston stated, has horrible waiting periods for anything other than routine care. Strikes by physician residents because they make around $40,000 a year to start! Dental care? Please. I’d recommend viewers watch UK television channels like ITV 1 and BBC1 to get a truer picture what actually happens. I’ve often wondered why the private insurance system in the UK flourishes if their national health system is so great.
Frankly, I wonder who her intended audience is - Americans? Can’t be because most have not shared her experience. And does she think for one second that she’s going to influence/impact anything? Come on - she’s like so many entitled people moaning about something in order to get views. A huge yawn for me. Ugh.
I'm not sure but I think that bronze, silver, gold, platinum system may also apply to Medicare supplement policies.
@@BTinSF Not to my knowledge. Medicare supplement plans are required to pay the 20% unpaid balance for ALL Medicare Part B approved and paid services. There are no deductibles, copayments, approved/non-approved provider panels, etc., - very little to distinguish one from another. A completely different beast as far as I know.
WTH is she talking about? I’m American and my GP takes care of everything. Unless you need some major specialist. But the GP takes care of 99% of it.
I think every gp is different. I believe her when she said she was referred to someone else to handle her insulin shit
It probably depends where you are. In a rural area where there aren't many specialists, a GP is likely to do things they might not do in an urban area where there are lots of specialists. But if I had Type 1 diabetes as a young person her age, I'd want to be seeing an endocrinologist. She's got her whole life ahead of her and with the best care it will be a lot longer.
Eh, my gp is very good at referring me to their fellow specialists.
It’s all about the GP you choose as well people cry about wait time and things like that but won’t just find a new doctor.
My GP refers me out to specialists and I'm glad. I have about 12 specialists I see and I'm a complicated patient. My GP does regular bloodwork, basic illnesses/injuries, and coordinates between the rest. But I don't want my GP doing an endoscopy or colonoscopy on me. I don't want him reading my echos or doing a heart ablation.
That said, I am complicated and I am near enough to 4 major cities with several large hospital systems available. If I still lived in my old hometown, I'd have to depend on the less than knowledgeable GPs there that nearly killed me because they didn't want to send me anywhere else.
The US system is vastly complicated. If you have insurance through an employer, you are usually limited to a small number of options. I have had employer insurance, COBRA, Obamacare, and am now on Medicare. And I'm in a major city (Houston, TX) with a LOT of medical options. So I have sometimes had several companies / HEMO's, each with a choice of multiple plans, resulting in 30 or more options that each has different coverages, monthly costs, deductibles, etc. Even Medicare, though a "single payer" system, has dozens of choices, and I had to use an agent to find the best choice among hundreds of Medicare supplemental options.
It's a misconception that our healthcare is expensive. Most of us get it through our employer. 90% nationally, 93% here in California, 98% in Massachusetts...whoever is left over, there's normally a program at the state or county level to take care of them. And there's a federal program specifically for seniors to get free healthcare, and also for veterans to get free healthcare (I'm in that last category).
My last job, it wasn't offered for free, but it was only like 30 USD/month, and I was making over 3000 USD/month. Of course I did not take the offer, as I have VA Medical (free medical coverage for veterans).
Of course, being a moderate liberal from California, I support all those programs for the less privileged...we are one of the states that provides a stronger Medicare program, known in the state as Medi-Cal, for lower income individuals. Most of your anti-Trump states pay more into that program so there's more support for the poor.
As far as your knee, surely it would be legal to go to an Urgent Care (privately funded and privately owned non-emergency medical office) to get it looked at sooner? In the USA, an Urgent Care facility is usually under $200 if you pay cash. 🙂
Of course insurance in the US is based on tiers, because we have choice. Young people in their twenties typically don't need as much healthcare as people with families and senior citizens do. Therefore they don't have to pay as much for insurance coverage that they will never use. It's called freedom.
8:05 you don't have to, no. If you have a "PPO plan", meaning you can go to any doctor, you can simply find somebody who has a short waiting list or none at all. 🙂
where is lav.??..been 2 weeks...hope he is ok.
Go read his community posts. He's gotten three copyright stirkes and can't post for a while while he's contesting them. The fact that his channel isn't deleted after two weeks with three strikes probably means he'll be fine though. But yeah, he's currently been blocked from posting until the strikes get resolved.
@@deargodwhy9718 thanks.
I'm American and have a couple of chronic conditions. I have always preferred that my primary doctor provide all my prescriptions, even though I do go to specialists occasionally to review treatment options with someone more aware of latest research, etc. If I had a primary that refused to write a prescription, I would find a new one; when I move I have sometimes gone through 2-3 doctors / HMOs to find one I'm happy with.
I suspect that the three-month wait to see an endocrinologist was for an initial appointment, which are more involved and time consuming, so most doctors limit the number of new patients they will see. My primary doctor once recommended a diabetes specialist and I found she was booked solid for months for initial appointments and I couldn't even book anything. I ended up seeing one of her associates for the initial appointment and after that was able to switch and see her for follow-ups.
If only there was a way for the Brits to Eliminate 20% of NHS cost from the people paying the least taxes.
Oh I think Nigel Farage has a solution for this exact problem.
Which is?
@riveness isn't it obvious?
Get rid of the immigrants who came to the UK to do nothing more than leech the system.
There are 10.4 million non British born people in England and Wales. If you had the 20% that contributed the least leave to their country of origin, or better yet to the asshole nations that punished The UK for leaving the EU. Then it would be like gold falling from the sky.
Specialists have waiting lists. There are 330 million people here and not enough drs for each specialty. If you have food posioning or break an ankle, you can be seen the same day.
Also, her complaint about choice is valid. It can be overwhelming to have 100 choices. BUT having a choice is also a good thing. If you hate your dr or think theyre an idiot, you can just go elsewhere. Youre not stuck with one who refuses to do anything. You get a second opinion and its fine.
Her take on prescriptions is....interesting. i take many meds for chronic conditions and my price depends on my insurance. Ive just switched but my last ins had me pay $15 for most meds($50 for any specialty meds like biologics). Not much. Sure you can hunt down coupons or deals or whatever but its not worth the time and hassle for me.
Waiting times also vary based on location, specialty, etc. I needed an MRI and had an appt the next day. They once found a spot on a CT and boom, 2 days later Im being tested for cancer. Ive also waited months for an appt with a dr because he was one of the few in my area.
Ive never had to wait months for surgery. I had a friend whos mom had TN(aka su1cide disease) who waited months for the surgery but she was pushed off due to an emergency needing the ER. Had to wait about a year before she got surgery. Me, on the other hand, called, scheduled it for a week later, and boom, done. Ive had numerous in office or one day procedures done the same day or within the week.
Some things about the US system is bad, but some is good. Some things about the NHS is bad, and some is good. That said, when youve ever heard of people needing cutting edge or rare surgeries, where do they go? Ive seen so many fundraisers from people in Canada who need to come to the US(Chiari malformation). One guy did a whole blog on it. Bedridden and nobody would even see him, let alone do a surgery. He raised the money, came to America, and had it fixed by the best dr for that. Hes now walking, working, and living life. Whereas before, Canada left him to die slowly. A lot of inventions come from the US. The first hearing aide comes from the US. The pacemaker, Holter monitor, etc all come from the US. Free healthcare places didnt invent that. They didnt pioneer heart transplants. So....would a system like the NHS invent all those things? Or does it take a free market?
Free market
Today I got a good example of the way the US healthcare system works for many. I had a CT scan in May. The hospital (UCSF Med Center) billed $7438.42. Medicare "allowed" $258.72 and they paid $206.12. My Medicare supplement policy paid the remaining $52.60. I paid nothing. FREE HEALTH CARE, right? Well, not exactly in that I pay $244.60/month for Medicare and I paid for the supplement with 26 years of military service. Still, at the time of service I paid nothing just as I would in the UK so in that sense my care was free as in the UK. By the way, the "waiting list" for the scan was a week or two--I don't remember exactly.
Lav, if you ask other Europeans, you would probably say the same about their own systems, lots of problems, everybody has complaints....it's good to have options though...the USA is land of options. 🙂
Thurston, I'm betting a good allergist could make a real difference in your symptoms which are all--the nose issues, the asthma and the rest--of a piece. I also suspect your asthma isn't being managed up to cutting edge standards. Certainly that's about more than using a "rescue inhaler". "New UK-wide guidelines have been drafted and should be finalised by the end of this year. This time, the BTS (British Thoracic Society), SIGN (Scottish Intercollegiate Network), and NICE (National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) have worked together, so there will be a single guideline to help clinicians." Among other things, it is likely to de-emphasize the use of "blue inhalers" as they refer to them and rely more on chronic preventive medications. "“Give people asthma treatment and don’t rely on regular emergency relief treatment. That should mean giving treatment with a low dose of an inhaled corticosteroid (ICS) to tackle the underlying inflammation with the possible addition of a long-acting β2 adrenergic (LABA) in a combined inhaler, while saving the SABA (short-acting beta adrenergic drugs) containing blue inhaler for emergency relief when needed.
I’m new to this channel, but I came here hoping that it wouldn’t be someone speaking misinformation about the US! If that’s the treatment she received, I’m shocked she didn’t take a different route. US healthcare is not just one single option. It also sounds like she chose an HMO plan (referrals) versus a PPO plan which doesn’t require referrals. Ugh
Pharmaceutical Companies will offer coupons and Dr.s will at times give sample packages.
We are seeing more waiting times in the U.S. just in the last few years post-COVID. Prior to that I could see my GI specialist on a week or less notice. Since so many people were not seeking medical care, clinics went out of business and doctors started retiring in droves, also because of COVID and the related restrictions. Appointments that were very easy to get 5 years ago are much harder now. If you're out of asthma medication and your doctor won't prescribe you, then she's crap. Find a new one, they are not just going to tell a diabetic she has to wait a month when running out of insulin, her experience is very atypical. There were times when I ran out of meds that my psych doctor prescribed. When she was on vacation and my supply ran out, my GP authorized an emergency refill. So yes to get in and see my primary doctor right now is a 2 month wait but that's a very *RECENT* post-COVID phenomenon. But if I needed an emergency refill, another doctor will do it, and if something urgent comes up, we have urgent care clinics where you can just walk in and be seen. It's inconvenient but you can get the care you need when you need it.
So she a rich white woman complaining. The road weren't built or maintained by the city . It was managed by merchants who need their good to be delivered. Ever sine government took over everything became expensive. Veteran hospitals project to cost 500mil grow to 1.5bill because government pay more when it done by unionized workers. People forget the amount of money spend researching and producing a formula. Some corporations are scummy. She forget how much money went to it to test every possible variable. Some people can't eat gluten so they have to find substitute. Even then it took more as some are also are allergic to dair products which is why it ost double or triple or more depending on the food your getting.
I think there’s a lot of variability in the US system. Some areas have shortages of doctors so it can be tricky finding a GP taking new patients AND covered by your insurance.
She is not giving you the whole story!!!
You MUST ho to your primary doctor to get a referral to a specialist. You can't just call a specialist and get an appointment. Its like that for anyone here unless you just want to pay out of pocket for some reason. You might be able to go to a specialist without insurance or a referral.
There are several ways to get insurance free or very low cost. Medicaid or the marketplace. The marketplace is on a sliding scale based on your income.
She obviously makes too much for Medicaid.
Anyone can just make a one line statement about their countries healthcare and make it sound really good or really bad.
I love my GP. Not all doctors are created equal though. Some primary care still specialize in certain things.
And yes, my doctor can treat most of all the basic stuff.
Alot of those tests are paid for by your insurance. Later you may get a smaller bill for what the insurance doesn't paid. Always heard of Canadians needing cancer or heart surgery coming to the US because of the long wait up north. My dad was a diabetic. He always went to a second doctor for his diabetics. Did have to travel farther. She needs to go home sounds like. I agree it's a pain to deal with the system at times. Usually doctors will help direct you to another doctor.
If Your GP or primary care doctor feels that they can’t provide you the best care for a specific issue, then they will refer you to a specialist. You usually don’t have to choose the specialist yourself. Your doctor contacts the specialist and then the specialist contacts you to schedule your appointment with them.
Short answer: no!
Long answer: technically yes, the best kind of yes
_so its both yes and no? Depending on the details?_
My PCP arranges everything.. The sad part is that everyone gets different services depending on their medical insurance plan.
That’s true… now. It wasn’t then and it may be changed in the future. It’s been on several budget proposals.
I don't what she is talking about. I understand why she needs a specialist.
What is this girl talking about ? Coupons for health care. Complications picking doctors ? The hospital has done all that for me. (One stop shop)
The "coupons" she's talking about is a program called "GoodRx" and I suggest you Google it. Also, many drug manufacturers do have programs to provide certain drugs at a steep discount to very low income people. Again, these systems are complex but one source of help may be your pharmacist. Ask them what may be available to you if paying for drugs you need is a problem.
Kudos to you Lav, for understanding something about the difference that I'm afraid the majority of Americans don't understand!! That of supply and demand. Waiting for "free" care or just paying to have it done now. So many Americans your age don't see that, they just see "Well they give free health care why can't we" and just don't understand anything.
The details are this: In any given health care system, there are three facets: First is the cost (I mean the overall systemic cost, how much does it cost to run a hospital, etc.), the availability (how long or short a wait), and quality of the care. You can only have two out of the three. *There is no health care system in the world that maxes out all three categories* it's just utopian fantasy. In the U.S. we've sacrificed the cost factor. We want the best care and availability, which all costs money, be it for medical research or for more doctors and hospitals. The reason for the increased queues in UK health care is extremely simple: It's the availability factor that gets given up. When you take a limited resource and offer unlimited access to it (I assume there's no quota for # of doctor visits a year), and then on top of that increase the number of people (high immigration levels) it has to service, *you're piling more demand onto a system with fixed resources* and that will always result in longer queues. It's really as simple as that. In a market-based health care system, private individuals or companies can open new clinics and hospitals and hire more doctors, it's not dependent on fixed government resources. So it's expandable to account for population growth. And since it's not "free" people make more judicious use of it. "Gee I could go to E.R. for this sprained knee, but even with insurance it will cost $500, maybe I'll just ice it tonight and go to the walk-in clinic tomorrow where it will only cost me $20"
Also don't forget which country spend the most on medical researchers. The other country buy the generic version. Look at some pharmacy that sell generic off the counter medicine. They buy it and improve to make a better but cheap enough. Other country di not soend money on defenses as America has base in those but since Ukraine and Russian war all European country now are spending money on defenses. Even poor might have medical research or medicine donated to them. Perhaps use them to develop a less effective version ad they don't have the fund to produce quality medication.
Stop!!! If I wasn’t insured my inhaler would cost 750.00$ Imagine those without coverage.
Those without coverage can get inhalers for free. BTW, there are no inhalers that anyone anywhere pays $750 apiece (200 metered doses) for.
Clarifications:
Monthly healthcare through a typical employer for a single person is about $500 a month. More for family coverage. Some employers cover it all, some cover none. If your employer doesn't offer a plan, if you're unemployed or self-employed, it's closer to $1000 for reasonable care. You can get a super-cheap 'catastrophic' coverage only, that doesn't cover regular doctor visits and such, but might limit a $20,000 ER visit bill.
Getting a new doctor: I had to call ten doctors before I found one near me taking new patients. You need a GP/Primary care physician, an eye doctor, a dentist, a OB/Gynecologist if you have female parts, GI doctor if you have digestion issues. Dermatologist for skin issues. Psychiatrist/psychology for mental health. Each one is a different application, different office visit cost, different coverage from each insurance. They don't know how much will be covered unless they clear a procedure with the insurance company first (pre-approval). Sometimes even that doesn't work if the insurance changes their mind.
Often, the insurance will underpay the doctor. You have to become an advocate and dispute the lack of coverage. In one year, my husband had surgery and several follow ups. I got $4000 more covered through calling, complaining, offering paperwork, etc. Probably took me about 30 phone calls across the course of several months.
Medications: Some are covered, some are not. Even if the doctor prescribes something, insurance can say no. Doctor might say 'the only thing that will work for you, because of your allergies, is this medication. It is $900 a month without insurance." Insurance will say, "No, you could take this cheaper one. We'll only cover the cheaper one." despite you being allergic to the cheaper one. The coupons are sometimes offered by drug manufacturers because they are well aware that their medications are incredibly expensive and insurance is hit-or-miss.
We had to pass a federal law in this country to limit the monthly cost of life-saving insulin, as lots of people had to choose between food and insulin, or try to make theirs 'last' long enough, and died.
A regular appt, like to check out your knee, probably takes about a month here, too. If it's more acute/painful, you can go to the Emergency Room. That costs a few thousand dollars minimum. An ambulance costs a few thousand dollars as well, so drive yourself if you can.
Throughout most of my young adult year (say, 18-30) I went without health insurance because I couldn't afford it. Now that I'm 55, I cannot, as we have more issues as we get older.
Typical Costs:
Health insurance premium $500 a month
Doctor co-pay for a regular visit (the amount not covered by insurance): $30
If you haven't spent your annual deductible yet, insurance covers nothing until it is. Lower cost plans might have a $1000 deductible. So, you have to pay $1000 in health care before the insurance kicks in each year. That doesn't include the amount spent on the insurance premium.
Typical prescription cost: $10-25 if covered. $100-500 if not covered.
Specialist - in order to see a specialist, many insurances require you to FIRST see your primary care doctor (and pay for that visit). You'll prob have to wait a month for that. The doctor will then refer you to a specialist if they believe it's warranted. The insurance won't cover a specialist if you don't go through this process. You'll prob have to wait another month for that. Specialist will have a visit fee, and whatever tests they order. Some covered, some might not be. Then, if there is a procedure to be done, like surgery, you'll prob have to wait 4-5 months unless it's life-threatening. Then, you get the scary $40,000 bill and $20,000 is covered by insurance, with another $15,000 'discounted' (i.e., the hospital can't make insurance pay for it), and you have the $5000 to pay.
If you have to change doctors (you move, a doctor retires, etc. ) You have to fill out a form to have your medical history forwarded. This doesn't include previous doctor histories, so if you move often, you need to request histories from EVERY doctor you've had in the last whatever years, if relevant to your current health. They have to examine you again to prescribe any medications, because relying on another doctor's assessment opens them up to being sued. You typically get a prescription for 1-3 months. If you need to renew, you might have to make another office visit for another exam. And often the Doctors office, pharmacy, and insurance company have communications breakdowns and you can't get medication you NEED daily, or they won't pay for a renewal if it's within 30 days of the last one, so you have to wait, and risk losing a few days. And getting enough to cover you on vacation is very difficult.
I will not go point by point to refute what you’ve written, but I’ll just say that most is written as fact when it isn’t for everyone. Simple examples - my employer paid the totality of my monthly healthcare premium and I paid nothing. No do-payments for doctor’s visits. No annual deductible to be met. Tier 1 through 6 medications were covered - I paid $30 monthly copayment for a Tier 6 physician-ordered heart medication or $75 for 9) day supply. Changing physicians is simple - I have an electronic medical record system and all my providers have access to it. Again, I am not saying that some people don’t have your experience, but others certainly do not.
@@pacmanc8103 Which is fair - and why I said a lot of 'Some employers... most insurances... etc.'
NHS is pretty much equivalent to the bronze plan that she mentions. Maybe worse. It seems like she is taking a lot from the media coverage of the US system more than her actual experience. One of the nice things about US insurance, and it really aren't that many, is that you can choose to pay for more if you want something better. Or you can keep a little extra cash in your pocket and pay for less coverage. The equivalent in the UK would be taking supplemental insurance, which costs about the same as upgrading your plan in the US.
From an American perspective, complaining about choices is such a funny thing.
It's a roll of the dice. Cheaper is the way to go unless you lose and have a serious illness or injury. This is the big choice Americans can and have to make: How much do they want to gamble. In a system like Britain, it's a tax and you have to pay it and get what coverage it provides. I'm a cautious person by nature: I would pay a bit more and get the best coverage available to me and I would sleep better for having done so.
@@BTinSF But that's the thing, NHS rolls the dice just as much. My friend had to wait 6 months to get a cancer screening in the UK. And there are much lower limits to the care they will provide.
My primary care doctor takes care of everything from bloodwork to making appointments for me to see specialist. I don't know what state or area she lives in but, it might just be because she's new to the country.
Yes, if I recently had a blood test the other specialists are glad to have those results but some want other things in my blood tested.
9 pounds per month for two inhalers? I pay $20 for two. And I have to pay for the insurance coverage.
Also, My PCP takes care of the majority of my healthcare needs. Inhalers, blood pressure meds, migraine meds, antidepressants, allergy stuff. I used to be a pharmacy tech across the street from her office and she prescribes diabetic meds. She doesn't do the super specialty insulins, but most PCPs will take on most stuff unless it's really complicated and absolutely requires a specialist.
Please explain more about uk healthcare
UK healthcare is a fairly unusual system, found mostly in Anglophone countries, in that the government owns and runs it and doctors are salaried employees of the government. It is all paid for by taxes (and I'm less familiar with that aspect of it--apparently Brits pay a "social services tax" and the NHS is part of that). I say this is unusual because in developed economies a much more common system is one where the government runs or strictly regulates an insurance system--somewhat like Medicare--but does not actually own the medical facilities or employ the providers. Actually, the original Obamacare concept was a lot like the system in these other developed countries but, like so much else, it got watered down and distorted beyond recognition in its passage through Congress.
What would be interesting to hear more about, from someone who really knows, is the training of UK physicians. For example, how many years is UK "medical school" and how much postgraduate training does a UK "GP" have? Of what does that training consist such that they are comfortable treating practically everything if they truly do? Since I know there are specialists in the UK similar to those in America, what is the standard of care for a GP to refer a patient to a specialist and who--the GP or the patient--takes the initiative (can a patient go around their GP and make their own specialty appointment?). I note the royal family, in their several recent illnesses, have gone to a particular London hospital and been cared for by specialists. Would the average citizen been cared for in the same way or would they have remained in the hands of a GP?
I am in another UK group and the biggest complaint I hear is having to wait for an appointment. They have also said it is very difficult to get to a Specialist and this causes delay in diagnosis. I must make this perfectly clear, these are only things I have read in an online group.
There's pros and cons to both systems, but I appreciate the depth of care that we're given here in the US. Yes, they charge our insurance an arm and a leg, and yes, I hate the unbriddled and incredibly arbitrary cost model that drives a lot of the price of healthcare, but you usually get in pretty quick (unless you're a new patient to a specialist, in which case you could wait a month or so) and in my experience, the care is very thorough. "Adam Ruins Everything" has an episode that talks about the US healthcare/insurance system and it's pretty shocking
What do you know about U.S. medical care when you never been to America 😂😊
What do you know about U.S. medical care when you never been to America 😂😊
You can be seen for any reason almost right away you just have to pay for it immediately.
The UK, Canada ect. you pay over time via taxes and you don’t see the price right away.
Government managed healthcare means that the government creates laws about how much healthcare you are allowed to get. Look at MAID and see how much they value you.
Hey my brother, I got two videos for you to react to. One of them is by Metta Beshay why the UK has so many accents, and number two is infographic show why UK is getting ready for war with Russia. Both excellent videos.