To be sick in the united states without insurance.

I run my own business, and as such cannot afford health insurance.

To buy insurance would be $700 a month for the coverage, plus
limited help for medicine costs and a $50 copay for each doctor visit.

Thought I get sick quite often, the $8400 a year just for the policy
is just not an option.

I've had chronic bronchitis / lung infections for the last month.
It's something I cannot solve and have resorted to moving
as it is environmental (Black mold, who knows).

USA: (Capitalist democracy)

Doctors visits: $350,$125,$100,$100
Xray: Chest $42.50 ( I shopped)
Nasal steroid: $90
Lung Steroid: $90
Antibiotics: $120 for 7 pills
Antibiotics: $50 for 7 days
"Discount plan" for meds $30.00
$1174.33 for medical treatment over the last month.

Canada: (Regulated capitalism)
I had a pal in Canada check for me.

Doctors visits: $50 to free, depends.
Xray: Included
Nasal steroid: $15
Lung Steroid: $15
Antibiotics: $12 for 7 pills
Antibiotics: $12 for 7 days

Total cost: $104 -$154

Ireland: Representative Democracy.
(Father's homeland, applying for citizenship)

Cost: Zero.

Next time I get this sick, I am just going to roll into the emergency room and tell them I am a homeless illegal immigrant.

 

In Spain we've got free health insurance, with long queues but basically everything is free if you have a financial declaration appling for the social security (ie a job or a bussiness).

If I was in your situation I'd move to Canada. I'm serious, from the looks of it the US doesn't seem the most friendly country out there.

 

You have to pay into the health system in Canada and Ireland though, neither are free. The cost is taken out of your wages/you make contributions to the social healthcare system. You also tend to have a much longer wait time for non-essential treatment, sometimes over a year (at least in the UK).

It's swings and roundabouts.

You'd probably pay $4000 or so a year in the end, maybe more depending on your wage.

Add to this that the countries in question struggle to pay for their healthcare systems, use older technology, cheaper medication and/or refuse certain types of medicine, the waiting lines for specialist surgeons and even General Practitioners is hordenous and it's not quite such a pretty picture.

Basically, you don't get anything for nothing.

The US healthcare system is messed up though for sure. It is too much about the $$$, but then so is everything in America. You can't really call it a democracy when you have to raise over $100 million to campaign.

 

That seems to ba a bit of an unfair comparison.

We all know that health care can not possibly be "free" regardless of where you live. It is more a matter of whether you want to pay direct or through taxation.

I'd say spending over $1100 a month on an illness makes $8400 a year look like a good price.

Have you ever considered looking into a medical savings account? I hear they can be a good option for the self employed/ small business.

-ServiceGames-

 

Conclusion : Move to Canada

 

i think its fair to pay a few taxes.
if the financial weight is shared amongst a large amount of people then its no financial disaster for the little man if an operation costs $10.000 or even more.

 

Somebody should begin to see, why I am not in favour of a paying system, when it comes to healthcare.

 

They'll deport you, you know that, right?

 

Like the estimated 700,000 illegals in my state alone? Surely you jest.

 

That sucks, luckily we've got a free, public health system down here in Uruguay.

I always thought the health system in the US was extremely expensive and sense lacking.

 

Our Medicare has gotten worse over the years but still not as bad as US'.... -__-;

 

Wow sorry to hear about your condition Assembler.

I'm from Canada myself and must agree that doctors are very cheap to free, same with antibiotics... Cheap. I'm happy to live here but you also must consider the higher tax here that must help cover that Nd other benefits. Though it seems for some items here and there it hardly seems bad so I'm pleased to live here.

Though even when being in the States, I noticed they'll do what theyre paid for and rid of you as quick as possible to make room for the next people that'll pay them. When comparing that to here, it seems more quality, they'll take good care of you and let you stay much longer than needed to assure your safety.

I hope you really do get better Assembler. I wish the best of luck towards your condition...

 

The worst thing is really to have to worry about money when you are already sick.

In Austria where I come from, consumption tax is 20% and income tax between 40 and 50%. This is where the money for public health insurance comes from. So, as others have already stated, it is never "free".

But, of course, you don't have to worry about "extra" expenses when you need a doctor or medicine and this has a huge psychological effect.

 

You could always just get dual Canadian Citizenship, and just go over there whenever you need to see the doctor.

 

That sucks.

Paying roughly $120 a month now (The Netherlands) , covers most things.
But, like said by Servicegames, there's always taxes.

 

move to ireland, pay your taxes and you'll be fine. and if you're getting sick then, you have to pay nothing extra

thats it

 

Well, the Danish healthcare system is just above the American so I know how sucky a healthcare system can be. But the so-called "free" (tax payed) healthcare is something I enjoy.

 

Sense lacking until you need to see a doctor quickly, which never seems to be a priority with a public health system. Not to mention, the quality of health care here in the US is better than anything you'll ever see in Uruguay, and most other places that use public health care systems. That's because here in the US we have the quickest access to the latest and greatest new medical technologies and drugs. Our medical system isn't perfect, but it's a far cry better than most people make it out to be. It's also a lot better than any public health care system out there. Public health care has been tried, and it is not the answer.

The kind of people that propose public health care in the United States are the same kind of people that want government handouts for everything. The same kind of people that want big government to take care of them from the time they are born to the time they die. The last thing we need is to be expanding our already bloated government with shitty public health care. The government needs to be downsized, not expanded. Whatever effing happened to self sufficiency? People are just too damn lazy these days and they feel like the government owes them something, so they demand bigger and bigger government for more and more handouts.

 

God bless OHIP in Canada! It's not perfect, but its better than paying the crazy rates other people have to pay.