British people, I cannot explain adequately what absolute hell the American healthcare system is. You know how people say: "at least in the US, you can get fast treatment. At least in the US, you can choose your doctor. At least in the US, you can get the most innovative treatment"?
Lies. All of it.
The US healthcare system excels at one thing only, and that's bankrupting people.
@KFuentesGeorge
I was in Greece earlier this year. I felt an abdominal pain followed by chills. It went away, yet I was able to see a doctor within 4 hours, and it cost me about $50. He recommended some imaging, so when I got where there was a hospital nearby, I went in and with no current symptoms got a physical, xrays, blood tests, and ultrasound all within a few hours of walking in without prior arrangements. Cost me about $80.
Try that in the US "on demand" health care system.
@bwaz@KFuentesGeorge I was super sick with strep or something like it in Athens. Doctor came to the hotel! Prescribed antibiotics! Cost like $50! It was amazing.
I believed and repeated so many lies about American versus European health care systems in years past. In fact, our system is just the fucking worst for everyone.
@KFuentesGeorge
I'm an American, living near Chicago. My husband works for a large hospital chain and has #HealthInsurance that is among the best around.
He has Type II diabetes, w/ no complications (just needing pills 2x/day). I'm in my midlife, and our 25yo daughter lives with us, partly so she can keep getting her health coverage.
Our family regularly pays at least a few thousand dollars a year in extraneous medical costs (AFTER co-pay & including deductibles). Some years, it's as high as $5K (if we have any medical emergencies etc).
You do NOT want American privatized #HealthCare. We want YOUR system. We want our own #NHS.
(A reminder that more than 30M Americans have no health insurance of any kind, meaning that their "doctor visit wait times" are eternal.)
usa healthcare is run by capitalistic for profit insurance companies, not the government. if you are a money losing insurance customer, the insurance company will make a silly excuse to deny your claim coverage and you're bankrupt or basically dead if can't pay for it. that's usa healthcare look like. money talks in usa healthcare.
@KFuentesGeorge
The USA of A does NOT have a health care system.
To say it does is a lie.
The US of A has a health care gauntlet the people are forced to run comprised of competing parasitic entities feeding off of the miseries of the damned.
@KFuentesGeorge It's absolutely a lie that you don't have to wait for healthcare in the US. I had to wait months for physical therapy. Waiting times for MRI's are also months long.
My former mother-in-law had to go to Thailand to get her cataracts removed on her own dime because her insurance company said she'd have to wait until she went completely blind before they would pay for it. And her insurance was through the university she was employed by — meaning it was GOOD insurance.
@bodhipaksa@KFuentesGeorge
I'm sorry to hear about your experiences and the frustration of trying to navigate through the system.
Personally I am in the midst of the worst medical crisis in my life regarding my wife. I am blessed, however, to live in Canada and we have received every imaginable test, 24/7 medical care and prescription drugs with no waiting and no cost.
It breaks my heart to hear stories like yours and it's not the 1st time either. Without making a political or cultural comment, I am truly sorry these stories & situations exist in America. Not easy to witness 💔
@KFuentesGeorge
Before coming to the US I thought that “the US healthcare sucks but if you have insurance it’s fine”… Without even mentioning the horrible system of tying-up health insurance to employment… this is just false!
Even if you have insurance, not only do you and your employer pay for the insurance, you STILL have to pay when you get healthcare, up to some amount per year - say 5000$ (!!), and if you go beyond that, you still have to pay 10% of any additional healthcare cost… 🤨
And whenever I complain about this people me I have a good healthcare plan?!?
Oh and my healthcare place just got bought by #Amazon, yes, seriously🤦
Health is our most precious resource and it shouldn’t be for sale or used for profit.
Having "good" health insurance in the US still absolutely fucking sucks. It's total trash. Expensive, cumbersome, and just nonstop bills from 12 different agencies.
@KFuentesGeorge I would not even call it a “healthcare system” in the US. It’s a web of gatekeepers (insurance paper pushers) trying to prevent proper care, fighting against corporations trying to push their unnecessary services and tests to make profit and avoid lawsuits. Medical professionals get caught in the middle, trying to actually care for patients. It serves no one well.
The foundation of this “system” - having it tied to employment - is the root of the problem. The American Medical Association lobbied hard against healthcare for all, along with business.
I’m not a historian, but that decision seems blatantly rooted in racism. We don’t want everyone to have nice things, so none of us can have them.
@yappari@KFuentesGeorge Tying healthcare to employment also hurts those that care for others - often women - trying to raise children or support elderly relatives if they are not a ‘dependent’ of a person with healthcare benefits
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