I am 22, why should I care about health care benefits at work?

[cloud999]

They hope the patient will just up and leave. Remember medical corporations are "CORPORATIONS" first with financial responsibility to shareholders, and only secondly medical facilities.

Funny you're speaking of myths, because THIS IS FALSE. The majority of hospitals in the US are non-profit organizations (62%). Only 18% of US hospitals are for-profit corporations.

[Almac]

Funny you're speaking of myths, because THIS IS FALSE. The majority of hospitals in the US are non-profit organizations (62%). Only 18% of US hospitals are for-profit corporations.

But are they free at the point of need, like the National Health Service?

[cloud999]

But are they free at the point of need, like the National Health Service?

Only if you qualify for Federal Medicaid, which provides free healthcare for those under the poverty line. Roughly 40% of all healthcare expenses in the US are paid for by the government.

If you can work, you're paying. Someone like me can't go and get all the "free" medical procedures I desire without chipping in per procedure. Under my current plan, I pay $800/year in advance for preventative medicine, and up to $1750 for any hospitalization/surgeries I may need. This means that I need to keep approximately $2550 in my Health Savings Account to cover all potential medical expenses per year, and that money is tax-free. If I don't get sick, however, I don't pay that year and that $1750 rolls over.

I also have a critical-illness and accident policy, which costs me about $150/year. This policy will pay me a lump sum of $17000 in the event that I am diagnosed with serious illness or severe traffic accident which puts me into the hospital for several years.

Considering that a major surgery can cost upwards of $300k at one of the best hospitals in the world, I'd pay just $1750 of that total amount with my plans.

[fenris]

Maybe a bit off topic... but I can understand the doctors in such a system. A doctor want to live, too... and that isn´t possible if nobody pays the bill or pay with food or whatever.
Isn´t there any social service where he can borrow the money from and pay back if he get his next money ?

I can´t understand why a so called first world country cares for his citizens like a third world country ... Here in Germany a employer has a big problem when he don´t pay the social-insurances for his employee..... If a official health insurance know that a employer don´t pay the insurances he gets a visit from the police.... and he has to pay ... or if he does it willful he gets some years into prison. If a employee works "black"..that means willful without paying insurances he has to pay it back or gets PRison, too.
Maybe that is expensive for all .. but nobody has the problem that he can´t pay a doctor or dentist or whatever.
When I see what I had to pay for my medications without a insurance ... Goddess... alone my monthly painkiller bill is more then 150 €..and so I pay nothing.

[Almac]

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]Thank you cloud999 for that information, unlike the USA in Britain regardless of your wealth or employment status, if you need medical attention from an hospital regardless of the procedure you still get the same treatment free at the point of need. So a person in employment does not need to worry about how much it's going to cost him/her the treatment is free.

And fenris the National Health Service in Britain is so different to your health service. [/COLOR]

[fredv3b]

In America doctors who don't try and do everything tend to get sued. It isn't surprising America has the most expensive healthcare in the world.


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[fenris]

[COLOR="DarkGreen"]

And fenris the National Health Service in Britain is so different to your health service. [/COLOR]

Here it is a combination of different insurances ... health, unemployment, retirement and since a few years "care" - care is for disabled, sick and elderly people who needs a 24/7 care in a hospital, retirementhome, hospiz, but it pays too if a family-member take care for another, if you stay at home to care maybe for your father it pays after 2 years a school that you can come back to your job or learn a other job.
Its really expensive... for employer, employees and State.. but I think it is a very good thing. OK .. with this system you get by example only "basic teeth" if you need some... but thats better as chewing on your rims :biggrin:

[pellaz]

You seriously think people who spend 30 years studying and going $200k into student debt for an MD should work for free? Do you still believe in Santa Claus? We pay sexy people who recite memorized lines on film more than individuals who spent decades learning to save lives.

in America a working peep is always one step away from total bankruptcy and restart if you get sick.
unless you house boy the internist or the orthopedic surgeon.

[Almac]

Here it is a combination of different insurances ... health, unemployment, retirement and since a few years "care" - care is for disabled, sick and elderly people who needs a 24/7 care in a hospital, retirementhome, hospiz, but it pays too if a family-member take care for another, if you stay at home to care maybe for your father it pays after 2 years a school that you can come back to your job or learn a other job.
Its really expensive... for employer, employees and State.. but I think it is a very good thing. OK .. with this system you get by example only "basic teeth" if you need some... but thats better as chewing on your rims :biggrin:

Compared to the National Health Service the German system does seem a little over-complicated..? But I've got to be honest the British way is far better than the USA reliance on charity if you're too poor to have any form of health cover..

[cloud999]

Compared to the National Health Service the German system does seem a little over-complicated..? But I've got to be honest the British way is far better than the USA reliance on charity if you're too poor to have any form of health cover..

I just told you that Federal Medicaid pays the healthcare of those in poverty. In full, 100%. Federal Medicaid is a government program, effectively a "National Health Service" for the poor. And taxes pay ~40% of all US healthcare expenses.

Medicaid