If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Americans

[ruby59]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

Ruby59, Do you mean something like diabetes, or rheumatoid arthritis? These would get seen by the family doctor then referred to a specialist. A condition like diabetes, which can be life threatening would be seen immediately. There may be more of a wait to be diagnosed with say, a skin condition. Prescription charges for drugs are held at a low level too (in fact they are free where I live) so there is not a huge financial burden in needing to take medication regularly.

But our highest earners pay 45% tax.

Yes, I am a diabetic.

And it is not always life threatening. In fact, it should not be if you take care of yourself. And that is why I would want to be able to get in to see a doctor before it becomes so.

So screening for rhetinopothy would only happen after I was becoming blind because of it? Not routine maintenance?

Same with diabetic neuropathy? Only seen immediately when it is so bad, it could mean amputation. Not regular maintenance?

I strive to maintain under 120 glucose reading. Would I have to be at 600 before I could be seen?

So with the 1 payer system would I have to be on death's door to be seen by someone instead of now where I have regular visits to keep everything under control?

 

[Dee*Jay]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

Dee Jay you might look at it from the other perspective of how much it costs the employer to provide that expensive plan. You pay nothing for it but it probably costs them quite a bit per person to provide it. People do remain at positions for reasons other than pay and excellent benefits is one of them. I am one of those people. The hours of work, flexible time off and retirement were more important than a few dollars an hour to me.

You're absolutely right Red. I guess I started dwelling on the post ksinger made and then I started to worry about our people. Probably needlessly to be honest, because as a firm we do offer a lot of positives (things that you mentioned as a matter of fact: humane work hours, reasonable time off, etc.) and I really have no reason to believe that we DON'T pay or treat our people fairly (whatever that might mean once the entire package, including benefits and workplace conditions, are taken into account). I was momentarily overtaken by the image of a An Amoral Shark In Charge lording over The Helpless Minnows and got carried away!

 

[Snowdrop13]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

Ruby59, Do you mean something like diabetes, or rheumatoid arthritis? These would get seen by the family doctor then referred to a specialist. A condition like diabetes, which can be life threatening would be seen immediately. There may be more of a wait to be diagnosed with say, a skin condition. Prescription charges for drugs are held at a low level too (in fact they are free where I live) so there is not a huge financial burden in needing to take medication regularly.

But our highest earners pay 45% tax.

Yes, I am a diabetic.

And it is not always life threatening. In fact, it should not be if you take care of yourself. And that is why I would want to be able to get in to see a doctor before it becomes so.

So screening for rhetinopothy would only happen after I was becoming blind because of it? Not routine maintenance?

Same with diabetic neuropathy? Only seen immediately when it is so bad, it could mean amputation. Not regular maintenance?

I strive to maintain under 120 glucose reading. Would I have to be at 600 before I could be seen?

So with the 1 payer system would I have to be on death's door to be seen by someone instead of now where I have regular visits to keep everything under control?

You would have regular follow up for all of these things. A big part of the ethos of the health service is to prevent complications occurring (and thus you will ultimately cost them less!).

 

[rainwood]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

Ruby59, Do you mean something like diabetes, or rheumatoid arthritis? These would get seen by the family doctor then referred to a specialist. A condition like diabetes, which can be life threatening would be seen immediately. There may be more of a wait to be diagnosed with say, a skin condition. Prescription charges for drugs are held at a low level too (in fact they are free where I live) so there is not a huge financial burden in needing to take medication regularly.

But our highest earners pay 45% tax.

Yes, I am a diabetic.

And it is not always life threatening. In fact, it should not be if you take care of yourself. And that is why I would want to be able to get in to see a doctor before it becomes so.

So screening for rhetinopothy would only happen after I was becoming blind because of it? Not routine maintenance?

Same with diabetic neuropathy? Only seen immediately when it is so bad, it could mean amputation. Not regular maintenance?

I strive to maintain under 120 glucose reading. Would I have to be at 600 before I could be seen?

So with the 1 payer system would I have to be on death's door to be seen by someone instead of now where I have regular visits to keep everything under control?

Ruby

To answer your specific question, one of my nieces is a Type I diabetic and lives in Canada. She was diagnosed 25 years ago and has received excellent medical care managing her diabetes for that entire time through their national healthcare program. She also has other serious auto-immune issues that would have bankrupted her family and her if she'd been raised in the U.S.

 

[Matata]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri


http://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/01/12/big-pharma-backed-dems-join-gop-block-sanders-effort-end-drug-price-gouging

 

[kmarla]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

I have immediate family that are American and they are really stressed about what's happening with healthcare. It is such a difficult time.
I do know that my relatives in the U.S., who have private insurance, are shocked at how long we have to wait to access services here. They get access to specialists almost immediately and don't have to wait long for surgery etc.
We are in Canada and healthcare here is a provincial responsibility, so each province has their own guidelines. Public healthcare is federally mandated, but it is administered by individual provinces. We do not have a two-tier (public/private) system here, only public access. We pay for healthcare through our taxes, so the higher your tax bracket, the more you pay. Right now approx. 31 cents of every dollar in taxes collected in our country goes to health care. Healthcare is not free, the cost is hidden in the very high provincial/federal taxes we pay. My province also has a healthcare premium/surcharge depending on income. We pay about $1500 extra per year per adult for this premium. We don't get anything extra for this premium. In addition, most people also pay for supplemental insurance either through their employer or privately to cover the long list of services that are not covered through provincial healthcare. Everything from prescribed drugs, to needles and test strips for diabetics, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, sem-private or private hospital rooms, and on and on and on. I would say that in an absolute emergency our system works very well. Wait lists are very long though to access any specialist care, and can often run from months to years, depending. Same goes for elective surgeries (hip/knee replacements, vision etc). Many people don't have family doctors due to shortages of family physicians, so they end up having to go to emergency for treatment that should be done in a doctor's office. It took my husband over three years to finally find a family physician in our city. The medical professionals who work in our healthcare system are wonderful. There just aren't enough of them. We also do a tremendous amount of local fundraising in order to acquire medical equipment (MRI/catscan/ultrasound etc) for our local hospitals, as the provincial funding is not enough to cover the costs.

 

[ruby59]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

Thanks to everyone who responded.

I am not seeing anything though that makes me wish we had what other countries do.

I see high taxes that pays for public insurance. But I am seeing very long waits unless you are in dire straights.

I see you can also buy private insurance, but that is like paying twice for the same product.

And one thing we are taught in the US is to be proactive with our health. Regular checkups. Take care of little things before they become bigger.

One of the things universal health care was hoping to fix was people tying up emergency rooms for routine medical care. So I do not see how what the last poster said is beneficial.

 

[kmarla]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

I have immediate family that are American and they are really stressed about what's happening with healthcare. It is such a difficult time.
I do know that my relatives in the U.S., who have private insurance, are shocked at how long we have to wait to access services here. They get access to specialists almost immediately and don't have to wait long for surgery etc.
We are in Canada and healthcare here is a provincial responsibility, so each province has their own guidelines. Public healthcare is federally mandated, but it is administered by individual provinces. We do not have a two-tier (public/private) system here, only public access. We pay for healthcare through our taxes, so the higher your tax bracket, the more you pay. Right now approx. 31 cents of every dollar in taxes collected in our country goes to health care. Healthcare is not free, the cost is hidden in the very high provincial/federal taxes we pay. My province also has a healthcare premium/surcharge depending on income. We pay about $1500 extra per year per adult for this premium. We don't get anything extra for this premium. In addition, most people also pay for supplemental insurance either through their employer or privately to cover the long list of services that are not covered through provincial healthcare. Everything from prescribed drugs, to needles and test strips for diabetics, physiotherapy, occupational therapy, sem-private or private hospital rooms, and on and on and on. I would say that in an absolute emergency our system works very well. Wait lists are very long though to access any specialist care, and can often run from months to years, depending. Same goes for elective surgeries (hip/knee replacements, vision etc). Many people don't have family doctors due to shortages of family physicians, so they end up having to go to emergency for treatment that should be done in a doctor's office. It took my husband over three years to finally find a family physician in our city. The medical professionals who work in our healthcare system are wonderful. There just aren't enough of them. We also do a tremendous amount of local fundraising in order to acquire medical equipment (MRI/catscan/ultrasound etc) for our local hospitals, as the provincial funding is not enough to cover the costs.

I'm too late to edit, but I wanted to correct the premium amount, it's up to $900 per year per adult. I quoted our combined rate by mistake.

 

[Rhea]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

Crap, this is long.

I can't really answer about chronic diseases for my part of the UK. I don't have one nor do any close friends have one. An acquaintance does, who I met at work, but her illness caused her to have to quit, is managed on the NHS. Over the past 3 years she's been able to try various therapies, including alternative therapies. To get into each one is a couple of referrals and a couple month's wait, but once she's in she has regular appointments with each being made when she leaves the doctor's office the previous time. She's frustrated with the lack of solving the problem, but considering what she has, extreme fatigue, I don't know how it would be different in the US system.

My in-laws have private insurance, it's not anything like paying twice. They are in their 60s and my MIL has had cancer before. Their private health care does not take the place of their GP (general practitioner) for everyday stuff but once they've been to see their GP they can call their private insurer to see a specialist and for hospital treatment. This health coverage costs them under £400 jointly per year. That's about $480 USD at the moment. No other costs or co-pays, even for MIL's cancer treatment. Their prescriptions are free on NHS as they are over 60.

Growing up in the US, where I lived until I was 24, and then coming to the UK, there are pros and cons to both systems.

For UK:
- It's difficult for me to wrap my head around the long wait for non-emergency surgery.
- The referral system is slower than I'd like and tedious.
- The pharmacists are accessible and mean I'm often able to avoid even seeing a GP and for small things (pharmacists have a private room, no appointment needed, where you can discuss fairly straightforward problems with them and they, having gone to school for years and years and being specialists on drugs are able to recommend over the counter remedies for problems (some can even prescribe) - love this!! I've used it a couple times for a skin condition rather than the GP.)
- I don't pay, other than through taxes, for anything at point of service including GP visits, specialists, treatment in any form, follow up appointments, hospital, the walk-in clinic, A&E.
- Prescriptions are cheap - cost £8.40 per each one for adults (there's a discount for multiple prescriptions). It's free for: under 18s, over 60s, pregnant women, if you've given birth in the last 12 months, are on benefits, have a chronic illness which exempts you, are currently in hospital.
- Eye and dental do cost extra. I pay roughly £15 for an eye exam and £20 to see my dentist (including cleaning and any x-rays) - dentist free to young, old, pregnant, etc.

For US:
- Incredibly short waits for any appointments (do they actually have other patients?)
- Having things covered seemed to depend on whether the insurer had gotten laid the night before. I remember my Podiatrist calling and chatting with my insurer before getting to the point to see if she was likely to get what she wanted or if she should wait until another day. My Podiatrist got off the phone and said, "someone must have gotten lucky last night, they approved your surgery!" I still had my co-pays, but insurance covered up to my co-pay.
- Surgery, just for my foot, it was not an emergency, was scheduled for within a couple weeks - very quickly!
- No job, no actual comprehensive insurance. At least until ACA?
- The demand for your billing information even in emergency. I've been in the emergency room with my father post car accident. The billing department was very insistent. She waited outside his bed while I dodged her.
- Work insurance means having to pick a type of insurance, and what's covered, before you know what you'll need. I could never decide what plan I might need when enrolment happened. I generally decided that I wanted GPs paid for entirely but that I was unlikely to have an emergency so that treatment was high. This could work in your favour or not.
- New drugs easily - this is kinda fun! I'd heard about an alternative I wanted to try on TV. I asked my GP and got a prescription for it. This scares me now as everything seems more considered on the NHS, but this is something that took serious getting used to, not just being able to request a different drug.
- Having to lie to get things covered. My sister has something which demands a particular type of birth control. That something is not wanting to get pregnant at the moment. But her insurer didn't cover BC so her GP has to prescribe the BC for one of it's alternative uses. How ass backwards is that? I believe the ACA changed this as well.
- Pre-existing conditions. My sister also had fibroids. She's never claimed it and manages the pressure symptoms and incontinence until she gets what she calls the "forever job". Once it's claimed on insurance, it's on there. Ours are bad enough that they may need multiple surgeries over time and lead to difficultly getting pregnant. That's not something she wants down as a pre-existing condition, she's fearful no one would cover any pregnancy complications if it's due to a pre-existing condition and pregnancy can be an expensive business.

No system is perfect and the differences between the two, from being a comparatively rich kid who could demand things my way, to having the same system everyone else does, were painful. I can see why the older generation, with the forever jobs who have found great doctors, want to keep the US system the same, before the ACA. There's no benefit to them unless they lose a job and therefore health insurance or need to switch insurance and their conditions aren't covered. I'd rather benefit everyone partly because I believe that benefits me as well, even if it means a longer wait. To simply look at it selfishly for a moment, I truly believe that other people's health and well-being impacts on mine. If someone is just barely managing and cannot afford to go to the doctor for treatment, they might get me ill, costing me more money. Or they might be out of work and therefore increase the workload and stress of others. Or they might die and therefore cost the State for expensive emergency end of life care and cremation. All for something that might have the potential to be treated earlier and more effectively if it were accessible to all for free or inexpensively.

 

[missy]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

Thanks everyone for sharing their thoughts and how their country does healthcare. I hope others who have not chimed in about their country do so because learning about how it works in other places is enlightening.I know there is no perfect solution but I think how some countries handle this is better than the USA.

I like the idea of having higher taxes so everyone gets adequate healthcare and that emergencies get taken care of first because when their are limits to resources (and there always are) prioritizing is critical. I also like how some countries offer private care for those of us who are impatient for their non critical treatments/appointments/surgeries. This way if you can afford it you can get care when you want to and not have to wait long periods of time.

Personally I have some non critical to life issues but critical to quality of life issues and if I had the opportunity to get care more quickly if I lived in one of these countries and I could afford to I would welcome the opportunity. But most importantly of course the people needing critical care need to be taken care of first and foremost and the fact they can (whether or not they can "afford to") is to me absolutely a non negotiable and should be that way everywhere.

I have friends in Canada that have come here for non critical issues (though for them it was critical and that is why they came here) i.e. orthopedic surgeries. But again they have that option and while it is not perfect it still allows more people to get the care they need than some (the USA for one) countries.

I am quite disappointed at the latest pharmaceutical issue that got knocked down and thanks for posting that link Matata. Disappointment doesn't begin to describe it actually. The system is so broken.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/-booker-and-the-other-big_b_14150632.html

snip...
It’s devastating, and potentially lethal, when Americans can’t afford life-saving drugs because their elected representatives are in thrall to Big Pharma. It’s disappointing when Democrats offer implausible excuses for their votes, as Sen. Cory Booker and twelve other senators did this week.

 

[ksinger]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

Thanks everyone for sharing their thoughts and how their country does healthcare. I hope others who have not chimed in about their country do so because learning about how it works in other places is enlightening.I know there is no perfect solution but I think how some countries handle this is better than the USA.

I like the idea of having higher taxes so everyone gets adequate healthcare and that emergencies get taken care of first because when their are limits to resources (and there always are) prioritizing is critical. I also like how some countries offer private care for those of us who are impatient for their non critical treatments/appointments/surgeries. This way if you can afford it you can get care when you want to and not have to wait long periods of time.

Personally I have some non critical to life issues but critical to quality of life issues and if I had the opportunity to get care more quickly if I lived in one of these countries and I could afford to I would welcome the opportunity. But most importantly of course the people needing critical care need to be taken care of first and foremost and the fact they can (whether or not they can "afford to") is to me absolutely a non negotiable and should be that way everywhere.

I have friends in Canada that have come here for non critical issues (though for them it was critical and that is why they came here) i.e. orthopedic surgeries. But again they have that option and while it is not perfect it still allows more people to get the care they need than some (the USA for one) countries.

I am quite disappointed at the latest pharmaceutical issue that got knocked down and thanks for posting that link Matata. Disappointment doesn't begin to describe it actually. The system is so broken.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/rj-eskow/-booker-and-the-other-big_b_14150632.html

snip...
It’s devastating, and potentially lethal, when Americans can’t afford life-saving drugs because their elected representatives are in thrall to Big Pharma. It’s disappointing when Democrats offer implausible excuses for their votes, as Sen. Cory Booker and twelve other senators did this week.

Because you know how I roll Missy, and because you obviously would prioritize something life-threatening over less acute quality of life issues, (meaning you have a reasonably well-developed concept of a "public good"), I would recommend this book. I've probably linked it before sometime - it's about the market ethos infiltrating almost all aspects of life, and do we really want that.

https://www.amazon.com/What-Money-Cant-Buy-Markets/dp/0374533652

 

[missy]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

Because you know how I roll Missy, and because you obviously would prioritize something life-threatening over less acute quality of life issues, (meaning you have a reasonably well-developed concept of a "public good"), I would recommend this book. I've probably linked it before sometime - it's about the market ethos infiltrating almost all aspects of life, and do we really want that.

https://www.amazon.com/What-Money-Cant-Buy-Markets/dp/0374533652

Thank you for the book rec Karen. I am ordering it and looking forward to reading it. I always appreciate your recommendations.

 

[misssoph]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

As an Australian the thing that strikes me about the USA health system is how how expensive like services are.

For example.....
My self and my friend in Boston had our second babies 3 months apart. Both of us had had emergency Caesars with our first ones and went for elective Caesars for our seconds. Both of us booked into private hospitals for elective Caesars under epidural with our choice of doctors, both of us had blessedly uncomplicated deliveries and were discharged according to protocol , her at 3 days, Me At 5 days. Both of us were fully covered by our insurers
The relative costs for the same admission paid by our respective insurers?
The USA cost was 3.5 times the Australian cost!

No wonder your insurance is so expensive!

 

[E B]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

From the CBO. Repeal and delay looks pretty bleak.

https://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/f...17-2018/reports/52371-coverageandpremiums.pdf

The number of people who are uninsured would increase by 18 million in the first new plan year following enactment of the bill. Later, after the elimination of the ACA’s expansion of Medicaid eligibility and of subsidies for insurance purchased through the ACA marketplaces, that number would increase to 27 million, and then to 32 million in 2026.

Premiums in the nongroup market (for individual policies purchased through the marketplaces or directly from insurers) would increase by 20 percent to 25 percent—relative to projections under current law—in the first new plan year following enactment. The increase would reach about 50 percent in the year following the elimination of the Medicaid expansion and the marketplace subsidies, and premiums would about double by 2026.

 

[E B]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

Word on the street is that Trump has a great plan to cover everyone with much lower costs, so as usual, I'll be on pins and needles.

 

[Tekate]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

http://www.commondreams.org/news/2017/01/12/big-pharma-backed-dems-join-gop-block-sanders-effort-end-drug-price-gouging

Matata, thank you so much for posting this.. Cory Booker that takes the cake. Big pharma in Jersey it looks.. Shameful on all the nays.

 

[Tekate]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

Ksinger - Karen thank you, bought on Amazon, looking forward to reading it!

 

[chemgirl]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

Ruby59, Do you mean something like diabetes, or rheumatoid arthritis? These would get seen by the family doctor then referred to a specialist. A condition like diabetes, which can be life threatening would be seen immediately. There may be more of a wait to be diagnosed with say, a skin condition. Prescription charges for drugs are held at a low level too (in fact they are free where I live) so there is not a huge financial burden in needing to take medication regularly.

But our highest earners pay 45% tax.

Yes, I am a diabetic.

And it is not always life threatening. In fact, it should not be if you take care of yourself. And that is why I would want to be able to get in to see a doctor before it becomes so.

So screening for rhetinopothy would only happen after I was becoming blind because of it? Not routine maintenance?

Same with diabetic neuropathy? Only seen immediately when it is so bad, it could mean amputation. Not regular maintenance?

I strive to maintain under 120 glucose reading. Would I have to be at 600 before I could be seen?

So with the 1 payer system would I have to be on death's door to be seen by someone instead of now where I have regular visits to keep everything under control?

Hi ruby!

Not diabetic, but I have colitis and I live in Canada. Diagnosis was the hard part, where I waited around a month to see a specialist. I'm 30 and otherwise in good health so I understand that I'm not a rush case. Things started to pick up after my intake appointment with loads of testing over the course of two weeks. Now that I'm diagnosed I have regular follow-up appointments with my specialist. If I have an emergency it may take a few weeks to get an appointment, but I also have the option to go to the ER and have my files transferred. I feel like my chronic illness is being well managed.

I don't have to sit around and wait to be in on deaths door before I get treatment.

Overall I'm happy with this arrangement.

 

[ruby59]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

Ruby59, Do you mean something like diabetes, or rheumatoid arthritis? These would get seen by the family doctor then referred to a specialist. A condition like diabetes, which can be life threatening would be seen immediately. There may be more of a wait to be diagnosed with say, a skin condition. Prescription charges for drugs are held at a low level too (in fact they are free where I live) so there is not a huge financial burden in needing to take medication regularly.

But our highest earners pay 45% tax.

Yes, I am a diabetic.

And it is not always life threatening. In fact, it should not be if you take care of yourself. And that is why I would want to be able to get in to see a doctor before it becomes so.

So screening for rhetinopothy would only happen after I was becoming blind because of it? Not routine maintenance?

Same with diabetic neuropathy? Only seen immediately when it is so bad, it could mean amputation. Not regular maintenance?

I strive to maintain under 120 glucose reading. Would I have to be at 600 before I could be seen?

So with the 1 payer system would I have to be on death's door to be seen by someone instead of now where I have regular visits to keep everything under control?

Hi ruby!

Not diabetic, but I have colitis and I live in Canada. Diagnosis was the hard part, where I waited around a month to see a specialist. I'm 30 and otherwise in good health so I understand that I'm not a rush case. Things started to pick up after my intake appointment with loads of testing over the course of two weeks. Now that I'm diagnosed I have regular follow-up appointments with my specialist. If I have an emergency it may take a few weeks to get an appointment, but I also have the option to go to the ER and have my files transferred. I feel like my chronic illness is being well managed.

I don't have to sit around and wait to be in on deaths door before I get treatment.

Overall I'm happy with this arrangement.

On my policy I have to be careful to deal with doctors that are in my network. If you go to the emergency room, any doctor could end up treating you, resulting in a very large bill that I would be responsible for. So I would only go there in a life threatening situation.

And here in the US going to the emergency room for routine care is greatly frowned upon. Also a good way to pick up a staff infection.

The last time I went to the emergency room was when the doctor gave me penicillin. I had a big allergic reaction. But not anaflaxia. I just broke out everywhere I sat in the waiting room for almost 8 hours. Then in the emergency room for a day and a half. Did not get the life meds I need nor any food. I would have been better off if I had just picked up some Benadryl.

 

[chemgirl]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

Ruby59, Do you mean something like diabetes, or rheumatoid arthritis? These would get seen by the family doctor then referred to a specialist. A condition like diabetes, which can be life threatening would be seen immediately. There may be more of a wait to be diagnosed with say, a skin condition. Prescription charges for drugs are held at a low level too (in fact they are free where I live) so there is not a huge financial burden in needing to take medication regularly.

But our highest earners pay 45% tax.

Yes, I am a diabetic.

And it is not always life threatening. In fact, it should not be if you take care of yourself. And that is why I would want to be able to get in to see a doctor before it becomes so.

So screening for rhetinopothy would only happen after I was becoming blind because of it? Not routine maintenance?

Same with diabetic neuropathy? Only seen immediately when it is so bad, it could mean amputation. Not regular maintenance?

I strive to maintain under 120 glucose reading. Would I have to be at 600 before I could be seen?

So with the 1 payer system would I have to be on death's door to be seen by someone instead of now where I have regular visits to keep everything under control?

Hi ruby!

Not diabetic, but I have colitis and I live in Canada. Diagnosis was the hard part, where I waited around a month to see a specialist. I'm 30 and otherwise in good health so I understand that I'm not a rush case. Things started to pick up after my intake appointment with loads of testing over the course of two weeks. Now that I'm diagnosed I have regular follow-up appointments with my specialist. If I have an emergency it may take a few weeks to get an appointment, but I also have the option to go to the ER and have my files transferred. I feel like my chronic illness is being well managed.

I don't have to sit around and wait to be in on deaths door before I get treatment.

Overall I'm happy with this arrangement.

On my policy I have to be careful to deal with doctors that are in my network. If you go to the emergency room, any doctor could end up treating you, resulting in a very large bill that I would be responsible for. So I would only go there in a life threatening situation.

And here in the US going to the emergency room for routine care is greatly frowned upon. Also a good way to pick up a staff infection.

The last time I went to the emergency room was when the doctor gave me penicillin. I had a big allergic reaction. But not anaflaxia. I just broke out everywhere I sat in the waiting room for almost 8 hours. Then in the emergency room for a day and a half. Did not get the life meds I need nor any food. I would have been better off if I had just picked up some Benadryl.

I definitely avoid the ER as much as I can and we also don't use it for routine care. More if I get severe pain and bleeding and I can't get an appointment with my GI for a few weeks I have the option of going to any ER. I would have to be in rough shape to consider it, but it's happened.

My point was that there is pretty good care available to those with ongoing medical conditions.

It's definitely not a perfect system, but I have confidence in how my colitis is being treated.

Meanwhile DH had to wait 4 months for an appointment to get his vasectomy, but it was free and it wasn't urgent so I don't see it as such a big deal.

 

[Dancing Fire]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

Word on the street is that Trump has a great plan to cover everyone with much lower costs, so as usual, I'll be on pins and needles.

No matter what he does there will be at least 35% of the people who will not be happy.

 

[Scandinavian]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

I live in Scandinavia, and here, in brief, the health care system is paid for through the general tax system, in principal same as for example the police. I think the main difference is how we look at the system - we consider the right to health care unrelated to how much money you can pay. Period. It is a human right, same as the right to be safe in your own home. Is it expensive? Probably. Do we care? No. Simple as that

 

[ruby59]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

I live in Scandinavia, and here, in brief, the health care system is paid for through the general tax system, in principal same as for example the police. I think the main difference is how we look at the system - we consider the right to health care unrelated to how much money you can pay. Period. It is a human right, same as the right to be safe in your own home. Is it expensive? Probably. Do we care? No. Simple as that

Then how does the average person afford to live in your country?

 

[Tekate]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

I live in Scandinavia, and here, in brief, the health care system is paid for through the general tax system, in principal same as for example the police. I think the main difference is how we look at the system - we consider the right to health care unrelated to how much money you can pay. Period. It is a human right, same as the right to be safe in your own home. Is it expensive? Probably. Do we care? No. Simple as that

Then how does the average person afford to live in your country?

http://www.thelocal.no/20131217/average-norwegian-earns-worlds-highest-salary
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_largest_Nordic_companies

because they tax FAIRLY, according to income
http://taxfoundation.org/blog/how-scandinavian-countries-pay-their-government-spending

 

[ruby59]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

After reading the first article, I saw an ad on the bottom that the McDonalds Big Mac in Norway is the world's second highest price. So workers make more, but have to spend more to live in that country.

Does not sound different then when under Reagan we had double digit inflation. In our country tptb seem to be very careful about not letting that happen again.

So how is it an improvement?

 

[chemgirl]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

After reading the first article, I saw an ad on the bottom that the McDonalds Big Mac in Norway is the world's second highest price. So workers make more, but have to spend more to live in that country.

Does not sound different then when under Reagan we had double digit inflation. In our country tptb seem to be very careful about not letting that happen again.

So how is it an improvement?

I don't see how it's bad though? Anecdotal, but DH is British. He would make nearly double his current income if we moved over there. However we would pay more for everything. Our overall financial position wouldn't really change either way. Similar situation for friends who moved to Switzerland.

As long as salaries are proportional to prices and tax rates depend on income level I don't see why it matters.

Honestly curious.

 

[ruby59]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

After reading the first article, I saw an ad on the bottom that the McDonalds Big Mac in Norway is the world's second highest price. So workers make more, but have to spend more to live in that country.

Does not sound different then when under Reagan we had double digit inflation. In our country tptb seem to be very careful about not letting that happen again.

So how is it an improvement?

I don't see how it's bad though? Anecdotal, but DH is British. He would make nearly double his current income if we moved over there. However we would pay more for everything. Our overall financial position wouldn't really change either way. Similar situation for friends who moved to Switzerland.

As long as salaries are proportional to prices and tax rates depend on income level I don't see why it matters.

Honestly curious.

So you earn less and pay less or you earn more and pay more. You are still in the same situation at the end of the day.

In Norway taxes are dependent upon income. But what about everything else. For those earning less, are their groceries cheaper? What about their clothes? Going out to a restaurant? That McDonalds Big Mac?

And that is what we are trying to determine here? How does a country pay for healthcare and free college with a resident's taxes but still make life affordable for everyone?

 

[chemgirl]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

Since this is a health care related thread I have a question. Does insurance cover hospital births? Is it really $25,000 and would someone without insurance be expected to pay that out of pocket? What if you end up at a different hospital than planned?

We were having a debate about this at work today and most of us found it really hard to believe.

 

[chemgirl]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

After reading the first article, I saw an ad on the bottom that the McDonalds Big Mac in Norway is the world's second highest price. So workers make more, but have to spend more to live in that country.

Does not sound different then when under Reagan we had double digit inflation. In our country tptb seem to be very careful about not letting that happen again.

So how is it an improvement?

I don't see how it's bad though? Anecdotal, but DH is British. He would make nearly double his current income if we moved over there. However we would pay more for everything. Our overall financial position wouldn't really change either way. Similar situation for friends who moved to Switzerland.

As long as salaries are proportional to prices and tax rates depend on income level I don't see why it matters.

Honestly curious.

So you earn less and pay less or you earn more and pay more. You are still in the same situation at the end of the day.

In Norway taxes are dependent upon income. But what about everything else. For those earning less, are their groceries cheaper? What about their clothes? Going out to a restaurant? That McDonalds Big Mac?

And that is what we are trying to determine here? How does a country pay for healthcare and free college with a resident's taxes but still make life affordable for everyone?

According to Google a McDonald's employee in Norway makes between the equivalent of 16-24 US dollars. So in theory even low earners are making a liveable wage.

the people who really benefit from a Scandinavian system are the non-earners. Those who can't work for whatever reason.

Edit: apparently the average McDonalds meal in Norway is $10-15 USD. Keeping in mind that people in this wage bracket would pay less taxes, it should work out. For example here in Ontario Mcdonals meals are around $8 and minimum wage is $11.40. Proportion is similar. I do realize comparing McDonalds isn't exactly a concrete argument.

 

[Tacori E-ring]

Re: If ACA is repealed what will happen to millions of Ameri

Since this is a health care related thread I have a question. Does insurance cover hospital births? Is it really $25,000 and would someone without insurance be expected to pay that out of pocket? What if you end up at a different hospital than planned?

We were having a debate about this at work today and most of us found it really hard to believe.

We pay our deductible. That amount varies greatly. It can be a few hundred to many thousands. Prenatal visits are covered under insurance usually without a co-pay. I went to the doctor where my OB delivered. Insurance can get complicated and some people have "in network" providers. So if I delivered in a different state I would have to pay much more. People without insurance would be billed. That would be a heartbreak for sure. Though I suspect many people do not pay their medical bills. Low income people can apply for medicaid (state insurance).