Quote:
Originally Posted by EnglishDave
Neuroproblem,
The NHS waiting time from referral to Consultant target is 18 weeks (not ALWAYS met). Treatment and tests start from there, and are based on urgency of individual cases. When I had rectal cancer in 2013 my referral, dx, treatment (3 months) took 5 months total with MRIs, CT scans and countless blood tests. The bill to me for saving my life £0. And I still have 3 monthly check-ups with my Oncologist for the next 5 years.
Do not think that our NHS is 'Free', we all pay a percentage of salary in National Insurance Contributions and taxes, and the vast majority would pay more to have the NHS remain as it is. Each Trust can also raise funds itself by selling Private Care to those that want it in certain circumstances, and the money is reinvested.
I would measure our treatments against yours across the board, and they are available to everyone. A couple with a chronically sick child does not end up with a bill of $50-60 thousand here, running and interpreting an MRI costs about $800-&1000, $4000 is licenced theft. Prescriptions cost $12 per item, no matter the cost of the medication. If you have low wages, or are on Benefits, they are free. When you rely on a LOT of meds (like me) you can pay $160 a year for unlimited prescriptions. I get mine free because I have fall-out from my cancer treatment.
I will wager my pain management is more thorough than any in the States with Government intervention. I see my PM team every 6 months for a review, my Infusion Consultant the same. I am on Tramadol and Arcoxia for musculoskeletal/arthritic pain, Lidocaine Infusions, Oral Ketamine and Morphine for severe Neurological pain. I have access to Group and Individual Counselling (declined - bad experiences) and Acupuncture.
We may have to wait 4-6 hours in Hospital for Accident and Emergency, but the majority of that is due to abuse/time wasters. How long do you have to wait, and do you check your wallet to see if you can afford to be seen?
Even from initial daily contact with my GP, if you phone on the day you are ill they will do their best to see you. If no appts are available, my GP has a Sit and Wait clinic and a Duty Doctor who will phone you and give you a dx/advice that way, or arrange an emergency appt.
How would you rather live?
Dave.
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i MENTIONED in my post "free healthcare" is payed by taxes. i know that NHS has horrible service, and its expected of a welfare system. I was just comparing how countries view healthcare. I was comparing the level of quality for private and public, and already stated in my previous post. A phone appt is common even in private insurance, when i had constant diarrhea a few years back i had a phone consultation with a doctor, instead of actually going there. Most private insurance or HMO groups have an email system, where you get to directly email a doctor or specialist to tell them of symptoms of a condition, and if the doctor feels that your symptoms warrant a appt, they will give. If you are an government health plan, expect to wait months, which i did for my appointments. In private insurance, you can practically see them the next week, or the next few days. specialists are the same thing. 4000$ USD for MRI is not unheard of, i heard of most cost 1l-4k in us dollars. It is because there are different kinds of MRI, some have stronger MRI imaging, they measure strength in terms of tesla 1-3 teslas, 3 being the best and most expensive MRI. I had a bill for 4000$ for MRI, when i was under family insurance.
My previous post stated the difference in cost between countries.
the cost of healthcare comes from the manufacturer of the supplies and the hospital itself, they can charge whatever they want, and heard many people go into debt because of medical bills. insurance wants you to pay monthly preniums, but they dont really want you to use the coverage, because they want the paying healthy customers to offset the chronically ill customers(cancer,diabetes, autoimmune diseases,,,etc)
How long do you have to wait, and do you check your wallet to see if you can afford to be seen?
It depends how much people are waiting at a hospital and what kind of emergencies are there, and there are abusers and time wasters here to. If you are under a government health plan that gurantees no cost to you, you will not pay. its people who are not (homeless) that dont have insurance or welfare, and goes to the hospital, then the hospital can charge you for the services.
even if you have insurance here in the states, the type of medical facility you can go to is determined by the policy of your insurance.