Me too !!!!!

Even though every system has its flaws, I must say that overall healthcare in my country is great. As is my GP.

I needed scripts, so I called the doc's office at 11 PM. I went there at 2 PM, parked my car, started walking towards the building, and saw my usual GP outside the door of her office at a distance. She went back in without saying "hi". Weird, I thought, maybe she didn't see me, but before I could actually think about it she came out again with a bundle of my scripts and a big smile. Cost: $0.00

That is great Wide-O.

The public health system here (Medicare, similar to the NHS in the UK) is similar.

When I need a replacement script for my calcium-channel blocker I just go to my GP (which is free).

It is then just a matter of getting it supplied by a pharmacist. Medicare subsidises this - it costs me about $A1 per day.

Wow, you're lucky, our medical practice varies charges for issuing scripts without an appt. anything from $10 to $15 & depending on the circumstances our normal GP will mostly bulk bill DB if he is attending, yet she always charges me, minimum $80 of which we get about $37 back from m/care. Maybe once or twice a year she will bulk bill me. But as a practice about 3 years ago they put big signs out saying we will no longer bulk bill so we are appreciative of the bulk billing when we get it. We could change to a bulk billing practice but I've been going to this practice since I was a teenager and they have all my history. DB since we came to Aus 2004. I've been seeing my current GP for 7 years and 3 years for DB. She really does care for us both so we suck it up.

Yeah, I know that I am lucky about bulk-billing.

I have been with my GP for about 10 years - he was recommended to me by my psychiatrist because he knows about mental health things.

Yes, very lucky. They have a computer system that indicates what scripts can be printed for which patient without needing a consult, and the secretary just prints them and goes to the doc to get them signed.

Otherwise, you would have to make an appointment (most of the time that's same day or next day) and pay $20 for a visit (but I get $18 of that back). A house visit (only when you really can't make it there) costs $30.

My wife also has a company insurance for the both of us that pays 80% of the amount we don't get back from our NHS.

We have both been with these docs for 20 years now, so there is also a level of trust. And she's still proud of me for staying sober.

We do pay a lot of taxes and mandatory SS, but nobody here ever goes broke because of health issues. But as I said, every system has it's problems, here it's mostly over-consumption of services and medications. It's almost "too cheap" so people become careless.

One thing that could be improved is further adoption of the "kiwi-model" (heheh), which means that companies do a bid for a certain type of medication, and the government then goes for the cheapest one. This would not affect patients, but could make a big change in their budget. I believe this comes from the way they do or did things in New-Zealand, hence the name. We do it for certain types ("generic products") but not for all.

here in the US our healthcare system is a nightmare. Ugh.... don't get me started.

I am so thankful to have good health insurance through work....but she is right, it is horrendous here. Many of my clients have bills that are over $100K and no way (ever) to pay for them. It's a sad reality for the "least of them" and also for the working middle class.

I am also thankful I am Canadian and can hop over the border if needed

Hoping you aren't planning on driving that ol' VW. Thinkin' you will only end up in Maryland at best. Likely still in Va.