US healthcare costs
 

Brits are asked to estimate costs of US healthcare:


https://twitter.com/ioanmarcjones/st...42545724145664

Re: US healthcare costs
 

It's crazy, a colleague broke their tib&fib and the bill came to the best part of $20K.


Part of the problem though is that it is driven by insurance. The payments aren't made at point of sale but can be months later. Then you've got like we have with vehicles where the courtesy vehicle charges are inflated so they can make more money.


Say what you will about the NHS, there are going to be times where people slip through the net just based on the shear numbers being treated, I know I can rock up at A&E with a broken leg and the only worry is that I need some money for the car park.


Ste

Re: US healthcare costs
 

I work for a US org. Healthcare is in all our packages. Professional grades get "daycare", mid grades get full care with an option of family care. Senior get family. The good is because of the size of the org, no questions about history are asked.

Similarly, we have agreements that give us 5 years il health reduced salary, so whilst we may not get leading edge salaries, we get health and maintenance packages that are big incentives when you get older and start heath issues.

Perhaps that is part of the problem. If there is cash available the recipients will milk the cash cow!

Re: US healthcare costs
 

There is a saying in life that if something is provided for free then it has no value. There are a few people out there who could reflect on that and appreciate just how valuable our NHS is to the vast majority of the people who benefit from it. Although technically our NHS is not "for free" it most certainly is at the point of use and it is certainly something we should learn to value.

Re: US healthcare costs
 

Having been an intensive user of the NHS this year (lung cancer, chemo & radiation treatments) I can wholheartedly agree with Red. Three years ago, I had prosate cancer and I had the option of having Proton Beam therapy in the Czech republic at my own cost but chose radiation treatment on the NHS instead. The cost of the Proton Beam therapy would have been £19,000 plus 2 months accomodation costs. Radiation treatment was successful (so far).

Around 7 years ago I handled a travel insurance claim for a teenager poisoned by a Lion (or Scorpion) fish off Florida. A few days in hospital resulted in a bill for over $12,000 plus another bill for ambulance costs.

Re: US healthcare costs
 

I knew I shouldn't have posted on here; Last week I started getting ill, temp around 40, no sleep, crazy dreams. Let it go a couple of days as I figured if it's a virus nothing can really be done.


On Thursday I woke up and although a little improved was still having issues, called the Doctor at 8am, had an appointment for 9:30 (non-routine), got there a bit early so was back in my car by 9:30 with a script for antibiotics, and the diagnosis of tonsillitis even though I had them out when I was 12 (yes apparently you can still get it). All for £9 and an hour of my time.


It's a stretched resource, and I know not all areas are the same, but it is an amazing resource compared to the alternative.


Ste