Health Insurance UK vs. USA - Lung Conditions C...

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Health Insurance UK vs. USA

chrisb52 profile image
4 Replies

This is just a curiosity. I live in Arizona and I really wonder about insurance. Half the people along with half the media and half the politicians say Britain and Canada are great. You see doctors quickly, you don't have to wait long periods of time to see specialists or get procedures. The other half says you die before you get to a specialist and it can be a year or more for surgeries. Also you pay 40-50% in income tax.

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chrisb52 profile image
chrisb52
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hypercat54 profile image
hypercat54

The NHS used to be great and was there for everyone. It still is but because of lack of funding over recent years and practise changes it can be a couple of weeks delay to even see a GP. It varies according to where you live as popular area attracts more doctors than poorer areas.

If you can even get referred to a consultant it can take 6 months or more depending on a variety of factors. And yes people do die whilst on the waiting list.

As for taxes we pay from our wages after a certain level around 23% for income tax and around 10% for our National Insurance Stamp. The latter is for the NHS. Most also pay into a pension scheme as well.

The taxes level is for people on an average wage and the more you earn the more tax you pay. If you earn a lot more you would pay a lot more tax as well.

A few people have health insurance but generally most don't or only have it for seeing a dentist or something. x

Inamoment profile image
Inamoment

In the usa you have to make a copayment even if you are insured? I have had every test and treatment under the sun but may not have done if i had to pay. I personally have had no delay issues, regular tests and regularly see the consultant. It can take 2 or 3 weeks to see my gp. This is because she is very good and trememdously popular and people are quite happy to wait to see her. But they do ring me and ask me to come in the next day, this has happended several times

AngieB72 profile image
AngieB72

I think it really depends on where you live for certain things. I am always able to get an appointment with my GP the same day and have never known any different no matter where I have lived in the uk. I know this isn’t the case for everyone. Referrals for specialists can be a wait which can be frustrating. If you are an emergency case then you will be seen straight away. Our NHS system is fantastic but overloaded. We pay taxes depending on what we earn but those taxes cover a lot of aspects of life not just NHS. I have the feeling that if there was a HUGE injection of cash it may solve certain aspects but the main crisis at the moment is staffing. We have a lot of European workers as well as workers from further afield that do a fantastic job but with the uncertainty of Brexit hanging over us then who knows what will happen to those wonderful nurses etc.

On the NHS everyone is treated the same no matter of their social background so no one will go untreated if they don’t have insurance.

sibkev profile image
sibkev

dude i had a double lung transplant by the nhs i cld not have paid for better care £750 000 then after care they dont want you guys to have it cuz there mate will loose money .yes the nhs is pushed but i wld be gone now so god bless there little cotten socks

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