Socialized medicine: 108 year old woman told to wait 18 mos. for hearing aid

[no1tovote4]

Obviously, you didn't put much thought into this post. It took me about a minute on google, to figure out what's going on here:

This woman could go out tommorrow, and buy a hearing aid from a private company. Isn't that the way you cons like it? That whole personal responsibility thing?

The fact that she's on a waiting list with the National Health Service (NHS) means she probably can't afford to pay for one out of her own pocket.

And at least NHS offers free hearing aids. Most private insurance plans don't pay for hearing aids. She'd be SOL in the United States, most likely.

Lastly, priority for the free hearing aids from British NHS are for war veterans and retired police. Sorry. Sorry, but, war veterans should come first.

Most likely, this old lady is better off in the UK: at least she'll get a hearing aid eventually, on NHS. She obviously can't afford to buy one out of her own pocket, or she could go out tommorow and get one from a private company. And private insurance wouldn't help her - they generally don't cover hearing aids.

She cannot buy a hearing aid from a private company it is illegal to practice private medicine in Canada.

 

[Angel Heart]

She's not in Canada. She's in the UK.

 

[Edward]

Medicaid will pay for a hearing aid for poor elderly Americans....but not for rich elderly Americans...as it should be....

It's Medicare and not Medicaid jackass that provides most of the care to the elderly. At least try to get your facts straight before making idiotic posts because you are beginning to sound as un-intelligent as the people who represent you which isn't saying much for either of you.

 

[Edward]

She cannot buy a hearing aid from a private company it is illegal to practice private medicine in Canada.

She isn't in Canada retard. Try getting your facts straight before posting or you will begin to sound like your representatives do when they talk out of their asses about things they have no knowledge of.

 

[lieberalism]

at least she wont have to hear any liberals

 

[Edward]

at least she wont have to hear any liberals

Since she has a hearing aid already I am sure she will be able to hear liberals just fine. It is interesting how everyone here has failed to mention that she already has a hearing aid and that it works fine and that she wants a new type of hearing aid and is on a waiting list for it. There are other people ahead of her on the list and she can either wait and continue to use her current hearing aid or she can purchase a hearing aid on her own.

 

[DeadCanDance]

She cannot buy a hearing aid from a private company it is illegal to practice private medicine in Canada.

This is the UK, not canada.

You can't buy private insurance in canada, but you sure as heck can go out and buy medical supplies from a private company or store. This lady could, if she had the money to pay out of pocket.

You can buy supplemental private health insurance in the UK.

The point is, that private insurance is irrelevant: they normally don't cover hearing aids.

Someone pointed out that she already has a hearing aid, and is on the National Health Service waiting list to get a new one.

As such, she's still better off in the UK, than here under this scenario.


Finally, this thread was a laughable, and false example of the pitfalls of universal health care

 

[Truthmatters]

yes

they could probably afford better health care and a better retirement if they hadn't been forced to contribute to social security and medicaid for 4+ decades

do you have any idea how many Americans are living on SS ALONE!

They paid in all their lives and worked.

You see in a freemarket system often times the ones left behind and unable to save anything beyond just staying afloat are the lower middle class.

You would have them starve in the street even after adding to the economy all their lives wouldnt you?

 

[ScreamingEagle]

The point is, that private insurance is irrelevant: they normally don't cover hearing aids.

It's also irrelevant because at 65 everybody in the U.S. goes onto Medicare. After 65 is when most people need hearing aids. Employers normally do not offer private insurance beyond that age. So, by and large, all seniors are on government health care in our country. Many pay for supplemental insurance because Medicare does not cover for everything. Perhaps one of those supplemental (to Medicare) insurance companies would cover for hearing aids?

do you have any idea how many Americans are living on SS ALONE!

They paid in all their lives and worked.

You see in a freemarket system often times the ones left behind and unable to save anything beyond just staying afloat are the lower middle class.

You would have them starve in the street even after adding to the economy all their lives wouldnt you?

Quit being dramatic. Nobody on the right is suggesting we don't take care of the elderly according to the current system they paid for. However, for younger generations it would be a good thing to begin switching over to individual private insurance where everybody gets to plan for and control his own health care needs. HSAs (health savings accounts) are a step in the right direction.

 

[DeadCanDance]

Originally Posted by DeadCanDance

The point is, that private insurance is irrelevant: they normally don't cover hearing aids.

It's also irrelevant because at 65 everybody in the U.S. goes onto Medicare. After 65 is when most people need hearing aids. Employers normally do not offer private insurance beyond that age. So, by and large, all seniors are on government health care in our country. Many pay for supplemental insurance because Medicare does not cover for everything. Perhaps one of those supplemental (to Medicare) insurance companies would cover for hearing aids?

So your point is that British NHS is better than both medicare and american private insurance - since neither one typically pays for hearing aids?

This woman is getting a free hearing aid. Bottom line, even though she's on a waiting list.

She could go out tommorow and buy one from a private medical supplier, if she could afford it.

So, your whole post suggests that - in this case - British NHS is superior to what this woman would have faced in the U.S.

LOL

 

[Truthmatters]

Bingo DCD!

 

[ScreamingEagle]

Originally Posted by DeadCanDance

The point is, that private insurance is irrelevant: they normally don't cover hearing aids.

So your point is that British NHS is better than both medicare and american private insurance - since neither one typically pays for hearing aids?

This woman is getting a free hearing aid. Bottom line, even though she's on a waiting list.

She could go out tommorow and buy one from a private medical supplier, if she could afford it.

So, your whole post suggests that - in this case - British NHS is superior to what this woman would have faced in the U.S.

LOL

I'd say both systems suck. This 108yo woman is going to have to live in a world of no sight and no sound for the next 18 months, probably the rest of her life. You call that a "superior" system? I'd like for you to try living 18 days with no sight or sound…

Under British socialized medicine "hundreds of thousands of hundreds of thousands of older people made to wait up to two years and sometimes more for modern digital hearing aids that make a dramatic difference to their ability to hear and communicate."

In the U.S. Medicare does not provide hearing aids. Medicaid does. I thought maybe private supplemental (to Medicare) insurance would cover such a cost but I was wrong. I did some research and it seems most will not because there are too many older folks who need hearing aids and of course we know that would erode their profits. Typically insurance companies will cover cochlear implants but not hearing aids. Ain't insurance coverage grand? /sarcasm - I have no special love for insurance companies.

This is just another reason why I support HSAs. If people began saving in their HSAs when young, by the time they needed hearing aids they would be easily able to afford them. I think we should return to people paying directly for most of their regular health needs including visits to the clinic for smaller issues. Leave the insurance coverage for the big more expensive issues. If people know that they will be responsible for their own health care, then people will plan for and take care of it instead of leaving it in the hands of incompetent government plans and money-grubbing insurers.