In America, we do NOT DENY ANYONE healthcare. Did you know that? They can walk right in to any healthcare center, and they are INSTANTLY taken care of! From what I understand, that is a whole lot faster than you are-)
What YOU are talking about, is HEALTH INSURANCE. Health insurance, is NOT healthcare!
Now my European friend, let me ask you a question-----------> You are sick, really sick! You have your charming and delightful National Healthcare insurance. You go to a facility, and they tell you they will run tests, in 4 months.
I go to MY healthcare facility, and they run the tests the next day, or within 5 days.
YOU DIE because the tests are to late to diagnose your problem. They pay.
I live, but they send me a bill!
Who is better off?
And if you say YOU are, you must be French, because they always surrender-)
I did know one can get primary care in any hospital. My wife is American by the way. No it's not faster then in my country ( although I can't vouch for other European countries). It's actually after that that the US lacks. What you guy do is making it economical unfeasible for certain segments of the populace to receive decent care. I know this because exactly that happened to my brother in law.
As to your question. Again I can't speak for all of Europe honestly, because I don't know how it is in every country in Europe. What I do know that here,( Belgium) . You get seen by a doctor quickly. One even comes to your house if you are not mobile. If you get really sick or hurt care is immediate. As an example I've been having headaches lately a lot. My GP send me to get a CT scan in my local hospital. At no point was there cause for alarm yet I got my scan in 2 weeks. My wife on the other hand, (this was before we got married, so no insurance), broke her ankle here pretty badly. She got seen, operated on in one hectic afternoon. Nobody asked her how she would pay for it and they even made a follow up. This of course is all anecdotal. What isn't that the US has the most expensive healthcare system in the world by far. Yet for most health indicators the US score below most of Europe
Well, at least you are real.
Let me put it to you this way, and I hope you really read this----------------> In a perfect world, I believe that healthcare should be a mix of government subsidies, AND personal control of cost, with the recipient being able to KEEP 1/2 of the subsidy, if he/she comes in UNDER the subsidy, returning the other 1/2 to the government.
Why?
Because then the patient will attempt to get the LOWEST cost for their care, forcing healthcare facilities to COMPETE for their business, just as if you are purchasing a car, or beef, or oil, or natural gas.
Without the patient being given incentives to lower costs to themselves, nobody wins. The providers know if they give good or bad service, they get the same amount, or the patient knowing that no matter the service they receive, the government pays it, no entity has incentive to do anything.
FREEDOM is choice, plain and simple. You will only CHOOSE something different, if it benefits you! Those giving YOU healthcare will want those dollars, so they will alter what they provide by price, or care, so as YOU choose them.
Do you like money? So do they! So by competition, they will try to get more people to spend their healthcare dollars there. And there is only 2 ways to do it. Lower prices, or better care. That is a win-win! And then, you will get facilities who will offer lower prices, and BETTER than average care! If you get to keep 50% of the subsidy, you WILL be looking for that!
This is why SOCIALISM does NOT work! As long as something is free, the product doesn't have to get better, and as long as somebody else pays for it, the price never has to come down!
Actually not true. There is incentive to make it cheap. If healthcare is expensive the government has to make up the shortfall. They have to raise taxes then. You think that wouldn't effect their ability to get reelected. I'll give you a few practical examples, forgive me that they will be again anecdotal. My town population around 35000 is serviced by about 15 people who administrate our health insurance.( State run). Between the people who administer your several health insurance providers, pharmacy techs who's sole job it is to call those providers to fill scrips, medical billing and coders and other staff. How many people does it take to service 35000 people in the US? My GP doesn't have a secretary in fact almost none of them do. That simply isn't possible in the US. Most of the middle men between patient and doctor has been eliminated here, all people you don't have to pay. So is most of the for profit motive. One of my wives friends in the US had a lapband surgery 2 years ago. It took her 2 years, countless doctors visit, and thousands of dollars to get it done. My wife had a gastric bypass last year. It took her 4 months, 1 doctors visit and 1 full day of tests. What's cheaper and more efficient?
Point taken!
How many people reside in Belgium?
Do you have an influx of legal, or illegal aliens, that your government wans to give free healthcare to also?
Do you belong to NATO? And if so, how much does your country pay, allowing more money for social services?
What is YOUR personal tax rate. and are you personally considered middle class?
All these things are pertinent. I am NOT trying to delve into your personal life, that is NOT my objective. Rather, it is to show the stark contrast, between our life and yours, if there is such a disparity.
EXAMPLE----------------> As I type this, because of my (as I believe) lower tax rates, I am a former blue collar worker, partially retired, living in a paid of 2200 square foot house, in my rec room that has a wet bar, on 1/4 acre, with 3 vehicles in my driveway, AND a 36 foot RV(recreational vehicle) I can travel my beautiful country with, whenever I choose.
This is my life, with low tax rates, without NATIONAL HEALTHCARE!
Of course, I DO have healthcare, because I worked, retired, and my former employer pays for it!
Sooooooooooooooooo, if I live better than you do being just a former blue collar worker, you are suggesting that I live less, so that those who made BAD decisions in life, have healthcare, while I give up my stuff to make them happy.
Is that how the world is supposed to work?
And I will inform you---------->while working where I worked, I watched THOUSANDS of people hire in, and QUIT! The work was NOT worth the pay, or benefits they were to receive. NOW you want me to SUBSIDIZE those same people? You are kidding me, correct!