For those in European countries - is the national health system as "bad" as Americans make it out to be?

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Millie

The National Health System is the British system, other European countries have very different systems. The British NHS is not good but still better than in the US in the sense that everyone has access to primary care and health care is completely free. The major drawbacks of their system are 1) you can't choose your doctor, 2) long waiting lists for surgery.

France has a completely different system which ranks # 1 in the world according to the WHO and in which you are free to go to any doctor or facility you want anywhere in the country. It is easy to get an appointment the same day and surgery as soon as needed. It is not a socialized system, it's mostly private practices. What is socialized is the health insurance system. Everyone is covered by a national health insurance which covers about 80% of medical costs on average (100% for cancer and other long diseases). Then people may choose to buy a private insurance or not to cover the rest, considering that it is only 10 € to 50 € a month and that medical costs are much lower than in America. The poorest get a 100% coverage. No one is left out from high quality care. From a patient's point of view, it works great.

I don't know the Spanish system very well but on vacation there once I was able to see a doctor of my choice easily without notice and it was very affordable so I know that access to primary care is good.

Someone from Greece told me that their system was very poor and is trying to bring her family to the US. Otherwise, most European countries, especially the richer, western ones usually have far better systems than in the US. America does not have a health care system, only a health business system.

In any case, Europe is not a country, it is a continent with different nations, each nation having its own health care system, with a lot of differences from one system to another, but on the whole good universal coverage and good quality (with the exception of at least the UK and Greece).

kia

watch "sicko". i think the movie makes a good point. but you are right, every system has problems of some kind. we will never know what socialized health care is like in America. there are too many people that would not give up the hold they have on money and power. ( doctors, insurance companies, pharmaceutical companies, ........)

Dillicious

I would think most European countries have a better healthcare system than the United States, our healthcare system is garbage.

bgee2001ca

It works, It is not perfect, and it certainly is not anything like what the industrial medical complex in the U.S. wants Americans to believe.

The problem is you have been told the untruths for so long, you now do not even question it for the most part.

tessan_bc

My opinion is that it works (I'm Swedish). As you say, there are always some flaws in every system - but compared to the US, we get better health at roughly half the cost, and people aren't burdened with worrying about what would happen if they got seriously ill.

Bob H

Americans don't say socialized medicine is bad; the AMA and the drug cos do. And the insurance companies charge what they want, unless you're sick; in which case, they don't insure you at all.

alex

Hi
Im from Spain and yes the national health system works. The Spanish one i would say is not and example but its not that bad i guess.
Systems like Noriega's,Swiss, work pretty good. About being overrated the answer ( for what i know ) is YES, but thats cos of the in migrants, that suture all the medical systems with-out paying etc.. Its a problem to solve. But in general it those work.

ShlomoNYC

In Europe Britain has the NHS - National Health Service.

In Germany every employee has to buy healt insurance - there is no national health system. The government spends less on health than the US government since all employees have health insurance. Some self employed people do not have health insurance. So the US system is more socialist than the German one. They face the same problems as we do: rising costs.

hating the imprints & the girl

Well, I can afford to die but I can't afford to get sick.
Does that answer your question?

Unbekümmert

no, it's without a doubt better of here

the_best_blonde_barbie

yes

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