Your Health System

[Redeemer]

Hey guys, I was wondering if you could maybe tell me a little about your health system and how it works? I'm doing some research for uni and I think this may help me get an international perspective on things.

I'd love it if you could answer these questions...

1. What country are you in?

2. Who funds your health system?

3. Do you need to pay for your health care?

4. How does your health system function? Are they fast, efficient, reliable?

[conaly]

Hi,

Germany. Our system is made of two parts: public health insurance and private health insurance.

The public ones are supported by the government, so everyone (even unemployed or people who only get social benefits!) has this insurance, but also has to pay for it. The costs are mostly at a acceptable level, as they are regulated by the government, but every public health insurance may demand some additional money on own discretion. So everyone can chose or change the insurance if necessary (i.e. when one rises the prices). There are six public insurance companies.

If you want to be a customer of a private insurance, you must earn at least 4200€ per month or be a freelancer. Being a public servant even requires a private insurance. But the insurance is much more expensive.

The main difference is level of service. Public insured people often have to wait much longer for a appointment at the doctor's or even for an operation. And you only get what you need, additional things have extra costs, even if they would help you much better. Private insured people are treated much better, faster and even get private rooms in hospitals. In most modern hospitals there are even separate wings for them.

The main advantage of the whole system is, that everyone has an insurance and nobody has to worry about, whether he can afford a mandatory surgery or not. The disadvantage is a two-tiered society, as most of the public insured people believe, they are like the dirty leftovers, although 87% of Germany's population is member of a public insurance. Also there are very often conflict between the public health insurance companies and the doctor's offices and hospitals, mostly about money. Doctors, especially in rural areas are often underpaid, so they can't accept lower wages. Last year for example, Bavarian dentists did not accept some new contracts with the AOK (the biggest public insurance company), so for about a month members of this insurance were not accepted by dentists, except for extremely important operations. The insurance is also one of the most important parts in every election campaign, although nothing really changes afterwards...

[Drasiana]

1. Canada!

2&3 Answer Combo: Most healthcare is publicly-funded. Some things we still need to pay for, like prescription drugs or specialty doctors like optometry, dentistry and chiropracty (though they all may be cheaper/free depending on employee benefits or other healthcare plans that vary from province to province). Currently, I don't have any healthcare plan but I'm not overly worried about it because I'll be taken care of in case of Serious Things.

4. It kind of depends. In some areas there are staffing issues, resulting in longer wait times. I gouged my finger open once trying to open a can of paint when I lived in Alberta and sat in the emergency room for three hours (after a nurse LOST MY CHARTS). By the time I saw someone to get stitches, the gaping wound in my finger had actually stopped bleeding. On the other hand, when I sprained my neck in a grade eight gym class, I was in and out of a chiropractor's in like ten minutes with full instruction on what was wrong and what I had to do to make it feel better. Those are really the only major things I've needed immediate attention for though, all my other medical visits have been for illness, which have varied in wait times and good doctors.

[Ala1n-J]

Just asked my dad on the subject and I hope I didn't misunderstand what he said :

1) France

2) Mostly paid by social contributions, through jobs and activities, both employees and bosses.

3) Like in Canada, some things can be free, but most of the time, it usually makes medical spendings cheaper. But if one wants higher protection, he/she can subscribe a medical insurance he/she pays and in return his/her medical spendings are more covered.

4) On the plus side, it's a solidarity-built system and everyone participates in it. But actually, everyone has to. You cannot say "I won't give any social contribution", you must. The negative side is that the "social security" as we call it is paid by jobs. Less jobs, less money for the health system. We have then to increase taxes to fill the gap. Our biggest problem is not the health system itself but the lack of staff. Medical studies are long and expensive, and mostly medical jobs suffer from unappealing conditions and lack of consideration (my dad who is an anesthesist talks about the lack of new people in his service in hospitals). So yeah, I think that's all. Hope it'll help you.

[Harlow]

1) Venezuela

2) There are many public Goverment-driven healhcare programs, but they aren't too reliable, especially looking at the extremely unprepared doctors they prepare. Supposedly this is how a kid got his cure for a fracture on his arm

http://img535.imageshack.us/img535/2259/343f.png

3) I think, because I'm not really that sure, it's a hybrid system. One can pay for private health care or go public.

4) I'm not that sure how it really works. My family has the luck they can rely on family doctors and that there hasn't been a lot of emergencies. They can pay more specialized care. On the public side, it's really complicated to explain for me. Supposedly, it's easier for unprivileged people to get health care in the state l live, but I'm not really the one to explain

[Redeemer]

Hmm, I see... Thanks everyone! I'll answer my own questions as well, incase any of you are interested.

1. What country are you in?

Scotland, UK. :3

2. Who funds your health system?

The Government, namely the Department of Health.

3. Do you need to pay for your health care?

No, cost is included in taxes. Prescriptions are also free since last year.

4. How does your health system function? Are they fast, efficient, reliable?

Not very well. The NHS (National Health Service) used to be the pride and joy of the UK, being "fast, efficient and FREE healthcare". But these days, sure it's still free, but you are fucked around quite a lot. Waiting lines for things such as joint replacements, cancer treatments, scans, tests, etc. have huge waiting lists, and more often than not, your appointment is cancelled and rearranged to an even later date.

There have been some very severe cases of people losing their jobs thanks to the NHS, because the NHS is like "Hey, we want to see you on this date, tell your manager". You do so, then the NHS is like "Actually wait, we need to see you in another couple of months, we're too busy and short-staffed", so you tell the new date to your manager. After a while, said manager gets pissed off and fires you on the grounds of "too many sick days". Which is perfectly legal over here.

When I was... 11/12? Hard to remember. Anyway, I broke my ankle, and I was rushed to A&E from school, and I waited there for about 4 hours before a doctor could even look at me. That's a pretty scary experience when you're that young.

Personally, I haven't had many problems as a patient, but when I was working in placements as a student nurse, I reported a couple of things that would make you sick. I can't go into detail for professional reasons, but those nurses were heavily punished. If I recall correctly, I think one was fired, or she quit before her disciplinary hearing because she knew she was in big trouble.