After 20 years in the USA I moved to the UK, as a 50 year old male, this move added 2 years to my life expectancy. I now live in a country where the healthcare focus is on preventative care rather than cost or profit. I pay about 12% of my salary in national insurance contributions. I have no co pays, i get free prescriptions (due to medical need not ability to pay), there is no limit to the cost of any procedure that I may need. Here, I will never even see a breakdown of my treatment cost.
When i lived in the USA I used to have to negotiate with insurance companies for cover for my employees, something that as an engineer I was completely unqualified to do. Nevertheless dozens of families relied on the decisions that I had to make. This was done with no knowledge of their medical needs. All that I considered was the cost of the various care packages. Each year these packages provided less coverage for more money.
Here in the UK two terms are unknown, "medical bankruptcy and pre-existing condition", cover is for life and is provided by a single institution the National Health Service. Even the most conservative British politician would not dare to advocate its abolition, it would be political suicide. The US system is considered a joke here. When I explain to a brit that if you lose you job in the USA you lose your medical benefits they are incredulous, image losing your healthcare when you may need it the most. So thank god for the socialists of 1950's Britain.
If this is what socialism can do, bring it on.
= new reply since forum marked as read
