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by vinc3nt on February 11th, 2007

vinc3nt

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How well does Socialized Medicine work in your country? When surgery is needed I understand that there is a long wait if the situation is not critical. How long do you wait for an office visit? What is the monthly cost? Are doctors and patients happy?

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Answers. 5 helpful answers below.

  • by jangobean on February 12th, 2007

    jangobean

    Well I'll try to answer as best I can, and I can only tell you of my experiences, others may differ.
    I live in England.
    You pay National Insurance Contributions, which are a certain percentage of your wage, so the more you earn, the more you pay. I pay around £100 per month. These are not voluntary contributions, you have to pay them, although private healthcare is available, you have to pay for that separately if you want it.
    The service you are provided with depends on which area of the country you live in, we call it the postcode lottery. The more affluent areas, usually have better hospitals and shorter waiting lists.
    How long you will wait really does depend on where you live and what it wrong with you. For instance, my dad had a double hernia, and had been on the waiting list for nearly a year, when he got a phone call from our local hospital asking if he'd be prepared to travel to a private hospital to have the operation done there, all costs paid for by the Health Service. Of course he agreed and the operation was done a week later. This was to cut down on the waiting list I presume.
    The Health Service at the moment is in crisis, there are not enough doctors and nurses, and not enough money to run it.
    My local hospital is a joke, god forbid I ever have to use it.
    Although I think access to healthcare for all is vital and I would not want any other system in place, I sometimes wish I could have the choice of opting out and using my National Insurance contributions to pay for private healthcare.

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  • by Dying poor on November 22nd, 2009

    Dying poor

    Well I live here in the good ol usa and this system is a joke. I dont care if I pay 2 or 3 or even 4 % more a year in taxes so that my fellow man (or woman) have proper health care. Medical care should be a human right!!!!!!!!!

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  • by frafocha on November 6th, 2009

    frafocha

    In Spain the system works optimal.Waiting lists are short and you get first and follow up visits with your primary in a week tops. Appointment with specialists are also fast to obatin. You do pay a stipend substracted from your monthly income. For emergent procedures the response time is even faster. Doctors are unhappy due to their low income but patient satisfaction is optimal.I know this facts because i trained in Spain but currently pracice here in the US, and the situation here is getting worst and worst , what a shame

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  • by DavidHume on February 25th, 2007

    DavidHume

    Pretty well. The cost in the UK is dependent on your salary. In effect it is added onto your income tax. We pay overall about half what the U.S. pays, per capita.

    When I needed surgery I got it within hours, and a doctor's appointment is usually the next day or the day after. Doctors and patients, being human beings, are never totally happy, but I think it works well overall.

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  • by jin jang on February 25th, 2007

    jin jang

    In Canada there is not a long wait for surgery if it is more serious.For non serious cases it can be a few months,or more. Office visits are about the same amount of time as in the USA. The cost per month for a single person is around $50-$80 a month. As far as I know both doctors and patients are happy. There is very few doctor lawsuits,and everyone is covered totally.

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