Americans React: True Cost of US Healthcare Shocks the British Public
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- čas přidán 22. 01. 2024
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Reacting To My Roots
P.O. Box 439
Jasper, Indiana 47547
USA
In this video we react to the British public being shocked at the cost of US healthcare. This is a topic that we both find really interesting. It's amazing just how much people underestimate the cost of healthcare in America. The fact is that the US healthcare system needs a massive overhaul. I'm not sure what the answer is, but just maybe we can learn something from the NHS and British healthcare in general.
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I've worked as a nurse in the NHS for 15 years, it's a great thing. But it's overwhelmed now. It was made post war, we live longer and it hasn't adjusted. People still make alot of money out of it. I think there are alot of good and bad about both systems honestly. But I'm grateful we don't have to pay like you guys. We just have to wait for treatments which isn't good. Covid has effected things massively here.
Appreciate your perspective as a nurse who works in the NHS. It's refreshing to see someone admit that the topic isn't completely cut and dry (i.e. one is ALL good or ALL bad).
The waiting for treatments issue is the main complaint I've always heard about in regards to socialized healthcare and it seems like it would be a pretty big problem if you're having to wait for (possibly?) life saving treatment. On the other hand, I definitely see how not having to worry about cost would be a huge relief.
I think like most things in life, the solution lies somewhere in the middle of both systems.
I'd be curious to know more about how Covid has affected the NHS specifically--is the system just so much more inundated with sick people, or did the interruption in supply chain cause majority of the issues or what?
Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Surely this waiting times is a funding thing under the Tories waiting times are longer due to the under investment under labour waiting times dropped to 3 weeks Tories under investment is deliberate they are trying to make it so bad they can sell it off to their friends
@@reactingtomyrootsMany many countries have Socalised healthcare and many have much shorter waiting times than the USA and more beds. Where i live in south west England I'm seen by my GP the SAME DAY! And I've had both emergency and non emergency surgery and NEVER EVER had a problem with wait times.
Also a nurse in the NHS.... and I wouldn't dream of working anywhere else.. but...
As my colleague above said the system is overwhelmed. We do pay for it, in national insurance and taxes, but right now it's badly managed and funded in many areas.
I work in mental health and generally if I urgently need to get someone a bed to save their life, we sort something out... but for those that need hospital admission but can just about be managed in the community? Well, there is pretty much always a wait list and it can become risky.
Still... I feel its a much better and fairer system than the US and rates much higher for positive outcomes.
@@reactingtomyrootsHi Steve the main thing during lock down was to protect the NHS as it was already overstretched so to stop it getting even further overstretched we were told to stay home lockdown was put in place for months and months , this had a knock on effect for other departments , operations , even cancer treatments . I don't even think parts of the u.s were even locked down ?? .
In the US you’re a customer, in the UK you’re a patient.
I think it's more accurate to say that in the US, you're a cash cow.
Literally commented saying the US healthcare is a business and the UK health care is a service
A victim with a wallet, more-like.@@PLuMUK54
Land of the free 😂😂😂
In UK is truly depends how good your GP is ,hard to get referrals to see specialist,I’m grateful for lots of things but nhs is not the same anymore,I had to go privately to get diagnosis, I paid around 7K for surgery,scan,blood test and anaesthesia, maybe is not much money for some but when you need surgery every 3-5 years sometimes sooner that’s a lot. I had good and bad experience with nhs, can’t comment much on private care coz not much experience. Dental care is feee for kids but if they need braces you can’t just get them you have to be seen by specialist and be qualified for it, if person unemployment they get basic care pulling teeth for free but again depending on your situation some cases your dentist can’t do procedure you need to be seen by surgeon and I know ppl who were in so much pain couldn’t wait anymore had to pay privately. As I mentioned we have good and bad,I’m in London so area could play a roll how quickly you could be seen. My neighbour for example was saved twice by nhs he had cancer they literally pulled him from death,my other friend though got miss diagnosed and ended up with stage 4 cancer she passed away at age of 35,coz her Gp said she’s to young to get cancer and wasn’t taking her seriously.
It’s truly crazy how expensive healthcare in the US especially for the middle class just insane ,it should be free and people shouldn’t be scared to call ambulance etc. best wishes
It quite crazy and sad that in the US owning a gun is a human right but having basic healthcare fir you and your family is a privilege, here in the UK it is the other way around.
And sadly, many Americans wouldn't want to change it.
Put that way… Very true and very sad
So true 👍
It should be both
@@GoldenTV3 so you would equate the life of your child to owning a firearm then?
Having to pay for an ambulance is the most insane thing I've ever heard. It's not a taxi lol
But people in the UK literally use it like this
At the moment it would quicker to get a taxi@@Our1960shouserenovation-dj3hd
Of people in the UK has to pay for an ambulance, even £10, maybe they wouldn't call one for the most ridiculous reasons.
I had to pay for a ambulance here in uk, back in 1970 accident knocked a young girl off her bike coming out of school rode out in front of me nothing i could do to stop, but they sent me a bill and it was not cheap £25 in those day a lot of money.
I think those who cause or have accidents through drinking or drug taking should pay for ambulance call outs. I would suggest a standard £25.
The issue is not the affordable care act it is the obscene profiteering of health care companies that make billions of profit from the misery of every USA citizen... that is where your anger should be focused
Thank-you. I was hoping to see someone who knew the real reason. The American people are being price gouged by the drug companies, whose profits are through the roof anyway.
Seniors who depend on Insulin to keep them alive are now only paying $35 a month compared to what they were being forced to pay before. They are trying to get it so everyone can have that same deal but the ones in the majority are fighting tooth and nail against it.
In England we pay a Prescription charge for meds, £9.60 per item or a season ticket style deal for £111.60 a year, which covers any amount of items.
Things like Insulin, Inhalers and Epi-pens are life saving items, therefore free.
One of the effects of a central and for-all health service is, they can drive down drug prices with their size of orders and value as customer, That is the main reason the British system pays much less for the same drugs, Size, The masses of people employed in administration and control in US insurance companies is an unnecessary cost,, A Nation or even large population State order of drugs would push down prices a lot.
But since Blair welcomed in the private sector, our NHS & tax payers are also being ripped off by private providers, though the NHS still remains free at the point of use, but for how much longer? My daughter’s a nurse. In 2014 my mother was taken onto HDU. It cost £3,000 per patient per night, with most of those costs going to the private providers who built the hospital and that’s true across the board. In the wake of the Mid Staff’s Scandal, ‘The Francis Report’ highlighted that failures there were due to putting profit before patient care.
The best Conservative Prime minister Britain ever had.Tony Blair.
😊
I had Testicular cancer at Christmas from finding out it took 7 days to have the surgery and treatment im so thankful to the NHS for saving my life and acting so quick.
Same disease, same outcome here #NHS
Hope that you are feeling better.
Wishing you a long and healthy life more here on in.
Was going to say something witty about this but suffice to say im happy you were treated so quickly. Good luck.
Stay strong matey.
British Pensioner here. True story. Just under 2 weeks ago I had an appointment with my General Practitioner regarding the results of a blood test. The results showed that I was severely anaemic. Within 30 minutes I was admitted to the emergency ward in my local hospital. Over the next few hours I was seen by a Doctor and a Consultant (senior doctor) and given a transfusion of whole blood after which I was allowed to go home. The next day I returned to receive a further 2 units of whole blood. 2 days after that I returned for a CT scan and am currently awaiting an outpatient appointment for further tests. Cost to me, Zero. All the medical staff I encountered have been nothing but awesome. I have no doubt that despite the current problems the NHS has, (most of which are due to political interference by the Tory Government) for all but the most wealthy of people it beats the American system hands down.
Hope that you are feeling well now.
Wow that story was exactly the same for me. Blood test at noon, phone call with result by teatime (Dangerously anaemic) and a couple of transfusions that night in a hospital bed. Then back the next day for a "bag of neat iron". It made my arm itch but cost nothing!
Hope all goes well for you, Tony.
Regards, Lucky to be alive, Helen in the UK. #SaveTheNHS
Ive got the same story my family have a genetic cancer mutation , 4 people including my grand baby, the NHS saved her life( adrenal cancer) at 8 mts old, they just operated on my daughter( brain surgery removing a tumour) who has recovered Amazingly with fantastic care obviously ongoing , they are all given MRI scans yearly ,brain and body for preventative care, hence the life saving treatments they have received so far All free at point of service, obviously not ‘Free ‘as we all pay for this with our taxes but the NHS is Amazing and most of us wouldn’t have it any other way, they certainly need better support from our government who have run them into the ground but special people work in the hospitals here it’s not about profit it’s about care!
Sadly Some people here in USA with an agenda would think your story is made up, I believe it 100% but the powers that be over here want to make lots of money, they fight tooth and nail and spread lies to keep it that way.
It doesn’t matter how much money is thrown at the NHS , it will never be enough.
A C-section costs the NHS $2000, and a natural birth is about $800. (Both free to the user).
So if it costs an average of $10,000 in the US, someone is making a 400%/1200% profit on other peoples basic rights.
The way the system works means that staff get paid a to more than in the UK. So costs are higher. I think the average nurses salary in US is over $100,000. So every aspect costs more, drugs etc
Also the UK system is cheaper due to less administrative costs (fewer middle men) and the efficiencies of buying goods and services in bulk.
Check the NHS payment scheme. You will find out that a birth is between 3000 and 10000 £, depending on the complexity. (Normal Delivery with CC Score 0, 2242£, antenatal standard phase 1107£)
@@user-rn3ny8fb1scame here to say this. We’ve had 2 babies in the US and 1 in the U.K. Total US cost was around $19k of which we paid $3k. I recall looking up the NHs tariff for equivalent natural birth and cost was around £8k including prenatal appointments etc. So US was double the cost, but also the experience was not directly comparable since the US was significantly better as a patient.
People fly in from all over the world to give birth here. Americans included.
Having to pay for an ambulance is crazy on its own.
The whole health care system in the US is one big con.
You don't have to pay for an ambulance if you have insurance that covers it.
Not saying its always affordable, but if you don't pay for it or get a job that does then you gotta pay for it down the line.
Here in England we're paying for each other.
So I could never use any health service and I'm still paying into the pot. Meanwhile some diabetic guy who can't stop eating, doesn't put one penny in the pot because he lives on the dole (welfare), then he takes literally millions of pounds worth of treatment, just to still end up back in hospital.
We have such an unfair and shit system. Nobody has a perfect one but if we didn't have the NHS over here, then private healthcare would be far more affordable.and of a much better quality.
@@samhilton4173 The price we pay for caring for one onother... some will take the p!ss, but I'd rather that, than we each have to pay for what we use, for I would already have lost my house.
@@samhilton4173 ''but if we didn't have the NHS over here, then private healthcare would be far more affordable.and of a much better quality.''
I think the US showed that is a lie.
@@thanerobbo4776not true, many of the hospitals and healthcare though private isn’t as good as the nhs, I have American friends who have moved here and are astonished by how good most of the nhs while still been free at time of use
some people are born with life long complications through no fault of their own and have no need for selfish i am alright jack people . the nhs is just about one of the only things left to be proud of in this country . @@samhilton4173
Many wealthy Americans or people who generally say 'NHS isn't free, you pay in taxes'. Yes we brits do, so on that basis, the US taxes should be alot less right? I mean, you're not getting even the most basic healthcare free right? Wrong, many states have a similar tax rate to UK. The idea that companies like Pfizer or Zeneca can profit SO MUCH from healthcare, is gross. In the UK and in many other countries, healthcare is a human right, not a privilege
It can't overall be cheaper for a society if it's citizens wait to see their doctor until the issue can no longer be ignored. Most illnesses and injuries worsens over time, some issues that could have been treated becomes untreatable. Can't convince me that it isn't a bigger win to have healthy functional citizens.
I think They pay twice for health care from what steve was saying? Monthly insurance payments plus again for their treatment, as the insurance just stop the bill being in the $10's thousands.
So True and thanks for that comment and insight.
Neither Pfizer NOR Astra-Seneca are reason for high prices in the US, the health insurers are the sole reason. US Healtcare is a system of middlemen. Nearly 90% of ALL of the money sent into the system is wasted on administration.
US government contribution to healthcare is around three 3 the UK per capita. So where has all the money gone? Owners directors and shareholders of US healthcare companies are evil profiteers.
I've heard of cases where poor people HAVE died from not being given the medication they need in the US so obviously not all poor people are getting what they need.
I know of cases, where people have died after not being able to afford their essential medication. I know an American, who's a doctor in the US. One day when we were moaning about the NHS (as we're apt to do) he said that he would except the NHS in any state after seeing people at the pharmacy, literally working out which meds they could afford that week and which they had to leave! PS. I never realised either that medical insurance dont pay the whole bill, even really good insurance. You have to meet the shortfall, whatever that may be!
If you want a better life for your family you would be netter off in Eurpe
My pen is only 5Euros my full. Medical bill for a mouth is about 55*"60 Euros
My P,D is free. If i have to visit the hospital is 6Euros my diealass isthe same ss a normal visits
We owen wree home which. means no second morgeing
The ownly downside is the more you earn the more on tax you have to pay
LOVE andHAPPY mew YEAR from CYzpUS
@@libradragon934exactly and how many Americans put off medical treatment because of the cost.
That’s gambling your health and possibly even your life.
But at $2000 an ambulance, I would be hesitant. Until I knew I needed it. Even with insurance and a co-pay of 20%, you would still pay $200. And that’s just for an ambulance ride.
When I was a young man I had to call an ambulance because I was doubled up in tremendous pain. I thought I was having an appendicitis or something.
The ambulance turned up in about 15 minutes. They checked me over and embarrassingly diagnosed me with indigestion. I’ve had indigestion before, but have never had it so bad before or since.
I was very apologetic at calling them out for indigestion. But they said it’s better to be safe than sorry. It would be a lot more work if you had left it and it was appendicitis and your appendix burst.
@@libradragon934 Gosh their medical care is like a blooming M.o.t, with the garage telling you whats wrong and you can only pay for the important stuff, "the cuts, bruises, bangs" etc...can wait.
That's Mental, they're treating humans like cars.!
As far as I'm aware all maternity care, before and after, is free just as it is in New Zealand.
One of the problems is, the US Health System is the most expensive in the world.. BY A MASSIVE MARGIN.. You would think it's THE BEST BY A MASSIVE MARGIN..
But it's rated lower than many other countries.. And in certain categories, it's actually ranked lower than a 3rd world country..
Now, obviously this not the 'major categories' but the fact that it's ranked lower in ANY category is just ridicules..
The US health system is run to make a profit, not to keep its citizens healthy. Therefore, doctors and nurses and hospitals and pharmacies in the US will try to keep their patients alive (so they continue to contribute to the health system) but not to keep them healthy (because then they wouldn't need to use and pay for the health system as much). It's not just the health system in America that keeps its citizens unhealthy, their diet and lack of exercise contributes to that as well, but the health system not trying to keep them healthy certainly contributes towards their profits. Whereas in the UK and most other countries, it benefits both the citizens and the healthcare system to keep the users healthy, so that people aren't over-using and abusing the system, because the healthcare system isn't run to make money, its run to try and keep the public healthy.
@@AndrewBroadhead-kb7oc I never considered that... Thank you for opening my eyes to ANOTHER reason to find it horrible.
What is a 3rd world country? I've been to a few of them and the healthcare is far superior than most of the "rich" countries.
Also the US is just capitalising off the average American family.
Sad but true!
The NHS is a treasure of the nation and should always be protected to the utmost of the British people. A thing a lot of people take for granted.
And abuse it.
It featured heavily in the opening ceremony of the London Olympics which to me was a very moving moment. The 8th Wonder of the World.
Poor people in the US regulatly die because they can't get basic care. The safety nets are inadequate. Diabetics have to pay for insulin! That's shocking.
Even more shocking, if you can't afford it you die 🙄
Apparently many people don't realize the law ensures treatment. If a person is in an emergency situation, such as a life-threatening situation because they couldn't afford their medication, then they need to go to any hospital emergency room. They will get the treatment that will save their lives.
The federal Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA), 42 U.S.C. § 1395, mandates minimum standards for emergency care. It requires all hospitals must treat a patient who is in the midst of an emergency medical condition until that condition is "medically stabilized" regardless of whether or not the patient can pay for the treatment.
An emergency situation is defined as any condition that is severe enough, whether physical or mental, that not being treated could result in the health of the person (or an unborn child for pregnant women) being in serious jeopardy, could result in serious impairment or dysfunction of any bodily function or part of the person, or any condition that could pose a threat to the health of a mother and/or her unborn child.
The hospital is required to provide treatment for as long as the "appropriate length of stay" generally approved for the condition they're being treated for is completed. If the person doesn't believe that they're well enough to leave yet, they can continue to receive treatment while they appeal the decision of the hospital to discharge them with a "patient representative" well-versed in the procedure for the appeal. However, if they fail the appeal, they may be liable for paying for the excessive length of their stay and treatment.
So, any person who is in an emergency situation because they couldn't afford their medication needs to go to any hospital or emergency room. They will get the medication and any treatment that they need in order to save their life. Whether or not they can pay for it.
Any hospital that doesn't provide immediate medical care is liable for possible legal action.
I know this is true from firsthand experience. My elderly dad was in an emergency situation, due to a high fever from an infection, one night while we were camping a few hours from the city where we live. We took him to the emergency room in the nearest town. Since it was very late at night, they couldn't confirm that the insurance my parents had would cover his treatment since they couldn't get approval until the next day. Still, as required, they ran tests and gave him a prescription for medication that we'd have to pick up at a pharmacy the next day. However, they didn't admit him as they should have, so he didn't get the treatment he needed. Because of that we had to bring him back the next day, at which point the doctors and nurses there during the day admitted that he should not have been discharged by the doctor who was there the night before and immediately admitted him to the hospital. He spent 2 more days there as they treated him.
Our reserved stay at the campsite was up a day before he was released and there were no other available places for us to stay. Had he been admitted the night we first brought him in, he could have returned home with us when our stay was up. Since he wasn't, we had to return home without him, then go back to the town the hospital was in and reserve a room at the hotel. After talking about what happened with the person at the desk of the hotel, they stated that that hospital had a history of not providing the quality of treatment the law requires. So they were nice enough to give us a discount on the cost of that night's stay.
While he was there my mom contacted a patient representative at the hospital regarding him wrongfully not being admitted when we first brought him in. After the representative talked with the doctors providing the care during the day, they admitted that the night doctor failed to provide the standard of care required of the hospital and that he should have been admitted immediately after we brought him in. After he was well enough to be released the representative made sure that all costs that my parent's insurance didn't cover, including those from the 2nd ER visit, the 2 days he had to stay, and the cost of the doctors and tests from those days, besides those from the initial ER visit, were waved. All my parents had to pay for was the copay for the initial ER visit.
So there is a minimum of standard of care that the law requires. Unfortunately, most people don't realize their rights about care and so they don't take advantage of them when they need it the most.
In the UK as soon as you know you are pregnant you get free medication, free scans and antenatal care as well as some antenatal classes. After the baby is born the mother gets free dental care and treatment for 12 months as well as free prescriptions.
and children get free prescriptions until they leave school
Steve/Lyndsey - There is an American family that moved to the US - they have just had twins.... Reach out to them... Think their channel is 94BM
In scotland's seperate NHS everybody still gets free prescriptions all the time
I always forget that England have to pay for their prescriptions
@@RollerbazAndCoasterDad yes the big con, 92% of English NHS prescriptions are free - all the free prescriptions in Scotland mean is well paid, in employment people get free prescriptions.
Three times as many tax dollars are pumped into the US health service by the American government (per capita) than in the UK.
What are the people in America getting for that tax investment?
They pay protection money to a Mafia of middlemen. Their taxes line the pockets of pharmaceutical companies. They are robbed again by insurance companies when they need protection. It is morally bankrupt.
Definitely agree with this statement!
Absolutely mental.. my dad was in a road traffic accident ambulance took him to hospital he was in coma for 3 days and in hospital for 13 months really horrific head injury’s.. And I’m glad we have the NHS …. Dread to think what that’d of cost in America.. dad made full recovery overtime .. Thank God for NHS ❤
Happy to hear your dad is doing better--and without the added stress of worrying about his medical bills. That's awesome! :)
Nothing to to do with a god or any other man made deity. Thank Aneurin Bevan, he’s the man who created the National Health Service. But glad to hear your dad had fantastic care from people who aren’t in it for profit and genuinely do a fantastic job.
@@reactingtomyroots my dad just had a camera stuck up his arse in Scotland - they found 10 "growths" and zapped them.
You get a camera stuck up your arse for free in Scotland!
[you also get cured for free as well - I should mention]
We also have Air Ambulance which is self funded
It's funded by public donations. And for one helicopter, our local air ambulance needs £12,000 PER DAY.
So please folks, dip your hand in your pocket from time to time.
It was a British MP after 2nd world war (tony benn I think) that said any country that can afford to go to war can afford health care for the people…. And here we are ..
@@AriesAdams-rb5lhbut also there was an issue with the health of people being drafted. There was a need to ensure the cannon fodder was healthier.
@@xhogun8578 ahhh maybe and which we all now benefit from it
Where I live in the Highlands, we see it very frequently. Because we're so rural. There's a lot of fundraising done here for them
When you are ill or injured the worry of that can be immense. To be worrying as to how to pay for treatment must be dreadful. Fortunately, here in the UK we do not have that, latter, fear.
My husband fell ill in USA the final bill a third of a million dollars ( that was in 1998 ) fortunately we had holiday insurance my granddaughter had cancer had6 months chemotherapy 3 months radiotherapy no cost to her parents my husband had 2 hip replacements no cost
OMG Glad we live in the fabulous UK with a fantastic health care system god bless our health care and all the workers in this environment in the UK
I'm from the UK but I have a long time friend from Portland Oregon in the US.
Though I'm more of a conservative voter on the political scale, I am a staunch supporter of the NHS system. My friend however was always a staunch supporter of the US healthcare system. This use to lead to arguments and in the end we had to agree to disagree.
Then a few years ago my friend suddenly dropped off the radar for a while. He wasn't on Facebook, he wasn't answering messages etc. Then after a while he suddenly reappeared and told me that he had had a stroke.
He was now half paralyzed and could no longer work. It was at this time that he asked me more about the NHS. He said he thought it was a good system now and that they were just getting ripped off in the US.
I was confused by his change of heart. But he explained and it became clear why he had such a change in attitude. Because he could no longer work he lost his health insurance despite paying insurance premiums for many years. The insurance company told him they would only pay out for a certain amount of the medical debt from his hospital stay and nothing towards the cost of the prescription drugs the doctor says he now needs.
Because my friend can't work due to his condition and the insurance won't pay out and he can't afford to pay the hundreds of dollars out of his own pocket, he just goes without the prescription drugs he should have.
He asked me what we pay for prescriptions here in the UK and I explained the system around prescription drugs to him and he couldn't believe that even if you do pay for them in the UK, then the price is so low.
I don't know how a country that claims to be so patriotic such as the US can let an army veteran who actually saw action, albeit years ago, go without the healthcare they need. It's like on the fourth of July they are all hugging each other but then come the fifth of July if that person next to you collapses but can't afford healthcare then just step over them.
If he’d have been over 60 and had a stroke in the U.K. he’d be except from paying for medication any way ( chronic conditions like stroke mean you do t pay medication costs , over 60’s get all medication free ).
Sadly, most people don't realize that there are assistance options available. I'm on Federal Disability as well, though not the Veteran's program. Since I am and am on a very low income because of it, I have to take advantage of the available Medicare system's support. I also use the available Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) Disability assistance. For me, Medicare covers 80% of all medical needs and prescriptions. DSHS covers the cost of the Medicare insurance premiums that I would normally have to pay and covers the copayments for my prescriptions that Medicare doesn't. For example, one of my medications would cost $9,900 a month without insurance, $1,980 with the 20% copay from Medicare, and $0 with the DSHS benefits. Without these programs, there's no way I would be able to afford my medications either. My costs are the 20% that Medicare doesn't cover for doctor visits and tests. Though there is an out-of-pocket limit there as well, where if you reach the limit during the year, the copay goes away and the rest is covered entirely for the rest of the year.
I'm not sure how much of that is available to him though, because I know that the VA has a different policy and coverage. He'd have to do some research to see if there are other programs that might be available to help him cover the medication's costs.
The ones who are in the worst position medically are those who are part of the middle-class. They make too much to be able to qualify for DSHS benefits but too little to be able to afford good medical insurance. They're the ones I feel the most sorry for when facing the U.S. medical system. My parents are in that situation. They're retired and living on their Retirement Benefits. However, they make just barely too much to be able to get the DSHS benefits but too little to be able to afford the good Medicare medical insurance coverage. So they're stuck with the low quality insurance that they can afford, with high out-of-pocket copays. It's sad that there's no middle ground, affordable assistance for people in the U.S.
Sadly, the government seems bent on reducing the budget amount given for basic assistance programs each year. Who knows how long it will be before even these basic benefits lose their funding.
I went to a&e with a strong like migraine pain which i don't suffer. I had a CT scan, MRI and finally dye CT scan which confirmed i actually had a brain heammorreage plus an angiogram to check for other aneurysms. I had to stay 2nights at no cost because is paid with the tax. It might be slow but as soon as you get admitted the level of care is excellent. Even in the hospital I was as it has a low rating for A&E🙏🏽
Hope everything is okay.
@@rickb.4168 It happened on December 1st last month . It came out of the blue as i was getting ready for bed i felt a sudden strong pain in my head really bad. I'm ok thanks, I'm now waiting for a follow up appointment with a consultant because during the scans they found out my brain ventriculues are enlarged which is most common with people born with Hydrocephalus I have never been diagnosed with that, I'm 42 born in South America and never had developmental problems. I guess I'm an anomaly. 😉
@@WonderfulTulips-hj3lz hope it goes well for you.
Yet another good thing that the NHS does is health screening. I am 72 and in the past few years I have had aortic aneurysm and bowel cancer screening. Each year, I get blood pressure, cholesterol, kidney, liver and blood sugar levels checked. Zero cost to me.
I was on holiday in the US and in a car accident. I was taken by ambulance to hospital they charged $800 just to carry oxygen which I never even used. The overall bill was tens of thousands of dollars. Crazy crazy crazy.
Sounds about right!
Hope you took out full travel insurance
@@rmirmi8377 yes we took out extra insurance on the hire car As advised in the UK. thank goodness but the insurance company were vile.
Since 1948 (when the NHS was founded) not one person has been made bankrupt due to healthcare cost doesn't matter if you have money or not just go to the doctors or hospital never spent a penny Love it!!
That's about to change with the costs of cannabis the the doctors prescribed
Thank God I live in a civilised country.
I’m super grateful for the NHS. My mum who’s 85 (she had me late in life) has been in and out of hospital at least once a month over the last 5 years. With falls, bowel infections, lung issues, among many other things. I’d hate to think how much in debt she’d/we’d be if we had to pay. Especially cos the majority of the time she’s needed to be taken in by ambulance. It’s a frightening thought.
I can relate to that. My mum was ill for many years including falls, strokes etc. We had to call for an ambulance countless times. We'd be bankrupt. I have hypertension and epilepsy. I'm very grateful that I don't need to pay for my medication.
@@alfiekelly5914 the thing that annoys me tho, is those who take advantage of the NHS. “Oh you’ve got alcohol poisoning?? Well that’s your own fault!” Just don’t drink too much! Those kinds of people don’t need to take beds up. When it’s self inflicted and they end up in hospital, it drives me insane. When there’s people like my mum, your mum and yourself who very well needs these beds, but they’re taken up by those taking advantage of the NHS. It just really gets to me. I apologise for the rant!
@@TheJaxxT No need for apologies. I agree. Even myself. I'm a clumsy sod and have taken up a lot of NHS time because of stupidity. Falling down a lift shaft is my most embarrassing one. Only one floor, but still brainless. I had a grand mal (tonic-clonic) seizure in Scarborough. That one wasn't my fault. The NHS were simply wonderful and still are.
@@alfiekelly5914 you sound like you’ve had a bit of a wild past! 🤣 I’m glad you’re ok now tho. And I hope the seizures are as far apart as possible. Ideally non existent! But yes the NHS is amazing
@@TheJaxxT . Lol. Yes I have a past with ridiculous accidents! Thankfully the meds seem to be working now. I have faceplanted a few times and broken assorted bones, but no major seizures. Thank you for that sentiment. Much appreciated.
It amazes me that sometimes there is still a bill a pay even though you have insurance
Not sometimes, most times 😉
I suppose the bottom-line is that life expectancy is roughly 2 years more in the UK than in the US.
As of March '23:
The average life expectancy in the UK has risen from 68.63 years in 1950 to 80.43 years in 2020, compared to 68.06 and 77.41 respectively in the US.
Or, +11.8 years over 70 years for UK, and +9.35 years for US.
UK has dropped from 10th longest lived nation to 36th. Same time, US has dropped from 13th to 53. Out of 200.
Okay... a quick Google... C19 (from 2019-21) knocked off 2.4 years - 78.8 to 76.4 (two decades of life expectancy growth) from US life expectancy. Peer nations lost just 0.3 years.
Gee. Sus.
According to Worldometer, as of this year, UK is now 30th at 82.31 and US in 47th at 79.74. Hong Kong number 1 at 85.66.
Huge gun crime/homicide rates and the subsequent deaths of mostly young adults account for the difference. The USA actually has more centennials per 100,000 than the UK so the health care can't be worse can it?
@Coxy_Wrecked Per capita it's lower.
@@Coxy_Wrecked Yeah, not being able to access healthcare will make no difference. I guess...
Due to the NHS Brits can afford to chase cheese down a hill .
lol I just said that a while ago in reply to a post asking do American feel the need to try and not do things that might get them injured and another one saying the person wouldn't feel safe leaving their home if they lived in the US.
Lol 😂
Dangerous passtimes have been going on in the UK for way way longer than healthcare has been around
The NHS is absolutely incredible. We do have to pay for dental care and optician appointments but otherwise the NHS is not charged for. In Scotland we even have free prescriptions for medication . So medication that is prescribed by a health professional is free.
I'm in Scotland, on 2 kinds of medication and cost me nothing. Healthcare is a human right here.
Same in Wales. 6 types for me!
Scotland have free prescriptions too? I always forget that England have to pay for their prescriptions!
Unless the doctors prescribe you cannabis then you can just pay for your medication and pay the NHS for nothing
In Scotland on 5 daily medications, all free. We also have free dental care for all under 26
For 18,000 dollars out of pocket , wouldn't it be cheaper to go to Canada for treatment, heck it would be cheaper to fly to the UK
If you are not a citizen they would charge.
That is why the NHS is struggling. Medical Tourist. It's wrong.
@Nonnie77 Not true at all, non-UK residents getting NHS health care have to pay for it.
The NHS is struggling because it's been massively underfunded for many years
@@Draiscor I know non residents have to pay BUT there are people who get free treatment.
@@DraiscorI don’t think it’s that much underfunded, more a case of too many chiefs and not enough Indians. Also spending massive amounts on totally unnecessary initiatives.
I'm sorry but many people in America are not going to doctors or hospitals because they cannot afford medical insurance or that the companies pick and choose what they will pay for I'm so thankful I live in the UK and have access to the wonderful NHS xx the problem with the US is that insurance companies are just out to make money they dont care whether you live or die xx
Very true--it's a business!
Hello you two. SUGGESTION If you want a bit more depth about the NHS let me tell you about Mac and Blair. They are an American family who came to England about 3 years ago. They have a channel '9B4M The Family Adventures' We see them settle in and adjust to life in the UK, but the reason I point you to their channel is just over a year ago they announced 'We're Pregnant'. With four growing children they decided to have one last baby. To their great surprise they discovered they were having twins. They did a series of videos taking us through the NHS treatment they received during the pregnancy, Blair's 'ups' and 'downs'. It will show you both what you want to know about the NHS without any of our bias.
Yes great idea I follow these also x
Sorry, just seen this post, I posted pretty much the same thing before seeing yours. Here's a link to Blair's first video she made after giving birth and getting home
czcams.com/video/sX9HZWjASvI/video.html
Appreciate the suggestion! :)
Good suggestion their channel is very good, I watch it too. Good to see things through an 'outsiders' eyes.
@@AndrewBroadhead-kb7oc You offered the link which was brilliant!
When I have spoken to Americans about this, they don't quite get that we pay 9% of our pay into National Insurance. We don't have to pay for insurance on top. So you don't even see the money go as it is taken out with taxes which we also don't (unless self employed) do tax returns either.
But the tax that is from our wages doesn’t equate to 60 thousand pounds someone else mentioned in a comment for having twins… we literally pay nowhere near those crazy prices
People are the under the impression that National Insurance funds the NHS it doesnt. Yes we pay national insurance but its not for healthcare. National insurance funds the state pension. Maternity pay, sick pay and other government benefits. That is why you àre only eligible for state pension of you have pwid so much National insurance
NHS budget comes out of general taxation, so income tax, VAT etc. The NHS funding comes out that.
National insurance existed long before the NHS did
When people say we national insurance we do but it has nothing to do with healthcare. Ok the NHS budget is topped by National Insurance but we dont pay it for the NHS
Our NHS also brings the price of medication down in the UK, they won't accept being extorted by pharmaceutical companies and negotiate price until they get it down to an acceptable level.
That does mean that some medication doesn't become available in the UK, but those that do cost the UK taxpayer considerably less than the Pharma companies initially ask for
That's the beauty of the NHS, the government tells pharmas that we will give you 65 million customers for a negotiated price.
In the US individual health care 'providers' don't have the same clout so have to pay more.
The NHS is still the best but tories are trying to americanize it by backdoor privatisation.
Most countries look after their people. Especially health wise. Looking after their assets. Unfortunately Americans know no different. All about the benjamins.Talking about deductibles etc. The NHS is a godsend to millions.
My daughter became sick and dizzy on universal studio's in florida whilst we were on holiday. Spoke to staff and sent to first aid room. Unknown to us they called an ambulance and we went to a very empty casualty. They wouldn't even talk to her until accounts had rang our insurance and then every test going. She had heat stroke. We went back to the park with an interesting story. When we got home (uk) we got dozens of bills. Then threatening letters. Ended up being several thousand pounds. I had taken insurance out with the old Norwich union who were just superb. They even rang us to say do not give you're credit card details, they will empty your account. Insurance was about £30 for 4 of us for 2 weeks. Saved us about 20 grand. Disgusting
I had a similar experience. I became disoriented, had no idea where we were. Was taken to hospital and wasn’t seen until insurance paperwork was complete. Turns out I was dehydrated. They took a blood sample but I wasn’t given any particular treatment and after a few hours and recommendation to drink Gatoraid I was discharged. Bill to my insurance was $10K. Health care in US is just a moneymaking business not a caring medical facility.
In my 20s I became ill and they weren't sure what the problem was especially as I worked in the pathology lab. They did every test that they could. I spent over 3 months in hospital over the next year. I had multiple xrays, blood tests and other procedures as well as biopsies and a barium meal as well as emergency surgery and a five day stay in intensive care. I had another major surgery within 3 months.
I was off work for just over a year, but was on full pay (salary) for 6 months and half pay for a further 6 months but if I hadn't still been living with my parents I would have received financial aid as well. When I went back to work I was told I had my full years allowance of holidays to take and they had found 7 days I hadn't taken from the previous year so I was given 7 and a half weeks of holiday.
Total financial cost to me was nothing.
I know Americans are shocked at how much tax we pay in the UK but if you added in all the extra expenses you have I think you would appreciate more the peace of mind we have with our system
Americans always worry about higher taxes, but forget that they wouldn't be paying huge insurance premiums which don't even cover the whole bill.
I am diabetic and have very limited mobility. I am recovering from cancer. I basically have a boat load of problems. Every time I go to hospital I am collected from my home by an ambulance and taken to hospital, and returned home afterwards. It takes a crew of 2 to 3 men to do this. I had surgery 7 times as part of my cancer treatment. I have spent three months in hospital over the last three years. I have to take three medications every day. My treatment in every instance has been immediate and at a fantastic hospital rated as no 2 in the UK. All the staff have been great. What does this cost me? Zero. Even my medication is free. Yes, we pay in our taxes but it is only one third of our National insurance, thats about 3% of our income. Worth every penny and then some.
Pregnant lady here 😊 once you find out you are pregnant you notify your GP, you then get invited to meet your midwife around 8 weeks where you give all personal info/history etc and have bloods taken (checks risk of downs and edwards plus blood type, iron levels etc) and a general check up like BP and weight etc and you are given a pack with some leaflets and free prenatal vitamins. Oh you also pick your hospital at this appointment, you can deliver at any local hospital (unless you've had previous pregnancy complications so this may limit your options). At 12 weeks you go to your chosen hospital for your first scan which is where you get your estimated due date, bloods also taken and all vitals checked again and you get free photos of your baby. If you require a consultant (usually due to previous complications or due to age etc) you usually meet them around 14 weeks (ish) you discuss birth plans with your consultant, c sections, inductions etc if they are required. You see your midwife again at 16 weeks for a general health check to make sure mum is doing well. Next scan is at 20 weeks this is the anomaly scan where any issues are usually picked up and if god forbid there are problems you will see a doctor the same day. At all scans you also see a midwife for a general health check. This is a hospital midwife not your own midwife who works at your local GP practise, you see her at 8, 16, 24 weeks and then every 4 weeks unless she chooses to see you more often right up until baby is born and she also visits you at home once baby is born 😊 if you require extra scan for things such as checking babies growth they usually happen every 4 weeks from 24 weeks (ish) until baby arrives. Whilst pregnant all prescriptions become free until baby turns 12 months old, this includes dental treatment. Ladies receive a certificate that states we are pregnant and we just show the Chemist or dentist office. If you have an emergency during pregnancy such as bleeding you contact your local hospital (day or night) and attend their maternity unit to be checked/monitored. When you go into labour you call your chosen hospital so they know you are on your way and once there, you are given a midwife who looks after you, they usually have student midwifes working with them aswell. You have the option of birth pools (if available), you have your own toilet, bath and shower. A doctor only comes to help with delivery if there is a problem otherwise a midwife delivers the baby. Generally most mom's don't need to stay in hospital afterwards so usually you stay for around 8 hrs in the delivery room, you are given tea and toast after giving birth and once they are happy you aren't excessively bleeding you can go home. At home a midwife visits a couple of times to check you and baby, if mom has stitches then the midwife looks after that, you don't need to leave the house to visit a doctor. The midwife also does the babies heel pricks at home and weighs baby. Once a midwife is happy she signs you off and then you are under a health visitor who also visits your home maybe once a week for a couple of weeks and then she or her team are available by phone up until the child turns 5, we have clinics we can attend without booking an appointment to get baby/toddler/child weighed or you can go with any concerns etc. I personally love our maternity care and currently feel very looked after 😊
My son moved to the US 6yrs ago to work and is now married. He and his wife recently had twins that were premature. They needed to stay in hospital for a few weeks and even though they had amazing insurance, they are now landed with $60,000 worth of debt!
It’s just awful with a mortgage and 2 other children to raise. They both work in good jobs but it’s still extremely stressful.
They couldn’t afford to fly over for my daughter’s wedding.
The NHS has its faults but it’s the best.
Thanks guys
Sorry to hear about your son's situation! I can't imagine that amount of stress--and no one should have to--especially not parents with newborn babies to take care of.
I’m in uk, I had a bad accident and broke my hip, leg and wrist, was operated on same day, new hip, metal plate on leg, 19 days in hospital and 12 weeks Physiotherapy, follow up appointment, all equipment supplied and no cost, the nhs isn’t perfect but I’m so very grateful for it x
We are so ungrateful and forget how lucky we are with our NHS....The are so many " positive & negatives " about our country's it's always fun to see the comparisons. My own experience with American Health Care gave me a shock when visiting family over there in N/America was having to pay £150 for a Asthma inhaler & another £300 for a 3min Nurse consultation to get the inhaler. I have been posting 2 Inhalers a month to my wife's cousin over there for nearly 2yrs now. They only cost me £14.50 each in Britain.
That's an insane difference! It's very interesting to us, as well, seeing the comparisons of our respective countries. :)
In 2020, I was in ICU with COVID for 5 weeks, 4 of which I was in a coma. Then 3 weeks on ward for rehabilitation and physiotherapy,this includes psychiatric help for PTSD.
The charge I had to pay the NHS was nothing.
Absolutely fantastic doctors, nurses and ancillary staff.
I am so thankful for the NHS and the wonderful work done medical and hospital staff
I am in the middle of a course of dental treatment which is taking over a dozen appointments and so have to pay the highest NHS charge which is £306.80. That cost covers any amount of fillings, crowns, extractions, dentures that an individual would need. Cant really grumble as a private roof canal can cost £403 all on its own. The big problem is finding an NHS dentist in the first place. The only other medical cost I have is my glasses, the test is free but i still have to pay for the glasses themselves.
One thing you are missing out on from with a national health system is preventative action. The NHS informs and tries to avert people from becoming ill, or put themselves at health risks, using adverts, campaigns (some on TV etc.). You don't see this in the US as they would be diverting away individuals that would be ill and thus a profit generator.
Last year I was diagnosed with throat cancer and I’ve had multiple CT & MRI scans, 7-8 weeks of weekly blood test, 6 weeks of radiotherapy (Mon-Fri), chemotherapy once a week for six weeks, a feeding tube fitted/removed, three night stay in hospital, food supplements for five months as well as all the follow up care all at a personal financial cost of £0.00! I’m now in remission and receiving follow up treatment/appointments……….Thank you NHS! ❤ I should add that for the six weeks I was receiving chemotherapy and radiotherapy the hospital gave patients free car parking!
I have worked in research in the NHS for 21 years, it’s an incredible thing to over everyone unlike back home. We are very lucky in the UK and to get sick and not have to pay a massive bill is truly a gift,
The NHS is funded through taxes but we still don’t pay half as much as you do in the US for healthcare and you still have to pay excessive amounts for drugs and services (and before people say that we do have to pay for prescriptions it’s still no where near what is charged in the US and some drugs are exempt)
For Lyndsey re the maternity care again this comes from our taxes and we don’t pay any additional costs no matter what happens (certain services you can pay for and you can pay for private maternity care but why would you?) plus women can take up to 12 months off. Father’s also are allowed 2 weeks paternity leave. I had a c section and think that to have to pay to hold your baby is ridiculous
I am 89 since I was 60 I have had a full medical checkup yearly dental care is free until you leave school checkups cost £22 just had a root canal the cost was £70
you should watch one born every minute great birth show
Thank goodness for the NHS 🇬🇧 sometimes you might have to wait for appointment but that’s only if it’s not serious. In case of emergency you will be seen immediately. We’re very lucky and proud for our NHS and your treated as a patient and not a customer !!
So shocking. Especially since it's those in the middle bracket that bear brunt of the cost. It's hardly an incentive for getting a middle bracket job, or to start a family. I can't imagine the added pain and stress that the expenses add to a serious illness, or a child with something curable with the right treatment! It seems so cruel.
The one piece of US territory where you will not pay for an ambulance is the one you featured in an a video a week or two ago.
That is because you will, if necessary, be stretchered across the border into England.
From there, an English ambulance will take you to an English hospital.
To most of us, healthcare is a service, not a business.
I have two inhalers, one lasts a month, the other about 2 weeks, so I use about 3 per month. I also have bad Arthritis in my hands for which I take 3 lots of medication that lasts about 6 weeks. At around £9's per item I was starting to find it was getting uncomfortably expensive, but then I just turned 60 years old and now, it's all free... thank gawd!
The Scottish Government keeps banging on about free prescriptions but in reality the difference between Scotland and England is if you're in a well paying job in Scotland you get free prescriptions.
For those not eligible for free prescriptions, you can sign up for the NHS prepayment prescription thing. About £11/m via direct debit, and you get all of your prescriptions against that. If you're having to frequently get more than 1 medication per month it's a big saving
Did you have to pay for the inhalers? I was under the impression inhalers, Insulin and Epipens were free because they are considered "Life Saving" meds.
Edited to add: I'm not finding info on inhalers being free.
I could have sworn they used to be.
@@hellsbells8689 Inhalers certainly aren't free, I have to pay for my blue and brown inhalers. There are certain life limiting conditions that will make you eligible for lifelong free prescriptions, but asthma isn't one of them... at least not for most asthmatics, not sure if very severe asthma would qualify
@@hellsbells8689 I've been on the Arthitis meds for two years, but only started the inhalers just as I turned 60 a few months ago... so I really dont know if they would have been free prior to that.
I'm scottish. One time, I was at the doctors, and whilst waiting in the waiting room, an elderly american couple had just come out from a consultation with the doctor . They just came off the cruise ship . They kept trying to pay at the reception desk for the doctor visit . Was sad seeing them so unfamiliar with the concept of free health care no matter the person's financial circumstances.
It’s true…we do have a long waiting list for non-urgent treatment/procedures in the U.K. These would be things like cataract surgery, joint replacement etc.
But if your primary care provider suspects that your symptoms might indicate cancer, then you are put on a fast track 2 week referral programme. That means you should have an appointment with a diagnostic centre within 2 weeks and treatment is then fast tracked if diagnosed positive.
Early diagnosis is key to detection and treatment. So NHS recalls people over a certain age every 2 years for things like mammograms, lung tests, smear tests etc
In 2021-2022 year, over 100,000 people in the U.K. were diagnosed and treated for Stage 1 & Stage 2 cancers.
Also, If you have long term and/or conditions, you are called for an annual review with your primary care provider. This would include your blood tests and review of your condition and medication.
@@TheRealLoganJosh I wrote my comment based on what I know and from my own experience! 🤷🏽♀️
Come to America and Live in a Cardboard box.
The main waiting time is usually for cosmetic or non urgent surgery, with most of the private insurance, the NHS pays for the health care part and the insurance pays for all the extras such as private room/carpet on the floor etc.
I’ve seen reactions to this so many times. But ‘shut the fridge door’ girl is still adorable!
There was a follow-up video made in the US, where they interviewed Americans on the same subject. You should really watch it too, the level of copium some people displayed was astounding, they just can't get past the fact that socialised healthcare is NOT "Communism", it's just people looking after people.
A lot of Americans are somewhat mis-informed though, thinking that our healthcare is "free", it's not free, we pay a monthly tax from our wages called "National Insurance", that pays for our healthcare and any benefits we might need, so that, at the point of contact, we will not pay for healthcare because we've already been paying, just as with your healthcare you would be paying monthly but may not always need the treatment.
We also have privatised healthcare in the UK but people usually use it to get treatment sooner than they would on the NHS, a lot of the time the actual operation or treatment will be done in an NHS hospital, the NHS also doesn't normally provide frivolous treatments like cosmetic surgery unless it's needed for important purposes.
Also not everyone CAN get the medication/treatment they need with the NHS, there's an organisation called N.I.C.E. (The National Institute for Health and Care Excellence) which decides what will and won't be offered on the NHS. Sometimes their decisions can be controversial.
I think you're also showing a little bit of copium, you said your prices went up AFTER the "Affordable Care Act" but that's YOUR healthcare corporation doing that, not the government. America is RULED by corporations and they will fleece you if you/the government lets them.
12:47 No, The CORPORATIONS raised prices for everyone else so they can maintain their excessive profits. Because your government lets them. THAT is what should make you angry.
Only 19% of National Insurance goes to the NHS. The majority of the money comes from general taxation and a tiny amount from fees charged, such as dental fees.
Hey Steve, I didn't know where to request, but you should review the film 'Zulu'.
If you don't know it, it's about one of the most uneven battles in history when 120 Welsh soldiers fought against 2000 Zulu braves at the Battle of Rourkes drift.
You also talked about heart surgery. My husband had an emergency triple heart bypass which was carried out by a renowned surgeon who, in the same week, also performed a ground breaking procedure (a European first) on another patient. My husband stayed in hospital for a few weeks after his operation and afterwards received follow up hospital appointments as well as later local care by our GP (doctor). The cost to us was £0.
HAVING TO PAY FOR HOLDING YOUR BABY FROM ANY BIRTH IS FACISM
It’s a fairly old documentary now, so some elements are outdated but ‘Sicko’ by Michael Moore is a real eye opener and a great watch, comparing the US health care system with the NHS in the UK and the Canadian health system.
Just on NHS waiting times, it often depends on what your issue is and when you attend at the hospital. If you need urgent treatment then you are seen as a priority with little waiting time. However if you have a relatively minor issue and attend on a Saturday night when it’s busy, you may have to wait several hours to see a doctor. It’s simply down to people using the system when they perhaps don’t need to, adding to the queue as they know there’s no cost. So people will attend if they are unsure about something. However as I say if you need immediate care then you jump to the front of the queue.
With medical procedures there can be lengthy waiting times. If it’s something not seen as life threatening then you will have to wait longer than someone who is at serious risk and just manage your condition. It’s not uncommon to be given pain killers etc on prescription whilst you wait 2 months for a procedure. The NHS is not perfect. There are people who exploit it and overuse it. However as you point out in the video, the NHS provides a high standard of healthcare whilst taking out all the stress and worries of finance. Nobody has to worry about how they are going to afford an ambulance and treatment in the middle of having a heart attack. Cancer in the UK isn’t a cause of bankruptcy. Child birth is all about welcoming a new addition to the family not whether you can afford to give birth or pay to hold your baby.
I think American ex pats who live in the UK say it best. There’s many on CZcams etc who compare their experiences of both systems, who love the NHS and can’t praise it enough. I think that says it all.
Just to note, in the UK, the Public Healthcare the NHS provides is something everyone has access to by default. The waiting times aren't too bad but like you say will vary by area, depending on what you need and the urgency of it. If you go to the hospital for something urgent, you will be seen to very quickly. If it's something not urgent or routine, then you'll be waiting longer. For example, if you get diagnosed with cancer, they aim to start treatment within 2 months.
There IS the option of private healthcare too for those who wish to pay for it if the wait times are a big issue for you.
Another thing to consider is the NHS will see to you regardless of preexisting conditions. I've heard health insurance in the US can refuse to cover or charge you extreme amounts if you have preexisting conditions so you end up paying out much more. NHS won't charge you anything for this.
I tell people if I lived in the USA I’d be dead or bankrupt or both. Had Non Hodgkins Lymphoma in 1987, chemo radiotherapy and bone marrow harvest. As a result of this treatment (at which point no private insurer would have covered me because the following was as a result of treatment for something they’d paid out for) I was left with neuropathy, required a knee replacement, thyroid failed, developed cataracts, got bilateral breast cancer needing surgery and radiotherapy… etc. Only cost to me was for a season ticket for prescriptions, now they’re free in Scotland. Even got a free wig on NHS. No charges for hospital parking either in Scotland. No one in UK has gone bankrupt from lack of medical care. Most of us don’t mind paying tax to fund the NHS, and as the fifth biggest employer worldwide this is why the NHS can negotiate big discounts with pharmaceutical companies and medical suppliers
@@cgillman2744 Sorry to hear what you went through but you do make very good points. I'd imagine in the US that would literally ruin you. If the Cancer didn't get you then no doubt the stress of the debt would.
Another good point that you mentioned is the Bulk Buying Power. As the US has loads of smaller companies, they won't get as good discounts. If they all banded together as one entity, the discount on bulk buy they would get would be insane.
My Grandfather had a big operation a few years back for an intension heart operation. I don't recall the specifics but it was something along the lines of triple heart bypass, mechanical valve fitted etc. He had a few mini strokes during the operation and it took him weeks to wake back up. Eventually he did but it's crippled him physically. He stayed in intensive care for a while and since release he has constant checkups with doctors, medication etc and doesn't have to pay anything for it. Only thing it cost us was Parking.
My uncle has a cancer of the blood and has been having treatment for it for years along with all the tests and doctor visits and again costs him nothing.
One of the complaints by people of the US is that they don't want to pay taxes. One of the things Steve mentioned was the monthly payments being a few hundred dollars minimum. That's already more than what we'd pay in tax for this and then people in the US have the Co Pays on top. They'd actually save money doing it via taxes lol
Personally I also think that Health Care is better as a Service like the NHS. Companies are their to make profits and no one should profit on your health. If anything it disincentivizes them giving you proper treatment as they're there first and foremost to make profit whereas NHS isn't. A business can't survive without making money so any costs will be passed down to the Customer which when it comes to your health, is tragic and terrible.
In the UK our taxes are taken from our wages before we get paid. It's those taxes that pay for our services such as the NHS. In England we pay a standard charge of just under £10 for any medication prescribed by the Dr./GP
We may pay 20 %tax this is what you get for that
Free health care if you lose your job you get your rent paid for as long as it takes till you get another job
You get paid about 160 pounds per 2 weeks until you find another job this it mite take 2 or 3456 years so 20% is notall that bad 🇬🇧 😊😊😊
I knew about Medicare but what I don't get is, If you already have a form of social health care and people are happy to pay a little extra, Why not have it apply to everyone?
It's crazy that you pay all that money in tipping in the US to help people get a better wage so why not give a little for better heathcare? 🤔
Also I'm sure the price of medication in the UK and Europe is capped at a certain price and companies can't charge more for it yet the US companies can charge whatever price they want 🥺
Probably because American healthcare is already the most expensive per capita in the world.
Because ACA is not really a form of socialised healthcare.
For Lyndsey, "One Born Every Minute" is a great insight into pregnancies and births in the UK. Not sure if you can get it though. One thing I think is very different is that our pregnancy care and births are generally managed by midwives not doctors. Doctors only come into play when there are issues, emergencies or surgery.
NHS covers all medical, and includes dental… plus prescriptions and optical tests (in Scotland).
There is also the option to go private, which essentially fast tracks access to the same consultants and haggises some procedures that are no longer done on NHS. The private scheme is commonly offered as and employee benefit.
Funding has been cut to the bone, the NHS is on it's knees and it's terrifying to think we're being pushed towards the US model of healthcare.
part of it is large scale immigration straining the services
I am honestly glad that I'm on my way out, I don't want to live to see that happen here. The NHS has improved my quality of life, and saved my life more than once. I'm so grateful for it.
Currently in hospital and the NHS is still amazing.
@@artemislogic5252 The issue started long before we had large scale immigration. Yes it plays a part in it but the NHS has been underfunded for decades, Thatcher would have privatised it then if she could've got away with it.
Instead they've been working on privatisation through the back door. Look how many of them have interests in private contractors and drug companies. They've been malappropriating taxes for decades instead of investing in the NHS. Look at the price of cigarettes, I'm guessing it's at least £12 a pack now, 75% tax. That should have been poured into the NHS. The audacity of Boris standing there clapping the staff during covid. FUND THEM.
Brexit didn't help, we lost so many NHS staff from from the EU when we left.
Go and read accounts by NHS staff on how completely overwhelmed they are. Understaffed, exhausted and morale is rock bottom. Ask them who's to blame.
No it has not, it has increased year on year, just not as much as we would like.
I was diagnosed with cancer just over a year ago and the cost of my treatment would be through the roof if I lived in the USA. Scans, endoscopies, 8 cycles of chemo, major abdominal surgery, stays in hospital, blood tests every three weeks, immunotherapy which I believe on the market has an average cost of £21,000 per patient, and now maintenance treatment tablets which I believe cost over £2000 a month! It's hard enough to cope with the stress of the illness and treatment without the worry of paying a huge amount at a time when you are too ill to work. I always say Breaking Bad could never be filmed in the UK because he would just get his treatment for zero so it would be a bit of a non story lol.
I always say im very grateful to have been born in the uk, we get a huge amount of help here compared to many other countries. Im not saying people dont struggle here, but we will never be in a situation where you are afraid to call an ambulance cos of the price, or any other health matter.
A video I would recommend is on the Evan Edinger channel called British NHS doctor reacts to American medical bills . He says how much different things cost the NHS as a comparison
I'm assuming the 'holding baby after c section' charge, is probably because of the procedure having to be done under epidural, rather than general anesthesia.
UK health care is not free, we pay National Insurance (a tax separate from income tax) monthly from our salaries, part of which goes towards funding the NHS.
I had a c section with an epidural and I was able to hold my daughter whilst they stitched me up
19% of National Insurance goes to the NHS. The rest of the funding is from general taxation.
3 years ago, at 61, I had full open-heart surgery to replace a heart valve which was an undiscovered birth defect, I was in hospital for a month and had a valve grown especially for me in a Petri dish out of pig DNA, the operation was a complete success and a year later I was fit enough to complete the Cotswold Way, a 102 mile national trial.
The service I received from the NHS was superb and it cost me nothing……..when it comes to the big stuff the NHS truly are world-class! Long live the NHS, they gave me a 2nd life! 😊
Great social commentary guy's, thank you
My husband went through Prostate Cancer last year and from intitial diagnosis to every week getting blood tests, ultrasound, MRI, Bone Scans, he has his Robotic Radical Prostectomy within 6 weeks. It was absolutely fantastic service from the NHS in Scotland.
As a UK midwife, I can tell you giving the baby to mother for skin to skin after CS has no cost to the hospital and huge benefits to baby. The fact that in the US, you have to pay for the privilege blows my mind 😮
If you're having an emergency, the NHS is great (and there isn't a private option). If you're having something complicated, the private system will take you to NHS hospitals. The place where private comes into its own is the sort of routine things that inconvenience you but don't put you at risk: a knee replacement or cataracts or whatever. Also mental healthcare for minors: GPs aren't allowed to prescribe for that and the one system that is is vastly oversubscribed.
We do have some things where you pay all or part of your care: sight tests, prescriptions and dentistry are the obvious ones, and the costs are regulated (currently £9.80 for a prescription). However, if you're on a low income, older, a child or full-time student, pregnant or within one year of giving birth, you don't pay.
For pregnancy, I was shocked to hear my SIL lives in a state where it is illegal for a midwife to attend a birth without a doctor present. I have three children, and I saw a group of trainee doctors who popped in to see what a labouring woman looked like and then left without interacting with me at all, and that was it: about two minutes across three pregnancies. Midwives are the ones who deliver babies here. You get one night in hospital if all is well, then you go home and are visited the following day and a couple more times before the baby's two weeks old, and then you're passed on to the health visitors. We get up to a year of maternity leave, mostly paid to some extent, and it's rare to go back to work before six months. My husband got two weeks' paternity leave, which I think is standard.
You are never kept waiting if it’s serious, the delays happen with planned surgeries like hip replacement, etc.
To give you an idea Steve, last year in May my partner had a seizure. She was in hospital a week. They found she had a tumor on the front of her brain. They gave her steroids, she recovered in the week and they sent her home.
She was then referred for surgery.
By August she had been through all her pre op consultations and went into hospital on the 8th of August. She had her tumour removed, spent around 5 1/2 weeks recovering and paid zero for any of it.
My son fell off his bmx when he was 16/17yrs old and gravitated the road , he had an ambulance arrive within 10minutes which took him to the local hospital where he collapsed due to a blood clot on his brain he was transported to a hospital 100 miles away and was on the operating table within minutes of arrival , the hospital gave me a room for a few night's so I could be with him , I owe the doctors nurses surgeons and my Grandfathers generation for supporting the government to create this for the British people , if we lose it then our future will be bleak for British people. OH and all this at no cost apart from what we pay in national insurance ,Result 😁👍
Here in Sweden, we pay approximately $15 per doctor's visit. If we have surgery or something, we only pay for the living, which is about $15 per night (3 meals included per day). Medicine costs a maximum of $200 per year, the state takes care of the rest of the cost
Last year I was unwell with what I can only describe as a mystery illness. Given my symptoms my GP obviously thought I was seriously ill and he sent me for a colonoscopy where I was seen at my local hospital within a couple of weeks. As this test did not reveal much I was sent very promptly for a CT scan and then an ultrasound and finally an x-ray. Literally, no stone was left unturned by the NHS. I paid nothing for any of these tests , and was seen within about two weeks for all of them. In the end my doctors concluded that the problem was in all likelihood allergy related. I think we are very lucky to have the NHS in this country and I was certainly grateful for them last year.
Omg i so appreciate the nhs in england ...2000 for an ambulance absolute crazy prices .
Your channel just came up on my recommended and i really enjoyed it... so ive just subbed and now watching this...
I'm from the UK, and over the years I've watched protests in America from the Vietnam war to BLM etc. but I've never seen any protests against the health care system...WHY?
I think they regard there individual freedoms and rights before anything , a lot see it as socialist unfortunately.
So a good/bad point of view about the NHS.
I had cancer that was misdiagnosed, multiple times over 3 years, by my GP who never saw any reason to send me for tests. In spite of a tumer slowly crushing lumbars 1&2 in my lower spine. However, when it was finally caught one night I couldn't even walk & went to A&E I was sent straight to the best cancer treatment ward in the country. Not only that. But my treatment was closely monitored by 1 of the top 2 cancer experts in the UK. One of the top 10 in the World. It was beaten in 1 cycle of chemo. As well as that I also had reconstructive surgery to help fix & support my lower spine. Which consisted of 2 days of surgery.
Total out of pocket cost. £0.00
The NHS can screw up MASSIVELY at times. But it does come through more often than not. A true blessing
Happens all countries though but here at least they don't add cost insult to injury! although sometimes have to pay when, NHS won't funding some treatments/surgery which I & others experience too.
@@HSolar my overall view on what happened with me. I'm not dead. Got cured of stage 4 cancer. That's a BIG win
thank you Aneurin bevan for coming up with the nhs..
In some areas where there is no public transport, volunteers will drive patients to hospitals for out-patient care, or take them home after in-patient care. That's if they are short of ambulances,, which are also used (free of course) to collect patients who have regular treatments, and take them home afterwards. The volunteers do not accept payment, of course, and are usually summoned by the hospital..
I saw on “Judge Judy” a man claimed he was punched in the stomach. Went to hospital and was charged $1200 dollars for paracetamol that costs
30p for 16 tablets here in the UK!!!
Two things that should not be for profit are 1: Prisons and 2: Healthcare.
Three females in my family have had breast cancer. One sadly died but she had palliative care in her own home until her last breath from MacMillan nurses. The other two survived after treatment,and one had reconstructive surgery at Christie’s an outstanding Cancer hospital in Manchester, including a tattooist to redraw a lost nipple. The cost, “Nothing.”
My mum had fifteen years of cancer treatment for various cancers including several surgeries . Also had a hip replacement and cataract surgery . We didn't pay a penny . My husband had to have several ambulance call outs plus heart surgery . Although they both finally passed it wasn't through lack of care . I have had two babies and one miscarriage all treatment was free . My youngest had his appendix removed in his twenties ( emergency ) . Never paid a penny .