The American Catastrophe: Drug, Alcohol, And Suicide

[jra]

Bit late to start worrying about the NHS being privatised it's already happened in large part.
How much does Virgin Care now own?
Cameron told Branson to leave the NHS signage up because the public weren't ready for the truth yet.
AnE and out of hours doctors are already privatised in most hospitals.
Few took enough fucking notice of all the things many of us posted accusing us of posting links from dodgy fake news sites no matter how many times we said the purveyors of fake news are the BBC the Guardian and all the fucking rest of the MSM.
The government pay these private companies to run these things and the public for now remain blissfully unaware of what's happened .... for now.
When this government say they are putting more money into the NHS it is sadly going on Bransons balloons yachts islands and weed.
To fucking late now.

I must have missed that memo, because my text messages for my physiotherapy on the NHS come from Virgin Care, not the NHS.

Having said that, a fair few things NHS have been outsourced to private organisations.

[LordRaven]

Bit late to start worrying about the NHS being privatised it's already happened in large part.
How much does Virgin Care now own?
Cameron told Branson to leave the NHS signage up because the public weren't ready for the truth yet.
AnE and out of hours doctors are already privatised in most hospitals.
Few took enough fucking notice of all the things many of us posted accusing us of posting links from dodgy fake news sites no matter how many times we said the purveyors of fake news are the BBC the Guardian and all the fucking rest of the MSM.
The government pay these private companies to run these things and the public for now remain blissfully unaware of what's happened .... for now.
When this government say they are putting more money into the NHS it is sadly going on Bransons balloons yachts islands and weed.
To fucking late now.

I must have missed that memo, because my text messages for my physiotherapy on the NHS come from Virgin Care, not the NHS.

Having said that, a fair few things NHS have been outsourced to private organisations.

Physio? I hope it works out for you.

[Maddog]

I don't know what Wu or your friend does for work, but odds are they would have pretty good coverage paid for by their employer.

Not sure. The company I work for is owned by a big conglomerate but the actual management are a bunch of penny pinching bastards that consistently try to fuck us over.

Also not comfortable with a system whereby your boss has you and your families healthcare in their hands - makes it harder to stand up to shitty bosses for fear of losing healthcare.
Healthcare should be available to everyone regardless of their position in society.

You wouldn't lose your healthcare, but you could lose your job. And it is common for people to work somewhere that has good health benefits because they are valuable. But people put up with all kinds of shit for something of value.

[Maddog]

[

The NHS is far from perfect. It's all a bit of a lottery really. While I've generally had good treatment from the NHS, a friend of mine living in the same catchment area has had anything but, which is alarming as his health conditions are far worse than mine.

I agree. But if this was America your friend would now owe tens of thousands and would be close to bankruptcy - that's if he got the treatment at all.

That depends on their private medical insurance. Plus you have to factor in how max tax paid at source and average salary when compared with the UK.

Yup. Most Americans get insurance as part of an employment package. Even folks who dont make a lot of money get it through work, or get most of it paid through work.

I don't know what Wu or your friend does for work, but odds are they would have pretty good coverage paid for by their employer.

What if you're not employed though? According to a quick Google, that's 4% of the US population or around 13 million people. In the UK everybody gets free medical treatment irrespective of income (at the point of need) on the NHS with a few exceptions like dental treatment, prescriptions and glasses, unless you fall into certain groups, e.g. claiming some types of benefits, are under the age of 16 IIRC or above a certain age.

If your not employed or very poor you get Medicaid. It covers pretty much everything. And we have county hospitals that take care of folks that can't pay.

Our problem is preventative care. A certain percentage get very little or none and only get treated when it's an emergency. That gets expensive.

[Maddog]

https://www.vox.com/policy-and-politics ... -rate-2018


Well this is depressing. We keep harming each other less.

[jra]

Bit late to start worrying about the NHS being privatised it's already happened in large part.
How much does Virgin Care now own?
Cameron told Branson to leave the NHS signage up because the public weren't ready for the truth yet.
AnE and out of hours doctors are already privatised in most hospitals.
Few took enough fucking notice of all the things many of us posted accusing us of posting links from dodgy fake news sites no matter how many times we said the purveyors of fake news are the BBC the Guardian and all the fucking rest of the MSM.
The government pay these private companies to run these things and the public for now remain blissfully unaware of what's happened .... for now.
When this government say they are putting more money into the NHS it is sadly going on Bransons balloons yachts islands and weed.
To fucking late now.

I must have missed that memo, because my text messages for my physiotherapy on the NHS come from Virgin Care, not the NHS.

Having said that, a fair few things NHS have been outsourced to private organisations.

Physio? I hope it works out for you.

Thanks Raven.

It's nothing too serious in the scheme of things, but I've suffered from back problems (ever since I trapped a spinal nerve in my early adulthood), so not too much bending down and lifting heavy weights, plus knee problems down to wear and tear from hill walking carrying heavy rucksacks up steep hills/mountains etc.

So, basically, it's a matter of exercises in order to strengthen relevant muscles.

[jra]

I agree. But if this was America your friend would now owe tens of thousands and would be close to bankruptcy - that's if he got the treatment at all.

That depends on their private medical insurance. Plus you have to factor in how max tax paid at source and average salary when compared with the UK.

Yup. Most Americans get insurance as part of an employment package. Even folks who dont make a lot of money get it through work, or get most of it paid through work.

I don't know what Wu or your friend does for work, but odds are they would have pretty good coverage paid for by their employer.

What if you're not employed though? According to a quick Google, that's 4% of the US population or around 13 million people. In the UK everybody gets free medical treatment irrespective of income (at the point of need) on the NHS with a few exceptions like dental treatment, prescriptions and glasses, unless you fall into certain groups, e.g. claiming some types of benefits, are under the age of 16 IIRC or above a certain age.

If your not employed or very poor you get Medicaid. It covers pretty much everything. And we have county hospitals that take care of folks that can't pay.

Our problem is preventative care. A certain percentage get very little or none and only get treated when it's an emergency. That gets expensive.

So, if you're earning a reasonable wage you've got enough to pay for private health insurance, as 'at source taxation' is lower in the US than it is in the UK and if you're on a very low income then 'the state' foots the bill. Is that correct?

[Fletch]

But ambulance rides are pretty expensive because lots of people don't pay them.

Which is surely an argument in favour of universal healthcare? those people would then be paying towards their medical costs through their taxes.

I guess it depends on if you are the one paying. One thing about our convoluted system is that we have extremely fast response times. Really our emergency care is as good as anyone. If you have a collision on the highway, 30 miles outside of town, you will likely get a helicopter ride and be in the ER faster than anywhere on the planet.

It might bankrupt you, and our preventive care is lacking for people who are not quite poor, but not wealthy enough for good insurance.

Or the self employed like me. I pay $500 per month with a $5000 per year deductible. So I basically self pay and have a policy for if the shit hits the fan.

$500 a month for health insurance so how much per month do you pay in tax?

[Maddog]

So, if you're earning a reasonable wage you've got enough to pay for private health insurance, as 'at source taxation' is lower in the US than it is in the UK and if you're on a very low income then 'the state' foots the bill. Is that correct?

More or less. One way or another 90% of Americans have some sort of coverage. But most Americans don't buy insurance per say. It's part of their compensation at work.

[Maddog]

But ambulance rides are pretty expensive because lots of people don't pay them.

Which is surely an argument in favour of universal healthcare? those people would then be paying towards their medical costs through their taxes.

I guess it depends on if you are the one paying. One thing about our convoluted system is that we have extremely fast response times. Really our emergency care is as good as anyone. If you have a collision on the highway, 30 miles outside of town, you will likely get a helicopter ride and be in the ER faster than anywhere on the planet.

It might bankrupt you, and our preventive care is lacking for people who are not quite poor, but not wealthy enough for good insurance.

Or the self employed like me. I pay $500 per month with a $5000 per year deductible. So I basically self pay and have a policy for if the shit hits the fan.

$500 a month for health insurance so how much per month do you pay in tax?

Now you're just being nosy. Let's say a lot more than that especially when you figure all of the federal, state and local taxes we pay.

[Maddog]

Health insurance coverage in the United States is provided by several public and private sources. During 2016, the U.S. population overall was approximately 325 million, with 53 million persons 65 years of age and over covered by the federal Medicare program. The 272 million non-institutional persons under age 65 either obtained their coverage from employer-based (155 million) or non-employer based (90 million) sources, or were uninsured (27 million).[1] Approximately 15 million military personnel received coverage through the Veteran's Administration.[2] During the year 2016, 91.2% of Americans had health insurance coverage.


I know it's wiki, but it's a fairly good summary.

[Fletch]

But ambulance rides are pretty expensive because lots of people don't pay them.

Which is surely an argument in favour of universal healthcare? those people would then be paying towards their medical costs through their taxes.

I guess it depends on if you are the one paying. One thing about our convoluted system is that we have extremely fast response times. Really our emergency care is as good as anyone. If you have a collision on the highway, 30 miles outside of town, you will likely get a helicopter ride and be in the ER faster than anywhere on the planet.

It might bankrupt you, and our preventive care is lacking for people who are not quite poor, but not wealthy enough for good insurance.

Or the self employed like me. I pay $500 per month with a $5000 per year deductible. So I basically self pay and have a policy for if the shit hits the fan.

$500 a month for health insurance so how much per month do you pay in tax?

Now you're just being nosy. Let's say a lot more than that especially when you figure all of the federal, state and local taxes we pay.

You appear to pay a lot of tax but then have to pay for any public service on top. As I've always said, the corporates making money at both ends, government funding plus charging the individuals. You have the worst of all worlds.

That $500 per month is wasted. It just goes in to the pockets of the few every month you don't need healthcare. When you do, you are hit with a $5000 surcharge anyway and might not be covered for your particular injury/ailment. With a true public health system, that money would go towards the system then you'd be free to use it at the time needed.

[Maddog]

You mean if you pay taxes the government will provide some services?

So you're paying for what you're getting?

Is that how this works?

[Fletch]

You mean if you pay taxes the government will provide some services?

So you're paying for what you're getting?

Is that how this works?

Mostly, but you seem to be paying twice for very little, if anything.

[Maddog]

You mean if you pay taxes the government will provide some services?

So you're paying for what you're getting?

Is that how this works?

Mostly, but you seem to be paying twice for very little, if anything.

How much are you paying for what you are getting?