Multiple Sclerosis (MS) Support Group
This community is a place where members can discuss current events and weigh in on what's going on in the world.
My heart goes out to those of you here who struggle financially with your health care.
I'm thinking that America is far wealthier than Australia, yet we have a fantastic government run scheme which everyone benefits from.
This is a quote from the Australian Government Medicare site
'The Australian Governments funding includes three major national subsidy schemes, Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and the 30% Private Health Insurance Rebate.
Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme cover all Australians and subsidise their payments for private medical services and for a high proportion of prescription medicines. Under Medicare, the Australian and State governments also jointly fund public hospital services so they are provided free of charge to people who choose to be treated as public patients. Australian Government funding of the 30% Rebate and other key incentives support peoples choice to take up and retain private health insurance.
People make their contribution to the health care system through taxes and the Medicare levy based on their income, and through private financing such as private health insurance.
The aim of the national health care funding system is to give all Australians, regardless of their personal circumstances, access to health care at an affordable cost or at no cost, while allowing choice for individuals through substantial private sector involvement in delivery and financing.'
I'm thinking that America is far wealthier than Australia, yet we have a fantastic government run scheme which everyone benefits from.
This is a quote from the Australian Government Medicare site
'The Australian Governments funding includes three major national subsidy schemes, Medicare, the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme and the 30% Private Health Insurance Rebate.
Medicare and the Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme cover all Australians and subsidise their payments for private medical services and for a high proportion of prescription medicines. Under Medicare, the Australian and State governments also jointly fund public hospital services so they are provided free of charge to people who choose to be treated as public patients. Australian Government funding of the 30% Rebate and other key incentives support peoples choice to take up and retain private health insurance.
People make their contribution to the health care system through taxes and the Medicare levy based on their income, and through private financing such as private health insurance.
The aim of the national health care funding system is to give all Australians, regardless of their personal circumstances, access to health care at an affordable cost or at no cost, while allowing choice for individuals through substantial private sector involvement in delivery and financing.'
I think medicare is good (in my case a combination of medicare and private insurance).
I don't think the government should be in the healthcare field but I wouldn't mind it competing with insurance companies.
Larry
the waiting list was 9 months away for me to be seen. Since my legs would not hold me up and I was scared shitless, I borrowed money to see one of the best Neuro's here. Who then sent me to another Neuro, who sent me to the clinic, my original appt. because i am a rare case of MS and they have the best MS specialist in the city working at the clinic, training. So see it really doesn't matter does it?
The money we pay for healthcare here, the premiums and copays, and the cost of college, just think of that as "taxes." Because that's what they are.
and when everyone jumps on this one as well...can we please leave some room on the main board for those people with ms who may have questions who are scared..newly dx...recently dx...awaiting dx..or simply have a ms related question instead of digging up more poltical questions from a year ago????
luv
heather
When I found out that our neighbors to the North have health care, but it doesn't cover prescription drugs. That's what sparked my interest. Down here most thought that Canada has national health coverage so it covers every thing?
It doesn't. It doesn't cover prescription drugs. Of course the prescription drug costs are sold lower there under gov pricing control. That's why people her buy there drugs there even though it is made here.
But the canadanians have to get an insurance policy for their meds. hmmmm? And in MS the med cost is so high, that's why I had been reading Canadian's saying they need to find a job with insurance.
Then Frances healthcare system, that supplies everything but is not likely to be sustainable.
Same with England. Although less generous than Frances, it's probably not sustainable in the long run.
Australia, seems to have strucjk a balance between private & public healthcare that I think ours will look like when it's done.
We just had a fairly massive buy-out of the financial industry, which delays the possibility of national healthcare by at leat 1 presidential term. But I think it will get here & it will look like Australia's health care system.
I have a high school freind woh moved, married and lives in Germany. She told me Germany is struggling to maintain their national healthcare system. So there will be changes soon & she thinks it will ultimately be like Australian's healthcare system.
You Aussie's do/did it well, that's for sure!
On the other hand, the people who are too lazy to go and work get total coverage!!! Cash assistance, medical, food stamps...NOW Here is a problem!!!
It never angered me that there are Deadbeats. Angers me so much more that our President is so proud of how rich our country is but will spend on a war we cannot win (define 'win') And do nothing to help find jobs or feed the hungry or provide universal healthcare!
Larry
Rather than devise a whole new scheme (ala Hillary), why not use the VA? It certainly means figuring out eligibility and cost but not coming up with a whole new National Healthcare model/scheme.
And I understand we are not supposed to be mean here, though I understand that even a number of vets would be happy to see this "the richest country in the world" make healthcare available to all (and the VA may be the place (I recognize it is not ideal but it is easier to modify a functional working system than start from scratch.
Almost EVERY western industrialized nation in the world offers its citizens healthcare, are we so third world we cannot?
The Canadian system suffers issues unique to socialized systems but had obvious advantages. But don't for a second think we don't pay for it. We pay Taxes through the nose, on EVERYTHING ... not just income. WAY more taxes than in the US. That's not an ideological hit, I'm just saying nothing is free in this world, the money has to come from somewhere.
The reality is this, Canada has the population of California ... and Australia isn't exactly swarming with people either.
The costs to socialize health care in the US would be astronomical! As nice as it would be to have equal access for everyone, it's simply not realistic. The country is holding way to much debt as it is. Taxes would have to increase DRAMATICALLY in the US to cover the entire population without driving the dollar and ultimately the economy and American way of life into the floor. It's not always pretty but it is very much reality.
I like to be an idealist as much as the next person but you can't fit a circle into a square peg, no matter how much you like the circle. Funny how Michael Moore never brings up the hard numbers in his arguments. Anyone can whine in front of a camera ... It's very different to have to come up with an actual solution that works given the REAL variables involved.