I can't believe all the horror stories I read here about misdiagnosis, poor treatment by drs and expensive meds.Then there are all the awful experiences of people trying to access benefits. My neuro is great. Dx me in two visits.I only ever have to wait a fortnight for an appointment and he will see me within hours if I am ever desperate. Meds are on Pharmacutical Benefits Scheme ($30/month) and the cost of the MRI was 3/4 met by Medicare. Either Australia is certainly the lucky country or places like USA and Canada have 2nd rate medical.I also have had no trouble with getting a disability pension. Only took me one visit to Centrelink. I have also had to attend a few job interviews but I dont mind that in the least if it keeps me in the system.How does a country as wealthy and clever as America get it so wrong??????
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You hit the nail on the head, sistour!!! I\'d like to know WHY America can\'t get something so simple RIGHT!!! You really don\'t want to get me started because we SHOULD have national health care with checks and balances. Instead, we act like countries who provide national health care are doing the citizens wrong and providing bad care.
Please, get up on a soap box and tell us that your system WORKS so we can get our heads out of the sand and quit knocking national health care and get BUSY fixing our BROKEN SYSTEM!!! (Getting down now, but thank you sooooo much for this post! I could love to see the debate on an MS community post... xoxoxo Cj (Cindyjo)
I dont understand the US system at all well, only what I read here. (so many sad stories from ppl who cant afford meds or wont have Christmas \'cause they\'re broke - makes my heart sick). I wouldn\'t know what can be done to fix things but I\'m guessing a change of government might be a start.
This is from the Australian Governments 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.