2 hours in the emergency room cost me......

[tlens]

Oh for the love of God we have highways here. Good highways. Seriously...where do people get this stuff?????

It also gets warm here in summer. We don't ski in July. We don't live in igloos either. For real.

 

[Kath2003]

If we stay employed with the State long enough, we get it as part of our retirement package.

Fair enough. Of course if you were in the UK there'd be no worries - if you're retired not only do the state pay you a pension but you're exempt from the $12 prescription fee too.

The UK system treats each person as an individual. ALL children, regardless of their parents' income/coverage, get excess-free medical services. The retired, regardless of former occupation/pension income/savings etc. get excess-free medical services. All pregnant women do too, even if they're still working.

 

["Got Disney"]

I must say that some of the comments on this thread are not very nice...we pay for my Dh and I and 2 kids for an HMO out of pocket $869.00 a month,,,than each visit is $25.00 co pay and co pay for meds.....

We have been blessed to be able to afford such a ridiculous cost....some are not so lucky. Not having insurance and saving for a Disney vacation when you have kids is fine in my book. Even putting away a small amount over a few years to take your kids on a great vacation is important.

Yes no doubt about it that Ins is a necessity.....but I blame the Ins. companies for making Ins so far out of reach for some. If you can not even come close to the monthly fee of ins. for your family than putting a little away for a vacation each mo. is understandable.

Yet at the same time it is important to put something away each mo. to cover such problems. My friend has a vacation fund of $50.00 a month and $100 a month for health care.....they can not afford the high cost of health care. They do also pay $75.00 a month for Hospitalization Insurance.

They go on vacation every 3 years...and they NEED IT!!!!...we all need vacations...

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

Fair enough. Of course if you were in the UK there'd be no worries - if you're retired not only do the state pay you a pension but you're exempt from the $12 prescription fee too.

The UK system treats each person as an individual. ALL children, regardless of their parents' income/coverage, get excess-free medical services. The retired, regardless of former occupation/pension income/savings etc. get excess-free medical services. All pregnant women do too, even if they're still working.

I'm not downing your system at all, really. I am sure it works nicely for the UK.

 

[jodifla]

[QUOTE="Got Disney";25727018]I must say that some of the comments on this thread are not very nice...we pay for my Dh and I and 2 kids for an HMO out of pocket $869.00 a month,,,than each visit is $25.00 co pay and co pay for meds.....

We have been blessed to be able to afford such a ridiculous cost....some are not so lucky. Not having insurance and saving for a Disney vacation when you have kids is fine in my book. Even putting away a small amount over a few years to take your kids on a great vacation is important.

Yes no doubt about it that Ins is a necessity.....but I blame the Ins. companies for making Ins so far out of reach for some. If you can not even come close to the monthly fee of ins. for your family than putting a little away for a vacation each mo. is understandable.

Yet at the same time it is important to put something away each mo. to cover such problems. My friend has a vacation fund of $50.00 a month and $100 a month for health care.....they can not afford the high cost of health care. They do also pay $75.00 a month for Hospitalization Insurance.

They go on vacation every 3 years...and they NEED IT!!!!...we all need vacations...[/QUOTE]

Thanks for putting this into perspective for some folks!

I can't believe that people keep trying to say that if folks ONLY didn't have a Disney fund, they'd be able to pay for health insurance!

 

[Kath2003]

I'm not downing your system at all, really. I am sure it works nicely for the UK.

It does, very nicely. I'm just confused as to why you think you get extras that we don't here. Short of the chance of not getting a private room for a short hospital stay (of course you can pay and upgrade), and having to pay $12 for a script for healthy working adults, there doesn't seem to be much in it. I'd rather have the security that if ever I lost my job etc. I'd receive the same excellent standard of care.

 

[cteddiesgirl]

You would fall into the pay for scripts category for you and your partner, but not any children you have, not if you're diabetic, not if it's contraception, not if you're exempt for any other reason etc. No excesses on children's dental care, care for pregnant women and certain other exemptions. The maximum you pay for any dental treatment, no matter how many appointment it takes, is $200.

New mothers get their own room for at least 12 hours after giving birth in most UK hospitals, if it's natural. The whole duration if you're a c-section.

What happens with your health insurance when you both retire?

Whoo! I would actually be able to see a dentist in the UK! I haven't been able to go to a dentist since I was under my parents policy.
Still sounds like a much better system to me.

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

Two points:

One, all the people of your state PAY FOR YOUR HEALTH CARE! And yet, you don't want to extend the courtesy to the rest of the country.

Two, if you save $50 a month for your vacation fund, but insurance would costs you $500 a month, how can you POSSIBLY relate the two??

Ummm, I do pay taxes ya know? Which means, I am also paying towards my health care. Further more, I chose to work for the State because of their great benefits. I chose to take this job (which pays lower than most of the jobs I was offered) because of the great benefits. It's not like I am on this great insurance plan without working for it. Give me a break....... It is part of my BENEFITS PACKAGE.

 

[Kath2003]

Whoo! I would actually be able to see a dentist in the UK! I haven't been able to go to a dentist since I was under my parents policy.
Still sounds like a much better system to me.

Well now we'd make YOU pay, you're not a member of the EU

Of course the UK has an agreement with the rest of the EU so we don't have to worry about medical treatment if we go on holiday/to live abroad, either...

 

[jodifla]

Ummm, I do pay taxes ya know? Which means, I am also paying towards my health care. Further more, I chose to work for the State because of their great benefits. I chose to take this job (which pays lower than most of the jobs I was offered) because of the great benefits. It's not like I am on this great insurance plan without working for it. Give me a break....... It is part of my BENEFITS PACKAGE.

The irony is, you want it to be a closed club. YOU get your great benefits package WORKING FOR THE STATE, but you don't want to extend those SAME BENEFITS to the OTHER TAXPAYERS of your state.

Those of us in favor of UHC want to see YOUR benefits expanded to others, NOT taken away from you.

 

[cteddiesgirl]

Ummm, I do pay taxes ya know? Which means, I am also paying towards my health care. Further more, I chose to work for the State because of their great benefits. I chose to take this job (which pays lower than most of the jobs I was offered) because of the great benefits. It's not like I am on this great insurance plan without working for it. Give me a break....... It is part of my BENEFITS PACKAGE.

All of your pay and your benefits are paid by the people of your state. Even your taxes are technically paid for by the people of your state.

So what if you're working for it. All those people in your states are working to pay your salary and your benefits. They will still be working to pay you your benefits after you retire.

Trust me. I worked in Indiana State government for several years.

 

[4cruisin]

Thanks for putting this into perspective for some folks!

I can't believe that people keep trying to say that if folks ONLY didn't have a Disney fund, they'd be able to pay for health insurance!

I don't think just having a Disney fund is the issue. I think, for me at least, the problem is that priorities seemed skewed. What else do the people that don't have health insurance constitute as important? New vehicle every few years, eating out, movies, entertainment etc. I'm not saying that this is the case with this OP but what is "priority" for some certainly seems crazy for others. I would do my best to afford some type of health care before I worried about "extras" like a vacation fund.

 

[tlens]

Well now we'd make YOU pay, you're not a member of the EU

Of course the UK has an agreement with the rest of the EU so we don't have to worry about medical treatment if we go on holiday/to live abroad, either...

Oh, that sounds nice. WE certainly don't have that. We have to buy supplemental insurance if we go to the US or overseas since healthcare would cost so much more there.

Granted, I get mine for nothing through my employer and my credit card but for those without that it can add a couple hundred dollars to a vacation.

Oh, and if any American's come to canada for a visit, remember to buy insurance for here. We don't cover you. LOL

 

[cteddiesgirl]

Well now we'd make YOU pay, you're not a member of the EU

Of course the UK has an agreement with the rest of the EU so we don't have to worry about medical treatment if we go on holiday/to live abroad, either...

Well I meant if I was from there. Of course, if I was from there, I'd be in a lot better condition than I am now because of the great benefits.
I'd have better teeth and better overall health because I could get the services I need there.

I don't think just having a Disney fund is the issue. I think, for me at least, the problem is that priorities seemed skewed. What else do the people that don't have health insurance constitute as important? New vehicle every few years, eating out, movies, entertainment etc. I'm not saying that this is the case with this OP but what is "priority" for some certainly seems crazy for others. I would do my best to afford some type of health care before I worried about "extras" like a vacation fund.

Please go back and read all of my posts. And I know many more just like me. Cut all the corners possible and yet still can't even afford a basic thing like insurance.

Healthcare is a basic necessity. It is not treated that way here.

 

[Kath2003]

Oh, that sounds nice. WE certainly don't have that. We have to buy supplemental insurance if we go to the US or overseas since healthcare would cost so much more there.

Granted, I get mine for nothing through my employer and my credit card but for those without that it can add a couple hundred dollars to a vacation.

Oh, and if any American's come to canada for a visit, remember to buy insurance for here. We don't cover you. LOL

We have to buy insurance for visits to the US. 16 days coverage is costing me $70. Travel to the US has higher insurance premiums than any other area of the world because of the extortionate cost of healthcare in the US.

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

All of your pay and your benefits are paid by the people of your state. Even your taxes are technically paid for by the people of your state.

So what if you're working for it. All those people in your states are working to pay your salary and your benefits. They will still be working to pay you your benefits after you retire.

Trust me. I worked in Indiana State government for several years.

I work very hard for my pay. I chose to accept this position BECAUSE of the benefits package. I am paying into my own retirement pension. Yes, the state does pay interest on that, but again, it is part of my BENEFITS PACKAGE. I suppose I should just do this job for free to spare everyone the cost of me working for this State. Perhaps if you had stayed with your position, you wouldn't be without insurance now.

 

[sandy2330]

Kath2003,
It sounds like your system is a pay as you go system. How can you be sure that in 40 years you will actually get your UK pension?

I am asking this as it applies to SS here in the US. When it started out there were many payers to one on SS. It was pay as your go with a surplus. Then the baby boomers were born.

We got older and had smaller families. Now I belive it is 2 workers to 1 on SS and soon, after all the baby boomers all retire, they are projecting numbers like 1 worker to 2 on SS. There is no way to pay as you go then.

I am not sure about the ages in the UK, but my understanding is what the US is seeing is the same as Japan (who is actually ahead of us) and the rest of the first world.

 

[sandy2330]

I worked in Indiana State government for several years.

Why did you leave? Seems like a better job than data entry and the bennie are great too!

Well I meant if I was from there. Of course, if I was from there, I'd be in a lot better condition than I am now because of the great benefits.
I'd have better teeth and better overall health because I could get the services I need there.

How old are you? Everybody I know has great teeth. We are the generation with flouride in our water and toothpaste. My girfriend had not been to the dentist in 10 year (not due to insurance but her dislike - which seems to be a common one) and her teeth are not falling out. She takes care of them with flossing, brushing and listerine type mouthwash.

 

[NEVERENOUGHWDW]

I can't believe people actually have no insurance yet fund vacation accounts.

That was what I posted first, be prepared to be flamed.

I call it priorities and/or lack of

 

[sarahlovesmickey]

I call it priorities and/or lack of