Socialized Medicine.

[Lina]

Hi there! Thanks for looking in!
I have some pure educational interests in this topic and I will be really thankful if some of you answer my questions.
I just would like to know how this type of medicine works!

I understand that there is no such thing as "free" medicine. Also, as far as I know, medicine in some countries is being payed from the money of taxpayers. And here comes my first stuipid question... How much does a midle class person has to pay in taxes for medicine? How much one has to pay if the income is above/below avarege?
When you are going to the doctor do you pay anything for the visit? If yes, what % of the total price...

And some more... How long do your doctors(MD's) have to study to become a doctor? Is it 4 years of medschool+3(7) years of residency, as in US? I expect so. What are the salaries look like for healthcare professions? Do you experience a lack of physicians?

Hope to hear from somebody..

[Stephen_Bailey]

Hello, Lina

It's a pleasure to reply.
I'm British and we have our National Health Service, which you could call "Socialised medicine."
It's paid for out of our taxes. The more you earn, the more tax you pay.

Visits to the doctor's surgery are free (for everyone). If a prescription is written the Pharmacist will charge you for this (around $8) BUT prescriptions are also free, for certain classes of people.
Children.
Old people.
The unemployed
People with 'long-term' conditions. Example, my Brother is a diabetic so he doesn't pay for insulin.

Each county in Britain has its own Ambulance Service. We don't have 'commercial' firms involved. There is USUALLY no charge for ambulance call-out, however, if a patient has a "self-inflicted" injury they MAY be billed for this.

If your General Practitioner (Doctor) refers you to a Hospital Consultant, there is no charge.
Hospital treatment is also free.

Medical School lasts 5 years, followed by 2 years under "close supervision."

Currently, Britain does have a shortage of doctors - and a CHRONIC shortage of trained nurses (though the authorities are reluctant to admit it).

We do also have a "comercial" health sector and private health insurance schemes. These are mainly used for convenience. In some areas, the waiting lists for minor operations can be l-o-n-g.
Basically, money can buy you a luxurious hospital room and side-step waiting lists, but, the standard of 'clinical care'in the National Health Service is AT LEAST as good as anything in the "comercial" sector.

Our N.H.S is constantly in 'the news'. Mainly due to a funding crisis (which will probably never end?)
The problem is, it was set up to provide "basic" medical care for everyone, but new (and ever-more expensive) treatments are constantly coming along.

We British are 'passionately' proud of our N.H.S and no Government would dare 'mess' with it.
We can't understand 'commercial' systems - as in the U.S.A
They seem "heartless."

To put it in perspective: I saw a recent (American) tv programme about "a man" and "a woman".
The woman was struggling to care for 2 kids who both had chronic medical conditions and she couldn't afford health insurance. Meanwhile, the man was a health insurance salesman.
At the end of the programme, we discovered they were husband and wife.

'Our' system is far from perfect, but, I guess I prefer it to the alternative.

I hope this helps you ??

S.B.

[Lina]

Hi Stephen_Bailey

Thanks a lot. This helps. It also sounds kind of wiered that you do not have to pay for drugs or for a surgery Just like Alice in Wonderland!

Private medicine is also having a bit of "funding" prolems...New prescriptions, new expensive mashines, etc...driving the costs of insurance a little up. I really do not know how much the prices can grow up, but I think that socialized medicine is not an aswer to this problem.
for you guys, it seems like keeping up with that will mean more taxes or not the best care???
It looks like one system is not much better than another, from this point of view

Thanks again for replying!

[nesmoht]

Hi,

I live in Denmark. We pay the highest taxes in the world (or maybe Sweden is worse). In return education and hositals are free for everyone, even if you need an abortion. If you need plastic surgery for cosmetics reasons only, you have to pay for it by your self.

We pay something for medicin, but not full price. If you are going to need medicine for the rest of your life you pay less.

Unfortunately the need for doctors and nurses are growing and sometimes you have to wait weeks or months to get treated, unless it's urgent. It takes 5-7 years to become a doctor, and right now we need 700 doctors. It's a lot for a small country with only 5 mio. people and the government now offers to pay for treatment in Germany or Sweden (they have very good cancer doctors).
I think our health care system is very much like the brittish and I wouldn't change it for lower taxes.

[Lina]

Thanks for answering.
I have another question to anyone who knows...

What drives the long lines? Is it the lack of physicians or the lack of funding?
Is physician a well payed job in Europe?


Thanks.

[Stephen_Bailey]

What drives the waiting-lists ???????

In Britain it's (mainly) that new treatments and procedures are constantly coming into use and, of course, everyone expects the N.H.S to "instantly" provide them.
Also, it's a fact that people are living longer, so there's huge numbers of elderly people being treated.

Doctors in Britain are well paid, but, a lot of people are put-off medicine because Junior doctors have to work "crazy" hours.

S.B.

[Lina]

I'm getting so far that...the wonderful supply-demand idea is failing to work.

Aging population + lack of med personel caused by "crazy hours" = long lines.(probably even good money are not able to substitute for 24/7 for some doctors or others looking into medecine as a career) The US is facing similar problems, but it looks like long lines do not exist because of not availability of medicine to everyone? Just a theory.