How does the health care system work in the US?
348067
Yes, we pay for visits.  Unless you have insurance, but you still pay for that, so you are paying either way.  \nIt costs a TON.  It's outrageous.  My regular gyno visit each year is about $300.  $300 so she can swab me and say, ok see you next year!  Once, I had mole removed because it was on my leg and I nicked it every time I shaved.  Turns out it was pre-cancerous, so I had to have the skin around it removed, on a separate visit.  Two visits, two biopsies, two sets of local anesthesia, the whole debaucle ended up being over $1,000.  And then I had to go back 6 months later so he could check on it.  The appointment was literally just him looking for 5 seconds and saying, ok, come back if another mole looks funny.  I paid $200 for that 30 second visit!!!  And, I was in college, but too old to be on my parent's insurance, so all of this was out of pocket.  The American health care system is in some serious need of reform.\nOh, and if you have no money, some of them are nice enough to bill you.  If you still don't have money, they report you to a collection agency and it f***s with your credit.
879592
Wow! I'm amazed by the bias and misunderstanding evidenced in the answers so far. . . I have lived in a country with "socialized medicine" (Denmark) so I know something about it.  To answer the question, I believe that the U.S. may now be the only western country without a national socialized health-care system.  \n\nAs some mentioned here, in socialized medicine, taxes or other federal and state revenues would pay for our individual medical costs.  But to assume that this would automatically be a big hardship for the taxpayer shows a misunderstanding of the way such a system works and the options in the set-up that we would need to consider.  \n\nThere are many ways to pay for socialized health care, and they don't always involve raised taxes.  For one example, consider this: right now, our tax dollars are wasted to an enormous degree on the pet projects of various legislators - projects that most of us do not know about and wouldn't care to be paying for!  I would like to see some of this "pork-barrel" spending done away with (and I believe that we are moving in that direction as people educate themselves about it and demand change) - that would go a long way toward funding things like a national health-care system.  Other forms of government waste exist also, where funds would be better spent on insuring all our citizens.\n\nThe biggest thing that would worry me personally about such a system, and that may be much of the reason why we don't yet have it in the U.S., is that its establishment would necessarily require some level of federal-level regulation.  Americans (myself included) have a traditional distaste for too much government control on the federal level.  \n\nBut in this case, federal regulation and the meddling that would come with it,  may be a necessary evil that we need to consider - because the alternative is to keep going along the path we are on, in which with every year we see fewer employers able to insure employees, the costs of individually-purchased policies grow more outlandish, and the numbers of uninsured citizens increase by thousands.\n\nI think that it is telling that we are the last free-world, western, civilized nation to NOT be insuring ALL its citizens.  In America, we believe that citizens have a birth right to some things - like education and social security.  I believe we need to start believing as a nation that everyone has a right to be treated when they are ill without it bankrupting them.  It's really a right to LIVE.  It seems elementary that we would want to keep all our citizens healthy, not just the wealthy and lucky.  Something is going to have to give, and soon. \n\nMac at ASKEW\nhttp://askew.blogharbor.com
798653
That really depends on the situation you are in. But from the way i see it you are the one paying for it. In the most basic situation, you visit a private clinic, and you pay for the full cost.\nWhereas if you visit a government clinic or hospital, you pay partially for the fees while the government pay for the rest. But don't forget the government have this money because you pay taxes.\nIn cases where insurances companies are involved, in a way you are still "paying". It is just that you put an amount of money with them to invest and in times of need they pay for your medical bills using the money generated from your investment.\n\nSo the way i see it, you are the one paying.
248447
Many foreign countries, like Canada, have socialized health care. Basically, the government buys drugs direct from the maker in huge quantities and saves a bunch of money on them. Here in America, drugs go through a bunch of middlemen, each getting a profit, before they reach the pharmacy.
188571
Healthcare should be available to all people regardless of age, sex, race, ect...  Limited availability of health care is usually a result of the economic situation of a country.  The health care system of the USA is driven by cold hard cash and capitalism.  The good thing about this is that if you have tons of cash you will recieve excellent care.  The drawback is that most people get substandard treatment if they are poor or middle class.  It's harsh but true.  There are so many people who are only in health care for the money rather than the humanistic altruism behind the hippocratic oath.
368324
Get their own insurance.  Go to the hospitals get treated work out a payment program.  Hospitals are required to treat people even if they are indigent so us taxpayers pick up the bill anyway
625535
The "pacific" covers an awfully large area. Specific questions are more likely to get the answer you want.\n\nIn the US, you can generally find out the cost of a procedure from the hospital involved.
1020356
Health care is expensive in America because aged middle class people get health care free, and those oldesters are lonely and want attention for their hypochondria.\n\nLawyers also drive up the lab tests and lab protocols for both  serious illnesses and imaginary pains.
836356
Ok As a canadian we DO NOT HAVE FREE HEALTHCARE!!!!! we have to pay for it through taxes.  With no competition our hospitals can virtually do anything they want.  Wait times are ridiculas, and not enough equipment as in MRI's.\nStates even though patients also look at it as customer service as well, their private sector pays for the equipment, which means more resources, when you tie the hand that can do better than the public sector, you take away the ability to build.\nA lot of canadians want more private industries to provide services, but be paid the same way by O.H.I.P. ( name varies with each province but is our insurance plan)\nAmericans could have the same thing.  Technically we have to pay out of pocket for services like eyecare, chiropraters, dentist are just a few.  Our health care system is one of the biggest eater of public funds.\n\nOur PM has more power than the American President except for veto rights.  It is hard to go after a sitting P.M. where in the states your President can be censured and removed.\n\nIn Canada we are not peaceful as many beleive we are just like americans when it comes to tolerance, and violence per capita.  Remember america has like 330 million people, while Canada has 35 million odds of probability are higher due to population.\n\nAmericans give chances to their people with the free market , here banks damage your credit rating your screwed nobody to turn to, at least american businesses will give you a chance.  Banks here are worse than the states, for no free compitition as in the states .\n\nCanada government and their agencies are like the big brother approach, which is worse than the American big brother approach.\n\nIf Canada was like america when it comes to opportunities and America was more like Canada on equality,  North America would be as strong as gravity.\n\nBut Canada and America are the most wanted locations for immigrants, America above canada.  We have an image but my cousin in Florida who has lived in both countries says in short there is no difference at a citizen level, as in ordinary people everyday life.
106309
The US spends twice per capita what other industrialized countries do and yet only we do not cover all our people.  When we decide we want to get real value for our money we can get care for all Americans and resolve other aspects of the present crisis.\n\nHealth care should be like public education (K-12) a right enjoyed by all Americans.
416962
In 2003, health care spending in the United States reached $1.7 trillion, and was projected to reach $1.8 trillion in 2004. \n\nHealth care spending is 4.3 times the amount spent on national defense. \n\nIn 2003, the United States spent 15.3 percent of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) on health care. It is projected that the percentage will reach 18.7 percent in 10 years. \n\nAlthough nearly 45 million Americans are uninsured, the United States spends more on health care than other industrialized nations, and those countries provide health insurance to all their citizens. \n\nHealth care spending accounted for 10.9 percent of the GDP in Switzerland, 10.7 percent in Germany, 9.7 percent in Canada and 9.5 percent in France, according to the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development. \n\nTotal out-of-pocket spending on health care rose $13.7 billion, to $230 billion in 2003.
93624
Health care in Russia is supported by the government and is available for free. Their healthcare system is 10000 times better than the american one. The atrocious insurance-based system in the US still baffles me, i cannot get adequate health care here, and i have state benefits, the best possible in my state.
663370
Many Americans simply hate the concept of financially supporting other people.  Regardless of what a Universal Health Care plan would truly do for them, they insist on seeing universal health care as another crutch for [what they percieve as] lazy people, similar to welfare.\n\nThey tend to disregard the fact that universal health care would drive the cost of health care down and at the same time increase its quality in certain aspects, such as cancer treatment.  Living in America can be very frustrating because of the willful ignorance so many people here have, but I still have to respect the foundations of this country, especially things like my right to free speech.
912551
Americans are ridiculous about socialised medicine. Instead of putting government money towards a working plan that grants all Americans equal opportunity to be healthy, they shove it all into a big stupid war. In Canada, we are a capitalist country with a socialised medical plan that works well. Studies have actually demonstrated that Canadian medicare is overall more efficient and of a higher quality than American privatised health care. And doctors can manage to pay it off, because in Canada university education sin't as expensive either! i would know, as both my parents are doctors.\n\nEDITED TO ADD: Canada is also a large contributer to medical research. This is usually paid for by research centres and universities and has little to do with the socialized healthcare system.
865418
Can you phrase your question a little more clearly please...;\n\nEDIT\nSmall countries would not generally have a problem with healthcare as long as they have to money to fund it.  The problems arise when a country has not got the finances.  Some small countries such as Switzerland and Monaco have first class, world renowned services, well funded and with top class doctors and surgeons.  \nIm still not really sure if I have helped but I hope I have
422291
I'm a Republican, and I've always been against public health care.  I've always thought that if I had to work for a living (and insurance) then everyone should have to.  No freebies.  Well, after actually having to use my insurance, and along with paying deductibles, co-payments, and 20% of all other bills, and having racked up medical bills in excess of $1,500 (which I most definitely cannot afford!), I have changed my mind and would love a public health care system.  No necessarily along the lines of Canada's health care system, but at least something to help those without insurance, and those who are low income.  Maybe have government run clinics set up in each county where anyone that is below a certain income level could receive full healthcare, including MRI, CT Scan, X-Ray, vision, dental, etc at a reduced rate.  Something like that anyway.  I got a bill from the emergency room for $1,400...for two shots.  That's it.  If the government isn't ever going to offer free healthcare to its' citizens, it should at least put a cap on what physicians can charge for their services.  I understand that most of them went to school for 8+ years, but charging $180 for a 5 minute office visit or $1,000 for ONE shot in the emergency room is just plain robbery.
90046
You must be in the UK, as you mention NHS. A colleague of mine who is an SHO (senior house officer=resident) there, tells me there's lot's of waste in that system. If women with HER-2/NEU positive breast cancer (which as you mention are a small percentage) were to receive the drug free of charge, I don't think it would break your system. From what I hear the NHS (British National Health Service) has more problems than giving away expensive drugs. The system probably wastes more money with unnecessary ambulance rides per year than herceptin. But of course this is just heresay on my part. Universal health care is great, however, like everything there need to be checks and balances. The bottom line is poor patients should receive the same standard of care as the wealthy patient. People who cry about paying higher taxes probably wouldn't even notice the difference. Our military (in which I was a former member USMC) wastes more money per hour than this drug would cost us in a year.