[THE AMATUER]

After watching a doc about the American health system, or lack of it if you haven't got medical insurance, I was wondering how much they have to pay for health cover?

Any ideas?

[eric pisch]

its alot

I was talking to my brother about it a couple of weeks ago, the whole system seams messed up.

There seams to be 2 systems in place in the USA, normal type health insurance that we have which costs fortunes and from my understanding 10-15% of a typical salary but covers most things. Like most insurance you can specify more things and it puts the premium up, they also have an excess which could be $50,000 for major stuff like a heart opp, depending on the level of cover / premium.

Then they have the HMO system (again insurance based), this is supposed to be a system for people but costs have spiralled and its become racked with very dubious tactics, many hmo companies are accused of deliberately looking for anyway to deny claims, paying huge bonus to staff who cancel the most claims and reporting insane profits. For my bro-inlaws family of 4 he said something along the lines of $800 a month. These policy's have huge restrictions and cause real issues for people with long term illness

Health maintenance organization - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The dreaded phrase in all this is pre existing condition, its near impossible to get anything you already have covered.

It is why medical is a big part of job package, most family's look at the medical cover that comes with a job as hard as they think about the salary, and why company's like walmarts are hated for lobbying the government so that they became exempted from having to provide even basic medical.

Not a country to get ill in unless you are wealthy. Oh and my BIL now has a problem as his eldest has just turned 18 and now is off the company medical scheme.

[Jenn]

Originally Posted by eric pisch

its alot

I was talking to my brother about it a couple of weeks ago, the whole system seams messed up.

There seams to be 2 systems in place in the USA, normal type health insurance that we have which costs fortunes and from my understanding 10-15% of a typical salary but covers most things. Like most insurance you can specify more things and it puts the premium up, they also have an excess which could be $50,000 for major stuff like a heart opp, depending on the level of cover / premium.

Then they have the HMO system (again insurance based), this is supposed to be a system for people but costs have spiralled and its become racked with very dubious tactics, many hmo companies are accused of deliberately looking for anyway to deny claims, paying huge bonus to staff who cancel the most claims and reporting insane profits. For my bro-inlaws family of 4 he said something along the lines of $800 a month. These policy's have huge restrictions and cause real issues for people with long term illness

Health maintenance organization - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The dreaded phrase in all this is pre existing condition, its near impossible to get anything you already have covered.

It is why medical is a big part of job package, most family's look at the medical cover that comes with a job as hard as they think about the salary, and why company's like walmarts are hated for lobbying the government so that they became exempted from having to provide even basic medical.

Not a country to get ill in unless you are wealthy. Oh and my BIL now has a problem as his eldest has just turned 18 and now is off the company medical scheme.

But di they have NI taken out of their wages and paid by their employer? Because if not, then they're not paying that much more (if anything) than us.

[Naqv]

Originally Posted by Jenn

But di they have NI taken out of their wages and paid by their employer? Because if not, then they're not paying that much more (if anything) than us.

Yeah, but what system do you want to live under? A private system, where the company tries to get out of treating you as much as possible, or a system where the health service's main job is to treat people without any prejudice?

[Jenn]

Originally Posted by Naqv

Yeah, but what system do you want to live under? A private system, where the company tries to get out of treating you as much as possible, or a system where the health service's main job is to treat people without any prejudice?

Well I'm not argueing about the way the system works, just questioning how expensive it is on either side of the pond.

If you look at private health insurance here, it's just the same, they try to get out of paying out any way they can.
That's the problem with insurance companies.

[eric pisch]

Originally Posted by Jenn

But di they have NI taken out of their wages and paid by their employer? Because if not, then they're not paying that much more (if anything) than us.

for the avg family it actually works out about the same now for a far worse medical service, our tax and ni = approx there tax and insurance in CA anyway, does vary from state to state.

[andykn]

Originally Posted by Jenn

But di they have NI taken out of their wages and paid by their employer? Because if not, then they're not paying that much more (if anything) than us.

US taxes are lower than UK, but in theory NI also covers unemployment benefit and pensions, that's why you pay a lower rate of NI if you are in a "contracted out" pension scheme.

And many US Health schemes have a deductible or "co-pay", so even if you are insured, you still have to pay more for treatment.

[andykn]

Originally Posted by Jenn

Well I'm not argueing about the way the system works, just questioning how expensive it is on either side of the pond.

If you look at private health insurance here, it's just the same, they try to get out of paying out any way they can.
That's the problem with insurance companies.

My g/f has Health Insurance with Standard Life and found them to be very co-operative during her recent routine but major surgery. They even let her increase her cover after diagnosis so she could use the top band central london facility that her consultant recommended.