30 People Compare Healthcare In The US Vs. Other Countries, Say The US Has A Lot To Learn
When Harvard professor Moshik Temkin was in France, he had to see a doctor. At the time, he didn't have health insurance, so Temkin couldn't know what to expect. The appointment could have taken a serious bite out of his pocket. But it didn't. In fact, it was so cheap compared to what he's used to in the United States, Temkin even tweeted out his experience.
The tweet instantly went viral, inspiring other people to share stories as well. Continue scrolling and take a look at some of the most popular ones.
Image credits: moshik_temkin
Image credits: moshik_temkin
Image credits: moshik_temkin
Image credits: moshik_temkin
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Our hospitals in Eswatini might not be up to par with the world... it's a 3rd world african country after all, but I had my wisdom tooth removed for about $4 total, pain meds included. Also sometime last year I had to get a couple of tests and scans including X-rays. total cost, 20 emalangeni which is just over 1 US dollar.
According to the Commonwealth Fund, which regularly ranks the health systems of a handful of developed countries, in 2017, the best countries for health care were the United Kingdom, the Netherlands, and Australia. The United States came in last. The country's health care system, the report says, spends far more than other high-income countries yet has gaps in the quality of care. And this is consistent throughout 20 years.
The U.S. had the worst performance score overall and ranked last or near last on the Access, Administrative Efficiency, Equity, and Health Care Outcomes domains. Based on a broad range of indicators, the U.S. health system is an outlier and should look at other countries' approaches if it wants to become an affordable, high-performing health care system that serves all Americans.
Shameful. The USA pays more per capita on health care than any other country, so I've heard, yet we have the highest maternal death rate of any first-world country. We are sick and getting sicker.
"The United States spends far more on health care than other high-income countries, with spending levels that rose continuously over the past three decades," the report said. "Yet the U.S. population has poorer health than other countries. Life expectancy, after improving for several decades, worsened in recent years for some populations, aggravated by the opioid crisis. In addition, as the baby-boom population ages, more people in the U.S.—and all over the world—are living with age-related disabilities and chronic disease, placing pressure on health care systems to respond."
They don't do it anymore in Germany. The TV is free. I mean it wouldn't work these days anyway as almost everyone have at least a smartphone
The important thing is that timely and accessible health care could mitigate many of these challenges, but the U.S. health care system fails to deliver required services reliably to all who could benefit. Particularly, poor access to primary care has contributed to inadequate prevention and management of chronic diseases, delayed diagnoses, incomplete adherence to treatments, wasteful overuse of drugs and technologies, and coordination and safety problems.
I worked at a med school (Hahnemann University) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. We were taken over by a hospital chain that purchased several hospitals in the city. Then one by one the hospitals went out of business and were closed. Here is a list: Graduate Hospital, City Line Hospital, Women's Medical College/hospital, Rolling Hill Hospital, Parkview Hospital, and Hahnemann Hospital. So they were all closed and the city lost well over 2,000 beds for a city of 1.5 million residents. A sad and sorry disgrace.
LOL. American: "I paid 49 Euro for a doctor visit and meds!!!" European: "Dude, you've been robbed!!"
The Commonwealth Fund's president, David Blumenthal, said at the Spotlight Health Festival, which is co-hosted by the Aspen Institute and The Atlantic, that there are 3 main reasons why the United States lags behind its peers.
Firstly, a lack of insurance coverage. A common talking point on the right is that health care and health insurance are not equivalent—that getting more people insured will not necessarily improve health outcomes. But Blumenthal stated: "The literature on insurance demonstrates that having insurance lowers mortality. It is equivalent to a public-health intervention."
Netherlands: 140 Euro per month for insurance. Co-payment 385 Euro per year. No payments to doctors for visits or house calls, very minor contributions to prescriptions until you've maxed out your co-payment for that year.
More than 27 million people in the United States were uninsured in 2016, which is nearly a tenth of the population. That's mostly because they can’t afford coverage, live in a state that didn’t expand Medicaid, or are undocumented. Those aren’t problems that people in places like the United Kingdom worry about.
Can't Bored Panda staff get rid of this Hazel Lily shmuck? Except for Parkinson's, apparently she is also suffering from memory loss because she posts the same damn comment everywhere!!! We get it....ultimate herbal clinic.... the answer to everything. Suffering from a disease? Ultimateherbclinic. Suffering from stupidity, Ultimateherbclinic. Lost a nipple? Want to become pen pals with a rehabilitated serial killer? You know it people...... Ultimateherbclinic. Get out!
Next, administrative inefficiency. "We waste a lot of money on administration," Blumenthal explained. According to the Commonwealth Fund's report, in the United States, "doctors and patients [report] wasting time on billing and insurance claims. Other countries that rely on private health insurers, like the Netherlands, minimize some of these problems by standardizing basic benefit packages, which can both reduce the administrative burden for providers and ensure that patients face predictable copayments." To put it simply, while insurance coverage, in general, is great, it's not ideal that different insurance plans cover different treatments and procedures, forcing doctors to spend precious hours working with insurance companies to provide care.
Stop voting for people who think that universal health care is socialist and that article 25 of the universal declaration of human rights is just a joke.
A brick hit my left foot toe and get broke, after 3 hrs and 300 for the X-rays, they ask me 3,700 for the surgery ( with the insurance that I pay 350 per month) I went to Mexico, 35 dlls for the appointment and the X-rays, Dr told me can make the surgery right there; he did it, and charge me 175 dlls I live in the border, I just cancel my insurance in USA and get it in Mexico... Now I pay 125 for my and my wife and my 2 sons, and I'm covered 100% and my copay is 125 dlls for any procedure We may need...
Finally, underperforming primary care. "We have a very disorganized, fragmented, inefficient, and under-resourced primary care system, "Blumenthal explained. The Commonwealth Fund found that many primary-care physicians struggle to receive relevant clinical information from specialists and hospitals, complicating efforts to provide seamless, coordinated care.
"American aversion to going to the doctor" - We hit a rough patch years ago where we didn't have insurance. The kids had Medicaid, but adults generally don't qualify. I broke my foot (dropped a very heavy washing machine on it and there was really no question that it was broken) but refused to go to the hospital for it because there was no way I could afford it. Even with insurance, I'm terrified that one of us will need to go to the ER. It's $150 just to walk in the door and there's no telling what seeing the doctor or getting tests will add to that. Suffering and self-treating are too common here.
My best friend is a MD who has been in practice for 35+ years. The last two positions he worked for offer nonexistent health care coverage. He pays $700 a month insurance premium, but his deductible is $10,000 a year. After he has spent 10K out of pocket, the insurance only covers 80% with no limit set on out of pocket costs. The result? He has to provide his own care. He has not been seen as a patient for the last 10 years. So at age 64 he has not had blood work or any preventive tests in that time period. Yes, the USA is f****d AF.
The cost in Germany is €10 per day in the hospital. But you only have to pay 280€ maximum per year (4 weeks), no matter how long or often you are in any hospital. That's the cost of food and linen basically.
On top of a lack of investment in primary care, "we don't invest in social services, which are important determinants of health," Blumenthal added. Things like home visiting, better housing, and subsidized healthy food could extend the work of doctors and improve chronic disease outcomes.
Of course you do! You deserve a health system that's not a corporation...
Find a good friend in Spain who will send you your inhalers. Perhaps we could make it a business. "Good friends for Americans" We buy your meds in Europe, send them to you and you pay us the meds, shipping costs and a little surcharge of $5 per shipment. Happy days for everyone...
Note: this post originally had 72 images. It’s been shortened to the top 30 images based on user votes.
Those testimonies were extremely sad to read. They reminded me of those stories of children from violent households who are extremely distrustful and stressed out when put in a caring and loving environment. They grew up with a terrible system, and can't really believe their luck when confronted to something better, that everyone else finds normal...
I highly recommend Michael Moore's documentary "Sicko," which contrasts our health "care" with what people get in other countries. We need to be marching in the streets by the thousands!
Maybe wait until COVID-19 is over.
Such a heartbreaking documentary, I watched it back in school and I was appalled. And so grateful I was born in the UK.
wonder why they are no riot in USA for all that kind of s**t
The same people who howl "Socialism!" at the thought of single-payer health care don't bat an eye at the obscene amounts the USA spends on "defense" or corporate welfare.
I must have missed something - WHAT are Germany supposed to be doing exactly Bill? Or anyone?
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America can pull back on defense if Germany promises to stop trying to take over the world. Thugs in the rest of the world keep beating the crap out of people and the rest of you spineless Europeans are more concerned about you holiday than peace.
Because we are miseducated into complacency. It is very obvious, just think about it like this: If black people fight white people and poor people fight rich people and everyone attacks the Asians, and even if conservative fights liberal, we are ALL still ignoring the problem of unfettered capitalism while at the same time having all of our choices and disagreements influenced by it. We are miseducated to not know how the economy works, we are taught to only care about social issues and not EVER understand money. Even loving money or wanting money is just labeled as shallow and greedy while the top 1% take everything from us. People aren’t trained / educated / smart enough and are too busy fighting to care about something as life changing and important as rioting against unregulated capitalism.
Many of us DO want universal healthcare
The vast majority of Americans want universal healthcare. The problem is we have effective minority rule because of the filibuster. (Abolish the filibuster!) Republicans oppose every single social program the majority of people want. They would abolish Social Security, and Medicare altogether if they could, but they are too popular now for the Republicans to attempt to eliminate them. Both are "Socialist" programs by the way. They fought the Democrats to keep those programs from ever being established. Thank God we won those battles. Universal healthcare would soon be as popular with Americans as it is with the citizens of all the other developed countries that have it , and Republicans know that. That's why they lie, and say it will lead to communism which is utter nonsense. Republicans don't really believe in government. They want to privatize literally everything in order to monetize everything. For the love of God stop voting for Republicans.
Wow, Teucer. The USA can get to the Moon and Mars, create and maintain the most advanced and powerful military force in history, but figuring out how to provide decent medical care for its citizens is too hard?
Those testimonies were extremely sad to read. They reminded me of those stories of children from violent households who are extremely distrustful and stressed out when put in a caring and loving environment. They grew up with a terrible system, and can't really believe their luck when confronted to something better, that everyone else finds normal...
I highly recommend Michael Moore's documentary "Sicko," which contrasts our health "care" with what people get in other countries. We need to be marching in the streets by the thousands!
Maybe wait until COVID-19 is over.
Such a heartbreaking documentary, I watched it back in school and I was appalled. And so grateful I was born in the UK.
wonder why they are no riot in USA for all that kind of s**t
The same people who howl "Socialism!" at the thought of single-payer health care don't bat an eye at the obscene amounts the USA spends on "defense" or corporate welfare.
I must have missed something - WHAT are Germany supposed to be doing exactly Bill? Or anyone?
This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
America can pull back on defense if Germany promises to stop trying to take over the world. Thugs in the rest of the world keep beating the crap out of people and the rest of you spineless Europeans are more concerned about you holiday than peace.
Because we are miseducated into complacency. It is very obvious, just think about it like this: If black people fight white people and poor people fight rich people and everyone attacks the Asians, and even if conservative fights liberal, we are ALL still ignoring the problem of unfettered capitalism while at the same time having all of our choices and disagreements influenced by it. We are miseducated to not know how the economy works, we are taught to only care about social issues and not EVER understand money. Even loving money or wanting money is just labeled as shallow and greedy while the top 1% take everything from us. People aren’t trained / educated / smart enough and are too busy fighting to care about something as life changing and important as rioting against unregulated capitalism.
Many of us DO want universal healthcare
The vast majority of Americans want universal healthcare. The problem is we have effective minority rule because of the filibuster. (Abolish the filibuster!) Republicans oppose every single social program the majority of people want. They would abolish Social Security, and Medicare altogether if they could, but they are too popular now for the Republicans to attempt to eliminate them. Both are "Socialist" programs by the way. They fought the Democrats to keep those programs from ever being established. Thank God we won those battles. Universal healthcare would soon be as popular with Americans as it is with the citizens of all the other developed countries that have it , and Republicans know that. That's why they lie, and say it will lead to communism which is utter nonsense. Republicans don't really believe in government. They want to privatize literally everything in order to monetize everything. For the love of God stop voting for Republicans.
Wow, Teucer. The USA can get to the Moon and Mars, create and maintain the most advanced and powerful military force in history, but figuring out how to provide decent medical care for its citizens is too hard?