NHS USA
Out of context: Reply #28
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- BaskerviIle0
I am so bemused why some right wing americans see a state-run system as almost communist. Why do they think anything socialist is bad, a very confused anachronistic byproduct of the cold war.
The US postal system is nationalised as are the roads and many other things over there.The NHS is probably the best thing about britain. I have family and friends in the US and the things they tell me about getting medical treatment, especially a friend who was unemployed is awful. Some of the stories in Michael Moore's Sicko were terrible too (I know he's incredibly biased etc).
I have experienced both NHS and private healthcare (since I had a couple of ops last year privately because I have free private health insurance through my job).
I can't say private was any better, in fact my surgeon could have seen me either on NHS or privately. I chose private because he could see me literally the next week rather than 3 months on the NHS waiting list. The difference was he chose to do his private patients on the weekend ouside of his normal work hours. Also I was treated in a private hospital in my own very clean room, and it was all paid for either way.As for waiting lists. Yes in general there are waiting lists on the NHS but one thing they are very good at is prioritising those that need attention first.
I have been told by family friends (who are oncologists) that if you have cancer, NHS is by far the best way to go, far better than privately.The NHS is something that I'm proud of, and I feel sorry for US citizens who need care and can't get it. Also talk to Norwegians or other countries where the state taxes are high but they get incredibly good healthcare.
Americans don't want more taxes but will pay shitloads for medical. Whereas if they paid slightly more tax, it would be free for everyone.