Panis et Circenses

[dotinthesky]

[Poll #1445374]

Feel free to expand in the comments section.

Edit: If you are British, please consider "Health Care" as including the National Health Service (NHS). Basically, what I meant by it was an umbrella definition for some kind of system (whether private or not) that offers you health care.

Comments

[olamina.livejournal.com]

I am American but I don't live in America so I answered the "non-americans"

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

That's cool. I can see from your response that you have good coverage now in Slovenia. If you were back in the States, how would that change/remain the same?

[olamina.livejournal.com]

If I were America, I would start from zero. There were many times during my life in New York where I was without coverage. The worst was when I came back from a trip to Ghana and had a bad case of malaria such that my boyfriend at the time rushed me to the emergency room (of course the treatment for malaria made me feel even worse, but that's another story...). Anyway, through a bit of trickery and a whole lot of paperwork I was able to get my hospital fees covered by Medicaid (I was, pretty much, broke) and I even got on the dole but was too afraid to use the food stamp credit card that they sent me.

[olamina.livejournal.com]

Also, you didn't ask but I wanted to let you know that here in Slovenia, I get basic government health insurance through Gregor (because he has a full time job where those contributions are withdrawn) and I pay an additional €22 a month for the additional health insurance which covers lab fees, trips to specialists (though not ALL specialists), and surgeries. i never have to pay a cent for drugs as long as i have a doctor's prescription and even when i don't have an appointment the wait is never that long. i remember waiting a super long time for my doctor in nyc even when i had an appointment, and they would really hurry you out of there.

[commonpeople.livejournal.com]

It sounds very similar to the U.K., where a person with a residency thanks to their partner is also entitled to health coverage. Even tourists can be treated in hospitals and seen by GPs, free of charge (for most things).

[olamina.livejournal.com]

don't get me wrong, the system in UK is far better. a friend sprained her ankle playing basketball in Bristol and she just went right in and got it fixed. she was shocked. here in slovenia, if you don't have any insurance they will not see you. my first six months here were very tough. i know of an english living here who wanted to go get lab work done and just pay for it out of pocket and they wouldnt let her. she is still floundering here without any sort of coverage. she is no longer entitled to NHS since she is not a UK resident and she is not entitled to coverage here either. bad system in that regard.