Signal Boost: Dear GOP - You are killing people!

[khouriajen]

Originally posted by acelightning at Signal Boost: Dear GOP - You are killing people!
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《i》EtA: Nobody is trying to put insurance companies out of business. They will always be able to offer a better plan for a premium. We simply want to ensure that every citizen - from infant to senior citizen - doesn't have to choose between medical care, and keeping a roof over their heads, or having enough to eat.《/i》

I live in Australia. There is a great public health system that means people are seen when they need to be at minimal/realistic cost at most (or free if you walk into any public hospital). Then there is private health insurance - if you want a top up for faster service or extra care.

Private health insurance means you can pick who your doctor is (in hospital/specialist cases, we can pick our own GP already), have shorter waiting periods for elective surgery (like low priority knee replacements etc), have special care in 'private hospitals' (eg. a week in a private room that's 'pretty' for maternity, vs 3days in a public hospital that's 'functional' and has a small chance of being a shared room), it generally covers a chunk of the cost of glasses/contacts, dental fees etc.

Trust me, the private health insurers are very profitable. Not because our health system is so dire, but because people want more 'just in case' so they can have the extras. It's about $1,200 a year for full coverage including hospital, maternity/private OB/hospital, full specialist etc. There are gaps to pay for each use though. And about $400/yr for part coverage - optical, ambulance, physio and dental say.