ameican health care

[Daveheadhunt]

i am being sponsored by a friend to move to america hopefull permanently. what is the deal with the maerican health system? can any of our american friends here give me some good advice?

[done-diesel]

its a simple equation.

1) you have a job which provides health care = you're covered and okay

2) you pay about $1000 a month for comprehensive health care + a copay each visit of about $20 = you're covered and okay

3) anything else and you're not covered and you will be in massive debt if you get seriously ill.

that's the deal

[tacifornia]

a question for you europeans- will your national health system last?

imo there has to be a balance between a national health system and a market economy because health systems get a abused and market econimies can be unforgiving. everyone needs to make a contribution to any system.

[adero]

Originally Posted by done-diesel

its a simple equation.

1) you have a job which provides health care = you're covered and okay

2) you pay about $1000 a month for comprehensive health care + a copay each visit of about $20 = you're covered and okay

3) anything else and you're not covered and you will be in massive debt if you get seriously ill.

that's the deal

*how common is it that american company's in the privat sector will provide you with health care?
*what's the average income in the US.
*And whats the minimum wage in the US?

[xzibit]

most employers with over 30 employees will offer some kind of health care program but there could be caps and massive co-pays.

average income is tough because it varies so widely from state to state. states in the south tend to have much lower average incomes than states in the west and north east.

again minimum wages depend on the state. some states in the north have a minimum of approx. $8 to $9 and others in the south $4 to $5.

health care is a big problem in the usa. the state os mass introduced health care for all residents but it is already putting unsustainable stress on local finances. there needs to be some way of saying everyone contributes something and the big health care companies have an earnings cap.

[adero]

did some investigating myself after have been reading an article about free health care in Virginia. It is offered ONCE a year. In giant tents....

found these figures:
according to Kaiser State Health Facts stats for 2006
9,5 million(12,5%) kids between 0-18 in the US didn't have a health insurance.
47 million(16%) of the entire population( approx 300 million) was uninsured for same time period.

Am sure there must be money to finance the health care system somehow!?

Greatest country on the earth...
...perhaps refers to the land area.
don't get me wrong I really like America and am not trying to insult anyone here, -I have visit the country perhaps 16-18 times-but above stats are chocking.
The economy is perhaps the strongest in the world so I find it not only strange but also bizzare.

[fash]

i am confused by this. what happens if you are sick or in an accident, do the hospitals and medical staff turn you away if you have no insurance?

[done-diesel]

no, they would get treatment if it was something like a car accident. they would then end up in bankrupcy because there's no way they could pay the cost. in america it all comes down to your credit score and that would be obilerated. credit score is a thread in itself.

the problem about not having health insurance is you get no check ups so you get no preventative care.