[mc3]

There is a big discussion in the US on Universal Health Care. We hear that, in order to have it, we'll be paying alot more $$, and that it will be worse that what we have (not sure how..) I'm curious - just how much do you pay? I'll share from my paycheck...I make $1480 every 2 weeks. From that, I pay $75.90 Federal tax, $83.34 Social Security tax, and $19.50 Medicare tax. (I claim 2 exemptions). I pay no state income tax in this state. My insurance for my husband and I is $205.05. (I have a $4000 deductible I must pay before my insurance kicks in.) Therefore, I pay a total of $383.79 for tax obligations and medical insurance, or 26%. I guess it doesn't seem that bad, but... Of course, our taxes don't include college which I think yours do.
So, all things being equal, is Universal Health care that much more???
Thanks,
mc3

[cariad]

your post with your pay will be too complicated for uk wage earners to understand, basically if you work in the UK you pay one third of your wages in taxes and insurance, over here I have found that I also pay about one third of my wages in tax etc, BUT when you are sick over here, you do not get full sick pay, you use your vacation time which is usually 4 weeks a year, and then you pay for your pills, which can be quite a lot depending on what you have to get, your health insurance will pay a large part of the bills, but still leaves you to pay part of the bills, from doctors, radiologists, aneisthetists, and anyone else that has treated you. any US nurse who wants to know what you pay towards, google, the profits from your medical insurance company.

[sharrie]

Thanks Cariad, I have spent ages trying to find an appropriate response to the question but it is so complex.

There are many benefits here that may not be reflected in numbers.

I pay about a 25% of my wages out before I receive it, but I don't have to work it out it is already taken before I get it.

So I earn about £2000 each month after tax, national insurance and pension is taken out.

I get access to healthcare, full sick pay for 6 months then half for 6 months, I am entitled to good maternity benefits as well. In Wales and Scotland we don't pay for any prescribed medications either.

I pay £190 each year to the royal college of nursing that covers my professional indemnity insurance and provides union cover as well.

[cariad]

the americans are under the impression that people in the UK pay horrendous amounts of tax to pay for our 'socialised medicine' they do not understand our tax system and as an american taxpayer I dont understand theirs, you pay federal tax, state tax, and then medicaid and then your own health benefits and any of your family that are eligible, and then in january you 'file' your taxes and if you have paid too much to state of federal, then you get some back, but if you havent paid enough, then you owe them, we had some back this year because of DH's medical bills, because we can claim them but I know of 2 friends who have had to pay $12,000 and $2,0000.
and now that DH is disabled right now, I support him fully as he is not able to claim any money from anywhere, so I keep him and pay all his medical bills.

[elkpark]

Thank you for attempting to lay out hard numbers so that we can compare "apples to apples." Often, in these discussions in the US, people raise the horrible spectre of taxes being raised to pay for a single-payer healthcare funding system -- but forget to include in the discussion the hundreds of $$$ most of us are paying each month in premiums to the private-for-profit insurance companies, money we would not be paying in a single-payer system. So, yes, you would pay more in taxes, but you would also save a lot (probably a lot more, given the profit and absurd administrative costs built into the current insurance system) in insurance premiums. Since so many people have all or most of their insurance premium paid for by their employer, they are often unaware of the full cost of their health insurance. That "hidden" premium is simply income of yours that you never see.

[nightmare]

Originally Posted by sharrie

Thanks Cariad, I have spent ages trying to find an appropriate response to the question but it is so complex.

There are many benefits here that may not be reflected in numbers.

I pay about a 25% of my wages out before I receive it, but I don't have to work it out it is already taken before I get it.

So I earn about £2000 each month after tax, national insurance and pension is taken out.

I get access to healthcare, full sick pay for 6 months then half for 6 months, I am entitled to good maternity benefits as well. In Wales and Scotland we don't pay for any prescribed medications either.

I pay £190 each year to the royal college of nursing that covers my professional indemnity insurance and provides union cover as well.

Unfortunately,Sharrie,we are still paying prescription charges but they have gone down to £5 and will be done away with eventually.

[mc3]

Originally Posted by cariad

the americans are under the impression that people in the UK pay horrendous amounts of tax to pay for our 'socialised medicine' they do not understand our tax system and as an american taxpayer I dont understand theirs, you pay federal tax, state tax, and then medicaid and then your own health benefits and any of your family that are eligible, and then in january you 'file' your taxes and if you have paid too much to state of federal, then you get some back, but if you havent paid enough, then you owe them, we had some back this year because of DH's medical bills, because we can claim them but I know of 2 friends who have had to pay $12,000 and $2,0000.
and now that DH is disabled right now, I support him fully as he is not able to claim any money from anywhere, so I keep him and pay all his medical bills.

You're right, Cariad, that's why I was curious. I certainly don't believe everything the politicians are telling us, especially in this election year!
mc3

[cariad]

It is difficult to understand either culture and explain it all in an understanding way. In the UK benefits are so superior to the US that most americans dont believe it. there are prescription charges for each item in the uk but it is a standardised payment of $10/12, over here right now, we pay $48 and $62 and $54 and $28, several $10's and a few generic $4 ones, thats not counting the painkillers and prn meds, to see a doctor is $25 and to visit the consultants which we have to do quite often is $35, we spend up to $300 a month just for DH.

[Sueilp]

It is different wherever you go, mine is slightly different to Cariad's and it all depends on your health insurance....to be honest I have been over here 2.5 yrs and still havent got my head round it all yet....I pay about $140 per paycheck for health insurance for me, DH, & 2 boys (so that is about $300 a month). I have to pay $10 per doctor's visit, and my prescriptions vary between $5 and $10 at the mo....

as already mentioned there are the taxes...I dont pay income tax (no income tax in the state of Florida) but have to add the pay isnt that great here either as we are one of the lowest paid states....I pay, federal, social security and medicare tax and when i file my taxes at the end of the year I end up getting most of my tax back....it is all so very complicated....

[elkpark]

Originally Posted by SueIP

....I pay about $140 per paycheck for health insurance for me, DH, & 2 boys (so that is about $300 a month). I have to pay $10 per doctor's visit, and my prescriptions vary between $5 and $10 at the mo....

And, again, keep in mind that the $300 you're paying for your insurance is not the full premium for the insurance -- your employer is paying part of it (probably a lot more than you're paying), money that is basically income you've earned but never see.