Nurses in UHC countries, I need your help.

Hello Foreigners! If you live in a UHC country, I would like to know your opinions on your health care system. Specifically:

Are you aware of the rate of medical bankruptcy? How common is it in your country for a person to file bankruptcy because of medical costs? Does it happen?
Just doesn't happen. Ever. Sometimes people want to try experimental treatments overseas, etc and raise money to fund their care there, but I don't know of anyone who has gone broke paying for necessary medical care.

What about choice? Are you free to choose any doctor you want and do you feel you have a say in your treatment, or do you think the system makes the choice for you?
You can choose whatever GP (PCP) you want, and you can be referred to whichever specialist you want to see. If you turn up at an emergency department, you will see whoever is on duty, and if you need immediate surgery you would get whoever was working. We do have additional, optional private healthcare insurance which the government encourages you to take out (by taking additional tax if you don't).

Concerning culture, what's the general ratio (you can estimate) of those in your country who are for or against the current UHC plan? How are the proponents and those who foster the UHC viewed through a cultural lens? (e.g. “People who support UHC are free-loaders and losers”.)
It's not a matter of debate, really. It just is what it is. Of course there are people who abuse the system, as there is in any system.

Concerning quality of care, what about these terrible wait time that Americans hear about? Is that true? Are you receiving poor care because of the system?
Wait times depend on the severity of your condition, most of the time. Of course you do hear about poor old ladies with broken hips that are considered "elective" repairs, who have waited several hours in the ER or several weeks for surgery - but that is the exception and not the rule.

It's highly publicized when it happens, but the majority of the time the system works. My mum recently attended a private hospital ER with respiratory distress. Within several hours, she was admitted, diagnosed with cancer, had an oncologist and respiratory physician see her, and was scheduled for surgery the next day. I don't know whether things would have been quite as quick in the public system. She has top private health insurance, so the only thing she has paid for so far after about total of 3 admissions, 2 major surgeries, chemotherapy, and around 3 weeks in hospital is for some bloodwork, some medication at discharge and some specialist fees for the surgeon and anesthesiologist (total of maybe $600).

Is your system sustainable?
Impossible to say. I guess being funded by taxes, it is. Of course people like paying less taxes, but I don't think many people would give up UHC in order to pay less tax. I do think the current system of financially "encouraging" people to take out additional private coverage is great - that way, things like choosing a hospital and surgeon for elective procedures are possible, and the burden on the public system and waiting list are reduced. Many more GPs are choosing to bill patients a fee now due to low Medicare reimbursement, so many doctor visits cost around $40. Previously most doctor visits were "bulk-billed" ie. covered by medicare, so you never paid out of pocket.

Is your UHC coverage guaranteed? Has your coverage ever been denied ( or others that you are aware of ) and for what reason?
Yes, coverage is guaranteed. There is no coverage to deny per se, it is a citizen/permanent resident's right to get treatment. You are not asked your ability to pay before being seen as a public patient.

Please tell what country you are from and feel free to discuss anything at all about your UHC system, the good, the bad, the inbetween.
I am from Australia, and currently living/working in the US. Working in the US healthcare system has certainly been an eye opener - I work in the heart transplant field, and it's unbelievable to me that you have to be fiscally cleared before being listed/approved for transplant. We had a baby from interstate come to our hospital who agreed to accept him for transplant, when he was denied by his local transplant center because his insurance was maxed out. He was 10 weeks old. Where I'm from, if you needed a heart transplant and were medically eligible, you would be listed.

No system is perfect, and Australia's is far from perfect. There are many things that could be done to reduce the costs to taxpayers - one good thing here is that I honestly never considered the cost of things when I worked as a nurs in Australia. It has been educational to include the cost effectiveness of treatments into treatment decisions, and it's something I think should be considered at home.

Thanks!