Questions about National Health Services

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I am just wondering how this all works as here in the US we have nothing like it. It has been a hotly debated political item, and the closest we have is one state (Massachusetts) requiring all residents to have insurance, which has driven prices down it appears. They also expanded their state offferings, although financing this huge change may be a barrier in the not so distant future.

It appears that the UK and also Canada have such a thing as national insurance and healthcare and I just want to learn more.

My daughters best friend in college is from Northern Ireland and she says that they gov't pays her healthcare and her education, including being an exchange student here the US.

can someone share with me the baiscs and actually how well these systems really work? Can you still get private healthcare or do you just not need to?

Are medicines also covered? Is there a copay? Is it based on your income or anything else? What is covered and not covered?

Thanks in advance!

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Specializes in Medical and general practice now LTC.

It is a bit wrong to say healthcare is free here in the UK. Many of us here have our own feelings but everyone who is working in the UK does have to pay National Insurance. (NI) Even then we have what is called Post Code lottery (post code similar to ZIP code) and you will hear of one procedure covered in one area but someone living in another area will not be covered for the same procedure. The government is supposed to be clamping down on this but nothing seems to be happening. If you want you can have private health care coverage and you get what you pay for but many will not cover things like WLS or cosmetic. Dental care is very hard to find now in the NHS with many people not seeing a dentist as they can not afford to go privately. Prescriptions if working and living in England you have to pay £6.85 ($13.54) per item ie 2 items on prescription, course of antibiotics and analgesia then you pay 2 x £6.85 = £13.70 ($27.08). We also have a high demand on the NHS with it now suffering financially with nurses struggling to find work especially if they can not move areas to live, nurses being laid off or down graded. (mush has been discussed in the UK forum on this)

Wiki explains a bit on the NHS but you can always look on the gov pages will add a link. Not sure about all paying for education abroad and now even to study as a resident there are charges in universities although pay more if international.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Health_Service

Department of Health UK

These are my opinions and sure you will find others with their opinions and is for the UK

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, IM, OB/GYN, neuro, GI.

I saw a story about the healthcare system in Canada that was a few years old. It's done based on your income is is how much you have to pay in. They were people on the show that were complaining about it because they didn't like how the system worked with regards of how much to pay because they weren't factoring other things in to the income like mortgages and dependants. I can't remember if they have restrictions on things like the pp stated but I'm sure if you did a internet search you could find some information on it.

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It sounds really complicated and possibly that it may have its own issues both in Canada and the UK. I will be reading up on this much more for sure.

I live in NH only 5 hours from Montreal and I was helping a friend research surgeries up there (they have extensive experience in eye laser treatment and also weight loss surgery). Evidently for the weight loss procedures, there was certain criteria and a 2-4 year waitlist to get the procedure done and paid for but their national insurance. There was a whole long list of hoops and criteria. BUT they did say if you wanted it done now, there was a fee of $X,XXX. Not sure how much it was, but that option was there for those who did not want to wait and could afford it.

A friends dad saved money having cataract surgery in Montreal, even with flight expense from FL and hotel and meals for several days, and he only had one eye done! I think he said it was still less than half the price for him.

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Specializes in Med/Surg, Tele, IM, OB/GYN, neuro, GI.
It sounds really complicated and possibly that it may have its own issues both in Canada and the UK. I will be reading up on this much more for sure.

I live in NH only 5 hours from Montreal and I was helping a friend research surgeries up there (they have extensive experience in eye laser treatment and also weight loss surgery). Evidently for the weight loss procedures, there was certain criteria and a 2-4 year waitlist to get the procedure done and paid for but their national insurance. There was a whole long list of hoops and criteria. BUT they did say if you wanted it done now, there was a fee of $X,XXX. Not sure how much it was, but that option was there for those who did not want to wait and could afford it.

A friends dad saved money having cataract surgery in Montreal, even with flight expense from FL and hotel and meals for several days, and he only had one eye done! I think he said it was still less than half the price for him.

That was something else that the story said about even if you have to have a procedure done that you are waitlisted for it and sometimes it can take years to have it done. There was a lot of people who were going to New York and Seattle and paying for it out of pocket so they could have the procedures done faster.

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