Reply to Which country actually has the best healthcare system?

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[quote=Anonymous]Let's have an honest conversation about different healthcare systems around the world and where America stands.

I initially was going to write this in the political section, but I actually want to discuss it more from an outcomes, data, plus anecdote standpoint since that's what a lot of people have to offer, rather than ideological. I am actually interested in anecdotes AND actual data.

I only have experience in the US and the UK, and friends' experiences in Europe. DH was injured in the UK years ago and received adequate care, didn't have to wait significantly longer than he would in the US, but he did have to nag the nurses for some things to get needed attention, but he did get what he needed, it was fine but not stellar service by any means. Relatives in the UK who lean conservative bemoan NHS inefficiency, while others say that defunding it is the cause of the inneficiency.

I also have a friend who is an Italian citizen and gave birth in Italy. She gave birth to a preemie and spent a month in the NICU and paid nothing, and had no complaints about the service.

As for the US, my own experiences have been mixed to positive. I definitely appreciated being kept on my parents' insurance until age 26, and my father had the privilege of a state employee union healthcare plan, the Cadillac of Cadillac plans. The Real World of being an Adult gave me a reality check; while the first two jobs I had did have healthcare benefits, they kind of sucked. One company told us point blank that premiums were going to double and that would be entirely on the employee opting for it out of their paycheck and employer contribution wouldn't budge. I had to shift to a silver or bronze plan with a high deductible. In my current job and salary, I can afford a Gold Tier plan, which covers everything I've ever needed and has a pretty low deductible for out of network... and this is key.
The biggest issue I've had with the US healthcare systems is that the best doctors seem to just opt out of taking insurance altogether. And those that do take insurance, they either aren't taking new patients for years, or they make you feel like just a number in their quota system and just hustle you along. But if you can afford it, and out-of-network expenses don't bother you, you can find any kind of healthcare you could ever need in the US.

However, the idea that private/capitalist American healthcare doesn't have wait times is a myth. My mother needs to wait an entire year to schedule a knee surgery. And good luck trying to find a new doctor who takes your insurance who is taking new patients. Also, wait times even when you have appointments can get ridiculous. I've waited for hours after the scheduled time of an appointment only to be seen by the nurse to take vitals and then another hour for the actual doctor, who seems to need to hurry away.

I honestly don't know enough to compare the US system with that of say, Denmark. Many others of plenty to say about wait times, or the peace of mind of having free healthcare at the point of service, and it is usually anecdotal and ideologically-influenced. 
Objective health data doesn't bode well for the US case, given declining life expectancy (especially WRT Northern Europe and Japan), plus a higher infant mortality and maternal mortality rate than Western developed nations. But this data could be attributed to other things, like lifestyle choices and culture.

Anyways, I wanted to lead off this discussion of honest assessment of different healthcare systems and what you really think is the best.[/quote]

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