Shut down...

I would agree with that but I don't think that forcing a price cap will result in the desired outcome since it doesn't address the underlying costs of the healthcare.

Thank you L!zzie for kind words towards my friend. I know that you know better than I do what she is going through.
Pat, I really appreciate the "history lesson." I was unaware of some of that.
My own experience with health insurance is this: my husband lost his leg at 19, 1 1/2 before we met. His first leg was $800, the last one he got was over $15,000! We needed health insurance very badly even when we were young, so I stayed with a horrendous job for many years just so we could have it...because of that "pre-existing condition" problem.
I personally think that is one of the most horrible parts of our healthcare system, that if a person has a health issue they are flat DENIED insurance!  And that they can even CANCEL your insurance if you get sick (happened to my sister-in-law when she got cancer.)
As for Canada's healthcare...one of my best girlfriends is Canadian (in Vancouver.) She was diagnosed with cancer in September (this was about 10 years ago) and she had to wait until December to have surgery! That was scary to me. But she was a divorced mom and she never had to pay anything for her care (other than taxes  )

It IS a very complicated issue, that's for sure! And it is so nice that the conversation here on the forum has stayed so civil, as this is a Very controversial topic here in the US.

Forgot to add..

Everyone in the Netherlands has basic health care (with almost all hospital and doctor treatments, medicins etc in it) whether sick or healthy.

You can choose which extras you want insurance for. F.e. Physiotherapy, birth controll and labor costs, dentist or orthodontist.
I already had extra insurance and despite I got cancer, i'll keep that.
But... If I didn't had the extra and wanted it now, they can refuse it. But only for the extras! They can't deny the basic care, they're obligated to provide that.
It will be hard to change the extra insurance into other reimbursements, but well, that's not a very big problem compared to having no insurance at all.

(Btw: I hope you can understand what i'm writing, because with this kind of topics, my english isn't always sufficient!)

I understood what you are saying perfectly, L!zzie. It is nice that people have the basic care at least. Good thing you got the extra insurance when you did  
Hope you are feeling well these days and that your health is continuing to improve.
  

Yes, thank you Valerie!

Thank you all for explaining a bit what's going on and for staying nice, because I didn't had the intention to start a fight here.
There'll be pro and cons, and I'll just wait and follow the news to see how this story continues.

Please, know you can always rely on l!zzie-care.
It doesn't cure everything, but it's free for all!

Love you all!

Oh, heck, Lizzie, I don't think you started a fight! You're a sweetheart and you asked a very good question which has many answers, opinions, etc. It is a heated issue because it is so important. And you never took my joy away (so don't worry!). In my earlier years I used to let things take my joy away. Now, with the (incomplete!) wisdom of the years, I've realized that you can only get so wrapped up in any issue. You must KEEP your joy despite living in a world that sometimes does its best to destroy it. If I look at history, and the present, the people I most respect, both "famous" and "everyday" (there's no real difference between them, essentially, of course), are the ones who push on despite great obstacles. And so must we all.

Love you too!!

It's been really interesting to read all of this. I live in the UK where NHS medical treatment from GPs to ambulances all the way to intensive care, is free at the point of service. By which, I mean that we pay "National Insurance", a form of tax which covers the costs, and then there are no excess costs, no bills, no anything. Personally, I'd be dead (as would my father) if not for the National Health Service. It definitely has its downsides, but many of the myths about it (long waiting times, not being able to choose a doctor, not being able to choose your hospital, etc.) have never been true in my experience.

Today I was having a whole series of tests for cancer, at the (joint) top breast unit in the UK. While I was on the biopsy table, I turned to my partner and said "Look on the bright side, we're not in the US so won't go bankrupt".....  

Gill, I am floored by your news. So glad you do live where you can get affordable treatment!!!!

Now kick it's nasty ugly butt, okay?!! I love you all the way to Scotland and back.

Thanks, lovely Mistress Ronetta. I fully intend to kick its butt, and ugly it is indeed. xxx

Lizzy, I know this is an older topic, and dear Kammy responded also yesterday (I was thinking of you during reading this topic!)

But Lizzy thank you for opening this, and the others, thanks for responding!!!!
It is so good to read about how things really work in other country's, it makes is easier to understand each other and also why certain decisions are made.

As Lizzy already explained, our medical insurance is split up in 3 parts, basic care (you have to be insured for that, by law!), the extra care (Lizzy, I helped VGZ designing the first family package... I was so happy when that package came into the market, and now a lot of the companies offer them), and dentistcare.

But this system is here only since 2006, before that it was a little bit different and for the people that had not much income the price per month was a LOT lower.... but the price the people that had a higher income was a LOT higher. The current prices are increasing (only next year they are going to be lower...but the "own risk" is going to be a little bit higher). Changing of the system was also a really big thing, and a lot of people are NOT happy whit this, even now, 7 years after the change.. (in my personal case.. I pay 5 times more than 7 years ago, and less is covered)

I saw it here in this topic before, but a lot of cost are because of spoiling, wasting money, and that's a shame! Why do you have to get 200 pills because that's in the box and only need 100.. the 100 extra pills can not be given back, they will be destroyed! (I've heard that this can be changed if the insurance company made good deals with the pharmacy).
In hospital they throw a lot of medicines away!!! Because of the law they can not use things that are meant for patient A for patient B when patient A doesn't need them any longer (I mean unused medicines!)

In the Netherlands we don't really have a lot private hospitals, they do exist, but almost everyone goes to the basic hospitals, because of covering by insurance and the basic quality is good enough.

I have seen the bill of the first 3 hospital days when my daughter was born, she didn't have had her surgery's at that point.. I was in shock!! Only 3 days hospital.. € 5.000!!! (And knowing what happened after those 3 days... we won't be able to pay the bill If we would had to pay it ourselves... I keep this in mind when I pay my monthly insurance).

We are lucky that we can go to the doctor, even when we only have basic insurance, if something really bad happens.. we will get our medical help, and the financial **** will be taken care off, the own risk, it is in our term high, but still.. it payable (when you have really low income you will get extra money to help paying the insurance and own risk).

And then a big question in my head..why don't country's really look at the way other countries deal with the health system, the problems seem to be the same.... why does everyone want to solve it their own way.... maybe some other country has a system that works?

Why are the prices of medicines in Spain so much lower as in the Netherlands? They are exactly the same. We have a global world, we can communicate with each other, we can learn from each other. And in that way.. we can only get better!