And I'm sorry you aren't over here where getting sick doesn't lead to bankruptcy, where health insurance is actually affordable and where the overall quality of care (both in the UK and the Netherlands) is higher than the US. Also, when I thought I had a broken finger I went to my GP, who sent me to the hospital, who X-rayed me and diagnosed me all within 2 hours with not a single bill sent my way. What a horrible and horrendous system we have over here. 

 

I had cancer. Fortunately I live in the country where my odds of survival where the best. Not even bankrupted by it, darn the luck. Tough break about your ouchie though, good thing they didn't Euthanize you over it. Maybe next time you can get "volunteered."

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“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

It's all good. I actually pay into a private health service and apparently Chiropractic treatment is covered as part of my policy. That's something that my wife brought to my attention. A welcomed observation to say the least.

 

Thank you for your words though

 

Chiro works wonders for my back troubles too, glad you have access!

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“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

And I'm sorry you aren't over here where getting sick doesn't lead to bankruptcy, where health insurance is actually affordable and where the overall quality of care (both in the UK and the Netherlands) is higher than the US. Also, when I thought I had a broken finger I went to my GP, who sent me to the hospital, who X-rayed me and diagnosed me all within 2 hours with not a single bill sent my way. What a horrible and horrendous system we have over here. 

 

For acute and emergency treatment, a National Health Service is great. For your normal day-to-day ailments, not so much.

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80% of what I talk about is nonesense.. the other 25% is made up statistics...


 

For acute and emergency treatment, a National Health Service is great. For your normal day-to-day ailments, not so much.

 

Emergency care is great here too, that's why so many people abuse it for acute and chronic care. Well, that and it ends up being free a lot of the time.

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“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

Emergency care is great here too, that's why so many people abuse it for acute and chronic care. Well, that and it ends up being free a lot of the time.

 

I don't think people outside of the US know a lot about US Medical Care, i know I don't - ignorantly, I rely on what I see on TV & movies, despite having lot's of friends over there.

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80% of what I talk about is nonesense.. the other 25% is made up statistics...


 

I don't think people outside of the US know a lot about US Medical Care, i know I don't - ignorantly, I rely on what I see on TV & movies, despite having lot's of friends over there.

I know the US spends more on health care than any other country but in most metrics they lag behind basically every developed country with a public or semi-public health care system. If you can afford it, the US will offer the best damn care there is but most can't afford said best damn care. 

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I don't think people outside of the US know a lot about US Medical Care, i know I don't - ignorantly, I rely on what I see on TV & movies, despite having lot's of friends over there.

 

One of the chief concerns of Obamacare was to reduce ED utilization for non-emergency care. Doesn't seem to have worked because the plans most people select have a deductible in the thousands of dollars so they don't go to their primary care docs for their diabetes, hyper-tension, Strep among other things. They wait until it gets bad and then go to the ER. So long as the ER is required by law to stabilize and treat we won't solve this problem.

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“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

I know the US spends more on health care than any other country but in most metrics they lag behind basically every developed country with a public or semi-public health care system. If you can afford it, the US will offer the best damn care there is but most can't afford said best damn care. 

 

"Most" is bull [BLEEP] politics, as are the stats used to produce those idea about our healthcare. Average care in the US is pretty darn good and almost all Americans had access to it in one form or another before the ACA. The ACA did very little to improve access for a variety of reasons including cost, the number one inhibitor it was written to prevent. This is probably too much for a non Politics thread, so I'll refrain from more here.

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“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

I know the US spends more on health care than any other country but in most metrics they lag behind basically every developed country with a public or semi-public health care system. If you can afford it, the US will offer the best damn care there is but most can't afford said best damn care. 

 

 

One of the chief concerns of Obamacare was to reduce ED utilization for non-emergency care. Doesn't seem to have worked because the plans most people select have a deductible in the thousands of dollars so they don't go to their primary care docs for their diabetes, hyper-tension, Strep among other things. They wait until it gets bad and then go to the ER. So long as the ER is required by law to stabilize and treat we won't solve this problem.

 

Like I say, I don't know how much of it works outside of the UK.

 

What's crazy is, over here you have people calling 999 (emergency) and 111 (non-emergency) and the systems that the call handlers use are aimed towards ruling out what's *not* wrong with you rather than finding out what is. Most calls result in the same thing, ED admission often via an ambulance. I've known hospitals have up to 22 Ambulances in a queue at the hospital waiting to offload patients into the ED area. Of course, all critically ill patients go straight through to the department, but those who aren't will wait.. sometimes hours on hours.

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80% of what I talk about is nonesense.. the other 25% is made up statistics...


 

Like I say, I don't know how much of it works outside of the UK.

 

What's crazy is, over here you have people calling 999 (emergency) and 111 (non-emergency) and the systems that the call handlers use are aimed towards ruling out what's *not* wrong with you rather than finding out what is. Most calls result in the same thing, ED admission often via an ambulance. I've known hospitals have up to 22 Ambulances in a queue at the hospital waiting to offload patients into the ED area. Of course, all critically ill patients go straight through to the department, but those who aren't will wait.. sometimes hours on hours.

 

So, do you have the option of just going to the ER on your own?

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“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

Like I say, I don't know how much of it works outside of the UK.

 

What's crazy is, over here you have people calling 999 (emergency) and 111 (non-emergency) and the systems that the call handlers use are aimed towards ruling out what's *not* wrong with you rather than finding out what is. Most calls result in the same thing, ED admission often via an ambulance. I've known hospitals have up to 22 Ambulances in a queue at the hospital waiting to offload patients into the ED area. Of course, all critically ill patients go straight through to the department, but those who aren't will wait.. sometimes hours on hours.

Go to any emergency department with something that isn't an emergency and you'll wait for hours. Basic triage is the same everywhere regardless of how the system works. 

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Go to any emergency department with something that isn't an emergency and you'll wait for hours. Basic triage is the same everywhere regardless of how the system works. 

 

If the basic triage could turn you away things would improve there.

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“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

So, do you have the option of just going to the ER on your own?

 

Oh yeah of course you do. Just that people choose not to. They'd rather rely on the free service.

 

Go to any emergency department with something that isn't an emergency and you'll wait for hours. Basic triage is the same everywhere regardless of how the system works. 

 

Yep, that's pretty much the case. I'd say 60% of ED admissions could be avoided if people used the correct pathway. Like waiting to see a Doctor. Or using a Walk In Clinic which will deal with minor emergencies. But they don't and that's why the system often crumbles.

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80% of what I talk about is nonesense.. the other 25% is made up statistics...


 

If the basic triage could turn you away things would improve there.

Triage doesn't decide whether you receive treatment, it just determines in what order treatment is given. 

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http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-37756253

 

This is a relatively recent story on the ED situation in a hospital not too far from where I live.

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80% of what I talk about is nonesense.. the other 25% is made up statistics...


 

Triage doesn't decide whether you receive treatment, it just determines in what order treatment is given.

And the option of "you dont need it" would help.

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“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato

And the option of "you dont need it" would help.

 

The services offer the disposition of "you don't need it" but the patient/service user can decline that disposition and therefore the patient gets what the patient wants.

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80% of what I talk about is nonesense.. the other 25% is made up statistics...


 

If you get a bill at a restaurant for $50 and have a $50 gift card added to the bill, you would only tip on $50 right?

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If you get a bill at a restaurant for $50 and have a $50 gift card added to the bill, you would only tip on $50 right?

Yes

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If you get a bill at a restaurant for $50 and have a $50 gift card added to the bill, you would only tip on $50 right?

Tip for the food service.

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“An empty vessel makes the loudest sound, so they that have the least wit are the greatest babblers.”. - Plato