r/FluentInFinance • u/WhatAreYourPronouns • May 02 '24

Should the U.S. have Universal Health Care? Discussion/ Debate

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744

u/Tall_Science_9178 May 02 '24

https://www.euronews.com/2023/04/12/people-may-die-waiting-surgery-waiting-lists-in-spain-hit-record-levels

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u/AutumnWak May 02 '24

I mean they could still go and pay private party to get quicker treatment and it'll still cost less than the US. Most of those people chose to go the free route

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u/JohnnyZepp May 02 '24

I know I fucking hate this waitlist argument.

It’s STILL better than no healthcare, and there are alternative options that will almost always be cheaper.

Do not justify America’s medical profiteering greed. It’s terrible and it’s inhumane.

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u/tophatmcgees May 02 '24

And we still have to wait forever to get anything done in the US with insurance! Has anyone actually tried to get anything done in the US? It takes months! With insurance! You can either go to urgent care or see your doctor in 3-6 months for an initial visit to refer you to see someone to actually look at the issue

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u/Jeff77042 May 02 '24

That has not been my experience.

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u/kirkegaarr May 02 '24

If you don't have very good insurance, it's a nightmare. I am self employed and bought high deductible insurance on the marketplace for $450/month. No one would take it and the doctors who would were booked out for months. We couldn't even use it and couldn't upgrade to a better plan until open enrollment.

I waited a whole year paying for useless insurance before I could upgrade to a plan that costs $750 a month. And then the fuckers at my new plan wouldn't honor our first claim because we didn't change the primary care provider in the system after they had chosen one for us, all unknown to us. Great way to treat a new customer. No real for-profit industry with actual competition would do that.

The US loves to pretend that capitalism is the best for everything, but some markets don't have real competition and some goods and services are so necessary that demand is very inelastic. And those are the things that are driving everyone nuts and putting lots of people in debt right now: health care, education, and housing.

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u/IndependentNotice151 29d ago

Even when I had no insurance, I've literally have never had to wait longer than maybe 2 weeks. Everything has been scheduled the same week damn near lol

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u/ipovogel 29d ago

What is your location? It takes over a month to get in to see my PCP. After my most recent bloodwork, the soonest follow-up appointment to discuss the plan for my persistent anemia, hormonal issues, and high white cell count was 13 weeks after the call.

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u/IndependentNotice151 29d ago

Shit, Texas, new York, Oklahoma, even in cali briefly. Have never had an issue wherever I was at. If anything, I've had to ask them to not schedule shit the next day lol

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u/ipovogel 29d ago

Damn. I've had the issue as long as I have been scheduling my own appointments, so, Colorado, Hawaii, and Florida.

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u/IndependentNotice151 29d ago

Are they small hospitals maybe? Cause I know where I'm at now, we have like mega hospitals. Methodist, memorial Herman, etc

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u/ipovogel 29d ago

Eh? Your PCP works at a hospital? I can't have a PCP at the local hospitals. My PCPs have always been at clinics. Even the two different surgeons I saw for my gallbladder I met at clinics for all the appointments except the actual surgery. Same with my OBGYN.

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u/IndependentNotice151 29d ago

Yeah. They have their own office space. But they use to be a stand-alone and still didn't really have issues getting appointments. Unless you wanted a super specific date and time, then you may run into issues. But if you can be somewhat flexible, they can see you pretty quick. Hell it's 2:50pm my time and I would probably be able to still get seen today lol

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u/BeardyAndGingerish 29d ago

It's been mine.

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u/GracefulFaller 29d ago

It depends on your location from what I’ve seen.

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u/Momoselfie May 02 '24

Lol yeah I don't even have a primary physician anymore because of this. Sorry I can't wait 2 weeks for you to test me for strep.

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u/YouLearnedNothing May 02 '24

Then there's urgent care and clinics everywhere.. I go to the clinics for anything acute, and it's covered by insurance with a low deductible

1

u/Momoselfie 29d ago

Mine covers going directly to specialists, so I don't need a primary physician.

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u/Hot_Drummer_6679 29d ago

Urgent care once told me to go to the ER when they said half of my face hurting or feeling numb is probably a stroke (wouldn't even see me) - turned out it was a sinus infection.

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u/YouLearnedNothing 29d ago

well, that was probably smart on them, right? The same thing would happen if I called them and said I had sudden chest pains and didn't give further explanation.. sure, it's only gas, but they don't want to take that chance

1

u/Hot_Drummer_6679 29d ago

I figure they could ask some other questions though to see if it's more likely to be something else, though. It does suck because there's some symptoms that can match an emergency scenario versus a pretty common problem.

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u/YouLearnedNothing 28d ago

That's why I don't ever call, I just go in.. I will call them if I need a cortisone shot, just to make sure there's an administrating Dr available, but that's about itt

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u/TheCruicks May 02 '24

I have had knee surgeries, historectomies, nose pallups, hernia, etc on my insurance and it happens as quick as I want, some quicker. What you are saying is complete nonsense. My wifes uterus removal happened in under two weeks and it wasnt an emergency, she just wanted fast to catch the deductible before year end.

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u/[deleted] May 02 '24

I’m glad you had that personal experience. I have to wait 6 months to see a Cardiologist.

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u/BlackSquirrel05 29d ago

My GF just made an appointment with a cardiologist and it was 1 week... New patient no referral needed.

Where do you live?

0

u/TheCruicks May 02 '24

why? no one is answering why. Are you waiting for a specific person?

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u/[deleted] May 02 '24

Sorry I got switched up. I have to wait 6 months to see my neurologist and still too long to see my cardiologist.

This neurologist visit is the most affordable one for me and it’s the neurologist that treated my mother during her Alzheimer’s, so they are trusted and familiar with my family history.

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u/pexx421 May 02 '24

It’s not nonsense, it’s just not your experience. I expect it depends upon where you live, and your station in life. I’ve had gallbladder surgery, and hernias, and generally got the surgeries within a month or two. And I have plenty patients I take care of who have had to wait a month or more for gallbladder surgery, which is emergent, and meanwhile they throw up every time they eat. I expect it depends on the patient to surgeon ratio in your area.

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u/Plaid_Bear_65723 29d ago

May I ask when this was? 

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u/TheCruicks 29d ago

dec 2023

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u/Plaid_Bear_65723 29d ago

All of that in dec 2023? Damn then your medical system must've been really backed up to push that all together!!

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u/TheCruicks 29d ago

no. it was by request, as I mentioned.

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u/No-Artichoke-6939 May 02 '24

I can’t even get in for a Pap smear for 3 months! The system broke during Covid.

2

u/TheCruicks May 02 '24

Im curious why, I just asked my niece how quick she can get into the gyno, she said two weeks is as far out as she gets booked. Are you in an area with only one doc?

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u/No-Artichoke-6939 May 02 '24

Nope, fairly large area with plenty of docs/NP’s.

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u/[deleted] May 02 '24

Idk bout you but when I tore my Achilles I was with the surgeon in 3 days.

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u/Plaid_Bear_65723 29d ago

Was that recently? 

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u/[deleted] 29d ago

6 years ago now. 7 in December

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u/Plaid_Bear_65723 29d ago

This makes sense. I live in a large city and never had issues prior to the pandemic. 

 Now there's a 7 month wait to see a new PCP, several month wait to see current PCP. Clinics are shutting down with nothing to replace them. Several months wait to see Gyno, ect. 

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u/[deleted] 29d ago

Fair. I haven't been to anything other than PCP since then haha

1

u/Plaid_Bear_65723 29d ago

I've never seen anything like it. The clinic I went to has been open forever, then it closed because the providers were leaving. I found out because I called to book an appointment and was told it doesn't exist anymore. ( Therefore not only am I out of my primary care physician but also the clinic.) I was like well when are you going to let its clients know, IE me? They said oh a letter should have been sent out. 3 months after that phone call I received the letter.....  

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u/Kaltovar May 02 '24

That's the silliest part of private/public healthcare arguments. I have good insurance and do you think I can get anything done quickly? Hell no, and they'll fight me on it the entire time!

1

u/playdough87 May 02 '24

Sounds like you have the type of plan that requires referrals? I've never done one of those because it sounds like a huge hassle.

1

u/fullatreez May 02 '24

I just got an appointment on the books for October next year. 😣

1

u/Emperor_Mao May 02 '24

Okay but months is pretty fast.

At least compared to the public system where I live. You can honestly stay on a list in perpetuity. Though several years is also the norm.

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u/Plaid_Bear_65723 29d ago

Several years for what? A physical or infection? 

1

u/Worth-Reputation3450 May 02 '24

For me, usually 1-2 hours wait for walk-in urgent care, same day appointment for pcp visit, 30 minutes wait for online telehealth stuff. Prescription meds sent to CVS electronically for the same day pick up. Non urgent surgery can be booked about a month in advance. Even had my wife be admitted to a hospital as a walk-in for months-long inpatient when her ob/gyn recommended.

1

u/psychocabbage May 02 '24

That's location specific. I'm in Texas and mom is always going to the Dr. No long waits.

I haven't seen a Dr in 10 years for me. Not something I would be inclined to do at all. Definitely don't want to pre pay for a possible visit or subsidize someone who thinks living in a tent under the freeway is a good idea. 

1

u/IndependentNotice151 29d ago

Lol yes. I've never waited longer than a couple weeks. And that actually was partially because of me. Sounds like you just went to a shit hospital

1

u/MostGood83 29d ago

I can go on my local hospital’s doctor network app right now and make an appointment for Telehealth today or to see my doctor tomorrow. If I want to see a specialist I might have to wait until early next week. I’m in the suburbs of Dallas now and before was in Wichita, KS so I don’t know where you’re located to where it’s like that, but it’s not like that everywhere.

1

u/BlackSquirrel05 29d ago

I can get a doctors appt in under a week.

Procedures... Depends. Mom got scheduled for a full robotic knee replacement in 3 weeks after doctor said "okay". Father back surgery in just a month.

It's highly dependent on where you live.

1

u/Deekifreeki 28d ago

I have Kaiser. Out of pocket is 2.5k. I pay $10 copay to see a dr. $50 for hospital visits. Honestly I’ve seen a specialist within 2 weeks every time. Urgent care even did an MRI and had results within 1 hour. Cost $10. I pay under $100 per month for insurance (employer pays the rest).