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Post by jdd2 on Oct 23, 2012 4:52:57 GMT -5
A hospital visit today..., some chest pains that resembled and embollisom I had some years ago--wanted to go check.
Got there at 11, no appointment, waited till just after 1 to see a doc..., yuk! He ordered some blood tests, with an hour wait for the longest of those to get done. (I had lunch.) Zip info there, so a then multi-slice CT scan. Back to the doc for interpretation (again negative), then from him to billing and out the door about 4.
$172, paid out of pocket. Payment is done, I'll never hear from either the hospital or my insurer (not really sure who that is) again.
***
Of course, my premiums before this are salary-based, which is at least above-average for here, so in some sense I've already paid "extra".
~~~~~~~
Another tidbit: dividends are 20% here, regardless of income level. Capital gains are tacked onto income (short/long is not important) and taxed at income tax rates. There are no carry-overs, so if you lose money one year, you cannot use those losses to reduce a following year's gains.
And what is it, that carried interest thing? What a scam!!
Totally disallowed here.
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Post by timfarney on Oct 23, 2012 6:10:44 GMT -5
A hospital visit today..., some chest pains that resembled and embollisom I had some years ago--wanted to go check. Got there at 11, no appointment, waited till just after 1 to see a doc..., yuk! He ordered some blood tests, with an hour wait for the longest of those to get done. (I had lunch.) Zip info there, so a then multi-slice CT scan. Back to the doc for interpretation (again negative), then from him to billing and out the door about 4. $172, paid out of pocket. Payment is done, I'll never hear from either the hospital or my insurer (not really sure who that is) again. *** Of course, my premiums before this are salary-based, which is at least above-average for here, so in some sense I've already paid "extra". ~~~~~~~ Another tidbit: dividends are 20% here, regardless of income level. Capital gains are tacked onto income (short/long is not important) and taxed at income tax rates. There are no carry-overs, so if you lose money one year, you cannot use those losses to reduce a following year's gains. And what is it, that carried interest thing? What a scam!! Totally disallowed here. Where is "here?" Tim |
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Post by Doug on Oct 23, 2012 6:42:37 GMT -5
It's not here it's there.  |
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2012 6:52:40 GMT -5
There is Japan.
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Post by Marshall on Oct 23, 2012 7:47:13 GMT -5
Take 2 Wasabi pills and call me in the morning.
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Post by mnhermit on Oct 23, 2012 8:16:34 GMT -5
So what is you're overall tax rate? I think the fear here is that we'll be paying 50% of our salary in taxes and still have bad health care (even if it's paid for).
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Post by omaha on Oct 23, 2012 8:22:58 GMT -5
Angie had minor knee surgery a few weeks ago.
Between the surgeon and the hospital and the anesthesiologist and the take-home supplies, it cost me $235.
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Post by millring on Oct 23, 2012 9:02:49 GMT -5
I had penis reduction surgery last week. They actually paid ME to have it done. |
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Post by dradtke on Oct 23, 2012 9:26:08 GMT -5
I had penis reduction surgery last week. They actually paid ME to have it done. But they got him to sign over the photo rights. |
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Post by j on Oct 23, 2012 9:36:45 GMT -5
Amazing. We've paid about 3x for Paula's regular preventive screenings...unless we go to PP.
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Post by jdd2 on Oct 23, 2012 16:27:18 GMT -5
So what is you're overall tax rate? I think the fear here is that we'll be paying 50% of our salary in taxes and still have bad health care (even if it's paid for). Roughly 35%, probably the plus side of that. Deductions that make up that 35% include national & local income tax, pension contribution (w/employer match, kind of SS equivalent), standard short/long term health & disability insurance (family size is unimportant, this is based on salary), an extra package that will cover private room and adds term life (age based), unemployment insurance, and maybe another thing or two. *** I will never see any paperwork from this visit again. Nothing to hash out with some agency or submit to anyone two weeks or four months later. The exception might be if I (plus kids) hit our monthly out-of-pocket cap, then there'd be something refunded onto my monthly salary slip 2-3 months later. That's automatic, no need to submit for it--big bro has all the records and does it on his own. |
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Post by timfarney on Oct 23, 2012 16:35:38 GMT -5
So what is you're overall tax rate? I think the fear here is that we'll be paying 50% of our salary in taxes and still have bad health care (even if it's paid for). Roughly 35%, probably the plus side of that. Deductions that make up that 35% include national & local income tax, pension contribution (w/employer match, kind of SS equivalent), standard short/long term health & disability insurance (family size is unimportant, this is based on salary), an extra package that will cover private room and adds term life (age based), unemployment insurance, and maybe another thing or two. *** I will never see any paperwork from this visit again. Nothing to hash out with some agency or submit to anyone two weeks or four months later. The exception might be if I (plus kids) hit our monthly out-of-pocket cap, then there'd be something refunded onto my monthly salary slip 2-3 months later. That's automatic, no need to submit for it--big bro has all the records and does it on his own. So 35% is the equivalent of federal, state and local taxes, payroll tax, life, disability and health insurance premiums and includes an upgrade to a private room in the hospital? Damn. We need us some socialism. Tim |
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Post by Fingerplucked on Oct 23, 2012 17:01:33 GMT -5
Damn. We need us some socialism. Tim If only there was a 5th debate, we could get it with Romney. |
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Post by loopysanchez on Oct 23, 2012 17:20:44 GMT -5
The Japanese model sounds great, but they have a few things going for them that we don't.
Condensed population--Easier to manage a socialized system when the physical boundaries of your nation are small.
Homogeneous population--(Mostly one race of people with one set of typical diseases to battle)
Healthier population--(I don't recall ever seeing a fat Japanese person, aside from Sumo Wrestlers. I also haven't heard much about high rates of smoking, alcoholism, or drug addiction, though I might not have been paying close enough attention.)
Better family planning--I may be wrong, but I think in Japan it's still frowned upon to bring children into the world you can't afford to take care of.
Socialized medicine in America is at a disadvantage in every category I listed. Freedom to us is putting whatever we want into our bodies, having children as early and often as we want to with as many partners as we choose to, sitting in front of a TV instead of exercising, and buying a pill to fix everything. (And I say this as someone who could stand to lose quite a few pounds myself. ;-) The numbers will never add up in such a way that everyone can pay into a single gov't managed plan, keep doing whatever the hell they want to their bodies, and live forever. That's the only socialized medicine that would ever meet with approval in America.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 23, 2012 17:52:46 GMT -5
Unlike Japan, in the UK, we are a nation of lots of obese people who smoke and drink too much. We are also a relatively ethnically diverse population. We are some of the most unhealthy people in the EU with one of the highest rates of unplanned pregnancies. We have socialized medicine that seems to work well.
There is also private medicine that runs very profitably if you want it and like luxury hospitals with cable TV and stuff.
edit - we do have a 'condensed' population though. Canada? Less so.
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Post by jdd2 on Oct 23, 2012 18:11:59 GMT -5
Also, it's okay to advertise supplements (any media), but there are absolutely -zero- prescription drug adverts--no viagra, lipitor, etc. Just not allowed.
(No round-up, either, but I'm not sure if that one's a legal issue!)
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Post by timfarney on Oct 23, 2012 20:17:28 GMT -5
The Japanese model sounds great, but they have a few things going for them that we don't. Condensed population--Easier to manage a socialized system when the physical boundaries of your nation are small. Homogeneous population--(Mostly one race of people with one set of typical diseases to battle) Healthier population--(I don't recall ever seeing a fat Japanese person, aside from Sumo Wrestlers. I also haven't heard much about high rates of smoking, alcoholism, or drug addiction, though I might not have been paying close enough attention.) Better family planning--I may be wrong, but I think in Japan it's still frowned upon to bring children into the world you can't afford to take care of. Socialized medicine in America is at a disadvantage in every category I listed. Freedom to us is putting whatever we want into our bodies, having children as early and often as we want to with as many partners as we choose to, sitting in front of a TV instead of exercising, and buying a pill to fix everything. (And I say this as someone who could stand to lose quite a few pounds myself. ;-) The numbers will never add up in such a way that everyone can pay into a single gov't managed plan, keep doing whatever the hell they want to their bodies, and live forever. That's the only socialized medicine that would ever meet with approval in America. Got data? |
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Post by loopysanchez on Oct 23, 2012 22:35:32 GMT -5
Tim, no data. Wasn't trying to prove myself right, just hypothesizing about reasons why Japan may be a better country for gov't run health care than the US. I'm not opposed to govt involvement if costs are lowered and quality remains high.
James, Canada's population is more concentrated than its vast borders make it appear; I think 90% of their 30M+ population lives within a 75 mile wide strip of land along the US border. (A really long strip, admittedly...)
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Post by brucemacneill on Oct 24, 2012 5:35:11 GMT -5
I still think the biggest barrier to socialized medicine in the U.S. is that countries with socialized medicine don't allow patients to sue for damages in general. To implement that in the U.S. all the medical folks would have to be government employees who can't be sued for actions taken during the performance of their duties. The lawyers would never stand for that and most of our legislators are lawyers.
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Post by Deleted on Oct 24, 2012 9:27:19 GMT -5
I still think the biggest barrier to socialized medicine in the U.S. is that countries with socialized medicine don't allow patients to sue for damages in general. To implement that in the U.S. all the medical folks would have to be government employees who can't be sued for actions taken during the performance of their duties. The lawyers would never stand for that and most of our legislators are lawyers. We sue here. Suing the NHS: Medical negligence compensationClaims can be against medical professionals such as a hospital doctor, GP, nurse, physiotherapist, dentist, pharmacist or ambulance driver, and against medical institutions such as an NHS hospital, private hospital or a GP surgery. www.sheridanlaw.co.uk/clinical-negligence-overview.htm |
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