On Mar 22, 2010, at 10:15 AM, Skip Higginbotham wrote:
> Yep!! and what, I suppose, is next???????? Watch carefully.
> Skip
>
>
I've gotta jump in here to defend socialized medicine. My dad lives in
Austria with his girlfriend, and has claimed "life partner" status -- so he
gets full benefits as if he were an Austrian citizen. He's 86 so has some
ailments from old age, among other things.
His hernia repair, about a year ago, was done within a week or so of when he
was diagnosed - no long waiting line. He got a double-occupancy room for free
-- a private room would have cost him 10 Euros per day. His regular physician
(everyone gets a "local", or regular doctor) referred him to the hernia
specialist - no charge. He could have gone to another doctor instead of both
his regular one and the one referred by the regular one -- would have been a
ten-Euro cost. While in hospital the government pays a 125 Euro stipend a day
to the patient. Follow up care was included in the zero cost plan.
He had to pay for his hearing aid. He doesn't pay for regular care, and is
allowed unlimited visits to said regular guy/girl.
Yep, the Austrian taxes are higher than US - by quite a long shot. But then
-- Nancy and I are getting new health insurance -- with all of the concomitant
copays and restrictions and such -- from Blue Cross/Blue Shield. Our rate is
lower than it might be - because we're co-owners of a business and thereby
qualify for this plan. The monthly cost for the two of us is about $575.
That's darn near $7000 a year. That much could be taxes and we'd have better
coverage in case of medical needs.
Further deponent sayeth not - at least for now.
Jon a/k/a Seldom Seen Slim
_______________________________________________
Land-speed@autox.team.net
Donate: http://www.team.net/donate.html
Archive: http://www.team.net/archive
Forums: http://www.team.net/forums
|