I can only speak of my own experience of the National Health Service, paid for through our taxes but free at the point of need/service. Ten years ago I suddenly began to experience some very odd symptoms with my hands turning blue. I went to the doctor after a few days of this and was told to get on a bus and go to the local hospital. This hospital had a walk in department where non urgent cases could sit for a couple of hours and be seen by a doctor and a nurse. I did that. The doctor who saw me was a refugee from Iran. He did some tests and immediately diagnosed a type of cancer which, strangely enough, is quite common in Iran. He sent me for treatment in another part of the hospital, phoning the department in advance of my arrival to let them know what I needed. Within hours I was receiving the initial stages of treatment. I am still under the care of the same hospital, taking daily chemotherapy tablets and the occasional extra bit of attention. All my tablets and treatments are free. I am in no doubt that that refugee from Iran saved me from an early death by heart attack or stroke.
We have a choice though. Just because we have Universal health care doesn't mean we can't go private if we can afford it. And no-one goes bankrupt because of their health bills. I hear just as many horror stories about delays in health care from the U.S. And about how you pay hundreds per month for insurance but when you get ill the insurance doesn't cover it, or argues about the treatment. And with the ACA subsidies expiring in a few weeks, many poorer people are going to see their monthly payments double or worse.
@redstar from your posts, I don't think anyone would deny you have a great deal of experience working with people in need of medical care. Does the US have a system which allows such a person to obtain treatment and care free of charge or is it solely reliant on Health Insurance which can prove too expensive for many ? Does each individual state have a different system ? Are there instances where someone in need of treatment is turned away because they cannot pay ? The NHS here certainly has it's problems and flaws but, in essence, it is a free service for both citizens and those seeking to become citizens.
China is moving ahead steadily with green power and electric cars, India tries to ignore it. The UK and most of Europe are ahead of the game in many ways, but now don't like the cost. The US is the only one that has junked the whole effort.
Over the decades I've been treated by Polish, Ukranian, Syrian, German, Australian, Indian, Welsh, Scottish, Zimbabwean plus other medical staff.
I cannot imagine any scenario where our elected government would be able to come into post and basically declare themselves infallible (like the Pope!) and immune from prosecution. They would be out on their ear pretty quickly. Our deputy prime minister had to resign over a ?£40,000 tax discrepancy. A certain President must have been laughing his head off given the amount he has been personally raking in. It’s not just global climate change that is being affected by the USA. Putin is basically being enabled to continue the war in Ukraine, by someone whose erratic behaviour is threatening to destabilise the rest of the world, as well as causing his own population to suffer. We might have waits for NHS treatment, but at least we can get it. Unlike American friends of ours who are terrified to retire, when their employment health benefits come to an abrupt end. No one in the UK ever went bankrupt paying for health care, or had to resort to ordering their prescription medicines from other countries for reasons of affordability, despite the quality assurance risks.
In the UK the members of the King's Government are elected to Parliament by the electorate and held to account by others also elected to Parliament. In the US the President is elected to the role and then not easily held to account until the next round of Presidential elections, he appoints who he likes as "ministers" admittedly with approval of the individuals by the Senate. So in many ways the US President stands in a similar position to an English King pre Magna Carta.
The NHS is far, far removed from what it was ten years ago, I can assure you. Back in the summer, I had some tests done and was then told the next move was going to be a sigmoidoscopy to "eliminate bowel cancer" - - I am still waiting. My mum's friend, only three weeks ago, had her husband in hospital (not sure why) - she went to the hospital on her way to work to drop him off some fresh pyjamas and some magazines etc only to find that he wasn't on the ward... when she asked, a doctor gestured to a side room and told her he was in the side room, stating (in front of the whole ward) "you know he's dying, don't you?" (she didn't) My other half has been waiting to have gall bladder surgery (35cm gallstone) for the thick end of a year.. and still we wait. My ex-neighbour who moved at Easter, had been up and down to the hospital like a yo-yo, continually told his pain was kidney stones... he then moved to a different area, a new consultant rubbished that theory and he has since had a hip replacement, is going back in February for a second one because it was his hips causing the pain! These are just the ones that immediately spring to mind, but forgive me if I am not full of warm fuzzy feelings about our NHS.
The theory is correct - the reality is that our government aren't held to account in any proper way. They all have their noses in the same trough, so may make a bit of noise, but otherwise...
They have medicare for over 65s, though most of it isn't free: https://www.ssa.gov/medicare/plan/medicare-parts It looks like it's difficult to opt out of medicare after 65 unless you're still working, so most people getting social security payments will have to devote a few hundred of that a month to medicare.
My late father was a Master Builder having had to do an apprenticeship for seven years. He was then self employed all his life without ever having to advertise in any way. His reputation went before him. He learnt the trade and was taught properly and thoroughly. Not sure how today would compare. At least none of his houses, schools or office buildings fell down.
I've also heard of people having accidents and refusing to have the ambulance called because they have to pay for it. Also, getting pregnant without good health insurance is not advised. https://www.investopedia.com/how-much-does-it-cost-to-have-a-baby-in-america-6745508
You can always rely on Radio 4: on PM recently there has been a discussion about the Union Jack it's use and history. Today they were interviewing a historian who explained that the Battle of Trafalgar was the first time that Nelson ordered all ships to fly a Union Jack so that the British fleet could tell friend from foe in the smoke and noise of the battle. Then explained that "no matter how much blood was running from the scuppers as long as the Union Jack flew the ship was still fighting."
