American's take on British medical services.

[SebastianHolt]

My thread about American healthcare ranking last covers both — costs and outcomes. Costs are an important part of the discussion because our healthcare costs double any other developed nation.



What??

Universal healthcare in other developed nations covers all problems, minor and major.



They do work. Provide a single study that shows our system produces better outcomes.

Your bluster is nonfactual, as usual.



Crazy person rants about mythical “death panels”.

Universal healthcare in other developed nations covers all problems, minor and major. <--- if you live long enough to see a doctor

 

[Bray123]

The US healthcare may be one of the best if you have a good employer or can afford the insurance. However if you get fired you have 18 months of grace and then it's trouble. Medical bankruptcy does not exist in the UK.

Any cheerleading for the US system is just that, like cheering on a ball team doesn't necessarily make it the best in the world. Plenty of other countries have excellent health services, like Spain, Germany, Switzerland etc.

One thing those countries don't have is a selection of politicians who feel the need to suck up to their leader and deny the science behind the treatments.

 

[MajorRewrite]

US healthcare is THE BEST in the world. We are leaders in medicine development, leaders in medical tech, leaders in medical innovation.

Totally Fact Free Harpy, show us one study that rates US healthcare at the top.

 

[MajorRewrite]

Universal healthcare in other developed nations covers all problems, minor and major. <--- if you live long enough to see a doctor

Mentally disabled 86TintaNoitx2024nydingOkeffieHolt is pretending to understand things again.

Totally Fact Free Holt, show us one study that says people with universal healthcare can’t get care.

 

[JohnEngelman]

How does the quality of the U.S. health system compare to other countries?​

October 6, 2025

Despite spending nearly twice as much per capita on healthcare compared to similarly large and wealthy nations, the United States has a lower life expectancy than peer nations and the gap has grown for some measures since the COVID-19 pandemic...

Generally, the U.S. performs worse in long-term health outcomes measures (such as life expectancy), certain treatment outcomes (such as maternal mortality and congestive heart failure hospital admissions), some patient safety measures (such as obstetric trauma with instrument), and health system capacity (such as rate of general practitioners). The U.S. performs similarly to or better than peer nations in other measures of treatment outcomes (such as mortality rates within 30 days of acute hospital treatment) and some patient safety measures (such as post-operative complications).

The U.S. health system appears to perform worse than peer nations on more indicators than it does better.

https://www.healthsystemtracker.org...erforms worse,as post-operative complications).

 

[AnomalyLady]

Why would people want to pay health insurance if they are not ill?

Don't understand your point.

 

[Saltfountain]

Don't understand your point.

So you're saying you'd be happy to pay money to a private company in case you get ill, and let them pay out money to shareholders and bonuses to executives from that money, but not to an agency that's not profiting from that money?

 

[HisArpy]

So you're saying you'd be happy to pay money to a private company in case you get ill, and let them pay out money to shareholders and bonuses to executives from that money, but not to an agency that's not profiting from that money?

Please look at the size of the government, including its lavishness, and tell me it's not profiting from taxpayer money already.

 

[MajorRewrite]

Please look at the size of the government, including its lavishness, and tell me it's not profiting from taxpayer money already.

LaViShnEsS

Countries with universal healthcare systems all spend about half what we do per capita for healthcare, and get better outcomes while covering everyone.

So what do you have against spending less to get more?

 

[Bray123]

Is that lavish like a Trump fireplace?

 

[AnomalyLady]

So you're saying you'd be happy to pay money to a private company in case you get ill, and let them pay out money to shareholders and bonuses to executives from that money, but not to an agency that's not profiting from that money?

Did I say that I love paying a health insurance company? I don't. My health insurance is paid through my employer and I barely use it. I do not believe in most things being forced on citizens without choice.

 

[Bray123]

Did I say that I love paying a health insurance company? I don't. My health insurance is paid through my employer and I barely use it. I do not believe in most things being forced on citizens without choice.

Can you force your company to give you the money instead?

 

[AnomalyLady]

Can you force your company to give you the money instead?

I haven't asked.

 

[flyingtinopener]

I have been watching American YouTubers videos experiences with the NHS the British medical services,and they are eye-opening.
It is a national non-profit government system that all British citizens are automatically entitled to use,and is FREE at the point of use.
Funding comes from a tax on earnings currently approx 0% of a weekly wage for the first £300,8% the next £700 and 2% after that.
Apparently the only hospital charge is £5 a day some hospital charge for a personal TV.
Prescriptions from the personal doctor are approx £10 per item no matter what the medicine costs and are free for the over 60's.
Ambulances are also FREE.

Now why can't America be like that?
PS For all the idiots crying but,but,but that's communism you are perfectly entitled to use the private health service,but you have to pay the tax as well.

The NHS might seem great to you, but its not all roses, Ive just had to wait 12 months to have a tooth out, lost notes during operation, long delays, just had a skin cancer opp, sent home with no pain killers, its far from perfect

 

[Baztrachian]

Totally Fact Free Harpy, show us one study that rates US healthcare at the top.

If you do a study that excludes immigrants then both immediate health care outcomes and long term outcomes along with life expectancy will look pretty damned good in the USA.

Most of the problem with our healthcare statistics comes from these people who have never had access to decent healthcare in progressive countries like Nicaragua, Venezuela, El Salvador, and etc.

US healthcare is sometimes troublesome but we have far better access to critical care and trauma care than most everyone in the world.

The first component of that access is air ambulance services;

The number of air ambulances in the United States is not directly provided in a single figure across the sources, but several related metrics offer insight. According to the 2017 Atlas and Database of Air Medical Services (ADAMS), there were 1,461 aircraft used for air ambulance services in the U.S., including 1,111 rotary-wing (helicopters) and 350 fixed-wing (airplanes) aircraft. The number of air ambulance bases has also been reported; in 2018, there were 960 rotary-wing air medical bases. More recent data from the Association of Air Medical Services indicates that over 550,000 patients use air ambulance services annually in the U.S., reflecting a significant operational scale. Additionally, the number of businesses providing air ambulance services in the U.S. was 391 as of 2024, showing continued industry growth.

Compare this to the United Kingdom:

There are a total of 44 air ambulances operating across England, Scotland, Wales, and Northern Ireland in the United Kingdom. This includes both helicopter and fixed-wing aircraft used for emergency medical services and patient transport. The majority of emergency air ambulance services in England, Wales, and Northern Ireland are operated by 21 local air ambulance charities, which together manage 39 air ambulances. Additionally, Scotland operates two NHS-funded helicopters and two fixed-wing aircraft, along with two charity-funded helicopters. The number of air ambulances is supported by a mix of charitable funding and government grants, with some services also involving private providers.

The ratio then is US 1 air ambulance per 225,000 people. UK has 1 air ambulance per 1,550,000 people.

The USA has approximately 13,000 MRI machines. The UK has 467.

The ratios are then US 1:25,600 and UK 1:147,750

Consequently Americans receive better access to trauma and diagnostic treatment than do people in the UK.

Other areas of similar disparities occurs in ICU beds, PICU beds, CAT scan machines, X-Ray machines, portable X-Ray machines, privately owned defibrillators, paramedic equipped ambulances, and trauma facilities.

These things come at a price.

But if your priority is the price then you'll get what you pay for.

 

[Bray123]

I haven't asked.

The way you dislike your health services being forced on you, you should.

 

[Baztrachian]

Can you force your company to give you the money instead?

No. Benefits are benefits and are not taxable for income purposes. Meaning that they are not part of a compensation package like vacation and sick time can be.

 

[Bray123]

No. Benefits are benefits and are not taxable for income purposes. Meaning that they are not part of a compensation package like vacation and sick time can be.

Ah, so your healthcare is being forced upon you, together with your contributions for someone's next private yacht.

 

[AnomalyLady]

The way you dislike your health services being forced on you, you should.

If I make $40 / hour and a benefit of health insurance is a benefit, have I lost anything? No.

If I make $40 / hour and was forced to pay money towards health insurance for myself and others? Different story.

 

[Baztrachian]

Ah, so your healthcare is being forced upon you, together with your contributions for someone's next private yacht.

My office also has a free coffee service that is provided to me as a benefit whether I use it or not.

Are you catching on yet?

 

[Bray123]

If I make $40 / hour and a benefit of health insurance is a benefit, have I lost anything? No.

If I make $40 / hour and was forced to pay money towards health insurance for myself and others? Different story.

If your employer is contributing to an insurance company on your behalf and you can do nothing about it, you would be better off doing exactly the same thing at a lower cost.

Or do you get a glow of satisfaction when your deductions are reassuringly high.

 

[Bray123]

My office also has a free coffee service that is provided to me as a benefit whether I use it or not.

Are you catching on yet?

Can you afford to buy your own coffee and ignore the company acorns?

Can you afford to buy your own medical treatment and not partake in any insurance scheme?

 

[Baztrachian]

Can you afford to buy your own coffee and ignore the company acorns?

So, no, you're not catching on.

 

[Baztrachian]

Can you afford to buy your own medical treatment and not partake in any insurance scheme?

Yes.

And while I have an HMO that takes care of most things for me I sometimes opt to pay for out-of-system care on my own.

 

[MajorRewrite]

If you do a study that excludes immigrants then both immediate health care outcomes and long term outcomes along with life expectancy will look pretty damned good in the USA.

Provide a link to your imaginary study that says any such thing. (Your obsession with immigrants is fucking weird).

Most of the problem with our healthcare statistics comes from these people who have never had access to decent healthcare in progressive countries like Nicaragua, Venezuela, El Salvador, and etc.

You’re making things up and becoming upset by the things you made up.