I'm so glad I'm Norwegian right now, covered by universal health care

[War Horse]

Please don't take this as U.S. (or more even more importantly, ACA) bashing, but reading all those posts recently:

I'm self employed, and have been for three years, so I have a separate bank account for taxes only. I pay my taxes once per year. And trust me, when you actually see the amount of taxes you're paying over here, and especially when you temporarily 'own' the money, rather than having it automatically deducted by your employer every month, you really get a feel for how much we actually pay in taxes.

But reading all those posts on what people are paying for health care in the U.S... I recently got a full checkup. Full blood work, ECG... Cost: About 50 USD.

The max I'll ever end up paying for health care itself is less less than USD 350.

Excluding pharmas. That ranges from fully paid by you > partly subsidized > heavily subsidized, depending on your satuation. A sliding scale.

I've probably spent more money in 2013 during my 3-4 trips to the pharmacy w/my prescriptions than my sister, who is a cancer survivor and has to go to the pharmacy once a month. And that's fine by me.

Just my 0.2 NOK

[sabrina 1]

1. You're very lucky to live in a country that puts people before Private Corps.

People here are so programmed now to not 'having the right to adequate HC' they are accepting of a few crumbs here and there.

Some day maybe the US population will wake up and not view this as a political football to be tossed around, but a serious issue of life and death.

We are nowhere near that point right now, sadly.

[RKP5637]

26. Well said, and it's pathetic, as a self appointed world leader. n/t

[SolutionisSolidarity]

2. I'm fine with people who want to fix it, but hell no we aren't going back.

That's the thing about these anti-ACA posters - even their horror stories aren't that bad. I've paid 900 a month for me + spouse when I had a crappy job. And that didn't come with the ACA perks, the caps on annuals, free preventative care, and most importantly, elimination of pre-existing conditions.

If you want single payer, I'm with you. If you want better subsidies, I'm with you. If you want to go back to what we had, then we are not on the same side.

[pampango]

3. You should be happy about Norway's health care system and safety net. However, your tea party

(Progress Party) looks like it will be part of the ruling government coalition for the first time. The other political parties in Norway have refused to include the Progress Party in their coalition governments, but the Conservative Party has agreed to include them in the next government.

One hopes that Norwegians will not let them have much influence over the new government's policies. From my understanding they favor lower taxes and a smaller government, have a law-and-order mentality to justice issues, are anti-immigrant and anti-foreign aid.

[War Horse]

29. The Progress Party in govt is a first. We'll have to see how it goes.

I think the Conservatives will keep them somewhat in check when it comes to the craziest parts. And they remain a minority party, after all. Let's see how things go on a day-to-day basis in the Parliament.

If the Conservatives just give the Progress Party an end to toll roads as well as cheaper booze, they might be happy. But I do fear a shift to the right.

I don't think either of them will dare to do anything too drastic wrt health care. Not even dared Maggie that But again, it all remains to be seen.

[ileus]

4. Something we can only dream of.

[Ellipsis]

5. What happens if you leave the country and get hurt in say, denmark ?

I is there reciprocity, are you covered by your country... just curioius.

[wickerwoman]

7. You buy travel insurance.

It depends on your visa as well. I crashed my bike while on a student visa in Ireland and the ER visit was paid by the state. On a tourist visa, I probably would have had to pay for it.

In New Zealand, if you've been in the country for two years on legit visas (work or student) you're covered by the health care system even if you're not a resident.

[Violet_Crumble]

9. I get immediate cover if I'm in NZ as a tourist...

I was looking it up last night coz I'm holidaying in NZ in a few weeks and was considering not bothering with travel insurance. From the looks of it, yr health care system is pretty similar to what we've got here...

It took me a while to work out what the ACA was. It looks like our private health system (we've got optional private healthcare available on top of Medicare), but the plans are more expensive*. I don't like that people have to shop around and opt in rather than be automatically covered by a system similar to our own. But I guess it's a small step towards the US finally having universal healthcare, though the way the conservatives carry on about even this baby step, I doubt the US will ever get to that point


*I just realised why the US plans are more expensive. With ours the govt pays a rebate for most private health cover and I've got mine set up so the rebate is deducted from what I pay each fortnight...

[wickerwoman]

10. You're Australian aren't you?

Sorry, can't remember. Think it might have to do with the "special relationship". The first time I came to NZ on a tourist visa from the States I wasn't covered and had to get travel insurance. And I know all the Kiwis moving to Oz don't automatically qualify for the full health benefits because they're constantly moaning about it in the papers. They might get emergency care but not the rest.

[Violet_Crumble]

11. Yes..

I don't blame the Kiwis for moaning about that. It really does seem unfair and kind of unreciprocal

[wickerwoman]

6. Ditto.

Have been keeping my mouth shut because I don't want it to come off as gloating but I can't imagine having to put up with the byzantine shit that comes across in posts here about the US health care system and the ACA.

Who has time to work what's the best plan for them, especially if they are also dealing with the stress of a serious illness, and when did the burden for organising healthcare fall entirely on the most vulnerable person?

I'm reasonably intelligent but I'm also busy and work hard. I actually don't have the time and mental energy to shop for "the best deal" for health care or retirement. In New Zealand, I pay taxes, I get sick, I get health care. I pay taxes, I get old, I get a pension. It's simple, it works and it's fair. There's a small copay to see a GP (in the neighbourhood of $30-40) and for some medications but that's it. And health care costs for the country are literally half as much per person here as they are in the US.

I can't imagine how people who are right on the edge, working multiple jobs or who are disabled are supposed to navigate their way through to their basic human rights in the US. Time to recognise that health care is not a market and telling sick people to start shopping around is a moral abomination.

[Fumesucker]

16. Byzantine is a term that's come to my mind in relation to the ACA more than once

And the devil always seems to be hiding in the details for some odd reason.

[Corruption Inc]

23. Well said, for profit health insurance is a "moral abomination"

I've read a lot of people around here gloating about how fortunate they think they are that they are paying $400+ a month for profiteering and they don't seem to realize that the rest of the civilized world finds it obscene. Those "gloaters" are so happy that they got theirs and could care less about anyone else or society overall.

It is a moral abomination.

[laundry_queen]

8. I paid even less this year

here in Canada.

On Monday I had to take my daughter in for pink eye. I called the Dr's office at 9 am and got an appointment at 11 am. As I was early to the appointment, we actually got out before the appointment was even scheduled to start, lol. In and out in 5 minutes.

Cost=$0

I've had stomach issues for awhile but they have gotten worse over the last year. So in the last 6 months I've been for a barium swallow x-ray, extensive blood work, a visit to a specialist and a total upper GI endoscopy.
Cost=$0

I can't imagine what I'd have done if I'd have even had to pay 1% of what that all must cost. Put it this way, I probably would've suffered instead. (They still aren't sure what my problem is, I received a 'catch all' diagnosis of non-ulcer dyspepsia so it may not have changed the outcome, but now I know I'm not dealing with an ulcer or worse.)

I wish our gov't insurance would cover dental and drugs...I'm lucky enough to pay $130/yr through my university tuition to get 80% coverage on both those things. Still, dental every year, for a cleaning, usually costs me $100. My stomach meds are $30/month with coverage. As a student/single mom, it's a hardship.

This whole co-pay/deductible shit makes me angry. Even those are enough to cause serious problems in many families. Even those are enough to force people to put off treatment. I'm not a fan of the ACA. I think there could've been a public option had it been fought for. But, it's better than nothing for most people. And it's a start. Let's hope it's a start. and let's hope the President does NOT blink on the Republican's threats to repeal the ACA. It's too important for too many people, but it can be better. Don't stop fighting for BETTER.

[ScreamingMeemie]

13. But wait, that can't be right.

You're supposed to be on waiting lists for months and months...

I am glad it is working out for you.

[SoCalDem]

14. and aren't Canadian streets littered with bodies

of people who died while waiting for care

[Posteritatis]

24. The death panels killed me three times this week alone! It sucked. (nt)

[displacedtexan]

12. I just talked with Danish friends, who say they pay a 50% rate... And gladly do it.

Is your tax rate that high?

My husband and I gladly pay 30%.

[SoCalDem]

17. If you pay a high rate, BUT

you don't need a vehicle (because public transportation is cheap, easy, clean and available)

your schooling is free/nearly-free

your health care needs are available with NO out-of-pocket at the delivery-point

the birth of your child comes with paid maternity/paternity leave to usher you into parenthood

your job-loss results in a automatic stipend for as long as you need it

your loss of a place to live is accompanied with housing subsidies to get over the rough patch

your advanced age comes with a guaranteed pension and other assistance


It means that the 50% you get to KEEP (probably from a well-paid position) is totally yours to spend at will ...

[displacedtexan]

19. I was asking about income tax rates in Norway.

[SoCalDem]

22. looks like 47.8 max + VAT (table at link )

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tax_rates_of_Europe

[War Horse]

32. The basic rate for a self employed person here is 28 %

but my accountant says to account for 50 %, and consider everything beyond that a bonus.

The most I've ever paid as an employee is 40 %, though.

[SomethingFishy]

15. You guys get free College too don't you?

I visit Norway once a year on a concert tour.. We are coming back next March too.. It's a country act I am touring with. Quick story.. We get to Oslo and I have to do laundry. One of the other crew members who happens to be a hard core Right Wing Republican also needed to do wash.
So we go do our laundry and on the cab ride back to the hotel my friend is looking around at all the cranes and construction. Now this is the third year we were there and every year the city seems to get bigger and more vibrant. He's obviously noticing this. Now I'm watching the gears turn in my friends head as he computes his right wing beliefs with what he sees happening right in front of him.
He turns to me and says, "Wow, this Socialism thing really seems to work over here".
Now you can imagine I'm sitting there trying not to bust a gut as the guy who thinks Obama was born in a Madrassa in Kenya is complementing the values of Socialism.. I didn't have the heart to tell him that you guys have really found a nice mix of socialism and capitalism, have free health care and free college. I had just washed all my clothes and didn't want his head to explode all over my clean stuff

[steve2470]

18. know any nice Norwegian ladies who want to get married ?

I kid, I kid. Sorta.

[Luminous Animal]

20. I'm glad you have universal coverage, too!

Someday this country might grow up. I won't live to see it but this firebagger emoprog works very hard to ensure that future generations may enjoy single payer.

[Warren DeMontague]

21. isn't it good?

Just don't invite John Lennon over to your apartment.

[MoonRiver]

25. That's nice but when are you guys going to stop murdering whales?

[NoOneMan]

27. Yeah, but you must have bronze level universal health care you stick poor people with right?

And don't you have trendy marketplaces that you can window shop for fabulous health care procedures? It really sounds boring otherwise

[dkf]

28. I wish all our international members would post on their health care so we know how bad our is.

Then compare that to our own members Medicare stories.

Even Medicare is inadequate.

[grantcart]

31. In this thread of 09 I did something similar to what you are suggesting

I outlined the position of every political party (even the radical rightwing ones) to their national single payer systems:

http://journals.democraticunderground.com/grantcart/188

[grantcart]

30. Besides that Norway used its oil wealth to create permanent investment for all

Norwegians.

Unfortunately its a lot easier to get great ideas like these into policy when your country only has a population of 5 million.