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Author Topic:   Healthcare In The USA
Peg
Member (Idle past 4929 days)
Posts: 2703
From: melbourne, australia
Joined: 11-22-2008


Message 48 of 72 (519894)
08-18-2009 7:30 AM
Reply to: Message 26 by Hyroglyphx
08-14-2009 10:10 PM


Re: Explanation
Hyroglyphx writes:
I see pro's and con's on both sides, but at the end of the day for me it boils down to a simple economic question. There is no nation that can stand without a strong economy. If a nation's economy is weak, which is is the oil that runs all the machines, every other system fails catastrophically. You can't have ANYTHING without an efficient economy.
the same can be said for a healthy community
illness keeps people away from work, which can put a strain on the economy
In australia we have both systems in place, a private and a public system.
As a family of 5, we have private health insurance. This gives us access to public or private hospitals without going onto a waiting list. Although there are many different plans avail and ours requires that we pay for the room of a private hospital for the two adults, however the children are covered in a private hospital.
People on the public system (medicare) pay for the system themselves through whats called the 'medicare levy'. This is a one off yearly tax approx 1.5% of the persons income. This is paid in addition to their regular income tax. If you are privately insured, you are exempt from paying the levy.
Public patients can choose not to use medicare if they are happy to pay the doctor his fees for private services. This might happen if the patient didnt want to go onto a public waiting list. If they do this, the government will pay a part of the cost involved for the patient, but not the whole cost. Or if their condition can wait, they might choose to go onto the waiting list for treatment at a later date.
While its true that medicare does cost a lot, and our government is always being lobbied to provide more funds, the system works. It provides a health system for people who otherwise would not be able to afford it. And the public system is not affected by it because its generally the low income earners and pensioners who are on medicare and they cant afford to pay for private insurance anyway.
And finally, it cant be costing too much becuase our government is soon to include dental as part of medicare.
Edited by Peg, : No reason given.
Edited by Peg, : No reason given.
Edited by Peg, : No reason given.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 26 by Hyroglyphx, posted 08-14-2009 10:10 PM Hyroglyphx has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 49 by Legend, posted 08-18-2009 10:45 AM Peg has replied
 Message 50 by purpledawn, posted 08-18-2009 12:02 PM Peg has replied
 Message 58 by Hyroglyphx, posted 08-19-2009 6:10 PM Peg has replied

  
Peg
Member (Idle past 4929 days)
Posts: 2703
From: melbourne, australia
Joined: 11-22-2008


Message 52 of 72 (519973)
08-18-2009 7:59 PM
Reply to: Message 49 by Legend
08-18-2009 10:45 AM


Re: Explanation
Legend writes:
This is great! why can't we have something like that in Britain?
im not sure what the UK tax system is like, but we pay tax on everything pretty much
our tax system is so complicated no one knows exactly how much tax we pay.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 49 by Legend, posted 08-18-2009 10:45 AM Legend has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 56 by Legend, posted 08-19-2009 4:44 PM Peg has not replied

  
Peg
Member (Idle past 4929 days)
Posts: 2703
From: melbourne, australia
Joined: 11-22-2008


Message 53 of 72 (519974)
08-18-2009 8:10 PM
Reply to: Message 50 by purpledawn
08-18-2009 12:02 PM


Re: Medicare Tax
purpledawn writes:
In the United States Medicare Tax is taken out of everyone's pay and matched by the employer (there may be exceptions, but I don't know them).
yeah we are definitely on completely different systems. Over here only people who dont have private insurance have to pay the medicare levy, unless they are on pensions.
I've watched the Michael Moore doco 'Sicko'
One disturbing aspect of that doco was the fact that insurance companies wont insure people with pre existing conditions. And yet its the insurance companies who are against a public system...the result being that the corporate companies are in control of health care because they refuse to give insurance to those who need it, and also oppose the government giving them access to services.
you'd think that they would by happy for the govt to pay for the people who they refuse to cover

This message is a reply to:
 Message 50 by purpledawn, posted 08-18-2009 12:02 PM purpledawn has not replied

  
Peg
Member (Idle past 4929 days)
Posts: 2703
From: melbourne, australia
Joined: 11-22-2008


Message 63 of 72 (520344)
08-21-2009 2:29 AM
Reply to: Message 58 by Hyroglyphx
08-19-2009 6:10 PM


Re: Explanation
Hyroglyphx writes:
The Aussie system seems to take the positive elements I like about both systems while doing its best to avoid the worst elements.
the good thing about our system is that both parties get what they want/need
Of course this doesnt mean that our health system is perfect...it does have its problems, waiting lists being one of them and there is a shortage of doctors and nurses in public hospitals because the government is working to a budget.
this isnt a problem for private patients... but for public patients, something is better then nothing.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 58 by Hyroglyphx, posted 08-19-2009 6:10 PM Hyroglyphx has not replied

  
Peg
Member (Idle past 4929 days)
Posts: 2703
From: melbourne, australia
Joined: 11-22-2008


Message 65 of 72 (520350)
08-21-2009 6:31 AM
Reply to: Message 64 by caffeine
08-21-2009 4:17 AM


Re: Relative tax burdens
the australia figures are a little out
average income in aust is about 50,000 pa
34,000 - 80,000 pays 30% tax
80,001 - 180k pays 40%
Over 180K pays 45%
but on top of income tax is the 10% GST (thanks to Howard to who's election promise was to "never ever bring in a gst")
Edited by Peg, : No reason given.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 64 by caffeine, posted 08-21-2009 4:17 AM caffeine has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 70 by caffeine, posted 08-24-2009 4:45 AM Peg has replied

  
Peg
Member (Idle past 4929 days)
Posts: 2703
From: melbourne, australia
Joined: 11-22-2008


Message 71 of 72 (520816)
08-24-2009 5:33 AM
Reply to: Message 70 by caffeine
08-24-2009 4:45 AM


Re: Relative tax burdens
we'll im not sure about your figures
if you look on the ATO website, the tax free threshold is $6,000
from 6,001 - 34,000 the rate of tax is 0.15c for every dollar or 15%
from 34001 - 80,000 we pay a minimum of $4,200 plus 30c for each $1 over $34,000
but anyway, our GST is not as high as the UK's thats for sure.

This message is a reply to:
 Message 70 by caffeine, posted 08-24-2009 4:45 AM caffeine has replied

Replies to this message:
 Message 72 by caffeine, posted 08-24-2009 9:54 AM Peg has not replied

  
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