This poll is for those that have experience with UHC: Do you prefer UHC, the private insurance system we have in the U.S., or some other system?
edited to add: the “UFC” in the poll is supposed to be “UHC”-mods have beennotified.
I refuse to put myself in the pocket of Big Bake Sale just so I can get treatment! UHC all the way.
The sheer administrative waste I encountered when I lived in the U.S. was a thing to behold.
I never had the sense that many of the medical professionals I encountered were concerned about delivering a proportionate level of care to what was required, probably because they knew they would always have to fight insurance companies to get paid.
For me, it’s not entirely about the care I get, it’s about being part of a community doing its best to make sure we all get it.
Which way did you vote, if I may ask?
I have MS, my husband has had back surgery, we needed medical help to not miscarry our two children, my eldest had a thankfully benign brain tumour that was removed, with six monthly checkups for another two years, for a total of seven. I just came out of a six week stay in hospital, and all of this crap cost us nothing. Not even prescriptive charges, (hospital supplied medicines are free).
It would have gone beyond bankruptcy for us, we would be homeless.
The hospital sent us home with equipment and carers. Again for free.
Yes, it’s paid for through taxes deducted from our pay slips before we even see the money, but I’m proud that our NHS makes sure that my family, or any other family that gets hit with this shitty luck, will be OK.
“UHC versus American” is like saying “going to a restaurant versus getting kicked in the nuts.”
…and getting charged twice as much for the crotch shot.
Does anyone want to explain why they prefer the American Health System after having used UHC?
The poll results are even more lop-sided than I expected.
They should be even more lop-sided. I was too fast with the mouse and clicked the wrong option.
I absolutely agree with this. I’ve been fortunate to remain healthy my entire life. Oh sure I see the doctor and have had 2 or 3 emergency visits, but I’ve paid into the system way more than I’ve gotten out, and that includes being the father of two children, one of whom has ongoing needs.
I actually LIKE the fact that my tax dollars are helping others. Isn’t this what being part of a community is all about, or should be all about?
Hell, I may get cancer or have a terrible accident some day. And my fellow Canadians will help me out.
Why anyone wouldn’t want that is perplexing to me.
ETA:USA - I’m alright Jack, keep your hands off my stack.
I’m an American with no system and didn’t vote. My sisters experiences might illuminate the question.
She’s a dual French/US citizen, lives in Paris and absolutely loves the French system. It’s everything she expected as a long term proponent of UHC
She spent a year as a grad student in London back in the late 80s. She paid into the system for the year in order to be covered by the NHS. She got sick about 3 months in. Her treatment focused on dealing with the symptoms. ISTR there was some implications that it was psychosomatic. I also seem to recall that she only got to see a specialist after going into full rant mode at the GP. One of the many doctors she saw brought up a possible treatable cause for her symptoms but it “likely” wasn’t that anyway. Besides the test was expensive. She muddled through 9 months of misery and doctors appointments that affected her life and schooling. When she got back to the US her primary care physician immediately queued on the thing it “likely” wasn’t and ordered the test. It was. It was curable not merely treatable. As much as she’s supports UHC she realizes that UHC systems vary widely. Tell her the US was adopting the UK’s system as it existed in the 80s and she might literally throat punch you.
She also spent 6 months on an exchange program in Poland during her undergrad years. The Berlin Wall was still up and the Solidarity movement was in full force. She had a friend end up in the hospital. We should probably class that as a different category - UBHC (Universally Bad Health Care.) 
I’ll have UHC with private top-up, please. Just like we have in the UK.
I’m a dual-citizen, US born and Australian naturalized. Moved to Aus when I was 38, lived here full time since 2005.
No fucking way in hell would I ever go back to the American system. Bloated, inefficient, bureaucrat-heavy, and ridiculously expensive vs what I’ve got now? Yeah, right.
It makes me want to howl in frustration that it’s even a question - I find it a prime example of ideology over reason.
Not to mention a lot of it seems rooted in the conservative terror that somewhere, someone might get something “they*” don’t “deserve”. Dog-in-the-manger spitefulness seems to be the core of it.
*The “they” varies. Sometimes it’s skin color, often it’s wealth - gotta punish poor people for being poor, after all. After all, if they were good, hard working white Americans, they wouldn’t be poor, would they? Must be lazy, and therefore don’t deserve anything.
As a Canadian, I’m convinced this is exactly what your country is doing.
Rich white people will never share with poor people. And there will never be any way you can correct this now. Ever.
“UHC versus American” is like saying "going to to a restaurant and coming out with food now vs coming out with food in a couple of months. "
The best way to get a Spaniard to move from “complaining about SS is a perfectly fine small-talk subject” to “OMFGILOVESS!!!” is to send them to the US for a few months. Long enough that they, or someone they know, needs to go to the doctor. We come back wanting to marry SS.
I voted other. After having personally experienced 3 systems, Canada’s UHC, Private US and Singapore’s hybrid, the best option without a doubt is hybrid.
A very good level of care can be provided with UHC base and if someone wants to jump the queue with their own money or private insurance they can do so. The inherent competition between the UHC and the Private system forces both of them to operate more efficiently.
This is essentially what Canada has now, except that the queue jumpers who don’t want to wait 12+ weeks for an MRI or 8+ months for cataract surgery just go to the US, sucking money out of the already cash strapped Canadian system. It’s ridiculous.
I voted other, on the basis of the Aussie system, which is a UHC plus private insurance.
Everyone is covered by a UHC, which is great, totally happy for my tax dollars to go to that. Then on top of that is a system of ‘private’ treatment options, from GP’s through to hospitals etc. Which you can access if you’re willing to pay, either out of pocket, or via health insurance.