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Every time I read this stuff I feel truly privileged. I'm a New Zealand citizen living in Australia. Not only do both countries have universal healthcare, but t

Every time I read this stuff I feel truly privileged. I'm a New Zealand citizen living in Australia. Not only do both countries have universal healthcare, but they have a reciprocal agreement to provide free healthcare to each others citizens. Australia has bulk-billed doctors and there's no shortage of them. I can book an appointment online for tomorrow, wait for 10 minutes in a waiting room and see a GP for free. I can even choose which GP I want to see. And I'll likely get anything they prescribe me for free as well. Medicare refunds so much money I sometimes feel guilty because I know I can afford it. My partner has a chronic health condition that resulted in her large intestine being removed and she requires thousands of dollars worth of medication a month, likely for the rest of her life. We've never paid for surgery or medication beyond admin or prescription fees. I want this for everyone and I pay my taxes gladly. I would pay more for an even better system. You don't have shit if you don't have your health.

lostlogin 8y ago
I’m pleased you and your partner are getting good care. There have been too many stories recently about how rule changes have completely shafted New Zealanders in Australia. Something is changing - the accelerating rate at which people who can be deported from Australia are shunted out is another part of it.
eriktrautman 8y ago
Going to Australia and NZ earlier this year was when I finally had to admit that there is absolutely no justifiable reason why we have such a shitty system in the US. I paid out of pocket for an MRI because it was cheaper than anything I would have gotten in the US with insurance. The end-to-end experience was great. I returned to find that I couldn't enroll in health insurance until 2019 unless I joined a company as a fulltime employee, resulting in a terrifying 6-month coverage gap where the only option was BOTH paying the lack-of-coverage penalty AND paying for shit "no way they're reimbursing anything" temporary coverage from an agency that didn't even send an insurance card. Our system is undeniably and unjustifiably fucked.

lostlogin 8y ago

I’m pleased you and your partner are getting good care. There have been too many stories recently about how rule changes have completely shafted New Zealanders in Australia. Something is changing - the accelerating rate at which people who can be deported from Australia are shunted out is another part of it.

eriktrautman 8y ago

Going to Australia and NZ earlier this year was when I finally had to admit that there is absolutely no justifiable reason why we have such a shitty system in the US. I paid out of pocket for an MRI because it was cheaper than anything I would have gotten in the US with insurance. The end-to-end experience was great. I returned to find that I couldn't enroll in health insurance until 2019 unless I joined a company as a fulltime employee, resulting in a terrifying 6-month coverage gap where the only option was BOTH paying the lack-of-coverage penalty AND paying for shit "no way they're reimbursing anything" temporary coverage from an agency that didn't even send an insurance card. Our system is undeniably and unjustifiably fucked.