3 ms·
I'm not sure why you're latching on to this notion of appropriating the work of others. In the Netherlands (what I'm familiar with), healthcare functions throu
by cr1895 8y ago
I'm not sure why you're latching on to this notion of appropriating the work of others.
In the Netherlands (what I'm familiar with), healthcare functions through compulsory private insurance. Healthcare is paid for both by insurance contributions (on the order of 120eur per month, with a deductible of about 385eur) and by taxes. If one can't afford to pay the premiums, it is subsidized by the government. It's free if you're under 18. The system functions with a sort of gatekeeping by general practicioners, where GP visits cost nothing in addition to the health insurance premiums and if there is some issue beyond which the GP can handle you are referred to a specialist.
>Health insurance is supposed to pay for catastrophic losses, similar to auto and home insurance.
In the Netherlands it pays for routine, preventative care as well as catastrophic losses. That's why it's compulsory for everyone.
> Is health insurance a human right?
Yes, in the NL.
>What does "affordable" mean? What happens when hospitals and physicians reject your insurance? What co-pays and coinsurance are considered affordable?
Government policy, which also dictates who is eligible for subsidy. Insurance rejection isn't a thing.
>Does the right to health insurance extend to people who willingly destroy themselves for pleasure? Do they pay the same amount as people who take care of themselves?
Yes, though I'm not sure what medical discretion there is if for example an elderly life-long smoker needs a transplant. Suffice to say everyone has the right to health insurance.
>Can "healthcare is a human right" extend to Americans who travel to Europe for the purpose of obtaining free elective medical care at the expense of European taxpayers
An American cannot travel to the NL for free healthcare.
- mcv 8y ago> Insurance rejection isn't a thing. The opposite is a thing, though: that your insurance refuses to cover some treatment. It's not a free-for-all buffet, after all. That's where the GP comes in: for many treatments, the GP first has to refer you to a specialist for the treatment by that specialist to be covered. For some more experimental treatments, a physician from the insurance company has to approve coverage. And some things aren't covered at all. There's some variation in what various insurers cover, although they all cover the serious hospital stuff (because that will bankrupt you if they don't). > Yes, though I'm not sure what medical discretion there is if for example an elderly life-long smoker needs a transplant. Suffice to say everyone has the right to health insurance. I believe there was talk a couple of years ago about whether smokers should pay a higher premium. Then it was discovered that smokers actually used less health care due to dying younger, and everybody shut up about it. > An American cannot travel to the NL for free healthcare. But if an American travels to the UK and gets ill or an accident there, they are mostly covered, because of the socialised nature of the NHS. In Netherland with its privatised system, you still need to have actual insurance. Most tourists do, although that's not going to cover pre-existing conditions, obviously. (Well, that sounds American.)