5 ms·

> If you are rich and can afford it the american system is great but it is awful for everyone else. I know plenty of incredibly wealthy people who fly to place

> If you are rich and can afford it the american system is great but it is awful for everyone else. I know plenty of incredibly wealthy people who fly to places like France and Israel to see specialists, so take from that what you will.

thatfrenchguy 8y ago
Coming from middle class in France to upper-middle class in the US, the quality of care in the US is so subpar it makes me sad. Sure, in exchange, you don't have to plan your annual visit to the optometrist 3 months in advance, but I'd rather have a doctor that actually cares instead of useless shiny tech.
- refurb 8y ago
  Hmmm... as someone who came from Canada, I find the quality of care in the US superior to what I got in Canada.
  - octonion 8y ago
    It should be noted your opinion is contrary to every survey covering this topic I've ever seen.
    - robbrit 8y ago
      I'm in the same boat as refurb, however these are just anecdotal experiences. It's possible that we're in rich areas (I know I am) and so the quality of the care reflects the clientele. In Canada it's more of a one-size-fits-all approach, but that one size is better than the average US hospital.
      - refurb 8y ago
        Indeed it's my experience only. I would agree that the quality of care in the US has a much bigger spread than Canada. However, as a middle class person in both countries, there are benefits that you get in the US, you don't get in Canada.
  - d1zzy 8y ago
    Same (but not from Canada, from a former communist Eastern European country where there's universal healthcare). And I was in a much higher on the income ladder in said country then here in the US (relative to the country median income) and yet the health care I get in the US on the employer included plan is many times better then what I got back in Europe. To be fair I was going to the state health facilities there where my income level could afford me to go to private institutions which were vastly better, but you see, in the US I didn't have to do anything special to get better healthcare, I just went with what my employer gave me and it's much better than what the state gave me in Europe (and I was paying, in form of taxes, much more for it too).
- danans 8y ago
  > you don't have to plan your annual visit to the optometrist 3 months in advance Actually, US health insurance plans generally don't cover optometry. That's a separate "vision" plan that you generally only get through an employer if you are lucky. If you don't have it such a plan, you pay out of pocket.

thatfrenchguy 8y ago

Coming from middle class in France to upper-middle class in the US, the quality of care in the US is so subpar it makes me sad. Sure, in exchange, you don't have to plan your annual visit to the optometrist 3 months in advance, but I'd rather have a doctor that actually cares instead of useless shiny tech.

refurb 8y ago
Hmmm... as someone who came from Canada, I find the quality of care in the US superior to what I got in Canada.
- octonion 8y ago
  It should be noted your opinion is contrary to every survey covering this topic I've ever seen.
  - robbrit 8y ago
    I'm in the same boat as refurb, however these are just anecdotal experiences. It's possible that we're in rich areas (I know I am) and so the quality of the care reflects the clientele. In Canada it's more of a one-size-fits-all approach, but that one size is better than the average US hospital.
    - refurb 8y ago
      Indeed it's my experience only. I would agree that the quality of care in the US has a much bigger spread than Canada. However, as a middle class person in both countries, there are benefits that you get in the US, you don't get in Canada.
- d1zzy 8y ago
  Same (but not from Canada, from a former communist Eastern European country where there's universal healthcare). And I was in a much higher on the income ladder in said country then here in the US (relative to the country median income) and yet the health care I get in the US on the employer included plan is many times better then what I got back in Europe. To be fair I was going to the state health facilities there where my income level could afford me to go to private institutions which were vastly better, but you see, in the US I didn't have to do anything special to get better healthcare, I just went with what my employer gave me and it's much better than what the state gave me in Europe (and I was paying, in form of taxes, much more for it too).
danans 8y ago
> you don't have to plan your annual visit to the optometrist 3 months in advance Actually, US health insurance plans generally don't cover optometry. That's a separate "vision" plan that you generally only get through an employer if you are lucky. If you don't have it such a plan, you pay out of pocket.