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Medicare, the little socialized medicine we do have, is unusable if you go abroad too. No vouchers, no treaties with foreign healthcare systems, no tax exemptio
by toastal 5y ago
Medicare, the little socialized medicine we do have, is unusable if you go abroad too. No vouchers, no treaties with foreign healthcare systems, no tax exemptions. You will pay in to Medicare your whole life and be required to burn air fuel flying back to the US to redeem any care whatsoever. The worst part is that often it stills ends up cheaper with medical tourism or getting local care.
- arbuge 5y agoI don't think that's a reasonable criticism of Medicare. Most other countries with universal healthcare do require you to be in the country to get that care. Europeans don't get much benefit from their universal healthcare when they leave Europe for example.
- ggm 5y agoThe EU is not a nation state, yet roaming in Europe between nation states they get universal healthcare. As do visitors from treaty nations outside the EU. There are no good bilateral health treaties with the USA For a reason. As an Australian, I have private health cover for longterm services like physio, optical and dental services. For life threatening emergencies I go public and can do so in bilateral treaty countries. That's how I understand the problem. Happy to be corrected.
- aspenmayer 5y agoI had Medicare on a temporary visa in Australia and had to go to the ER. I don’t think I ever got any bill at all. It was really amazing all the way around. The contrast made me feel ashamed to be an American, to be honest. I grew up in poverty, and have internalized not going to the doctor for any reason besides an actual, literal life threatening emergency. My folks were volunteer firefighters and first responders, as we lived in an isolated rural area on dirt roads, so we were the closest emergency services, now that I think of it. I’m back in USA now, and I still have to live that way, as I’m unemployed and trying to start a business. I have no assets and am nearly homeless. It’s no American Dream for everyone. I wrote a bit about my Australian medical emergency here: https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29719451 https://news.ycombinator.com/item?id=29719451
- estaseuropano 5y agoMy healthscare is an admittedly unusual one, but it applies globally - with a single country exempt. I can get treatment in Sri Lanka, Greece, Moldavia, North Korea, Ghana or Iran and they will cover it. But not the US as ithat system is the most broken and most expensive in the world.
- refurb 5y agoCanada's system doesn't cover you once you leave the country. Well, Ontario (each province is different), will give you $30/day if you're hospitalized but nothing more.
- ZeroGravitas 5y agoI wonder how much this is because the mostly likely country for you to visit from Canada, is the USA.
- refurb 5y agoI don't think it's odd that a universal system covers you only in your own country. The EU is an exception being an economic zone with free travel. NHS in the UK doesn't cover you when in Canada for example.
- ZeroGravitas 5y agoI think it's fairly common for two sane systems near each other or that otherwise have a lot of exchange to ink reciprocal agreements: https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/countries-and-regions/australia-and-pacific/australia/new-zealand-high-commission-to-australia/living-in-australia/daily-life-in-australia/health/ https://www.mfat.govt.nz/en/countries-and-regions/australia-...