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Portuguese politicians are doing the same with the public healthcare system there (deliberately underfunding it to be able to claim that it "failed"). They wan

Portuguese politicians are doing the same with the public healthcare system there (deliberately underfunding it to be able to claim that it "failed"). They want to follow the "good" example of the US, like most other EU member states are now doing.

pjmlp 3y ago
While public healthcare is still quite ok in Portugal, anyone that actually wants to be treated in time, and not be stuck in waiting lists actually goes to a private doctor, or clinic. Hence why having private insurance as part of the job benefits is widely appreciated, unless one is a public employee with nice health packages like ADSE. I am approaching 50 now, and seldom ever had a family doctor for example. However in Germany it is much worse, where public healthcare is almost managed as the private one, and where many doctor offices differ their treatments depending on which kind of insurance one has, public vs private. You get different waiting rooms, different treatment proposals, different appointment flexibility,...
- WeylandYutani 3y ago
  People with private insurance skip the line. You're literally condemning a poor person to suffer more. Congratulations. Doctors triage based on medical needs not your social status or financial wealth in the Netherlands. It's one of those things that ethically sets this country above others and I hope it never changes.
  - deleted 3y ago
    [deleted]
cinntaile 3y ago
A lot of EU member states have high taxes too, there is not that much wiggle room to increase taxes to pay for ballooning health care costs. It is not surprising that they are trying to keep costs under control or privatize.
Aerroon 3y ago
Healthcare will always be underfunded though. It costs too much to offer it to the extent we would like to and with the changing demographics and advancements in technology (more treatments that cost more $$$) it's going to only cost more. For example, the UK's public healthcare funding has increased from below 3% of GDP to over 7% from the 1950s until 2018/2019 (so just before covid).[0] And yet the perception is that the NHS is always underfunded. The UK's budget in 2018-19 was £842 billion and almost £160 billion went to essentially the NHS. I think that we will eventually have to settle into a reality of always underfunded public healthcare and it's going to get worse, because these problems plague essentially all European countries (and many others in the world). [0] https://www.health.org.uk/sites/default/files/styles/full_width_image/public/2019-07/20190726-CHART-COTM-Jul19-UK-public-spending-on-health-Web%402x.png https://www.health.org.uk/sites/default/files/styles/full_wi...
- dustymcp 3y ago
  most likely demographics willplay a huge role in this when we start having increased elder care.

pjmlp 3y ago

While public healthcare is still quite ok in Portugal, anyone that actually wants to be treated in time, and not be stuck in waiting lists actually goes to a private doctor, or clinic. Hence why having private insurance as part of the job benefits is widely appreciated, unless one is a public employee with nice health packages like ADSE. I am approaching 50 now, and seldom ever had a family doctor for example. However in Germany it is much worse, where public healthcare is almost managed as the private one, and where many doctor offices differ their treatments depending on which kind of insurance one has, public vs private. You get different waiting rooms, different treatment proposals, different appointment flexibility,...

WeylandYutani 3y ago
People with private insurance skip the line. You're literally condemning a poor person to suffer more. Congratulations. Doctors triage based on medical needs not your social status or financial wealth in the Netherlands. It's one of those things that ethically sets this country above others and I hope it never changes.
- deleted 3y ago
  [deleted]

cinntaile 3y ago

A lot of EU member states have high taxes too, there is not that much wiggle room to increase taxes to pay for ballooning health care costs. It is not surprising that they are trying to keep costs under control or privatize.

Aerroon 3y ago

Healthcare will always be underfunded though. It costs too much to offer it to the extent we would like to and with the changing demographics and advancements in technology (more treatments that cost more $$$) it's going to only cost more. For example, the UK's public healthcare funding has increased from below 3% of GDP to over 7% from the 1950s until 2018/2019 (so just before covid).[0] And yet the perception is that the NHS is always underfunded. The UK's budget in 2018-19 was £842 billion and almost £160 billion went to essentially the NHS. I think that we will eventually have to settle into a reality of always underfunded public healthcare and it's going to get worse, because these problems plague essentially all European countries (and many others in the world). [0] https://www.health.org.uk/sites/default/files/styles/full_width_image/public/2019-07/20190726-CHART-COTM-Jul19-UK-public-spending-on-health-Web%402x.png https://www.health.org.uk/sites/default/files/styles/full_wi...

dustymcp 3y ago
most likely demographics willplay a huge role in this when we start having increased elder care.