Insurance outside of USA

Are there any Canadian or British people on this forum? I want to hear from you regarding your satisfaction level of your nations public health care if you rely on it. All I hear in the USA are the same old scary stories regarding your system.

[Serenity87]

I live in the us but my Dad's side of the family is from the uk. While my great aunt was visiting, she asked about the dentists office over here and if we had to pay for them. She looked flabbergasted when we said yes. She told us that in England she walks in, gets whatever she needs done, signs some paperwork, and walks right out.

She also happens to be a nurse and gave me some medical advice on health issues I was having at the time. I was lucky. I was being subjected to the treatment medical professional give you here when you tell them that you don't have health insurance. I paid more than 10,000 out of my pocket to get a half-assed diagnosis of anxiety, and got useful advice for free.

She looked genuinely shocked at how our system worked. She said England's healthcare was great and she would be frightened to live here. She also scolded my Dad for taking 3 different medications for his diabetes when he was complaining about the side effects. The Doctors hastily corrected this after he told his gp that his aunt from England, who worked as a nurse, was inquiring about it. God, I wished I lived in England.  

[ricpaq]

You are lucky to have a health professional in the family who can give honest advice. I am still hunting for a doctor who does not act like they are always on the clock an walks out on you before you get a word in.

Health folks in this country just want to push drugs and costly tests to keep the money flowing thru the system. I'm especially worried about some of these medications in terms of bad side effects and the cost which I just can't sustain.

Soon I will be without insurance to unemployment. Even if it is true that patients have to wait for treatment in England, Is that worse than no treatment at all in the "good old" USA.
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[oldpot]

i need a st scan  here in USA but cannot get it because wife not working and cannot offord it at the moment in UK i be able to get that free OK you might have to wait 1-2 months if not emergency but you do get it done i am lost now i dont know what to do and hope its not too serious or i in deep trouble