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If it’s the same then...it’s the same. One is not better than the other. What country in Europe are you coming from and what makes you afraid of getting sick i
by dmd149 7y ago
If it’s the same then...it’s the same. One is not better than the other.
What country in Europe are you coming from and what makes you afraid of getting sick in the US?
- Swizec 7y agoThe problem in USA is spiky unexpected cost of health care. Even with good insurance you never know when a random huge bill might come. Best avoid doctors unless you’re literally dying
- dmd149 7y agoI agree that paying for all health care with insurance leads to quite a bit of surprise billing and opaque pricing. That being said, I’m not sure how often the average person deals with a bill that they are on the hook for beyond their deductible. I’m still not sure what average medical costs per person over a lifetime are in the US compared to a Swedish person’s costs if you’re counting the proportion of their taxes that go to paying for national healthcare. Edit: fixed a typo.
- lsinger 7y agoExample from Germany: I pay 860€ per month for health insurance, which covers me, my wife, and our two children. There’s no deductible. Everything is covered, except for tooth replacements that are covered only at between 20% and 50% I believe. You’ll never get a bill from a doctor or hospital in Germany, except for those tooth replacements. The most I’ll pay is a small copay for drugs, usually about 5€, but only for adults — drugs for kids are covered 100%. Probably a bit simplified, but the above has been my experience so far (I’m 40).
- dmd149 7y agoThat is more or less what my US based health insurance plan is like, if a bit more expensive ($1200/month for me and my wife, $1500 if adding 1 child). No deductible for in-network care, usually just some small copays of $20. Is this supplemental insurance to national healthcare or the standard cost based on your income?
- lsinger 7y agoThe latter, it’s based on a percentage of your (taxable, I think) income, capped at what I’m paying (percentage-wise I’d be paying more if it wasn’t capped). FWIW, there’s no notion of “in-network” or “out-network” here.
- dmd149 7y agoInteresting. Do you know what your effective tax rate is, inclusive of your health insurance taxes?
- lsinger 7y agoI’m a freelancer, so this might not be a generalizable answer, but for every Euro I make, I pay about 0.3 Euros in taxes and health insurance.
- pintxo 7y agoYou may want to play around with this calculator (German only, sorry, google translate likely to the rescue): https://www.brutto-netto-rechner.info/ https://www.brutto-netto-rechner.info/
- Swizec 7y agoThe in/out network thing is a huge problem. My girlfriend went for a checkup with her primary care physician. Obviously in network. 2 months later she gets a bill for $500. Sorry your doc was not in network for that particular question. Insurance covers $0