USA vs UK Healthcare Insurance
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- Опубликовано: 12 янв 2021
- Healthcare systems cannot be more different when we compare the United States and the United Kingdom. The United States has the largest private-sector system while the United Kingdom has one of the largest public-sector systems. Both systems are highly respected and have world-class health outcomes. But the UK healthcare system otherwise known as the National Health Services (NHS) has way fewer health outcomes variation across its population when compared to the US. If you want to discover the main differences between both systems, make sure that you stick around till the end of this video.
Healthcare in the US is almost exclusive by private sector providers. Hospitals are owned by either for-profit or non-profit organizations. Most of the people in the US have access to healthcare through a blend of private health insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid programs. Medicare is a federal program that provides health coverage if you are 65 years or older no matter what your income is. Medicare also provides coverage for people with disabilities even if they are under 65 years old. Medicaid on the other hand is a state and federal program that provides health coverage if you have a very low income and cannot cover your healthcare costs by yourself. The remaining people who are not covered by private insurance, Medicare, or Medicaid, will have to rely on their own financial resources to cover their health and medicine expenses.
The United Kingdom health care system otherwise known as the National Health Services (NHS) is an ideal example of socialized medicine and a single-payer healthcare system. This means that health care is provided by a single-payer which is the British government and is funded by the taxpayers of the United Kingdom. The appointments and treatments are provided for free to patients as are most of the prescription drugs. Well, let’s reemphasize that it's paid by taxes so it's not truly free.
But the NHS is not entirely free. There are some services that require patients to pay such as dental and eye care but the fees are comparably low to the US fees. The maximum cost of receiving any drug prescribed by the NHS is $12.
The United Kingdom does allow employers to offer private health insurance plans to workers. Some of these workers decide to opt-out of the NHS and receive their medical treatments privately. It is quite an advantage as private patients choose their specialists, unlike NHS patients. Private patients also avoid waiting lists for non-emergency procedures while NHS patients tend to wait for weeks or even months.
When it comes to accessibility, NHS patients receive their primary care from general practitioners which are referred to as GP’s who act as gatekeepers for secondary care.
When it comes to accessibility based on age, the National Institute for Health and Care Excellence is otherwise known as NICE consults a citizens council to help it sort through difficult ethical issues such as prioritization of patients based on age which is simply not allowed in the UK. Patients of all ages should receive the same degree of access to the healthcare system.
Now let’s compare the US and UK healthcare systems.
We had friends with a young child who was born and spent his formative years in California. He had some health issues in his early years and was on all sorts of various medication.
When they moved to the UK, they were shocked that they didn’t have ready access to a dedicated paediatrician on demand in a plush setting. Their local GP instead worked with them to remove almost all of his medication. Shocking!
Their son’s health improved. Markedly, and quickly. What they’d perceived as excellent, responsive care in the US was actually largely driven by the medical systems drive for profit. What he needed was a light touch and an objective assessment by a trained professional able to act based on strict medical need and not on the drive to sell more services and push more drugs.
ah yes, the great British cure for every disease "go away, why are you burdening the health system"
The fact people avoid healthcare in us speaks for itself
People avoid it in the UK as ngl. There's a lot of pressure on individuals not to "burden the system" and GPs are more likely to just tell you to go away than to offer treatment
@@brianterry8775bullshit! People put it because off because it’s free.
@@brianterry8775
That's complete and utter nonsense!
Not one member of my family and none of my friends have ever been turned away by a GP without being assessed and receiving treatment.
Granted after 14 years of Tory party underfunding you have to wait longer than you used to, for non urgent conditions, but being turned away - I've never experienced that.
@@MrStevieJD Ok, have you considered your family (which is at most spread across a few cities but more likely concentrated around one or two GPs) are not a representative sample size of the entire UK population? And yeah you're going to spin the same argument against me, but before you do realise I'm not saying it's the only thing that happens but that it can happen (which is a lower burden of proof).
It's easy to scream the Tories are responsible and they haven't helped the matter but it's also a bit conspiritorial to assume the government just hates the NHS when really this country needs to have a proper conversation about how we handle healthcare
Private patients do not and cannot op - out!
Even billionaires, when having a heart attack, in the UK phone 999 and receive the same treatment as an unemployed person.
There is both private and public healthcare in the UK btw. You don't have to use the NHS if you don't want to. Also, private healthcare in the UK is much more affordable than in the US.
@@castleai9551 He means emergency treatment is the same for everyone in the UK rich or poor
@@castleai9551 You do have to use the NHS if you need to. Private health care in the UK. Does not provide emergency or urgent treatment. Only the NHS does. If you suffer a serious sudden illness. Such as a heart attack or a stroke. Or a major trauma such as a car crash. It's the NHS and only the NHS that will treat you. As it's only NHS hospitals that have the capability to do so.
the whole opt out argument is stupid. i dont drive, should i request my specific taxes that go to repairing roads get paid back for me? i dont set fire to my house, how about the fire fighters? should i say i dont want to pay for that cause i dont plan on setting fires? and police? i always lock my door why would i need the police.
TLDR Americans value being taxed less so they can avoid going to hospitals just so they dont have to have any of their tax used helping those less fortunate.
"if a billionaire and a homeless person had a heart attack, they'd get the same treatment" is the worst argument i've seen americans put across.
You can't opt out of paying the taxes and you still have access to the NHS but you can also get your own private doctors which you pay for and are usually better
You only have to wait if it’s not urgent, the most needy are treated first .
A system based on need - not greed.
I agree...NHS is the best system in the world
And you're going to have less wait times if a whole chunk of the population can't afford the treatment, and never get in the queue in the first place. I don't see that as a positive though.
@@onezerooneseven Why would poor people not be able to afford treatment in the NHS - it's free at the point of delivery.
@@aussiejim1616 I was referring to the US system, they may have less wait times, but that's because a lot of the population never get in the queue in the first place, or avoid treatment due to cost. Apologies my comment was not very clear. Agree, NHS is free at the point of use, and I much prefer a system that prioritises need over wealth.
I fell ill and called my NHS doctor surgery on the phone. They said, and I quote, "come down now". I was treated with penicillin on the same day.
Well that's an extremely quick and lack of surgery visit. In America, we also get penicillin at the local pharmacy so we get it at the same time.
@@funveeable Not a chance. Penicillin is not available over the counter in the US (or UK). A licenced doctor must prescribe it in both countries.
@@02smithm1 correct, but in the UK, they can prescribe it over the phone
@@02smithm1 "over the counter" in the UK means a pharmacist has to agree, they always agree
I got cocaine from them once because I was feeling edgy
This video gets a few things wrong about the NHS. 1. It's National Health Service. Not Services.
2. It says some people who receive private health care from employers opt out of the NHS. That's wrong. Nobody can opt-out of the NHS. By default, the NHS is always available to absolutely everybody. Regardless of whether they pay for private health care.
Especially given that emergency and urgent care is only provided by NHS hospitals. While private hospitals only provide non-urgent care. Such that, if a patient in a private hospital deteriorates into an emergency case. They're immediately transferred to an NHS hospital.
3. It also says only private patients can choose their specialist. But that NHS patients can't. That's also wrong. NHS patients can choose which NHS Hospital they want to attend and which specialist they want to see.
4. NHS Patients are not prioritised based on age. They are prioritised based on their individual clinical need. It's those who are more urgently in need who get prioritised regardless of how old they are.
Came here to say this! You can choose not to use some NHS services (except emergency - there is no private option for that) but you cannot opt out of paying for it. The only way you could truly opt out of paying for it is to put yourself in a position where you don’t pay taxes such as earning below the taxable amount. But in that case you wouldn’t be able to afford private care and would still end up using the NHS, so again not opting out that way either!
On your point 4, I think the video is correctly saying that everyone is treated regardless of age, but I think what it gets wrong is that age is not a factor - it can be a factor depending on their clinical needs as you say. Some ages might be at higher or lower risk or something which would then affect their clinical need and therefore prioritisation. But I think this differs to say the US where hospitals or insurance companies can refuse treatment because of a patient’s age if they deem the risk of treatment to be too high (doctors don’t want a death on their surgical table if they can avoid it, insurers don’t want to have to pay out).
U.S. puts a price on your life, UK doesnt. There, I just sumed up the difference
Wrong. NHS denies healthcare a different way, gatekeepers and bureaucratic misdiagnosis.
@Ally Wakka Nhs spends £2 million a week on abortions. Half, are repeat abortions.
@Ally Wakkayou said it had never been the case, Im telling you the price of life for the preborn children, £2 million a week. Murder by the NHS. The USA spends a lot less tax payers money on abortions than Britain. The NHS is government controlled healthcare. Abortion is nothing to do with health care.
But you're right one thing. When 1 i n 5 pregnancies in a country end in abortion, clearly there's a problem with culture, society, the laws and those who provide abortions.
@@soundbite290 When we call places kids learn, "schools" but America calls them shooting ranges, I know which Country has the bigger cultural problem.
@@soundbite290 I live in the UK and you are wrong.
I would much rather pay an extra couple of hundred pounds a month (which we don't even think about) to have the NHS. Than be on my deathbed and have to remortgage my home to pay for my healthcare
How about bedridden because you hurt your back and can't walk. The NHS won't see you for weeks because you aren't dying. No matter how much money you have, the NHS won't see you. In the US, you back can be fixed in a matter of days if you spent a few extra hundred dollars per month for health insurance that will also allow you to have the back surgery and every other surgery. The extra taxes you pay in UK can be spent on health insurance in the US that will give you the same coverage, with the added bonus of the optional premium service for extra. Sure it's greed, but greed is what drive the development of modern medicine. The desire to make a profit forces doctors and scientists to find ways to improve your life, and don't you forget that.
@@funveeable that's why we also have private healthcare here in the UK. If you have the money you can get "better" healthcare.
A NHS type system isn't the best. It simply makes sure everyone has the right to healthcare. Not just people with money.
I have family in the US. I know how much they are paying for health insurance and it is fucking outrageous. That's even if your insurance covers you. Insurance companies will try anything to get out of paying.
My cousin pays over $300 a month insurance. He broke his arm a few year ago and he still ended up paying for the treatment himself because the insurance wouldn't payout for some bullshit reason. That would never happen in the UK.
the healthcare here in Denmark is bad, they dont look into details and just say "nothing is wrong with you" and send you out again after you have been waiting for a long time.
@@MylarBalloon happens here in UK. But also happens to my family in the US.
My point is A universal healthcare system gives everyone an opportunity to get that appointment though. Not just people who can afford one. Even if you can. Alot of people in the US wouldn't even get an appointment because they don't wanna pay
Same. I actually feel bad for the U.S and other countries...
National Health Service not Services.
It's worth remembering that although you emphasise that the NHS is paid by taxes, that they USA also pays for healthcare through taxes too. Indeed per head of population the USA and UK spend about the same just through central government spending. So the question is why can't the USA manage to offer universal coverage, and why do so many become bankrupt if they get the wrong illness at the wrong time. Literally no country wants the USA healthcare system.
The whole “waiting time” thing is blown out of proportion. Yes, there is occasionally a waiting time, but it really doesn’t matter. The waiting time is usually minimal and it’s pretty much unanimously agreed that we are okay to wait a little due to the nature of the NHS. No more people are dying because they are waiting for urgent treatment than in any other country. I guarantee a lot more people are dying because they can’t AFFORD treatment or medicine in the US. The UK healthcare system is objectively better. Drawbacks like waiting time are negligible when the bigger picture is one of overall better and fairer conditions for the whole country.
I waited a long time for my tonsillectomy, but I'm fine with that. Although inconvenient, it was something that could wait. Anything that needs to be dealt with quickly in the UK, is dealt with quickly. No system is perfect, but prioritsing need over wealth is the only sensible way to go. I would never want an american healthcare type system.
It subjectively better. I have the best insurance around in the US Uk boy. And no wonder ur teeth r ugly. Poor doctors and dentist on that dumb island
@@pgaquigz1125 1) Overall, objectively, it is a better system. 2) I genuinely couldn’t give less of a fuck how good your insurance is. That’s not the point. The point is that there are people who CANT get/afford insurance. 3) I had braces for FREE for a year and a half . Now my teeth are perfect. The majority of all the other high school kids I know have had braces. All for FREE, because the NHS provides dental care for under 18s. And statistically, the UK has better dental care than the US. The thing you’re talking about is a stereotype from 100 years ago which has no relevancy to people today. So in essence, shut the fuck up.
@@pgaquigz1125 I agree some in US have access to excellent healthcare, and those who have the best insurance may be happy with the current setup. The point is the lack of universal coverage, and those who may not be covered for specific conditions, and the insane expense of the US system. My teeth are fine thanks. People can complain about waiting times for non urgent conditions.The US system, of reducing waiting times by denying treatment (or making it so expensive that people don't seek it) is not the answer. It's about the health of the whole population, not just those with good insurance.
@@pgaquigz1125 "A new UCL paper has revealed that the wide-spread belief that the British have poorer teeth than our American cousins is, in fact, a myth.
The research led by Richard Watt, Professor of Dental Public Health in the Department of Epidemiology and Public Health, found that the mean number of missing teeth a person has is significantly higher in the US."
www.ucl.ac.uk/eastman/news/2015/dec/us-vs-uk-who-has-better-teeth
Just wanted to fact check - you cannot opt out of the NHS. You can supplement your NHS health service with other privately funded services which you can access through your work or you can purchase directly.
Dental care was free up until 18, so that was good (including orthodontic treatments) And for eye tests, I can't remember paying. There is always a free voucher anyway - it only costs £5 "to be fair.
You cannot opt out of the British NHS, only supplement your health coverage with private insurance.
@@Britdv so you've lived outside the UK for 28 years and expect free treatment?
Asking for my pet guppy
@@jebbyjumbuck8064 Your pet Guppy is going on my plate - problem solved,
🐟🍽🥱 [CHOMP!!]
You can’t opt out you have pay for NHS but you can go private if you want.
@Alfie Green so a child being born with genetic defects is their decision? The % of those who we treat for issues theyve caused themselves is far less than those who are born/naturally develop conditons.
@Alfie Green i see what youre saying. Its a tough one: if we all pay we all benifit if were unfortunate to have an accident/develop something rapidly at a time of low income. But also we are paying for others who abuse the system and even if we dont use it, we contribute towards it. I personally have no qualm with giving some money to support the medical proffesionals and sick people who unfortunately end up in care even tho i may not use it for years. But i see your side where we have more personal income, those who want a service should pay for it and that can ultimately drive better practice through competition. Private vs. Nationalised is an age old debate and i know im no expert, but its not that deep to me that i pay a few more in tax, i would prefer the peace of mind that i can always rely on NHS as a backup and go private if i need to. But i definitely see why someone would prefer that we pay for what we use so tax money is more 'finely distributed'
The difference:- US healthcare is a major business, run by the big pharma companies, insurance companies, and the medical profession. They all want their share of the pie and to make as big a profit as possible. In turn, the politicians rely on these companies for their financial support (so even less money in the pot for patients)
This is a really good video , you deserve more subscribers ! It reminds me of the infographics show and kurzgesagt. Lovely stuff mate from the UK!!
Healthcare is a human right the fact healthcare is a profitable business in the USA says a lot about the people in that country.
To be fair it says a lot about the people in power in America. Most US citizens are actually in favour of universal health care
Wow, incredible, you actually want slaves and you're not even hiding the fact that that's what you're asking for. You do realize people had to grow up, go to school for years and years on end studying medicine, microbiology, etc. to then get into research departments and finally find work in developing pharmaceuticals correct? You do realize these people have to work, yes? Do you think hospitals operate on machines that don't have wages to pay of their own? Do you honestly believe the NHS operates off fairies and magical dust? Yes, believe it or not, people have to be *paid* to develop drugs and to carry out treatments and procedures. Yes, that is quite indeed how we came to arrive at this concept of "modern medicine." If it were not for the profitability of it, if it were not for the innate value that these things provide, you would not have it and you would die. That is how a free market ecosystem works, very difficult to understand I know. But believe it or not, it takes billions of dollars in RnD to develop the drugs the rest of the world uses, a cost that is passed down to the US tax payer so you can sit there and criticize the same hand that feeds you. What an absolute moron.
This is a nice attempt with lovely animation, but there's FAR too many inaccuracies in the video. Perhaps the biggest is that UK people can "opt out" of the NHS. Nope, not true. Yes, we can pay extra for private treatment, but the whole point of the NHS is that it's funded by taxes, so there's no opting out. I also hate to say this, but the narrator's spoken English is really quite poor.
i'd take the longer waiting times anyday to have low cost and better outcome, don't actually see the wait as much of a down side. I've had long wait times even 2 years at one point for test results but i'm still alive so small price to pay really
Yes even our Filipino healthcare professionals are working out their visas for work in the United Kingdom. Yes, it is a fact; yes, it is good that many nurses in the Philippines are thinking of working in the United Kingdom.
No, nurses in the UK get horrible pay.
Give me the NHS any day of the week, it's not perfect of course. But as of today, we have 32,500 people in hospital with Covid and the NHS have given around nine million first doses of the vaccine. And it's all free. Yes, we pay for it with taxes but could people living in other countries get open heart surgery for no cost?
Thank God I live in the U.K
The US does NOT have “world class” outcomes. Our health outcomes in the USA are below most countries that have been characterized as “developing” nations
I heard on national news here in the US that the U.K. is struggling to treat patients due to the severe lack of doctors,nurses, beds, auxiliary workers etc. Is it true that the waiting list for serious operations is getting longer and longer? I also read in the papers about how patients are kept waiting for hours and hours in the Emergency waiting rooms due to shortage of doctors? They say this will get worse if more doctors are not recruited soon. Is it also true that a sizeable proportion of UK trained doctors are quitting the UK to work in other countries where the pay, living standards and working conditions are far better than in their native UK?
Much of that is exaggerated but We do have a shortage of Dr’s at the moment but that is not a failing of the system it is because for the last 12 years it has been deliberately under funded by a government that wants to privatise it to line there own pockets.
I would bet whoever you got that information from also says that America is the best country in the world.
The NHS has its problems, predominantly due to lack of funding, and there is truth to most of those things you mentioned, but it is heavily exaggerated and comes across like you just read an anti-universal healthcare blog’s list of propaganda talking points.
Latest news from the UK makes bleak reading. Patients are forced to wait in ambulances outside the hospital for up to 24 hours, latest data shows.
The UK has the lowest number of doctors per 1000 in the whole of Europe.
This is on top of more and more doctors are choosing to retire early, or work part time, or emigrate to better run countries where the standard of living, the cost of living is better, lower property prices, shorter working hours, better pay and working conditions etc.
This also applies to ambulance drivers who are quitting due to high workload, long hours and stress.
On top of all this, migrant nhs workers including doctors and nurses are having to face racism.
@ PR P first of there is a report if 1 ambulance having to wait 24 hours. But yes we are having more delays than normal at the moment Due to a mix of Covid and an unprecedented heat wave.
We do have a shortage of DRs and nurses this is a mix f sickness due to covid, European staff having to leave because of Brexit and a deliberate attempt to make it look bad by a government that want line there own pockets.
Theas things are not a failing of the system but a failing of the people in charge of nation.
Sad to say a lot of the problems the NHS has are deliberate
More grim news from the UK. Ambulance representative reported that there's an increasing number of patients having to wait up to 24 hours in the back of an ambulance before even being admitted to hospital. Let's assume that the UK population is about 65 million surely the UK can afford to find money for health care? It always seems to be struggling with "FUNDING" in every infrastructure, transport, health care, education, social care, social housing, repair and maintenance of the streets etc. What are people supposed to do if they can't see a doctor because there's a huge shortage?
This is almost like the infographics wideo, juat narated by someone else
I would much rather wait a bit longer for non emergency care and get better quality of care then die on the table.
REAL ‼️‼️‼️‼️
Trauma, car accident: EMS called--nope! We think that you are too sick. Call the bird!! First ambulance charges, $10,000. Flown by the air ambulance to somewhere: $35,000. Trauma team activation in the hospital----$10,000. Okay, not too bad. Admit him overnight for observation. $12,000. Go home. oops!! you are out of your insurance coverage area. too bad!!! In addition to the charge above months later you get a $3000 from the ER docs, a $5,000 bill from radiology, $3000 from lab services. Thanks for coming to America for trauma care. All of the above entities will do everything in their power to destroy your life in order to get their money. God Bless America.
Nearly $80k, I know a better way, 😑🔫 - 🤯
When you watch your neighbours child die because their parents are too poor to pay for the treatment you know you need to move to a real 'civilisation', not just close your drapes.
Are you stupid???? They will help the kid but the parents would just be in debt
😔😪 it shouldn't be able to happen in a western country, why does the USA persist with this stupid system just pleasing the "money-men"?
American health care is beyond messed up.
To any Yanks reading this, the NHS is far from perfect and stories of long waiting times are true but if its a life threatening Situation then you will get threatment straight away.
Also we have a choice, we can choose to use the NHS or pay for private threatment, some people seem to think we're forced to use the NHS for some reason
USAss
The us spend 2x more on healthcare than England because the us has 350 million people but England only has 66 million people so England is spending much more on each person than America is
All the figures are; ...per capita, ... percentage or ...per 1000. Thereby negating relative size of population or economy. The figures have to be presented like this for any comparison to be made. Similar comparisons can be made between say China and Iceland. The figures are politically neutral and openly published, check UN/WHO.
@@denisrobertmay875 Calling the UN or WHO politically neutral is probably one of the sickest jokes I've heard all year, I applaud you good sir.
Wow, this is a massively badly informed video.
If you want a properly informed video on exactly this topic, look up a film on RUclips called "The Great NHS Heist".
The facts are simple.
The NHS in the uk is the most cost efficient health service on planet earth.
The insurance based system in the USA is the least cost efficient health system.
In the uk, for the moment at least, and until the USA based health insurance companies get their way, everyone is entitled to the care they need here in the UK.
Nobody is ever denied care because they can't afford it.
Nobody is ever bankrupted as a result of medical bills.
It's extremely rare for anyone to need to fundraise for any sort of medical procedure.
In the UK, stories like breaking bad could never happen because the patient would simply get the care they needed, whatever it cost.
The exact opposite is true in the USA.