Further to my porevios post listed below on the American Health system, I
found this.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080305/ap_on_bi_ge/retiree_health_care
=======================
RamRod Sword of Baal" <Ramrod sword of Baal@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
> wrote in
message
news:kJizj.22241$421.19936@[EMAIL PROTECTED]
>
>
> Last night I watched 'Sicko' a Michael Moore Movie.. It was about the
> American Health System. It did not paint a very nice picture.
>
> =============================
>
> Just to show our American friends there are alternatives, here is a
> general rough idea of how the Australian System works.
>
> Now I am not saying our system is perfect, and there are some flaws but
it
> does have some benefits, and it seems to work fairly well.
>
>
>
> First of all all Australian citizens are covered by free medical
treatment
>
> Any person that is not an Australian citizen, but has been granted
> permission to live here under a permanent residency visa is also
entitled
> to free medical treatment.
>
> Our free medical scheme is not available to people on temporary or
holiday
> visas, or enter the country illegally.
>
> People who are eligible under our laws (as above) can can go to a doctor
> who bulk bills and can get free medical treatment, the same applies to
> visiting a public hospital, they are also free to eligible persons (As
> above listed).
>
> If you chose to go to a doctor who does not bulk bill, then you must pay
> them, and our scheme (Medicare) pays you what is called 'the common fee'
> or 'scheduled fee' you must pay the difference between the common or
> scheduled fee and his fee yourself.
>
> The same applies if you go to a specialist who do not bulk bill, you
again
> must pay the defense between his fee and the amount Medicare pays.
>
> You have your own choice of any doctor you like.
>
> If you go to a private hospital for treatment, you must pay all of the
> costs incurred at the private hospital.
>
>
> =====================
>
> Medicine
>
> We have what is known as a free medicine scheme. In actual fact it is
not
> free, but most medicines are subsidized. These 'free' medicines are
> available to the eligible people above mentioned
>
> The common prescription medications on the scheme cost under $AUS 30.00
> each for everyday people.
>
> If you are on a pension, then the costs drops to around $AUS 5.00 per
> prescription
>
> For people who pay the $30.00 price there is a limit, last time I saw it
> was around $AUS 900.00 for a family or for a single person. After you
> reach this limit, the cost of your prescriptions drop down to the $AUS
> 5.00 mark.
>
> To assist in paying for this scheme the Australians pay a levy of 1.5%
of
> their taxable income.
>
> I did live in England a long time ago and saw their free medical scheme
> which at the time was different to ours, you had a doctor and he was
your
> doctor, and you always went to that doctor. you could change, but it
meant
> changing paperwork to change, so you were more or less stuck with the
same
> doctor unless you went to the trouble of changing him on the national
> health scheme. Not sure if that is the case now.
>
> I prefer our scheme, I have had a problem with an eye, that needed
> specialist attention, here I was sent to a specialist, there a nurse
> carried out the procedure, nothing wrong with her, and se did it OK, but
> when it comes to the eyes, I think I prefer a specialists. As this
> procedure required specific placing iodine in an area of the eye, you
can
> see why I preferred the specialist.
>
> There are funds in Australia to cover you for medical problems and be
> treated in private hospitals, these charge a fee, and are not part of
our
> government health care services
>
> Dental work is not covered under the Government Health care services.
>
> There are no list of things you can have wrong with you to prohibit
> getting our free medical system, it is open to all who are eligible. (as
> above)
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