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Old 06-05-2012, 07:42 PM
 
14,771 posts, read 17,049,410 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tigerlillydownunder View Post
I have attended surgeries of a few GPs, and also rooms at walk in bulk billing clinics. Overworked, overbooked, over priced, over hyped.........I have been largely underwhelmed by the care at either. I must be old fashioned but I need to build a working relationship of sorts with my GP. I hate when I have to go back for a follow up that they've requested, they've got my file open and yet I still have to start from square one because they can't be bothered remembering anything about me. I'm just another account to settle up at the desk before I go. I think most people feel that way these days.

Regarding good GPs...Have only found one decent GP in my 10 years, and he was in Perth and then we relocated back to Melbourne, so I never got to see him again. Lovely bedside manner, and took a genuine interest in you as a person/patient, not just another 10 minute check in. If your GP is that good, I am happy for you, but her making a special call to her sister who is a specialist sounds like she's merely keeping business in the family....doubt she'd have done it of it weren't her sister. Or maybe she would, who knows. Bottom line, If you've got a good GP, I advise hanging on to her for dear life.
How often are you going to the dr?
If they haven't seen you in 6 months its quite an ask to have them remember exact details about your health.

err, I never saw her sister. She was checking on a result with her sister whom is a specialist in the field I needed to see, to see if it was urgent or not. She never referred me to her.

Agree, finding a good GP is hard. I've managed to find probably 2 that I would rate very good.


Quote:
Originally Posted by tigerlillydownunder View Post
I got the info about the super clinics being a recent addition to Melbourne from a friend who is a nurse. I assumed that shed know what she was talking about, maybe not. Still, I told some co-worked I'd gone to a super clinic, and they didn't know what that was. I explained it but they said they'd never heard of that kind of thing. Maybe they just never get sick?

And I don't know if it's common place to hit the ER for anything other than actual emergencies--I've yet to visit the ER in Oz (knock wood) but my friend the nurse says they get all kinds of stuff at her hospital at all hours. Everything from head colds (I agree no need for that but some people are just sooks) to people trying to score drugs. I gather it's not quite as common as in the US but that nit does happen here as well.

FWIW, I think the health care system, as in Medicare, bulk billing, accessible health care for pretty much everyone....is a great thing and superior to the overall system in the US where it's either have health coverage or hit the ER. But I think because everyone has Medicare and thus will go to the doctor quicker, that it's caused a traffic jam, hence the 10minute appointments and doctors who, to play on words, don't care if you live or die, and just use the easiest excuse they know of so they can shove you out the revolving door the quickest. Right now the pet blame is weight and obesity. Everything from serious conditions (diabetes, high BP, cancer) to fluff complaints (dermatitis, ingrown toenails, conjunctivitis) is blamed on weight.....but thats a whole other post.
haha. Well, weight can be a problem to those things.
Those medical clinics can get pretty average dr's. I haven't been to one in ages. I would only go if I were desperate and it was 9pm or something.

I know someone who brings their kids to one of these places, without an appointment she waited 1 hr the other day. I'm not that patient. $35 after medicare is worth it, for prompt service IMO
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Old 06-06-2012, 06:28 PM
 
9,846 posts, read 22,597,140 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by tigerlillydownunder View Post

But I do fully agree with you that people's priorities are so skewed these days that it's perfectly acceptable for them to fund a disgusting habit, go on a holiday/vacation they can't afford to take, or buy some item that they could either do without or make do with a less costly option, and then scream 'broke!', gripe about costs, refuse to pay the bill therefore wrecking their credit (and foisting the debt onto everyone else by way of increased fees and insurance premium costs) and often end up filing bankruptcy but then keep in touch with their bankruptcy lawyer via iPhone while sitting in their fuel guzzling vehicle and drinking that venti mocha latte from overpriced overhyped coffee chain. I know quite a few of these people, and in fact am directly (unfortunately) related to 2 of them. I figure if you can afford to buy $200 of manufactured prepackaged junk food every week, then you can afford to pay a co-pay when you get sick and need to doctor. But that is just too hard a concept to grasp I guess.
Yes, it causes my head to want to explode. They go completely unhinged nutso because they had a bill for $500, $1000 or $5000 that involves care for their body so they stay healthy and mobile, but yet don't think twice about new cars, new phones, vacations, beer, a night on the town, lottery tickets, clothes, you name it. It just boggles the mind.

If I have an earache, I go to the doc, pay $80, get a $15 prescription, what's the big deal? Do we need a massive, enormous government bureaucracy to get that done? Clearly not.
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Old 06-06-2012, 07:41 PM
 
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a definite pro is that my place of occupation doesn't get involved in my healthcare. Quite a bizarre notion if you ask me.
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Old 06-06-2012, 08:12 PM
 
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Artemis, what makes me cringe is that the insurance company gets to see my medical records, not just that I saw doctor X for half an hour three times over four mobths, but that my 'roids are back, crapping is irregular and god knows what else one can discuss of a private nature.
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Old 06-06-2012, 10:17 PM
 
14,771 posts, read 17,049,410 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Wild Colonial Girl View Post
Artemis, what makes me cringe is that the insurance company gets to see my medical records, not just that I saw doctor X for half an hour three times over four mobths, but that my 'roids are back, crapping is irregular and god knows what else one can discuss of a private nature.
wow, I'm pretty sure permission must be granted for an insurance company to have access to these files. Including life insurance.
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Old 06-11-2012, 06:03 PM
 
Location: Australia
4,001 posts, read 6,252,124 times
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I do not understand how anyone can complain about the health care in Australia.

It's world class, and it's free.

If you have a serious illness in Australia, you are in the public system, insurance or not. Public hospitals have the absolute best in surgeons, specialists, equipment and treatment, bar NONE.

This is because our government puts money into health care.

I simply do not have time for ANYONE who complains about it. I think it's fantastic and we are all blessed to live here. Sure it could be better, like waiting lists etc...but that is only for ELECTIVE surgery.

A friend had bowel cancer and health insurance and had to WAIT for treatment until her specialist came back from holidays. If she was in the public system, she would've been treated before he'd even left.
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Old 06-11-2012, 08:37 PM
 
14,771 posts, read 17,049,410 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by wanneroo View Post
If in Australia, the government run side of health care was so incredibly awesome, then no private health care would exist because there would be no need for it and Australians would not come to the USA to get treatment for rare cancers and disorders the Australian system is incapable of handling.
I edited out the bits that have nothing to do with Austraila, seeing this is the AUS & NZ subforum

Up until a few years ago, yes, private health insurance was not needed. The previous liberal govt decided that health was taking up too much of the budget. With the surcharge & 30% rebate, it was financially a good move to get private health insurance. I probably wouldn't have started using PHI, without this....

I don't believe that any poster here has claimed the Australian health system to be perfect. What we do seem to have though, is more care, at an affordable cost for more average citizens.

We also don't have a rorting private system, that is kept in check via the government.

We also have perscribed drugs, that are affordable. We also have a general notion, that affordable healthcare is a right for all Australians, not those who can afford it or are in good jobs with benefits.

I pay roughly $1000 a year for my private health insurance.
Don't have any real complaints (other than this means testing that Labor have introduced!)


Quote:
Originally Posted by wanneroo View Post
In the USA there is a vast system of university health centers and research facilities that constantly craft new medicines and technologies that make the quality of life so much better for everyone who gets ill. There are a lot of surgeries 20 years ago that are much easier and less risky and involve less recovery time than they did then and it's all due to that big meanie profit based medical industry.
and?
are you suggesting that Australian research facilites are not doing the same?

Nothing wrong with turning a profit. Depends if you're screwing over everyone left, right and centre in the process.

You're being a tad obtuse here. Private research facilities are a valuable and highly important element of health.
That doesn't mean that private health insurer's can deny, and over-charge just because. When people are going to ER for colds, you have a problem.

Last edited by Vichel; 06-12-2012 at 01:51 PM.. Reason: Just removing the US-politics stuff from this thread.
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Old 06-12-2012, 01:23 AM
 
1,481 posts, read 2,150,994 times
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The ignorance of some of the arguments about universal health care are amazing, all countries that have universal health care do not have it being run by the government.
Switzerland has universal health care through insurance companies not through the taxpayer which works well and is far far more efficient than the US model of insurance only cover with the exception of the old and poor/unwell.

The USA should make it's system more honest by telling people, no insurance or money go and die.
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Old 06-12-2012, 01:55 PM
 
Location: Sunshine Coast, BC
10,781 posts, read 8,700,068 times
Reputation: 17780
Ahem ... the thread is titled:

Pros and Cons of Health Care in ... Australia
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Old 06-12-2012, 01:58 PM
 
1,193 posts, read 2,380,132 times
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Yes, it did get a bit off-course when some started comparing the Oz system to the U.S. system. I think many of us in the U.S. look enviously at the Oz system and wonder whether there is any way to incorporate it here, and I think many of us are (sadly) realizing that it is likely impossible.
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