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You can't compare the quality of socialized healthcare in the UK, or Sweden, or the Netherlands to what it would be in the United States. The UK doesn't have the amount of poverty and indigent care that the U.S. does.
A more accurate comparison would be to compare the UK to the states of New York/New Jersey, or to all the New England states.
In other words, it just isn't that simple. You can provide Canadian or UK-style coverage to everyone, but we aren't going to see Canadian or UK-style quality.
This is fundamentally true for any of the European countries, and the UK as an extension. However, population and other factors play into the benefit and/or deficit of universal care not just poverty, imo.
Quote:
Originally Posted by anonymous
You can't compare the quality of socialized healthcare in the UK to what it would be in the United States. The UK doesn't have the amount of poverty and indigent care that the U.S. does.
OTR, Hmm, I feel the same way. I paid my share to taxes in Germany, but I felt like I was getting some good benefits, so it was worth it to me. Part of the higher taxes was the retirement system, which is a lot more generous, people actually live on it and don't have to live on beans and peanut butter sandwiches ;-). 401K's are not the answer....I wonder how much the stress of worrying about having enough to survive once you retire, the worry about adequate insurance etc., contribute to the overall high stress levels in the US?
I feel that we need to have a lot more prevention, so much money could be saved! We need to start teaching kids about healthy living, early on and encourage people to change unhealthy habits. But there isn't much money to be made when you tell people to eat a healthy diet and exercise etc., so I won't be holding my breath.....
I do agree that stress for Americans can or is probably higher because of no health care safety net
One of my colleagues retired early in Holland; he received 80% of his income, is living in the South of France, visiting home quarterly and drinking good wine. I on the other hand probably earned more, received a pension of less than 40% of my income, and haven't bought wine since August.
Quote:
Originally Posted by katzenfreund
Hmm, I feel the same way. I paid my share to taxes in Germany, but I felt like I was getting some good benefits, so it was worth it to me. Part of the higher taxes was the retirement system, which is a lot more generous, people actually live on it and don't have to live on beans and peanut butter sandwiches ;-). 401K's are not the answer....I wonder how much the stress of worrying about having enough to survive once you retire, the worry about adequate insurance etc., contribute to the overall high stress levels in the US?
I feel that we need to have a lot more prevention, so much money could be saved! We need to start teaching kids about healthy living, early on and encourage people to change unhealthy habits. But there isn't much money to be made when you tell people to eat a healthy diet and exercise etc., so I won't be holding my breath.....
You can't compare the quality of socialized healthcare in the UK, or Sweden, or the Netherlands to what it would be in the United States. The UK doesn't have the amount of poverty and indigent care that the U.S. does.
I'm sorry, but that is simply incorrect.
According to the CIA World Factbook, 17% of the UK's population is below the poverty line, while the figure in the USA is 12%.
OTR, maybe Yeledaf will share some wine with you? :-)
In Germany you also receive 80% of your income. We are saving for retirement, but our 401K is not doing all that well, and I don't see it getting any better. So even though we save every paycheck through automatic deductions and also buy IRA's every year, I see us having to move to a cheap place and living very frugally in our old age. Not very encouraging!
Yes, discouraging. With the cost of health care (I am under the age for medi-anything); a fixed income, and my own cavalier attitude about steadfastly saving, and/or making raising children a higher priority than savings, frugal is a good word to describe my retirement.
Perhaps Yeledaf will send me a case. I love it rich, robust and red.
Quote:
Originally Posted by katzenfreund
OTR, maybe Yeledaf will share some wine with you? :-)
In Germany you also receive 80% of your income. We are saving for retirement, but our 401K is not doing all that well, and I don't see it getting any better. So even though we save every paycheck through automatic deductions and also buy IRA's every year, I see us having to move to a cheap place and living very frugally in our old age. Not very encouraging!
We have talked to some friends and maybe we will all go to Mexico to live in our retirement years... much cheaper there! Ha, I better start learning spanish :-)
Healthy living to me is an investment in my future. Hopefully I will need less medical care. Already I see so many people my age (44) taking several prescription drugs, while I take none. You can't avoid all ailments even with a healthy lifestyle, but it sure can't hurt.
We have talked to some friends and maybe we will all go to Mexico to live in our retirement years... much cheaper there! Ha, I better start learning spanish :-)
Healthy living to me is an investment in my future. Hopefully I will need less medical care. Already I see so many people my age (44) taking several prescription drugs, while I take none. You can't avoid all ailments even with a healthy lifestyle, but it sure can't hurt.
That is my plan. Seriously. You can live in some beautiful areas of Mexico including domestic help for cheap. A lot of American retirement communities down there. I speak Spanish but honestly you can get by fine in these places with just English. And medical care much more reasonable.
That is my plan. Seriously. You can live in some beautiful areas of Mexico including domestic help for cheap. A lot of American retirement communities down there. I speak Spanish but honestly you can get by fine in these places with just English.
Interesting! I do think a lot of people of our generation won't be able to live here on our measly SS and whatever will be there of our 401K's comfortably. So moving to Mexico will be a good alternative. I plan on taking some spanish lessons at the local college, I wouldn't move to Mexico and expect them to speak english to me . Of course a lot of things can change in the next 20 years, but it's something to think about.
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. Of course a lot of things can change in the next 20 years, but it's something to think about.
