Even in the US, healthcare insurance providers may nickle and dime you to death quite literally with your prescriptions. After trying numerous medications for my hypertension none of which reduced my blood pressure, my doctor finally found the right drug that worked phenomenaly in reducing my blood pressure. However, the drug was a newer one which at the time no generic equivalent. My insurance company balked at the cost and had me try another series of medications in the same class that were available as generics. For nearly two years I bounced between other medications none of which worked and my blood pressure remained at times dangerously high. Finally my original medication became generic and the insurance company would pay the still quite high cost. Imagine dealing with an army of faceless bureaucrats if you were under a government run system and had the same problem.
“Friend Who Lived in France Says Their Health System Superior”
Take two bottles of wine and call me in the morning.
Don’t forget the VAT.
Princess Diana bled out on the side of the road. She would have lived with American EMS and any trauma center found in any American city.
That’s a fact. The wreck happened at 12:23.
Cops arrive at 12:30.
She wasn’t pinned in wreckage, but they didn’t get her out until 01:00.
Then it takes them 18 more minutes to get her INTO the ambulance.
23 minutes later at 01:41 they decide, hey, this looks serious, we better get her to the hospital.
Then she arrives at the hospital at 02:06. Almost 2 hours after the wreck.
Folks, that was a princess, freaking British Royalty, in Paris, with unlimited cash. SO don’t tell me how wonderful French healthcare is.
Free? Seriously? Your friend is a fool to believe it’s free. Everyone is paying for it out of their paycheck. Every paycheck for so long as they work. If she can’t figure that out, maybe she should go back to France. The USA already has more than it’s fair share of stupid people.
It's possible that most people are in the 30% tax bracket, but there are others.
France doesn't have a flat tax.
Plus, there is a national sales tax or VAT on most purchases.
Your friend is woefully misinformed. I was in afib and was told there was a 6 month waiting period. Came to the states, one week. Income tax, social security contirbutions and of course the ubiquitous value added tax. Oh yes, you can’t sue for malpractice.
Income tax
Up to 9,710: EUR 0 percent tax
EUR 9,710 – EUR 26,818: 14 percent
EUR 26,819 – EUR 71,898: 30 percent
EUR 71,899 – EUR 152,260: 41 percent
EUR 152,261+: 45 percent
then there’s social security contirbutions/Left column emplyoyer right emplpyee and dont forget VAT.
Family Benefits 3.45% 0%
Health/Sickness 12.84% 0.75%
Social Charges (CSG/CRDS etc) 0% 8.0%
Accident at Work 3% 0%
Unemployment Benefit 6.40% 2.40%
Main Pension 9.90% 6.75%
Complementary Pension 16.45% 11%
Total (say) 50% 30%
Then there's the French Economy which grows at a snails pace and has high unemployment among the young.
Their healthcare may be "superior" however their economy, high taxation elsewhere (try buying a gallon of gasoline in France for what we pay here, good luck!) make it a very expensive country to live in.
The French pay a progressive income tax:
Up to 9,710: EUR 0 percent tax
EUR 9,710 – EUR 26,818: 14 percent
EUR 26,819 – EUR 71,898: 30 percent
EUR 71,899 – EUR 152,260: 41 percent
EUR 152,261+: 45 percent
In addition they pay 20-25% of their income for healthcare, unemployment and pension.