Standard of living in UK better than in USA

 

Surprised me to be honest.  Does it matter?  I thought it was interesting anyway. 

1. This takes into consideration the 60% fall in the value of a US dollar over the past couple years right?

   And if we can buy more stuff at lower prices, not to mention that our gas is less than half the price and our cars are twice the size and our homes are quite a bit larger, what is it that this standard is based on?

   In America the poor people complain that their second car is more than 5 years old.

   Posted by Drew458       01/07/2008  at  10:41 AM  



2. One thing to note:

   With regards to ‘Free Medical Care’ I would have to consider that a definite negative in the comparison between the UK and the USA.

   Now, I am not an expert on either Socialized Medicine, as the UK calls it, and I am certainly not going to call the USA’s health-care financing mechanism a ‘Free Market’ but I would happily tolerate the bureaucracy of the health insurers, and the infuriating maze of co-pays and limits, if that is the cost of speedy, quality delivery of medical care.

   I remember reading (and have no way of verifying) that one person in the UK waited seven years for medial treatment.  When someone pointed out to her that seven years is an awful long time to wait for medical care, she responded “Well, it’s free.”

   Personally, I find that frightening.  Time has a value all its own, particularly when it comes to treatment of an ailment or a condition.

   With the 2008 Elections looming, and the spectre of a job-crushing recession on the radar, expect more of the talking heads to whine and complain that the USA doesn’t have government bureaucrat-rationed health care.

   I say there are small things about which to be grateful, and there are huge things about which to be grateful.

   Dealing with insurance companies (as unpleasant as that may be) is a dream compared to dealing with a competition-resistant government agency who IS NEVER WRONG.

   If you don’t like the IRS shrinking your wallet, you won’t line the ‘Federal Health Ministry’ shrinking your lifespan.

   Posted by moneybagzz1969       01/07/2008  at  10:52 AM  



3. "Problem with our system back home in US is that it could wipe you out even with some ins. if illness severe enuff.  Of course, the ins. companies don’t help by giving in and paying hospitals for services or medication not given.  No easy answers.”

   That is true.  If I am correct, in the 1960’s the Feds set the limit to lifetime payouts @
   $1 Million > that is, the insurer has a maximum lifetime payout of $1 Million, which in those days would have been quite substantial.

   “One Million Dollars doesn’t buy what it used to.”

   And how.  I have not heard of any companies attempting to bridge this gap; it seems that since insurance is either a boring subject, or one that causes too much emotional reaction (think the Sarkisiyan case of late) so few people want to tackle it.

   The trend today (think HSA’s and HDHP’s) is to make the patient responsible for more of the routine expenditures, letting insurance kick in for more expensive (and hopefully less frequent) catastrophic situations.

   The president (and Rudolph Guiliani) seem to want to move in this direction with legislation that extends the tax-break to people who buy their own health insurance.
   That would reduce the number of uninsured, and possibly put a dent in costs.

   Furthermore, deregulation of selling policies across state lines sounds like a good idea.

   I don’t know if it is a joke, but in NY State, I think it is a requirement that an insurer pay for gender-realignment surgery.  Even if the policy holder is a woman.  I can’t imagine what that does to costs, but I am sure it is not fun.

   All-in-all, I have eaten my own cooking by signing up for the HDHP/HSA option @ work.

   The costs are higher than I am used to, but I expected that.  All I want to do is avoid getting hit w/ a major medical expense. Hopefully HDHP/HSA arrangements will accomplish that.

   Posted by moneybagzz1969       01/07/2008  at  11:33 AM  



4. If you pay taxes, then there is NO SUCH THING AS FREE HEALTH CARE YOU SOCIALIST IDIOTS!  And I wonder how large a percentage of the higher income in UK is taken as taxes?  Let’s look at discretionary income after taxes and basic expenses to see how well we are doing compared to UK. Guarandamtee ya the Brits will lose.

   Posted by dick       01/07/2008  at  11:22 PM  



5. Aw jeez peiper, that’s outrageous, unless the pricing really is based on distribution costs and not class warfare, soak the “rich.”
   When comes the revolution, I wonder?

   Posted by dick       01/08/2008  at  02:17 PM  

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