[Kequc]

I've lived in countries that have socialized medicine and ones without and my experience was dramatically different. I was always taught that socialized medicine was better. However I never got half decent care until I bought private health insurance.

My whole life I've been on government healthcare plans, across various countries. Imagine my shock when the first time I called my private health insurance provider at 34, it worked well. They chose the clinic I would go to, when I arrived to my appointment I was immediately ushered in to meet a physician. The physician was able to diagnose many problems within a couple of minutes, and I was asked to call my insurance company back so they could approve a series of tests and treatments.

I waited half an hour for approval and I then immediately saw two different doctors and had an x-ray all before leaving the building.

The clinic is interested in actually treating me and giving me the best care possible so that I don't come back. This ensures they get repeat business from my insurance company. Socialized medicine never gave me that kind of care or expediency in my life. The problems were all fixed.

One of the problems I've had for 10 years. Doctors were never able to diagnose it properly or it was "come back in 2 weeks, try this medicine, try that, etc." They were not interested in treating me they were interested in seeing me again and again because they were getting paid by the state.

I'm sure there are anecdotes to the contrary but I am completely sold on private healthcare. It's also fantastically cheaper. In Germany for example I was paying 800/month for healthcare, half "paid by my employer", which would really be my money. My current private healthcare costs about 380/year.

Diagnosed immediately, immediate care. I can buy as much or as little as I want and don't have to subsidize others. I'm encouraged to stay in shape and healthy.

[AstralStorm]

You will quickly find the limits of private healthcare once a surgery or advanced treatment is necessary. Usually that it is not covered in your plan. Heck, even relatively simple specialist interventions will go beyond coverage.

In many countries they are great at routine care, no doubt, as they're just not overcrowded and that is the main reason for problems in public systems. If you shift all the crowd there... well... they degrade much quicker and worse than public.

So, apples to apples. Fully public vs fully private systems.

You could say compare German system with US system which are almost completely mirror images except German one is many times cheaper.

[Kequc]

Not true. For the small amount I am paying I am covered for one major surgery in a hospital per year. Hopefully I never have to use it. If I need two major surgeries in one year well then I'll pay for it. Sounds like I've got bigger issues.

More than one surgery per year I'm covered for surgery in the medical vehicle. So if I'm going beyond that, I think I'll take the extra 9220 that I'm saving every year and risk it! Call me crazy I think most of that money is going toward treating fat people and drug users.

[vilmosi]

I don't know where you live now but private insurance is much cheaper in countries with universal healthcare. Probably because the insurance company only pays for "extras" that the existing system doesn't. They don't pay for ambulance rides for example.

Also, universal healthcare does not mean private insurance does not exist.