busting the high French insurance copay myth

uscitizen

uscitizen

Villified User
Finally, to counter the rise in health-care costs, the government has installed two plans, (in 2004 and 2006), which require insured people to declare a referring doctor in order to be fully reimbursed for specalist visits, and which installed a mandatory co-pay of 1 € (about $1.45) for a doctor visit, 0,50 € (about 80 ¢) for each box of medicine prescribed, and a fee of 16-18 € (20-25 $) per day for hospital stays and for expensive procedures.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_insurance#France
 
uscitizen said:
Finally, to counter the rise in health-care costs, the government has installed two plans, (in 2004 and 2006), which require insured people to declare a referring doctor in order to be fully reimbursed for specalist visits, and which installed a mandatory co-pay of 1 € (about $1.45) for a doctor visit, 0,50 € (about 80 ¢) for each box of medicine prescribed, and a fee of 16-18 € (20-25 $) per day for hospital stays and for expensive procedures.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_insurance#France
Click to expand...
BS...

http://healthcare-economist.com/2008/04/14/health-care-around-the-world-france/

Copayment/Deductibles. 10% to 40% copayments.
Click to expand...

This is why 92% get supplemental insurance, but some, as I said, cannot afford either the copay or the supplemental insurance and simply do not go in for care. When people say the patient only pays a small amount, it is one of the 92% who have supplemental insurance.

It is a two-tier system with the richest getting the best care while the misery is spread amongst the poorest.

Tanner’s summary. “To sum up: the French health care system clearly works better than most national health care systems. Despite some problems, France has generally avoided the rationing inherent in other systems. However, the program is threatened by increasing costs and may be forced to resort to rationing in the future.”
Click to expand...

And as I said, when this article was written they had yet to flirt as much in rationing as they are thinking of currently.

Another negative, and the one that would make the US system more expensive is technology. Americans expect to have the best, and they pay for it.
 
Today, this system is more-or-less intact. All citizens and legal foreign residents of France are covered by one of these mandatory programs, which continue to be funded by worker participation. However, since 1945, a number of major changes have been introduced. Firstly, the different health-care funds (there are five: General, Independent, Agricultural, Student, Public Servants) now all reimburse at the same rate. Secondly, since 2000, the government now provides health care to those who are not covered by a mandatory regime (those who have never worked and who are not students, meaning the very rich or the very poor). This regime, unlike the worker-financed ones, is financed via general taxation and reimburses at a higher rate than the profession-based system for those who cannot afford to make up the difference.

also from the wiki article.
 
Another article Damo it appears that the annual copay is capped at 50 euros per year per person TOTAL!

Posted on April 28, 2008
The French Health Care System


by Jean-Francois Briere

The French health care system was rated the best in the world by the World Health Organization in 2001. The American health care system ranked 37th. In 2004, France spent 10.5% of its gross domestic product on health while the U.S. spent 15.4%. Again, in 2004, the last year for which figures are available, the per capita total expenditure on health in U.S. dollars was $3,464 in France but $6,096 in the U.S. Analyzing the French system might provide some ideas for a solution to the current health care crisis in America. We need to start with an understanding of how the French system works.
~
The French health care system does not usually cover 100% of medical fees, but rather a specific percentage depending on the kind of service, or the kind of medication. Commonly prescribed, cheap medications may be reimbursed at 50% of cost. Expensive life-saving ones, for cancer for instance, would be reimbursed at 100%. In 2008, the cost of a visit to a physician is 23 euros (about $34.50 given current exchange rates). It is covered at 70% ($24.15). Patients have to pay 30% ($10.35) from their own pocket. Most people have private insurance coverage for these non-covered balances, usually through unions or non-profit insurance companies where the insurance premiums are highly regulated. Since 2006, patients have been required to see a primary care physician before going to see a specialist, and there is a mandatory co-pay of 1 euro ($1.50) per visit which by law cannot be covered by Social Security or by private insurance. However, the total co-pay amount per year is capped at 50 euros per person ($75).

http://www.pnhp.org/news/2008/april/the_french_health_ca.php

I suggest you read this and other articles and learn something except politically driven hyperbole.
 
An important element of the French insurance system is solidarity: the more ill a person becomes, the less they pay. This means that for people with serious or chronic illnesses, the insurance system reimburses them 100 % of expenses, and waives their co-pay charges.
Click to expand...

The poor and the dying get health care. Don't listen to Damo's lies.
 
There is also no maximum coverage amount in France. if it is 5 million your insurance does not wuit. Unlike many/most US policies that quit after 1 mill or less.

Damo had been listening to partisan political hyperbole.
 
uscitizen said:
There is also no maximum coverage amount in France. if it is 5 million your insurance does not wuit. Unlike many/most US policies that quit after 1 mill or less.

Damo had been listening to partisan political hyperbole.
Click to expand...

A friend's daughter is currently studying in Italy for a year. She became seriously ill very suddenly; her parents flew over and stayed during her stay in the hospital; turned out she has Guillian Barre (sp?) syndrome, very serious but controllable. She ended up in hospital for about a week, I think.

Copay? Zero. Cost to her family? Their plane tickets and accommodations, but nothing more. Care? Entirely free. Apparently the hospital where she was treated is considered one of the finest in the world, and her Mom said that the only drawbacks were that the hospital itself was immense and that they didn't speak the language. Otherwise it was impeccable. Her daughter is fine, will have to deal with her illness but was treated so that she will continue with her studies and her life with little inconvenience.

Free.
 
Thorn said:
A friend's daughter is currently studying in Italy for a year. She became seriously ill very suddenly; her parents flew over and stayed during her stay in the hospital; turned out she has Guillian Barre (sp?) syndrome, very serious but controllable. She ended up in hospital for about a week, I think.

Copay? Zero. Cost to her family? Their plane tickets and accommodations, but nothing more. Care? Entirely free. Apparently the hospital where she was treated is considered one of the finest in the world, and her Mom said that the only drawbacks were that the hospital itself was immense and that they didn't speak the language. Otherwise it was impeccable. Her daughter is fine, will have to deal with her illness but was treated so that she will continue with her studies and her life with little inconvenience.

Free.
Click to expand...

Quite the scare story there, Thorn.

This is the danger of taking ill in some of these tin pot European countries, with their free healthcare and social consciences. Let's hope this terrible fate never befalls anyone else.
 
Thorn said:
A friend's daughter is currently studying in Italy for a year. She became seriously ill very suddenly; her parents flew over and stayed during her stay in the hospital; turned out she has Guillian Barre (sp?) syndrome, very serious but controllable. She ended up in hospital for about a week, I think.

Copay? Zero. Cost to her family? Their plane tickets and accommodations, but nothing more. Care? Entirely free. Apparently the hospital where she was treated is considered one of the finest in the world, and her Mom said that the only drawbacks were that the hospital itself was immense and that they didn't speak the language. Otherwise it was impeccable. Her daughter is fine, will have to deal with her illness but was treated so that she will continue with her studies and her life with little inconvenience.

Free.
Click to expand...

If this had happened in America, conservatives would have labeled it the atrocity of the century.
 
uscitizen said:
Umm I think the healthcare economist may have an agenda.
Click to expand...
I think that regardless of that he is right. 10% to 40% copay unless you get the supplemental insurance. 92% of the people carry some form of supplemental, others cannot afford either.
 
Thorn said:
A friend's daughter is currently studying in Italy for a year. She became seriously ill very suddenly; her parents flew over and stayed during her stay in the hospital; turned out she has Guillian Barre (sp?) syndrome, very serious but controllable. She ended up in hospital for about a week, I think.

Copay? Zero. Cost to her family? Their plane tickets and accommodations, but nothing more. Care? Entirely free. Apparently the hospital where she was treated is considered one of the finest in the world, and her Mom said that the only drawbacks were that the hospital itself was immense and that they didn't speak the language. Otherwise it was impeccable. Her daughter is fine, will have to deal with her illness but was treated so that she will continue with her studies and her life with little inconvenience.

Free.
Click to expand...
That's cool. Maybe we should emulate Italy instead of France. But really Obama is making his own up. I just prefer to work to fix some of these issues before we implement a new plan.

Make regional areas, test different ideas until we find the absolute best.
 
Damocles said:
I think that regardless of that he is right. 10% to 40% copay unless you get the supplemental insurance. 92% of the people carry some form of supplemental, others cannot afford either.
Click to expand...

Also do not forget with a $75 annual maximum copay total :D
And there are various other reimbursements to the patient. Read the second article I posted it is very good.
And nearly 100% of the French have health coverage.
 
uscitizen said:
Also do not forget with a $75 annual maximum copay total :D
And there are various other reimbursements to the patient. Read the second article I posted it is very good.
And nearly 100% of the French have health coverage.
Click to expand...
Again, with the supplemental. It is ignorant to pretend that the supplemental insurance doesn't exist and that everybody has this equal. It isn't there.

If this was indeed the cost of their insurance nobody would get supplemental insurance, nor would they need it.

Also, private care is more expensive (hence the larger copay). As I said, a two-tier system where the rich still get the best care, and the poor just share more of the misery.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top