[Swizec]

I come from Europe and moved to USA. After taxes and everything I get for my taxes back home, USA and EU are roughly the same in “things you have to pay for to have a normal life”

Except in Europe I’m not scared of getting sick.

[dmd149]

If it’s the same then...it’s the same. One is not better than the other.

What country in Europe are you coming from and what makes you afraid of getting sick in the US?

[Swizec]

The problem in USA is spiky unexpected cost of health care. Even with good insurance you never know when a random huge bill might come. Best avoid doctors unless you’re literally dying

[dmd149]

I agree that paying for all health care with insurance leads to quite a bit of surprise billing and opaque pricing.

That being said, I’m not sure how often the average person deals with a bill that they are on the hook for beyond their deductible.

I’m still not sure what average medical costs per person over a lifetime are in the US compared to a Swedish person’s costs if you’re counting the proportion of their taxes that go to paying for national healthcare.

Edit: fixed a typo.

[lsinger]

Example from Germany:

I pay 860€ per month for health insurance, which covers me, my wife, and our two children. There’s no deductible. Everything is covered, except for tooth replacements that are covered only at between 20% and 50% I believe. You’ll never get a bill from a doctor or hospital in Germany, except for those tooth replacements.

The most I’ll pay is a small copay for drugs, usually about 5€, but only for adults — drugs for kids are covered 100%.

Probably a bit simplified, but the above has been my experience so far (I’m 40).

[dmd149]

That is more or less what my US based health insurance plan is like, if a bit more expensive ($1200/month for me and my wife, $1500 if adding 1 child).

No deductible for in-network care, usually just some small copays of $20.

Is this supplemental insurance to national healthcare or the standard cost based on your income?

[lsinger]

The latter, it’s based on a percentage of your (taxable, I think) income, capped at what I’m paying (percentage-wise I’d be paying more if it wasn’t capped).

FWIW, there’s no notion of “in-network” or “out-network” here.

[Swizec]

The in/out network thing is a huge problem. My girlfriend went for a checkup with her primary care physician. Obviously in network.

2 months later she gets a bill for $500. Sorry your doc was not in network for that particular question. Insurance covers $0