[nix23]

>Very few people have private health care in Europe, at least in the UK

In Europe at least in Switzerland quite many have private health care (the price difference is quite small because the obligatory insurance is tremendously high already), and if you think 'we' are rich..you are wrong.

[flumpcakes]

> and if you think 'we' are rich..you are wrong.

Switzerland is one of the richest countries in Europe - it's GDP/capita is the 9th highest in the world.

This place (news.ycom) really has a skewed sense of reality. "Oh, you only got $100k offer straight out of University? That's a low number."

99% of the world lives far below anything you consider average.

For a website full of smart people, you all have trouble recognising your own extreme privledge.

[polotics]

Switzerland is a complete outlier in this respect, Zürich is much closer to Boston than to Paris.

[nix23]

No not really...that comparison is completely wrong.

[kgwgk]

The obligatory insurance is also private.

[nix23]

From private company yes, but with private we mean the 'luxury' addon...the obligatory is regulated by the state, but administered by private company's.

[kgwgk]

Who is “we”?

[nix23]

We the people.....of Switzerland

[kgwgk]

I don't think I've ever heard anyone say "private insurance" to refer to the "supplementary insurance" (Zusatzversicherung / assurance complémentaire / assicurazione complementare), so if it's used in that sense it's not universal.

Supplementary insurance is conceptually different, by definition, from comprehensive private health insurance which provides alternative coverage for what is already covered within the public healthcare system.

[nix23]

Private Spitalversicherungen im Schweizer Vergleich:

https://www.moneyland.ch/de/privat-versicherung-spital-vergl...

There is even a 'half-private' one