Another (almost) first hand story about that horrendous British health care...

[gateley]

I hadn't heard this before, that if you get sick IN the country, they take care of you! From my friend Sara:

In 1974 my brother Mark took a trip around the world (in between high school and college). He took a “tour” by old british army vehicle from Johannesburg to London. Somewhere, probably in north Africa, he got hepatitis, it didn’t show for a while. They day the group left Paris for London, Mark noticed the whites of his eyes were yellow. The next day in London he somehow got to a doctor (maybe the tour people as the company was british), she asked “Were you in the UK the day you noticed you were ill?” He said, we’ll I was in Paris yesterday when I first noticed it but we came to London yesterday. She asked again, were you in the UK the day you noticed you were ill? He finally got a clue and said “yes”. He was admitted to the hospital where he was for oh, I think a month. Didn’t pay a penny. Watched a lot of cricket on the telly. Got well, flew home. (My parents thought it was “ridiculous” that they didn’t have to pay anything.

[donco6]

1. Gosh, yes, that would totally suck.

Damn Brits and their free health care. That guy should have taken responsibility for himself and . . . and . . . well, DIED.

[enlightenment]

2. That is still the case, I believe - the NHS will care for you IF

it's an emergency. Hepatitis qualifies, I'd think . . . :)

You do need to pay for non-emergency care, however, which is only fair.

Funny how different things are where health care is considered a human right, rather than an entitlement of wealth and/or luck.

[WolverineDG]

3. Had to visit the ER in London once

they asked for all kinds of information, so I expected a bill would be sent at some point.....5 years on, I still haven't been charged for the excellent care I got that day.

dg

[itsrobert]

4. Moral of the story: Lie for free health care?

????

[morillon]

5. Former coworker of mine was in a car accident in the UK.

She worked for an American company and was overseas on business. She was taken to the hospital immediately, given first rate care, and was never billed for any of it.