UK's healthcare top of league table out of 11 western countries. US = last

[odeon]

As far as I know, a big flaw with your system is that the care that you receive is frequently decided by the insurance company rather than a medical professional.

['andersom']

As far as I know, a big flaw with your system is that the care that you receive is frequently decided by the insurance company rather than a medical professional.

My country is heading towards that too.

Laws just past, giving insurance companies the choice at what hospital you get care, what psychologist you can see, etc.

All part of a downsizing health costs plan. Looks like almost every day the paper opens with another health care organisation sacking a big part of their employees.

Health-care will be better because of it, it is said. 

[Jack]

As far as I know, a big flaw with your system is that the care that you receive is frequently decided by the insurance company rather than a medical professional.

Have never known that to be true.

["couldbecousin"]

  Several years ago, a UK guy I spoke to in a chatroom mentioned that he needed his gall bladder out
   but his expected wait was 18 weeks.  Was that a fluke, or is it usual for people in excruciating stomach
   pain to have to wait that long for surgery in the NHS?  I hope that is not the norm.   

My wife needed hers out and it was gone in less than a week

  That's because she had it done in America, fuck yeah!   

[El]

As far as I know, a big flaw with your system is that the care that you receive is frequently decided by the insurance company rather than a medical professional.

That is largely the case here, at least in some aspects.

At my job (and I assume generally in my field), we get all happy when we find out that the people who will be reading our requests for authorizations for more visits have clinical experience (and will therefore understand why we're saying yes, yes this person does need more than 12 visits with me per year).  This actually come up at team meetings "Well, the people reading your requests have clinical experience."  "Yay!!!"

Which is to say, we generally don't assume insurance coverage is determined by experts rather than bureaucrats unless we're explicitly told otherwise.

Though come to think of it idiot bureaucrats determining policies on things they know nothing about is what's wrong with a lot more than just healthcare in the US.

[Arya Quinn]

And yet, despite this the current Con-Dem government wants to get rid of the NHS and replace it with a privatized system.

Well done. 

[Jack]

As far as I know, a big flaw with your system is that the care that you receive is frequently decided by the insurance company rather than a medical professional.

That is largely the case here, at least in some aspects.

At my job (and I assume generally in my field), we get all happy when we find out that the people who will be reading our requests for authorizations for more visits have clinical experience (and will therefore understand why we're saying yes, yes this person does need more than 12 visits with me per year).  This actually come up at team meetings "Well, the people reading your requests have clinical experience."  "Yay!!!"

Which is to say, we generally don't assume insurance coverage is determined by experts rather than bureaucrats unless we're explicitly told otherwise.

Though come to think of it idiot bureaucrats determining policies on things they know nothing about is what's wrong with a lot more than just healthcare in the US.

Ah. Wasn't considering psychiatric care. Why would someone who doesn't fall into the realm of having disability instead of health insurance need psychiatric care more than once per month? Just curious.

[El]

As far as I know, a big flaw with your system is that the care that you receive is frequently decided by the insurance company rather than a medical professional.

That is largely the case here, at least in some aspects.

At my job (and I assume generally in my field), we get all happy when we find out that the people who will be reading our requests for authorizations for more visits have clinical experience (and will therefore understand why we're saying yes, yes this person does need more than 12 visits with me per year).  This actually come up at team meetings "Well, the people reading your requests have clinical experience."  "Yay!!!"

Which is to say, we generally don't assume insurance coverage is determined by experts rather than bureaucrats unless we're explicitly told otherwise.

Though come to think of it idiot bureaucrats determining policies on things they know nothing about is what's wrong with a lot more than just healthcare in the US.

Ah. Wasn't considering psychiatric care. Why would someone who doesn't fall into the realm of having disability instead of health insurance need psychiatric care more than once per month? Just curious.

Because it's not only people who are so mentally ill that they actually can't hold down a job that do better with therapy every week or every other week?  Talk therapy generally isn't going to be very effective at 50 minutes once per month.

[Jack]

Not sure I understand your question. Haven't ever known anyone receiving regular psychotherapy, so this is more curiosity than anything. Are people on disability benefits afforded therapy every week?

[Jack]

It would also be interesting to know how mental health care benefits work in countries with nationalized care. What type of frequency is the norm? Are there standards for frequency of appointment that are allowed?

[odeon]

As far as I know, a big flaw with your system is that the care that you receive is frequently decided by the insurance company rather than a medical professional.

Have never known that to be true.

It's apparently quite common with the more expensive treatments, says my research scientist mate at Eli Lilly's.

A state-sponsored healthcare such as Sweden's is plagued by bureaucratic issues instead, if that is of any consolation.

[odeon]

And yet, despite this the current Con-Dem government wants to get rid of the NHS and replace it with a privatized system.

Well done. 

It's surprising, I have to admit. The NHS is far from perfect but I find it hard to believe that it doesn't beat a privatised alternative.

[odeon]

It would also be interesting to know how mental health care benefits work in countries with nationalized care. What type of frequency is the norm? Are there standards for frequency of appointment that are allowed?

Once you're in the system and past the bureaucracy and queues that are the norm in some parts of the country, you tend to get the frequency of appointment needed, as decided by the medical professionals on a case by case basis. There are no country-wide norms, AFAIK, but I assume that there are budgets to manage that will affect the decisions.

If you have an ASD dx, you're entitled to all kinds of help. I know Lit wouldn't agree with me, but the system actually takes reasonable care of these individuals. The problem is rather to get that dx in the first place, especially if you are an adult, partly because of the bureaucracy involved but mostly because many of the professionals still don't know enough about ASDs to begin with.

[Jack]

It's apparently quite common with the more expensive treatments, says my research scientist mate at Eli Lilly's.

That might be true in in situations where a less expensive treatment is an available option. Though it's not really the insurance company deciding what care is received, but rather what they will pay for. Though isn't that also true with nationalized care? If there's more than one treatment and the patient opts for the more expensive one, might they expect some out of pocket expense?

[Jack]

It would also be interesting to know how mental health care benefits work in countries with nationalized care. What type of frequency is the norm? Are there standards for frequency of appointment that are allowed?

Once you're in the system and past the bureaucracy and queues that are the norm in some parts of the country, you tend to get the frequency of appointment needed, as decided by the medical professionals on a case by case basis. There are no country-wide norms, AFAIK, but I assume that there are budgets to manage that will affect the decisions.

If you have an ASD dx, you're entitled to all kinds of help. I know Lit wouldn't agree with me, but the system actually takes reasonable care of these individuals. The problem is rather to get that dx in the first place, especially if you are an adult, partly because of the bureaucracy involved but mostly because many of the professionals still don't know enough about ASDs to begin with.

Have read things here before that gave the impression people in nationalized systems aren't choosing their own mental health care professionals. Is that correct? And medical doctors, do people have a choice in that?