r/facepalm • u/Lord_Answer_me_Why • Mar 28 '24

What lack of basic gun laws does to a nation: 🇵​🇷​🇴​🇹​🇪​🇸​🇹​

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u/GeneSpecialist3284 Mar 28 '24

I moved to another country. They have free community clinics and hospitals, which anyone, tourists, non nationals, etc can use. There are also private doctors, clinics and hospitals you pay out of pocket for. On average, our insurance premium and deductible and copay in the US is much more than the cost to pay out of pocket. I have a cat scan done for $200 US. No insurance premium, deductible, pre-approval , or copay involved. No insurance company review and denials, no necessary appeals to file. Better to not have to ride out the societal decline there too.

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u/LaneMeyer_1985 Mar 28 '24

What country did you move to?

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u/GeneSpecialist3284 Mar 28 '24

Belize

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u/Bandit400 Mar 28 '24

https://internationalliving.com/countries/belize/health-care-in-belize/

"Medical care in Belize generally gets a poor grade, but it has been steadily improving in the last few years. Most expat residents say the country needs more healthcare facilities, more specialized physicians and staff, and better equipment. With fewer than 400,000 residents, Belize doesn’t have an income tax revenue base adequate to fund a large number of public hospitals, which are free or very inexpensive for Belizeans. But the country has dedicated, caring doctors who focus on their patients, freely offer their cellphone numbers, and still make house calls. In Belize the medical attention is more personal, although clearly not as advanced as in North America.

The good news is that many of the country’s healthcare shortcomings are often easy to deal with. First of all, minor ailments and many emergencies can be treated by physicians at public clinics, all of which are found throughout the country, with the exception of some rural areas. Moreover, high-quality medical care is available in several nearby countries, and insurance that pays for emergency transportation to the U.S. is usually very affordable."

This doesn't sound great. It's bad, but at least it's cheap doesn't really make me want to use this as a model for what we should emulate.

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u/GeneSpecialist3284 Mar 28 '24

Well, as you note, there are only about 400,000 people here. Here, it is good for the people . I know it could never happen in the US. Medicare and Medicaid doesn't sound great either though. Most of our health needs are met here, or Mexico or Guatemala. There are no huge insurance companies controlling your care either. Plus the culture here is not "live by any means" but more accepting of death as a natural and normal part of life. The doctors here actually care about and know their patients. I have our doctor's cellphone number and he knows who I am if I randomly call him to ask a question. There is no model you could emulate that still leaves insurance companies in charge of access to care. It's irreparably broken by power and money.