Quote:
|
But what about private insurance companies such as Aflac in Japan are doing quite well too. You would be surprised on what is covered and what is not under the Japan's National health insurance for things such illnesses as Cancer and the like in comparison to the average US private policy
|
I prefer to stay out of any of these debates when the subject is something I can`t really say I am a part of (have lived outside the US so long that I can`t say I know what is really going on there...) but I have to comment on this one.
We have two close family friends with cancer. One caught early, and one a couple steps from palliative care.
Japan has never been a 100% coverage system. It has always been percentage based. The base prices for care are relatively low (particularly medication) but even if your care is mostly covered and you only pay so many percent... This adds up. Cancer is long term. Care IS covered, but multiple medications and paying a percentage of countless expensive treatments adds up. This is where additional services come in. It`s not a matter of "not being covered". It`s a matter of covering those last percent and offering specialty services. Aflac is big when it comes to life insurance and life support service (additional medical unemployment payments, etc) - both things that aren`t and should not be covered by health insurance. They also offer things like house keeping and childcare services as part of their insurance plans.
Rather than medical insurance, it tends to be comfort insurance. If you`re diagnosed with cancer, you get a huge flat payment. If you have an operation, you get a flat payment. If you are told you only have so many months left, they give you huge monthly payments until the end...
While you CAN use the money for medical care, you could also use it to go out and party. There is no connection between the payout and the cost of your care.
I don`t know anyone who is suffering with medical bills, etc, in Japan. My son has received care that would have cost millions out of pocket in the US... With very very little direct cost to us.
On the other hand, I don`t know anyone in my own family who has decent health insurance in the US.... And have a number of horror stories I could tell. "Having" insurance in the US seems to be quite a bit different than actually being able to "use" that insurance.
I also know of a number of people who had to seriously change their lifestyles to afford medical care for their children with similar issues as my own son - selling houses, getting a second job, etc.