UK v US Healthcare: My Experience | She's Diabetic 

Thank you for this correction!! I’m pinning your comment to the top so everyone sees this!

it's around 6% on fulltime closer to minimum wage and around 4% on higher wages. I can't remember the exact figures but on a monthly basis, it's 12.5% on the first ￡600ish you earn and 2% on everything above that.

Contrary to popular belief, National Insurance (NI), is NOT for the NHS. NI in principle is for the state pension and state benefits. OTOH the NHS is paid for out of general taxation. In practice NI and TAX all go into a single pot and your benefits are calculated based on the amount of NI you have paid and how often. (It's a bit more complicated than that, but that's the basics.)

@Haiwen it’s not quite as simple as that. Class 1 NI (which most people pay) is 12% for every pound between £242 and £967 per week; that is to say that for the first £242 per week (£12,584 per year or £1,048 per calendar month) is free from National Insurance. Every pound over £967 a week (£50,284 per annum / £4,190 per calendar month) the rate drops to 2%. Income tax is banded. You have a Personal Allowance of £12,570 per annum which is tax free. The Basic Rate kicks in at £12,571 per year and is 20%. Earnings between £50,271 and £125,140 is at 40%. Each pound over £125,140 per annum is at 45%. So, a person earning £15,000 per year would pay 20% Income Tax on £2,430 per year, so £486 per year of income tax, and 12% NI on the £2,416 / year = £290 per year. Therefore, the effective tax rate for a person on £15,000 per year would pay is 5.17% or £776 per year (and that’s excluding the savings on tax deductible benefits like pension contributions etc.). A person earning £65,000 per year would pay income tax on £52,429 per year (salary - personal allowance), high rate income tax on £2,159 per year and base rate tax on the remaining £50,270. So, that’s 20% on £50,270, and 40% on £2,159 = £10,054 base rate tax, and £864 higher rate tax. Their NI would be 12% on £37,700 (which is £4,524 per year) and 2% on the £14,716 per annum (equal to £294 of NI) they earn over the standard NI rate. So, that’s £15,736 of deductions per annum from a £65k salary, which is 24% effective tax rate (again, pension contributions and some other employee benefits are tax deductible). I’ve chosen those salary figures as a high and low - the lesser salary would put a person in the bottom 10% of UK earners, £65k would put a person in the top 10%. So the real-world tax rate in the UK including National Insurance for most people in the 10-90 percentile groups would be between 5%-25%, not the 32% suggested by your comment.

It's 4 to 6% and includes your pension and all social care

I’m so sorry you went through that, but I’m also super glad that you’re through it and were treated so well and promptly. My experience of the NHS has been very much the same. Prompt, caring, and fast acting - especially when things are urgent.

Yep....same here in NZ.... we have a more or less identical system to the NHS... all paid from taxation, which means no matter if you are rich or poor, you get good treatment.

Well, I first point to not have a heart attack. It's called a yearly physical with your doctor. Heart attack don't just come out nowhere. Those that don't watch what they eat (poor diets) and the lack of good exercising. Will get them first. As a american doctor told me a long time ago. Don't smoke or drink alcohol and watch what eat and exercise. Will keep cancer and heart problems away. I still did yearly exams with my doctor over the last 30 years and most of the time. He would tell me. All the test are coming back fine. Pointing to me being in perfect health. I guess in america We doing yearly exams or something they don't do in europe or heart problems would showing up in your yearly exams. I also had chest pains at one time. But because I hit the gym five or six times a week. I couldn't understand why I was having these chest pain as I was going to sleep at night. I finally gave in and when to the hospital. The first as I walk in the door. I told them I was having chest pain. Immediately within minutes they did a ekg, head and heart scan. Within 15 minutes. A doctor had the result from all the test. He told me everything look fine and I ask him. If maybe I pulled a chest muscle at the gym. He didn't believe I had done that. He did said my blood pressure was high. I told him that was from pills for my allergies and they can raise my blood pressure. I was starting to get dress to go home. He then said I would like you to stay overnight and already had a private room for me at the hospital and scheduled a nuclear scan on my heart the next morning. He talked me into staying. He also made the comment on how great shape my body was in from working out at the gym. They gave me different tests at different point in the nights. The nurses also made comments on great of shape my body was in. The next day they did the nuclear scan on my heart. Four hours after the scan. The doctor came in and told me that I had a bad case of acid reflux and the pain in my chest was from the acid working it's way back into my chest. From all the test they did and the hospitals stay. Cost me zero!. As I'm a military vet. Many hundred of millions of americans. Get the care at the VA health care system. It's the largest health care system in america. I also got a free four year education and a home loan from the government to purchase a home. My current home has triple in value from the time I got it in 2016.

@@orangeguy3314 l have never smoked. I am 5'10" and weigh 11 and a half stone. I rarely eat fast food. My diet is generally pretty good. I eat lots of fresh vegetables (although I will confess to not eating a lot of fruit - apart from bananas. I eat lots of those!) and most of my meals are home prepared. I am not a gym goer, but I am physically active. My blood pressure is fine. If anything it is sometimes on the low side. On the day I left hospital there was some comment about how low it was. The top reading (is that the systolic one?) was below 100. The other reading was below 70. Most people who know me really do think this heart attack came out of nowhere. I had always enjoyed good health and fitness. I'm pretty sure even an annual check up by a doctor would not have stopped this happening. The only thing that could have done that would have been to have had regular procedures where they squirt dye into your blood vessels to detect narrowing arteries. Is that an angiogram? Anyway, that is not something that would be done in any normal annual check up. I consider myself a little unlucky to have had the heart attack. I do not fit the profile of a stereotypical heart attack victim. However, having had the heart attack I feel very, very lucky at the outcome so far. And I feel very lucky to have had the first class treatment I got from the NHS which didn't involve me worrying about how it was all going to be paid for. And that was the point of my post. The NHS is often presented as being unable to provide a good service. When I really needed it I found that view to be wrong. The service was excellent and available to every British citizen, not just those who have done military service.

@@TalesOfTheRiverBank I bet if you and I had a race around a city block. Before 45 seconds into the race you would give up and quit. I get people telling they in great shape. Then I make a bet with them and then we start the race and as always they give up. I often get the comment from people... Oh, you workout. I even get this from guys that are bodybuilders at my gyms or when say I hope I'm your age in the shape as you are and yes I have a six pack at my stomach waist. If you want to see the shape the NHS is in. Look at the DW Documentary :Poverty in Britain and see what a british doctors thinks of the NHS system.

and how is your tax -- or are you just broke and subsidized

@@derekhough-jm9gc certain types of illness that need drugs that are life saving, e.g diabetes, Addison's, thyroid it is a weird list are exempt from paying prescription on all their medications. Your pay is not taken into account. It is the same for everyone. We all get taxed the same unless on higher income.

@@sarahhoops9696 Enjoy paying for the imm ig rants health care -- hee hee. US is much cheaper, faster and overall better

You DO pay for them; you just pay for them in a different way. 10% National Insurance which contributes to the NHS 22% income tax, comes from your salary in the UK.

@@derekhough-jm9gc hows your education system lol

That’s awful 🙁

@@emme2141 yes, I know we have our problems on this side of the world but that's desperate way to treat people. There are many things I love about the US but the way they treat their own people can be inhumane.

It's another example of materialism overriding humanity in the US.

My goodness, the US is really really sick Im sure the insurance talked to the hospital to make her get fired and not to pay for those so expensive drugs.

@@manuelfg2902 It's great if you have money, otherwise tough luck.

No money, that's a good one. The Truth is the first thing they want to see is your insurance card, then you have to sign paperwork to say you are responsible to pay, that way should the Insurance deny the claim they have all your info, and yes they do follow up, often the insurance will pay 70%-80% leaving you to pay the other 20-30%, that's after you have met your yearly deductible which will be thousands, every plan is different.

That is a terrible story In the UK type 1 diabetics who are insulin dependent get free prescriptions. I think it requires an exemption certificate that lasts 5 years and then has to be renewed. I have high blood pressure and have 2 tablets, for the cost of one prescription (about £10) I get 3 boxes of each ie 90 days

@MsKykca oh wow.! I seriously can not believe this .! All this is so crazy and messed up .! We literally need insulin to survive, and they take advantage of that charging us so much.!! Didnt know insulin was so cheap in other places .!!

​@@notch7139 It's actually all diabetics, my dad is type 2 diabetic and has never been prescribed insulin but does take regular prescription medication to help control his diabetes, plus has blood sugar measuring equipment. He's had free prescriptions since being diagnosed (now over 60 so it's free anyway).

The NHS quite often miss the symptoms of diabetes --- you're lucky you were even diagnosed. I could give you examples of the sheet NHS

EXACTLY!! And don’t we as a human want others to be healthy so we can all work together and make this world a better place and continue to thrive and grow? Money is to blame I guess, but I do wonder how these people sleep at night…

@@ShesDiabetic I certainly think that's what we should want as human beings. I'm no saint but helping each other seems to be the most basic and important quality that makes humans human.

That is a bit naive. The NHS is paid for by capitalism which is money comes from tax

health care innovation depends on the capitalistic USA to develop -- NHS does nothing

Yeah you're right. Let's get rid of all the profit motives in health care. Where do you think all the medical innovations, drugs, and treatments come from? Why do you think that health care is somehow exempt from the laws of economics? It's a commodity like anything else. Health care CAN be gotten by anyone who needs it. Health care is not a right. Because if it was then someone else would have a corresponding obligation to literally treat you for free. Why don't you put down Das Kapital and pick up a book on basic economics. The lure of profit is the only thing that gives us the great quality care we have now. How many new drugs or inventions have come from government programs? It shudders me to think that somehow just because something is vital, that it grows on trees, harvested by magic unicorns. Please inform me where this utopia exists where every person can get top quality care for no cost with no waiting times. There is no system on Earth that gives you that. If you don't want the US and our capitalism, then fine. Next pandemic you can develop the vaccines yourself. People hate our economic system but they want to reap the fruits of it. Ingrates.

Well it beats me why a type one diabetic would emigrate to the US as all? To be honest, it beats why you would emigrate to the US at all, they are bunch of weirdo gun toting nut jobs and then to do it as a diabetic, you would better off moving to Nigeria, at least there life would be a lot cheaper.

agreed. i was always happy and proud to contribute to a system that support everyone. how can anyone think that poor people having to suffer without medical care is a good system. just to save the taxpayers a few pounds per year. nonsense

Absolutely! I've seen some people on videos in the US talking about universal healthcare and their attitude is "why should i pay for someone else who doesn't work etc..." So selfish. You never know what's round the corner and knowing you're going to be treated no matter what your financial situation is, is what makes the NHS so cherished.

Do people wait a lot to see the doctor like in Canada? Please let me know

@ghassanjneinaty4421 depends on what the issue is. If its an emergency, you get seen right away. If its serious but not an emergency, then you'll get tended to right away most of the time. Now, if it's something minor that can wait, then you might need to just stress that it can't wait and that way, you end up being seen faster.

I couldn't believe that people lost their homes because they got sick in America. That never happens in Canada.

Sadly a good number of T1d's die in the US because they can't afford their insulin.

Most poor Americans are eligible for medical coverage under the Medicaid system in the US. Especially children. About 20% of the population is covered under Medicaid. There are gaps unfortunately especially for adults without children.

@@zorander6this is unfortunately very likely. For some reason the US government through the FDA has been protecting the pharmaceutical industry’s patents on insulin extending them long past what they were supposed to be. This is slowly changing but a lot of people are still at risk.

@ggjr61 On January 23 , 1923, Banting Collip and Best were awarded U.S. patents on insulin, and the method used to make it. They all sold these patents to the University of Toronto for $1 each. Banting famously said, "Insulin doesn't belong to me, it belongs to the world." He wanted everyone in the world to have access to it. (from Wikipedia) How did this mess happen!

It's not "some" highly developed countries that do not have universal healthcare. It really is just one.

@@neilbowen6930 Really not true. Most of Europe provides universal healthcare, they just don´t use the NHS model (for the record, I am not making a judgement on what is ´best´)

@@liamhegarty3220 I think Canada also have universal healthcare

@@liamhegarty3220 What I posted was completely true, I think that you misread it. Every country in Europe has universal healthcare. I never said any of them use the NHS model, because they don't.

You would think the Brits would do anything to cherish their much-loved NHS but no, they keep voting for conservative governments that continuously effectively defund the NHS, then they voted for Brexit which further cut off immigrant workers on whom the NHS crucially depend. The NHS is now no longer fit for service, with millions of people on 6 year long waiting list, striking doctors nurses and other staff. For all that's wrong with the American system you still have a functioning service.

Thank you so much for saying this! I was honestly very nervous to release this video because I didn't know if I was explaining my point well enough or if it would come across as complaining (which I really really didn't want), so you really have no idea how much your comment means to me!! Thank you!!! ❤️

@She's Diabetic You are so so welcome! Listening to you, I felt completely fully seen. It really meant a lot to me.

I should also say I pay £10 a month for a pre paid prescription, so no matter how many prescriptions I get I still only pay £10 a month. I’m also asthmatic

I should also say I pay £10 a month for a pre paid prescription, so no matter how many prescriptions I get I still only pay £10 a month. I’m also asthmatic

Rang the doctor about a persistent cough, the doctor worried so in that day full exam,so antibiotics. Still not right chest listened to bit worried chest X-RAY. Another test done. Still got the cough , why I don't know and neither do they. However they've looked and can't find exactly what is wrong.. but they've written off everything really dsngersousn

Well hellooooo my Sis!!!!!!!! Thank you so much for these kind and supportive words!! You may not have a chronic illness but you do know first hand the struggles. Partners of T1D's have a lot to deal with as well, and basically...they are our angels. Thank you for being so supportive and wonderful, always!!!! MUAHHHHH!!!!

Thank you for sharing this. I am just so so so sorry this is your experience. It’s such a complicated and ridiculous system.

Im on Lantus, Im also in Australia. I pay $45 for 5 BOXES with 5 pens in each box. I pay around the same amount for my Novorapid.......what you pay is robbery. Monitors, sensors and pumps are covered and cost nothing to the patient other than what we pay in our taxes which is a levy of, from memory, around 4% of total income.

Yes, indeed. A consumer is deemed to have bargaining power. If you're having a stroke or heart attack, or if you're unconscious, how much bargaining power do you reckon you'd have? Thank God for the NHS❤

That is a good summary of what is wrong with US healthcare: It is for profit and that just doesn't work for healthcare.

The rot started when patients suddenly became " clients" ...a patient: someone who receives care...a client?? Hairdressers and ladies if ill repute have them

British doctors don't work for free either. Fact of life.

That is absolutely crazy a GP would not prescribe a needed medication as she described. That hasn't been my experience in the US at all as you are saying LoraK.

Thank you! It is continuing to settle and I feel glad I can at least personally speak to this issue to other people because I’ve been through it - so there’s that little silver lining at least!💙

I'm glad you have the care humanity deserves there! To me it just makes sense...and to care for your people I believe sends a message of value to each individual that I think makes a whole community/country better and more caring towards one another. 🥹💝

Absolutely incredible. Taking care of your public - what a concept! If only things were the same here!

It’s not free. People in the UK are so uneducated that they believe that nonsense.

i am canadian too also lets not forget how long it takes health canada to appove any new devices and meds

@@lynnshell78 I hear that! Way too long!

Why do y have to paybfor health care after the age of 65.

@@tenniskinsella7768 we don’t have to pay for health care at all. After 65 our medications are paid for as well.

@@christinewelch8365 The US is the only First World country which spends most of its discretionary budget on the military. If we reduce our military spending, we will need to withdraw from NATO and from our other mutual defense treaties. That's the basic choice: NATO or free healthcare.

EXACTLY!!!! And that stress makes them worse, which then eats into one's mental health and purpose...it's just insanity to me! I hate this!!

No kidding…such a good point…if we’re paying here shouldn’t there be some benefit? And yet it remains the opposite - we wait longer…madness!!

I agree but I'm guessing that the FDA is literally overwhelmed with all the medical "stuff" that the FDA gets inundated with every day. I don't know if the FDA looks at other countries health agencies or just their own findings which could help to speed things up a bit.

I'm in the UK, but have recently been looking in to the FDA having seen the series Dopesick (I'm just generally interested in systems of regulation and how and if they work). On another youtuber's video I tried making a list of the UK agencies that handle parts of what the FDA does: > MHRA (Medicine and Healthcare Regulatory Authority) - They look at the data to determine if new drugs (and possible medical devices and procedures are safe) > NICE (National Institute for Clinical Excellence) - This body make recommendations about what are the best treatments to follow. > ASA (Advertising Standards Authority) - They review all advertising, and there are very firm limits on how drugs can be advertised and where (I think pharma ads for example are limited to publications for the medical profession). I think food and drink advertising is being increasingly tightly regulated too > FSA (Food Standards Agency) > DEFRA (Department for the Environment, Farming and Rural Affairs) - I think this group handle a lot of the farm and supply chain concerns, but not 100% on that I'd estimate that the UK with a much smaller population has at least 5 agencies that collectively handle what the FDA tries to do on its own. Sometimes it makes sense to combine agencies, but in this case it feels like the division allows for each part to concentrate on what they know. The MHRA is a pure data analysis that only asks if the drug is safe and if it works. NICE covers a part that feels largely or wholly mishandled in the US system, they are part of how the NHS negotiates with drug suppliers by looking at how effective it is vs other treatments and how cost-effective the drug is, which replaces the pharma rep approach in the US. The US system seems to ask the doctors to read up on all the medical journals, remember every paper etc, while also asking them to do all their patient consulting, diagnosis and treatment. This might be OK when you get to the specialists but for primary care that would seem to be overwhelming (even without some of the egregious things Purdue Pharma did like describing a letter to an editor as a major study - The 'Porter-Jick Study' will get you the details if you want to read up on it). I was surprised by you saying the FDA are slow to approve medical devices, there was a documentary on Netflix, "The Bleeding Edge", that seemed to imply there was a process that let companies rush devices through without proper checks, though maybe the insulin device people are behaving responsibly? It does seem to be the case though that they are clearly underfunded for what they are expected to achieve, but then maybe that reflects the wider difference in culture about regulation between Europe and the US - in Europe you have to prove it is safe, the US seems to be happy with settling on having no evidence that something is not dangerous so isn't scrutinised to the same level. Sadly, against that cultural backdrop of regulation between 'socialist' and wanting government spending cuts, I don't think you'll make much progress soon

Indeed it does!!!

That’s so crap, it is not your fault you are diabetic but it cost $$$. It’s definitely a class and wealth system. Here in the uk everyone is equal. A more civilised system. I love the NHS.

Couldn't agree more!

Yep, you got it, perfectly said 🥴

Nope, that is a lie. People in the US don’t spend 15% of their salary on medical care. And unlike the NHS, we can actually use our system, not he put on years long wait lists. I lived in the UK for years, the NHS is absolute garbage.

I am a nurse in the USA and we beyond see everyone regardless of background. No doctor or nursing in a hospital setting knows or cares about you ability to pay and it has zero impact of the care you receive. We are treating half of mexico, central america and Venezuela daily free of charge along with huge segments of the US population totally free,. You only get hammered if you are middle class and trying to making something of you life, then you better have insurance or you credit score will be wrecked.

Wow - I'm so glad your family member got the care he needed - and excellent care at that. Thank goodness!! In the US I'm not sure how it would work becuase it's not like they don't do the procedure if you don't have the money, but the back end is confusing and co-pays can be high. But then some people get away with not paying them? Or once you've hit your max 'out of pocket' they cover 100% of things. I'm not saying this to correct you, I'm just saying it to 1) shed light on the complexity and 2) slightly dispel the notion that if you don't have the money they leave you to suffer. However, I do think becuase of the confusion/lack of coverage and fear of medical bills in general people are waiting longer to address problems and that can result in a disability (like you said) that can be irreversible. The whole system is sad. It's stories like yours that remind me how wonderful the NHS is and how well I truly works. ❤️

Like she said, a universal healthcare system is not perfect but i just can't imagine having to price check for doctors and healthcare. When i was diagnosed, I went into the IC unit of my local hospital for DKA, the nurses were surprised i was still walking. I got blood drawn and tested every hour for three days while they tried to get my acidity down. I got consultations and instruction from Diabetes Educators. I got insulin samples and CGM samples and i walked out of there and payed nothing but my sincere thanks to the people who took care of me. That's how it should be and i'm happy to be paying into the system that did that for me and does that for others.

Why do 2/3 of Canadians have private health insurance?

@@chaist94 As a Canadian, I don't know what you're taking about.

@@user-pq3v2yw3v as an American, I am not surprised you are unenlightened.

@@chaist94 In Belgium is a lot payed by the governement health care and also many poeple have an extra private health insurence. Why? The extra cost is cheap. That is just for the extra's like a single room when in hospital, or that you can stay as parent together with your child in hospital, ... All those kind of extra's cost you about 120 euro's per year. So yes a lot of poeple found that extra for that price worth. We do not have that long waiting times for operations as in the UK. There were some longer waiting times during corona because lower capacity of corona, but that was temporary during some months.

Very very very true....

It is a human right, I believe

@@ShesDiabetic I heard some voices from the USA that see it as a commodity.

I'm really happy i found her. When i was first diagnosed this was the channel that made me feel ok about dealing with diabetes instead of just overwhelmed.

@@Captain_Gargoyle true

Thank you so much you guys…this truly TRULY means the world to me, you have no idea how you help me too 💙

About a month after I was diagnosed a doctor told me they hadn't seen anyone that took care of themselves as well as I did so soon after being diagnosed and I feel like most of that came from watching this channel and others like Michelle Lord's channel. So I'm completely with you guys, I can never thank you enough Andrea!

​@@Atrus999 same here I really appreciate here Mrs.andrea ❤

Oh my gosh I am so so SO sorry to hear you didn't feel heard, and judged and stupid - that is just horrific and unacceptable! I'm so glad you're going to get a new Endo. I must admit, I've had issues like this myself with certain doctors and there's nothing worse...no one should be in tears after a doctor's appointment but I've found myself there many times :( ...hoping you find a wonderful Endo who truly listens and cares for you!!

Absolutely. And other countries need to get their heads around this fact too. Agreed!!

I wonder about this $35 cap because I’m definitely paying more but I thought the cap was $35 legally….very confused…must investigate further!

Totally and utterly agree, yes!

I couldn't agree more - I had the same reaction when I started getting to know the healthcare system here...like the exact same reaction...!

Well, calculate how much it cost to do several finger checks per day and a sensor that do it automaticly 2 weeks long. When the sensor is cheaper, you can possible convince your insurance that choosing for the cgm is cheaper for them?

I have British and American citizenship, and am very grateful for this privilege. 🙏🏻❤️

@@ShesDiabetic it's only going to get worse. Entitled people with, " I've paid into the system, so I should get," attitude. They will be made to pay for minor treatments in the future, just like in the USA. Doctors from the UK are emigrating in huge numbers as well, so there's going to be a HUGE shortage of doctors and nurses. Huge salaries, gold plated pension funds for non medical staff working in their health service simply has to stop because it can't go on judging by the state of their country's finances. These people should realise that the money they pay for health care via taxes, vat, fuel duty etc should NOT be spent on non medical staff huge salaries and gold plated pensions funds, it should only be used to provide medical care. If these people want huge salaries with gold plated pension funds then they should look for jobs elsewhere. They know they can't get jobs that pay so well, so cutting their salaries will not cause any non medical staff shortage. These people should be told, take these lower salaries or leave. Guess which option they will choose?

Thank you so much! That means a lot!! I try to strike a balance as I never want to make sweeping generalizations, so thank you!!

So funny to see you obsessing over the system in the US while your own people are waiting years for surgery. You’re a bigot.

I hear you Jim, and you raise a very good point. I’ve had mandatory retina scans every year since being diagnosed. You are correct in that I don’t wear glasses or have any eyesight problems, and every year I’ve been given the a OK on my eye health from said scans, so that may be why I don’t discuss it very much, aside from attending the appointments. I try to raise awareness for things, but I really only speak to what I have experience with and know first hand, because I’m no expert by a long shot 🤣 but I certainly will try to raise more awareness for this moving forward because you raise a very excellent point, especially because of it being your profession so you really are an actual expert!! :)

As an American I would say you are really referring to our politician’s POV. We are more society minded than that. Our politicians agree that we pay taxes fir the good of our community when it suits them(funding schools and roads for example) but want to present to us that it’s our individual right to earn enough fir great healthcare because the insurance lobbyists tell them to tell us that.

Madness…just absolutely and utterly and purely MADNESS. How on Earth do these people sleep at night?

At least there's this!