Monday, November 09, 2009

A problem of National Health Service

Mr Barak Obama is seeking for a nationally established health care system, which itself is a good thing. But I need to point out some problems regarding the system.

We Japanese used to have a very good health care system. If a head of a household joined the system, he himself doesn't have to spend any money for medicine, and his family -his wife and kids have to pay 30 percent of their medical expenditure.

In this case the public fund make up for all medical expenditures that exceed the sum of money the head of household paid as a premium.

This system collapsed and the rate of premium the head of household paid increased from none to 10 percent, then now 30 percent. The rate of payment of his family in medical expenditures remain the same - 30 percent.

The average rate of premium consists in 10 percent of his salaries. He has to pay 150 dollars in the case he earns 1,500 dollars a month. If he were health insured, he and his family member would have to pay 50, 30, 30 dollars each time they go to see a doctor in 30 percent payment. The first time tend to get higher since the insurance doesn't cover initiation expenditure. His family have to pay about 300 dollars when they went to see a doctor four times a month. 300 dollars are very expensive in his 1,500 salary.

If he were not covered in health insurance system, he wouldn't have to pay. He has to pay 150, 90, 90 dollars each time they go to see a doctor but otherwise he doesn't have to pay at all.

It would be very beneficial when their medical expenditures were covered by the public fund, however the current system shows it is they who pay all their medical expenditures. Their expensive premium and high rate -30 percent of medical cost cover their medical expenditures.

National health service is good when it were used good to help people pay less, but current system shows it is just another tax that represses their household income.

I just hope ideal never turns to nightmare.

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