Health care issues

[shogun7]

I am curious on the question oh health issues in other countries.
Does the employer provide some of your benefits? What might they be? As most of you are probably aware, in the USA many people are without health care other then public care (VERY DISCONTING) sad really! Now we are being told that social security is probably gonna be reduced for baby boomers.
Sometimes I think the world is going to hell. Getting old is a bitch and I'm always reminded of the movie Soilit Green. Remember that one? Anyway I would appreciate all of your omments and I promise not to get offended if you pick on the country...Hows that Chemi!
Semper Fi

[Bones]

well, when i retire there wont be no welfare for me...

employer contributes 9% of my gross pay into a compulsary super annuation fund... which isnt very much money to spend if i work from now (20) until i retire... say 65.

the only way i will have a substantial amount to retire on is to contribute into this myself which can be difficult especially for people with mortgages/rent bills etc.. but even this system was screwed by our keating labour gov by introducing tax on our super... inicialy super funds were for people to pay into on their on accord and received the lump sum on retirement basically an investment to retire on to stop the burden on our welfare system, then they introduced compolsary employer controbutions then came higher fees... then tax on our super savings. all in all a super fund by the time i retire will have so many fees arroding away at it, and so much tax payable upon retirement that the scheme will defeat its own purpose.

our federal government is thinking of raising the age bracket (the age for retirement) we have to reach before we can gain access to our super to around 70+ now can you imagine me crawling through a roof installing a ducted a/c at 70? yeh right...

but this is not their fault they are only trying to rectify a future problem. fewer people are having children these days, or having fewer of them - which with the cost of living you could hardly blame them...

i cant remember the stats exactly but somewhere between 40-60% of our population will be over 40-45 years old in 5 years.

[Peter_1]

Hi Shogun,

I posted under Legal - Business - Marketing 2 posts with the subject 'Some thoughts of me' and 'Job Comparison'. which covers the Belgium system.
You can find it there if you look in the index.

Hopes this can help you understanding our system, I think one of the best in the world (+/- the same as in the UK)
If you need more info, give me a call.

After reading Bones' post (got your card already?) problem is becoming everywhere the same I think.
The taxes we have to pay now to the state is for the pension for the elder people who lives now.
They (the government) encourages everybody very strong now to set up an own pension and insurance fund. You can deduct it from your gross income and on the saved amount, you don't pay any taxes. But you have to leave it there till you're 65.
Here , some retire now - the call it pre-pension - at the age of 50 and a lot on the age of 55 to 57!!

Working week is everywhere here max 38 hours.



Peter


PS: Just back from holiday since yesterday evening and need to read through all the posts.
I realize now that this forum is growing very fast.

[Gary]

It would be very wrong to hold a gun to your neighbor's head and force him to contribute to your favorite charity. That is exactly what a welfare system does. Theft is wrong no matter who gets the loot.

[Argus]

Health care and the so called ?welfare state? began in the UK with the Beveridge Report in 1942. It led to post-war social reforms in this country and the start of the National Health service in 1948.

It is still very much the service of choice and of necessity for many people. As is the case in so many other countries, especially in the European Union, it is being overtaken by progress and expectation with a static budget.

Many companies in the UK offer health insurance to employees. This is taxed as a benefit in kind.
Generally speaking private health insurance it is too expensive for many ordinary families who are adequately catered for by the health system. It is, however a perennial political hot potatoe for every party in government since the war.

In the UK we have reciprocal basic health and hospitalisation arrangements for our nationals in other EU countries and there is the start of people being treated in France and Germany and other EU countries for basic operations paid for by the national health service.

Being a recent recipient of the excellent surgical resources of our system, and knowing many others in the same situation, I have little patience with those who advocate a system that does not cater for those less fortunate or able than its citizens who can afford to pay for private care.

I have no intention of being provoked further.

In this respect I am reminded of an apocryphal tale of Mrs Thatcher?s era when commenting to a long suffering and patient Prime Minister of a country not too far from here that has a high rate of domestic taxes.
She was sounding forth on the tax burden in his country. When he had heard enough, he turned to her and said, ?we pay taxes and use it to fund civilisation?.
________
vapir oxygen

[Gary]

Why is health care so expensive? Dig deep enough and you'll find the heavy hand of government.

In this country, american made drugs are more expensive for us than for other countries. Why not simply re-import them from these other countries? It's illegal, that's why.

Every facet of health care is micro-managed and heavily regulated by government until the price skyrockets, and then the politicians want to pass more laws and rob more people to pay for it.

Or as libertarian Harry Browne puts it, the politicians break your legs, give you crutches, and then point out that you wouldn't be able to walk if it weren't for them.

Before you ask for a government solution to a problem, you may want to figure out which government 'solution' caused the problem.

[Bones]

Before you ask for a government solution to a problem, you may want to figure out which government 'solution' caused the problem.

I cant stop laughing Gary...

The problem with our government departments is there are so many of them, that neither one of them has any idea about which one came up with the brains trust to produce the solution...

not to mention everytime one makes a blunder it miraculously gets a name change within the next 6 months!

Our welfare system has changed its name at least 3 or 4 times in the last 10 years... Centrelink is what its called now...

food stamps and tokens are the way to go, money just goes into alcohol, ciggs and pokies etc... nothing goes to where it belongs 90% of the time. There was a study here a few years ago on this subject, most people on welfare neglect it for its whole reason for being, then rely on the salvation army to cloth and feed themselves and kids.