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UK doctors strike for five days.

They got a deserved pay rise of 22% last year.
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Crazywaterspring · 61-69, M
Good for them! Doctors in the US strive to maximise their incomes from patients and insurance companies. (Dr Google helps patients.)
ArishMell · 70-79, M
@Crazywaterspring So are there then, people denied full and proper medical treatment except in emergency, because they cannot afford it?

I wonder how much of the DIY "medical advice" they find on-line will do them more harm than good.

Even hear on SW you sometimes see users imagining they can find medical help on "social-media". Forlorn hope, as they will not and should never try to. The most they might find is comparable experience, which might comfort them, but they must never expect diagnoses as some do.

It can only help them if what they read is accurate and trustworthy, and they are absolutely certain of their own ailments, or simply want information about them. Worse though, they are now indanger of explotiation by wilful liars on the Internet allowed freely and anonymously to spread bogus, dangerous, even potentially fatal, cod-medical material.


Doctors in the UK are paid via the taxes so even the destitute can receive medical care without being exploited, or excluded on spurious commercial grounds, by greedy insurance spivs; but are hardly on low salaries.

The "Junior Doctors" who have somehow renamed themselves to "Resident Doctors" are moaning because their salary now is lower "in real terms" - a very useful cliche - than it was several years ago. Meaning their pay rises since have not accounted for inflation.

Unfortunately the more we pay them the less money there is for what we need them to do. Akward situation indeed.
Crazywaterspring · 61-69, M
@ArishMell I'm leery of ever going to a hospital. I'm older and do have insurance. The hospital will find ways of overcharging you and none of the staff are ever "in network" to satisfy the expensive insurance that comes out of my government pension. An ambulance could easily be a thousand dollars and I live in a big metropolitan area.

An old doctor once told me they regret going into medicine. "It isn't fun anymore" due to micromanaging by insurance companies dictating treatment.

Congress long ago determined that Americans are not worthy of a national health program.

Many of my neighbors make the eight hour drive to Mexico for treatment and medications. Mexican doctors are very well trained and quite competent.
ArishMell · 70-79, M
@Crazywaterspring Do the insurers play the old game of inventing all sorts of exclusions to avoid having to settle claims?

That driving is all very well for people living within what, 500 miles, of the Mexican border but how do those futher away manage? Do any travel to Canada for treatment?

I have seen comments at odd times on SW that hint the USA is reluctant to have a national health service because it somehow seems "socialist" to many Americans.