What's sad to me is that we have all this awesome technology, but movies are worse than ever.
I usually watch movies from decades ago just to find something decent and it's amazing how with goofy-looking puppets the storytelling was 1000 times better.
There are laws in the EU that will save the planet, like drinking from soggy paper straws instead of normal ones and requiring caps stay attached in plastic bottles.
And just to make sure, at least in Poland they now charge you $0.10 if you buy anything plastic until you bring it back to the grocery store empty.
Not sure, that's why I specified "from what I understand".
BUT, most people aren't children, pregnant, or registered unemployed/very low income, so from that point of view to me it's still an insurance-centric system.
I pay a hefty amount each month and I was sick in the past and the system was so inefficient that I had to go to private doctors and clinics just to figure out what was wrong with me. I see the public insurance payments as a tax and I have private insurance to cover the costs of private doctors/hospitals.
What I meant with "you have to wait months" is that if you go with the government-provided doctors and processes, they put you on a list and you have to wait for your turn. Getting an exam done can take months, and you can wait years for surgery, unless your condition is life-threatening.
If you go to a private clinic, of course you can get test results the same day and schedule any surgery within days.
Most people who can afford it go the private route. I had to do that too, which kind of pissed me off since I pay a hefty amount each month for insurance and I still have to go to private clinics. BUT, using the public infrastructure is just too inefficient. To get blood exams at a reduced price I had to schedule an appointment with my GP (days in advance), she'd send me to a specialist (about 1 week wait to get appointment), then a specialist would give me the paperwork required to get SOME of blood tests I needed covered by my insurance.
I live in Poland and despite being Europe from what I understand they don't have socialized healthcare. You need to buy insurance from the government, or private (I have both). If you don't have it, you don't have a right to healthcare.
Then, if you go to public doctors or hospital you still have to wait months for an exam or years for surgery. BUT, I've never heard of anyone going bankrupt from getting sick, or being scammed by their insurance not covering costs.
From what people make it sound, in the US you don't have socialized healthcare, getting doctors and exams is quick, but you also get scammed by insurance companies who will try their best to get out of paying, and I've definitely heard about people going bankrupt because they got sick.