Evolving Thoughts

Living in a third world first world country

As my readers know, I am unemployed (although I just gained a ten month full-time job). While unemployed I had to let my medical insurance lapse, but I thought that wouldn’t matter because I live in a first world country with universal health care (called Medicare). Unemployed folk and those who are too poor to pay insurance are covered, right?

Then I had my knee fail. Yes, I got taken to an emergency room without cost. There I was referred to a physiotherapist department, also without cost (and very professional they were). But what I need is an MRI to determine what happened in the knee. I got put on a list. I rang them today, five weeks after I was put on the list and ten weeks after the event itself. I was told that I won’t get actual, you know, medical treatment for my knee, for six to nine months more. Basically I could wait an entire year to get treated.

What. The. Fuck. The reason why I had no insurance is because the U.S. granting agency took six months to approve expenditure on the project I am working on now. But I didn’t expect that I would be without any medical treatment for a debilitating injury that keeps me awake at nights due to the pain, and which is slowly getting worse for the delay. Because I lapsed my insurance, my new medical insurance doesn’t cover it as a pre-existing condition.

So it seems I have a third world – which is to say an American – health problem. Jesus wept.

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Comments (11)

  2. Do you think the ordinary Joe or Jane is more likely to turn to the consolations of religion in such situations?

    It seems to me that people living in countries with a greater degree of social health care and other social benefits tend to be less seriously religious than counties where people ‘make their own arrangements’.

    Meanwhile, there are various creams and gels that you can rub on painful knees. I know from personal experience that some of them have a positive effect. They’re no cure, but they might help you get a decent night’s sleep – something that no one appreciates until you can’t get it.

    1. It seems to me that people living in countries with a greater degree of social health care and other social benefits tend to be less seriously religious than counties where people ‘make their own arrangements’.

      Not sure that’s correct.

      I work in a very religious country in the sunny middle east, health care for the citizens is free and covers dental as well as the hospital and out patient treatments.
      My company covers my costs though I do have to pay 100 rials/year (about 20GBP) for my health card for registration in the system as do all non-citizens.

      By law, all ex-pat workers have to have full medical insurance paid by their employer and that is enforced.

      Water and Electricity are also free for the citizens.

      No one is forced to pray but the muslims are very observant of prayers and the christian churches and hindu temple are busy.

  3. Sorry about the pain, and the messed up medical system, and all the rest. It would be nice if things were nicer.

  4. I leave anything that Australia designates elective to my annual trip to the UK. The NHS is worse than the rest of W Europe, but better than here. Never paid a cent – or penny – in all my visits, including minor surgery. We are in many ways politically closer to the US than to Europe; employment relations being another case.

  5. One of the reasons — perhaps the primary reason — I’ve never regretted leaving the US for the UK is the NHS. Neil says its worse than the rest of Western Europe; I’ve been in contact with relatives in Germany and France who have to deal with the medical systems there, and I’m not convinced that, on the whole, it is significantly worse. And I know that one’s location in the UK can make a difference in the treatment one receives, but I think that’s likely anywhere. And, yes, I think we could use real vision and dental coverage. And, no, I don’t think the NHS should cover homeopathy.

    But, all in all, it is a fabulous system, and so superior to the joke that is medical care in the US as to give me serious, serious qualms about ever returning. And, believe me, I have some major reasons for possibly eventually wanting to return.

    What’s really funny is that the NHS will send patients to the US for advanced treatment not available here, whilst US citizens who can’t afford the insurance or copay or whatever are left to rot.

    ‘Greatest country on earth’ my expatriate white arse.

  7. Owww. You’ll have to marry a European, and move over here. We can even offer chocolate.

  9. Hi John: I had somehow naively assumed that Australia would be like, e.g., Belgium or the UK. I hope this doesn’t prevent you from coming to Poland. It would be great to meet up again. Try cold packs and gels, and of course, combine these with a firm belief that these gels actually help and you’ll get a wonderful placebo effect that might actually help a little.

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