Social Security

Social Security

Social Security

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What is called Social Security in the USA has nothing to do with our Social Security.

 

What is Social Security?

What is called Social Security in the USA has nothing to do with our Social Security.

 

Social Security is a federal agency that was created largely for pensions.

 

Employees and all the self-employed pay a percentage of their earnings throughout their life which will later be used for their retirement.

 

Unlike France, moreover, pensions are not pay-as-you-go.

Everyone gets paid according to their payments, obviously capped.

See our retirement file "lifepractice / retirement"

 

Retirees are entitled to health coverage called Medicare.

 

Certain children, certain disadvantaged families also benefit from various aid, Medicaid.

 

Some cities and states help the poorest families to receive care, especially children.

 

Obama's new health care law will change a lot.

 

The State of the American Health System

 

Numerous studies, articles, broadcasts, films (eg: "Sicko" by Michael Moore), highlight the deficiency of the American health system.

 

There is therefore no health protection as in France and in all developed countries.

These are private insurance.

 

However, care is extremely expensive.

For example, a visit to a specialist will be $ 300 for the first and then $ 200.

A general practitioner will be $ 70 to $ 150, depending on the location or its fame.

Prices vary from single to triple between New York and Atlanta or Houston.

 

The result is that insurance prices reach astronomical prices and increase according to the price of care which itself increases much faster than the cost of living.

 

As a result, more and more people can no longer afford quality insurance.

 

The only insurance at reasonable cost are those taken out by employers who obtain rates from cheaper groups or sometimes from religious congregations.

 

Unfortunately, as employers are not obliged to take out insurance for their employees, more and more companies are bypassing themselves and no longer providing insurance for their employees or opting for minimum insurance. This too will be changed by the new law.

 

The quality of care

 

The quality of care is not necessarily very good.

 

There are big disparities between top hospitals located in major cities in wealthy states like California, New York, Washington and those in the rest of the US.

The exploits we hear about in France only reflect a top and tiny part of the care provided.

 

The differences are huge between the care available to the poor and the rich.

 

Doctors are so afraid of lawsuits that for a simple cold, they can have you do lots of tests to prove that they have not let a more important pathology go by than they could later be blamed.

 

Even though Moore's film is controversial, it is nonetheless fair enough since 45 million people have no health insurance and many more millions have insufficient insurance to provide them with quality care.

 

A law obliges hospitals to treat you.

 

But for that, one must practically be on the verge of death.

 

Otherwise, before even looking at you, you will be asked for your proof of insurance or your credit card.

The result is that people do not treat themselves on time and decide to do so when it is often too late.

 

If you are going to the United States, even on a trip, take out health insurance.

Otherwise, you risk paying your whole life.

 

The World Health Organization has rated the health system of 191 nations.

The USA come in 37th place and France and Italy in the first 2.

The USA is ranked 23rd for child mortality and life expectancy is 60 years.

 

They have been very successful in reducing cigarettes, but obesity is still a very serious problem.

 

The adage that it is better to be rich and in good health is still, unfortunately, more true in the United States than in other industrialized countries.

 

Too bad the richest country in the world has such a failing health system, at least for now. Hopefully the new law, Obama care, will make a real difference. This does not appear to be the case yet.