For a lot of Americans, though, such an arrangement can certainly feel free, or at least much more convenient, because health care in the US is notoriously expensive, unreliable, and complicated to navigate. For example, “basic preventive care like what Ariana is describing, particularly dental care and eye exams, are part of health coverage in France,” Williams says, “but in the US, dental and eye coverage are often separate.”
A 2021 study of 11 high-income nations, including Australia, France, Germany, Canada, and the UK, among others, concluded that the US—which was the only country surveyed without universal health insurance coverage—ranks last overall in providing accessible, affordable, and high-quality health care. In fact, 38% of US adults reported that they didn’t receive their recommended medical care in the past year because it was too expensive, which is more than four times the rates for people in Norway and the Netherlands. The US, compared to other high-income nations, also has the lowest life expectancy at birth, the highest maternal and infant mortality, and the highest rate of people with multiple chronic conditions.
Unfortunately, this doesn’t mean you can fly to France or any other country with universal health care and finally fill your cavities at little to no cost. Any medical services you get abroad won’t be covered by their insurance system, Williams says, although prices will still generally be cheaper than those in the US. Instead, you can sign up for travel health insurance if you want it, which you can get either through your insurance provider if you have one or via a separate short-term policy.
While there’s plenty of room for improvement within the US health care system, Paralympic sitting volleyball player Nicky Nieves tells SELF that staying in the Olympic Village for the 2016 Rio Games actually made her recognize how privileged she was to have access to her care in the US.
“In the Village, there’s a medical clinic, dentists, and a prosthetic company. For a lot of [athletes in] other countries, this will be their only opportunity for access,” says Nieves, who was born without a left hand. “You’ll see long lines for the prosthetist to get something fixed or fitted. It could be that someone’s leg hasn’t fit for years but they’ve just been competing with it because they don’t have any other option. Now that they’re at the Games, it gets resolved.”
The eye-opening experience has given her a unique perspective that she wouldn’t have had if it weren’t for the Paralympics, she adds: “Seeing things like that is really grounding.”
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Source : Self.com