h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

When Gruesome #2 got hit by a hockey stick in the neck a short while ago, I took her to our GP, but his surgery was closed for holiday so I went to the locum - as soon as they heard it happened at school they couldn't get us out of the surgery fast enough in favour of sending us to a huge practice which deals directly with the schools ministry. and has lots of shiny expensive scanning and x-ray equipment.

"Dealing directly" might be the keyword. Less bureaucracy involved than when having do do the Don Quixote against the ing Krankenkasse.

"to" do, sorry. Freudian typo perhaps.

@Sho:

>>I don't see that anyone should have to "suck it up" without a comparative reduction in NI so that you could use the balance to take out private health insurance.


Well there was some irony intended. It's like all these things: 'How can they get away with that?!!!' Well... they can. They have. The answer is fairly obvious: higher taxation and democratic control over the way it's spent. But the biggest legacy of Thatcherism - apart from structural unemployment, the dismantling of industrial infrastructure and locking the country into commercial housing - was the freezing of fiscal policy. Ever since 'Labour's Double Whammy', ther're no options for how we fund healthcare and other public services. The only way is down.

Aaaaand...breathe.

Hi, Two Bit.


Here (Alberta, Canada) they ask "is this work related?" I've never answered "yes" but I assume it just means they add another form to the chart for you to submit to the Workers' Compensation Board: "Workers' compensation compensates injured workers for lost income, health care and other costs related to a work-related injury." http://www.wcb.ab.ca/


I assume that that "health care" is expenses not covered by the normal "socialized"( that just sounds so funny) health care system.

Here prescription drugs, dental care, ambulances are not (normally) covered by the public system (except during hospital stays, it seems), but private insurance which covers such things. And, for example, people with "severe handicaps" which prevent them from being fully employed (if they apply) are provided with dental care, prescription drug coverage, glasses, ambulance service as well as a bare minimum living income.

I should `perha`ps mention that Alberta is generally considered the most right-wing, conservative, free enterprise, libertarian part of Canada.

Oh. And the liability thing.

Maybe there's something about it on that WCB link above.