Health care is something everybody wants but very few actually get. I think that a good health care plan needs to be provided to all citizens world wide!

Just to give you an example: I get paid a salary every month for doing nothing, I am unemployed and living in Belgium! So what is wrong with that? I have lived in Costa Rica for over 11 years and talked to a lot of Americans that left the states to live the good life in Costa Rica. I heard a lot about your social security system and I’ve seen first hand what it looks like in Costa Rica too. Actually, In Costa Rica you get what the Americans are so afraid of, waiting in line for hours, clinics that look like a mechanics place, free medicine but never available. So in Costa Rica, we went to the private clinics, a lot more expensive but at least you had a chance of being cured. THAT is socialized medicine in a third world country. I am assuming that you are not living in a third world country!

After 11 years of living and working in paradise, we moved back to Belgium about 6 months ago.

In those 6 months I:

- Got my gallbladder taken out (surgery) $60

- visited my dentist $2

- visited my doctor $2

- got my asthma inhalers $1

- Antibiotics for an tooth infection $1.5

- and a bottle of pain killers $1

……priceless !!!

I would love to know what I would have paid in the States……

To me, the United States is supposed to be a civilized and modern country that takes care of their people, it seems to me that at this moment it is only trying to defend their people from exterior treats but is lacking in taking care of their citizens when they are old, ill or unemployed. I hear it is such a great country but still, there are over 40 million people without health insurance which means that in the next year 18.000 of you will die because you are uninsured and every year the numbers are rising.

It is not flattering that the US is ranked on the 37^th place as a health system by the World Health Organization.

Have you ever seen the movie SICKO? I know that a lot of you think it is the wrong picture, full of lies or propaganda but as a European I can assure you that it is TRUE!

For those who have health care, on average, you spend more on your insurance  than you do on food and housing combined.

The quality and availability of medical care in the States are rated amongst the best in the world,so what are you waiting for to share it with all American citizens?

A couple of reasons why you should consider...

1. Every day there are more people dying who could have been helped in a socialized system. The working class is facing higher costs for health care and are often choosing to go without it. Until something happens...

2. Doctors will finally have the time to concentrate on healing the patient, without being forced into the social security paper mill. Some physicians prefer to leave the profession rather than deal with all these non-medical headaches.

3. Physicians will be able to run all the tests needed to get the right diagnoses without restrictions or approval of the social security. Now they are often restricted as to what tests can be ordered.

4. People will be able to go see their doctors as a prevention or go seek medical help early on. Treatment will be a lot less expensive when patients go seek medical help in early stages. Because of the expenses and the high deductibles, patients often avoid seeing their doctors with minor health problems, for their yearly physicals or other preventive measures. In the long run it would be less expensive because some diseases like cancer would be discovered early on and treatment would be cheaper.

5. Patients with pre-existing conditions will be helped. Now you can only get health insurance when you are healthy. That is the most ridiculous thing I have ever heard. What about those that really need the help. IF they can get an insurance, their health insurance will cover everything BUT their past diagnosed conditions. That is crazy!!

I know you have a lot of reasons why not to opt for socialized health care. There are a lot of issues that are in play. If you could only get an answer to all your questions….

- Who is going to run such a complex system?

- Will we have to fear doctor’s flexibility and poor patient care?

- How much will we have to pay?

- What exactly is going to be covered?

- Will there be more drug abuse when it is free?

- Should we punish those that live healthy and reward the ones who are obese, smoke or use drugs?

- Will we be subjected to extremely long waits for treatment?

- Will we be able to retire?

There are a lot of questions to be answered and the only thing I can give you is an example of how it can be done. It is a very complex system so I will try to explain it a little.

This is what we get:

When I moved back to Belgium, I had to work 1 day for a Belgian employer to be eligible for an unemployment payment, this monthly payment was calculated on my last salary in Costa Rica and the 1 day I worked in Belgium. From the first day, I was covered for health care. As I was suffering from gallstones, the first thing I did was taking care of that and had them removed. I paid about $60 for the surgery. As you can see, it is not completely free. People still have to pay small fees to avoid abuse, same for drugs; we have to pay a small amount.

Our social security covers health care, family benefits, unemployment insurance, old age and invalidity pensions, work accident insurance and long-term care insurance. Who is paying for all that? The employer contributions of up to 25 to 30 % of the gross pay and the employee has to contribute 13,07%. We are automatically enrolled in our state social security system. It looks like this:

The table below lists the contribution percentages applicable as from 1 January 2008. A distinction is made between employers' and employees' contributions.

Sector                                  Employee (%)      Employer's (%)       Total (%)

1. Sickness and invalidity

- medical care                             3.55                3.80                       7.35

- invalidity benefits                     1.15                 2.35                       3.50

2. Unemployment                       0.87                1.46                        2.33

3. Pensions                               7.50                 8.86                       16.36

4. Family benefits                      0.00                7.00                          7.00

5. Accidents at work                  0.00                0.30                          0.30

6. Occupational diseases          0.00                1.00                          1.00

Total (= 'global contribution')    13.07              24.77                        37.84

There are some other social security contributions as well. Employers also have to pay a.o. a wage moderation contribution. This contribution amounts to 5.67% of the worker's salary, increased with 5.67% of the employers' benefits due, including the contributions for the paid educational leave (0.08%) and a contribution for the closure of companies (a general contribution of 0.14% for companies with 1 to 19 employees or of 0.15% for companies with 20 or more employees, and a special contribution of 0.15% for the financing of the temporary unemployment scheme and of the seniority complement for older unemployed persons). For the employees subject to the laws concerning the annual vacation for salaried workers, the contribution is raised with 0.40%. Moreover, the following contributions are also due: a contribution of 0.05% for childcare and a contribution of 0.10 % for high-risk groups. Employers employing ten or more employees on 30 June of the previous year, have to pay an extra contribution of 1.69% for the unemployment scheme.

The self-employed pay their quarterly social security contribution to the social insurance fund they are affiliated with. The contribution is calculated on the self-employed person's net professional labour income

Still, employers and employees are not alone to finance our social security. The federal government annually pays a fixed amount to the RSZ - ONSS, a sum of 5,509,689,000 EUR in 2007. Since a couple of years, Belgium also uses alternative financing sources to fund its social security system.

Our benefits extend to our family members or people that are in our care.. For example: adopted children or when we take care of our grandparents in need.

If you want to benefit from cover under mandatory health care and indemnity insurance, you need to be a member of an insuring organization, either as a policyholder or a dependent. You will then be able to receive various allowances, including:

1. old-age and survivor's pensions;

2. unemployment;

3. insurance for accidents at work;

4. insurance for occupational diseases;

5. family benefits;

6. sickness and disability insurance;

7. annual vacation.

8 income guarantee for the elderly;

9 guaranteed family benefits;

10 benefits for disabled persons

Concretely, you will benefit from social security when

- If you lose your income through unemployment, retirement or incapacity for work. You will obtain a substitution income;

- If you are to bear specific 'social charges', such as raising children or sickness costs, you will receive a supplement to your income;

It is not the most perfect system but it still is better than what is happening in the States right now. Just some quick answers:

no, we do not have to wait in line at the doctors office.

No, we are not more abusive because the drugs are cheap.

No, we are not worried about the medical care we receive......

I hope this hub can help you with you search for the right system. I will try to give a little more details in my next hub because there is a lot more to tell, in the mean time, try to take care of each other.