To think the USA and UK should become 1 country

[FortyDoorsToNowhere]

As the title says.

I think it should happen, not sure why exactly other than to pool out resources.

[wobblyweebles]

Ha ha menage a tepid. More fun than a menage a trois.

[steff13]

Then you know it is a dire system and cannot be compared to the NHS.

I know no such thing. Medicaid offers valuable coverage to people who need it. It covers doctor visits, hospitalizations, prescriptions, surgery, etc., 100%. Nearly 100% of the doctors and dentists in my area and 100% of the hospitals accept it. I've worked with children who've received millions of dollars worth of medical care for congenital illnesses with Medicaid. People who've receive home modifications for their disabilities through Medicaid. Further, I did not intend to compare it to the NHS, I simply wanted to clarify that people in the US without private insurance are still able to receive healthcare. I don't know enough about the NHS to make a comparison, nor am I interested in doing so.

^Steff you cannot have David Tennant, that's a deal breaker. In consolation, however, I proffer davina mcCall and Tess daly.
You can keep them two.^

I don't know who they are, but as counter offer, you can keep David Tennant, as long as you take Piers Morgan back. :)

[Newjobthankgod]

I lived in the USA until I was 21. I lived in the UK until I was 33. Then I went back home. I am a registered nurse who has worked in both countries. Let me just say HELL NO.

First of all americans wouldn't cope with an NHS. For all the whining they do about medical bills let me tell you that they are the first ones that would be on the ground at their doctors' surgery screaming, throwing a temper tantrum and smashing the place up if they had to wait more than 24 hours for scan, a specialist appointment and a result.

I work in a non profit hospital here. It is one of the best hospitals in the northeast and it gives free care to the uninsured and poor. They get private rooms with TVs high tech medicine, share a nurse with only 4 other patients (it would be 18 other patients in a uk hospital). They get room service. And they scream and tantrum. The room isn't big enough for their friends to hang out in, the tv doesn't have enough channels, the pizza and soda is no good. The doctor put them on a diabetic diet and now the kitchen room service wont send up ice cream so they throw a drip stand out the window and punch a nurses aid. Seriously. These people could not cope with an NHS. Neither the rich, the middle or the poor. Americans are bratty. An NHS type of organization couldn't afford all the equipment to deal with 80% of their patients weighing over 50 stone either.

Secondly, we would shoot all yous up with our automatic weapons. Seriously, just walk on my lawn bitches. Come on now.

[mathanxiety]

Brits would never stand for leashing their dogs at all times, or shovelling snow off the path in front of your house.

The cultural differences are indeed immense, and the mindsets are poles apart, in particular the sense of possibility, lacking in Britain (but weirdly alive and kicking in Ireland most of the time).

I agree with the chocolate classification scheme offered by Arfishy. I would like to break down 'European' into:
Swiss
German/Belgian/French

[Newjobthankgod]

I agree with steff13. The American health care model is cheaper for me. My employer pays for my health insurance for myself my husband and our three kids. I contribute a small amount that is less than national insurance. We never have medical bills. If my GP decides I need an MRI I get it as soon as I can go and get it done. Most of my patients are poor and get free care in the same place as everyone else. They get things like dialysis catheters/ tessio lines for their self inflicted poor lifestyle choice kidney failure and then they shoot thru the damn thing with heroin and break it. Then medicare pays for them to get another so they can have dialysis. You know the drill.

My salary as a Nurse is 2.5 times what it was in the UK. The US system is weird and fails at times but it works for some. My dd has permanent hearing loss from waiting for an op in the UK. She would have had it in Pennsylvania under CHiP even if we were poor and unemployed.

[arfishy]

Oh yes Martha, very good!

I'm going to counter offer Steff - Australia proposes Hugh Jackman in return for David T.

And no we don't want Piers either.

[Rosencrantz]

I like right to control my own reproductive organ too much to be interested in becoming American.

[goinggreyagain]

I knew I was completely Americanised when I was annoyed at having to wait a day for an appt for my GP .

[Aussiemum78]

I don't care, just leave Aussies out of it. We are busy being awesome on the bottom of the world with free healthcare, good beaches and decent coffee (America that's directed at the engine oil you call coffee!)

[arfishy]

How's your weather today Aussie? It's gloriously hot here and we're preparing to go to the aforementioned gorgeous beach for New Years Eve fireworks.

[FortyDoorsToNowhere]

Why would you need a bridge, there isn't one to Ireland, which one part is the uk.

But I agree it's not that thought out on my part. I blame the alcohol.

[cleofatra]

Britains have been built up to believe that the NHS is the best in the world and I find many are very confused when they are told it isn't, necessarily.
Im with Aussiemum
keepsquiet

[Morgause]

God, no!

[KeatsiePie]

Seriously, just walk on my lawn bitches. Come on now. Hahahaha! Totally.

I love my health insurance and my options for medical care but I am very very aware that it is tied to my job, and I really hate that. I think it is deeply unacceptable and embarrasses us as a country.

But we have lots of different kinds of weather here, and topography, it is very interesting. I suppose you could just visit to get the benefits of all that though. Hmm ... perhaps we could sort of smush up our major churches and your Church of England and see what the result would be, could be very interesting. Ooh, and what about the money? Who would we put on the bills?

[LookingThroughTheFog]

It's not for me.

There are countries much closer to home who have better finances, better healthcare, 100% literacy rates (can't remember which one, but somewhere in Scandinavia I think), less crime and so forth. I'd rather share resources and knowledge with them.

America isn't for me.

Can I ask about American health insurance, because it intrigues me?

My employer pays for my health insurance for myself my husband and our three kids.

I take it your insurance would be cancelled if you left your job? What would happen then? Medicaid?

Say you developed an underlying health condition which meant that you couldn't work, so lost your job. So you'd then have no insurance, and an underlying medical condition. Could you still get insurance?

Last one - I've seen (on reality TV, to be fair), people who don't take their ongoing medication because they can't afford it. Isn't medication covered by Medicaid?

One of the things that scares me about medical insurance, is that I doubt I could get insurance at an affordable rate. I'm bipolar. I've cost the NHS thousands in the past year, and I pay the same rate of NI as everyone else. Yes, I feel guilty about it, but it's nice that I'm not dead.

[rabbitlady]

do we get a free mcdonalds breakfast? if so, you can count on my vote.

[sashh]

Noooooooooooooooooooooooooooo

Thatcher tried to make us in to the 51st state, I don't want that.

I don't want the right to carry a gun to the corner shop.

I don't want some raving bloke who has no idea how my body works telling me I can't have an abortion.

I don't want to be turned away from A and E because I'm poor.

If I'm unlucky enough to need a mastectomy (mother x3 grandmother x1 maternal aunt x1 so a chance) I want to be in hospital after my op being looked after by nurses, not sent home with a drain in situ because an insurance company thinks that's OK.

I don't want kids to pledge allegiance at school every day.

If I'm working in health care and rushed off my feet I don't want to write in notes that someone has had a med and then not give it because I only have the time to give a med or write in the notes. If it is in the notes I won't be sued.

[Ehhn]

I would hate to feel less than worthy because I'm an atheist. The thought of being connected to the Deep South fills me with horror. And I love the nhs.

[LookingThroughTheFog]

Oo, another question; in the scenario above, where someone is presented with a medical bill, and they get it wiped off because they can't afford it, who makes up the shortfall?

[DameDeepRedBetty]

Of course you lot can come back and rejoin the Empire, unfortunately you owe £6,987,674,571,555,289,357 17s 5d in unpaid back revenue on tea you imported without permission.

[OodToSeeTheBackOf2013]

If the bridge linked to NYC I might be tempted.
Though I'm not handing over David Tennant.
Not even for Hugh Jackman Australia!
Could we offer Bruce Forcyth? He's an antique...

[HappTeeNewYear]

Oh fuck no.

I immigrated from the US and will never ever live there again. It's a developed country with developing country attitudes, healthcare and crime.

What a fucking ridiculous idea.

[arfishy]

Oood, I reject your Brucie offer, regardless of "National Treasure" status.

What about Hugh Jackman and Crocodile Dundee for David T?

[DameDeepRedBetty]

We'll write the unpaid tax off in exchange for you keeping Justin Bieber's mouth permanently covered in gaffa tape though.

arfishy I'll happily accept Hugh Jackman!

[HappTeeNewYear]

"I take it your insurance would be cancelled if you left your job? What would happen then? Medicaid?"

There is a subsidiary called COBRA (stands for something or other) that you can buy when you leave your job to continue your coverage while you get a new job. It costs a bomb, though.

I think Obamacare eliminated preexisting condition clauses, but I may be wrong. It was suppose to but it may be one of those things the Republicans voted down the fucking wankers.