Guest guest Posted November 28, 2004 Report Share Posted November 28, 2004 It's true that between what we put out for health insurance, and then co-pays that we use a large chunk of our income for medical bills. There are many things I don't do for my boys because of the cost factor. That would include going to a DAN doctor, or any alternative medicine. ( there are a few DAN doctors that accept insurance and will bill around the alternative medicine issue, but they are few and far between) I live in NY, and will admit that for an upstate area, we do have services. It took me a few years to find them. We aren't dirt poor and we aren't rich. We aren't even really middle class. What keeps me here, is the services. While I pay out the nose for health insurance and it prevents me from the care that I sometimes need, I don't have to deal with that for the boys. We started out with what NY calls CHP and then went for the medicaid wavier for all 3 boys. Due to our family dynamics and my second oldest son's issues we were off the waiting list in a year. S now gets SSI but the other two do not, they are both on the waiver. Funding is not abundant and when you go outside the norms and ask charity groups for help, a lot will put you down and make you feel useless. There are people out there much worse off then me. It kills me that I was able to find the help and not everyone else can. Then again, I've also run up against people that just won't do what needs to be done to get what thier child needs. The one thing that I have always admired about medicine in the UK, is that they are unafriad to try new and experimental things. The medical system over there, also is not afraid to admit they made mistakes and change what needs to be changed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 28, 2004 Report Share Posted November 28, 2004 Hi , > We also pay taxes here too. We do not pay them at the 40-50% rate as the > UK does, Tax in the UK is not 40-50%! You do not pay income tax at all on the first part of your income (about £4600 or maybe $7000), and that is *everybody*. Everybody then pays 20% on the next part and there is a sliding scale so that you pay a *maximum* of 40% for anything you earn over a certain limit. So the tax goes in stages for everyone. Then there is National Insurance which is a contribution to the state pension. NI is only paid if you earn more than a certain amount each week (even though everyone gets state pension regardless of if they've been able to contribute), and there is a maximum contribution too. Council tax is paid depending on the value of your property (and those with low incomes get relief from this too), and this goes towards education, social services, libraries (where anyone can borrow books for free), road maintenance and services like bin emptying. And finally there is VAT, currently 17 1/2%, on most goods, although not children's clothes, or books. I think it is less on gas and electricity. If you have a chronic illness needing regular medication (like diabetes) then you do not have to pay anything for any of your medications. Parents do not have to pay for children's medications either. in England Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 29, 2004 Report Share Posted November 29, 2004 Yes, . I think the VAT on " domestic fuel " is 10%. The government a few years ago (Tories) wanted to put it up the the full rate but were prevented from doing so by the oposition. National Insurance has increased a lot this year though. Where I worked before we had lots of students working in their holidays and I used to so payroll. When April 2003 came and the new rates were introduced they were all coming to me saying their pay had been cut. They did not pay tax as they were below the allowance level, but they all pay National Insurance, as you don't have to earn much to pay that and the increase was noticeable. Also, your tax allowance is spread out over the year, but National Insurance is week by week. So if you earn a lot one week you pay National Insurance and you don't get a rebate when your earnings drop as you would with tax. The employer makes a much bigger contribution in terms of National Insurance than the indiviual does. Although the tax is stepped we found that if you worked full time, by the time you add up all the tax, National Insurance etc, it was a lot. Fortunately we have now moved to Hong Kong where tax is only 17%! (Though we have to fund health care privately.) The UK is a great place to live but it can be really expensive for middle earners! We didn't eat out a lot on the UK as it is so expensive, we do it a bit more of that here (and in Australia and USA) as it is so much more affordable. The strange thing is that food is good value in the UK but eating out is expensive. How does that work I wonder?? Well, who can eat out with an ADHD/Aspie kid anyway (except Macs!!)?? Lesley Hong Kong --- Rowell <nancy@...> wrote: > Hi , > > > We also pay taxes here too. We do not pay them at > the 40-50% rate as the > > UK does, > > Tax in the UK is not 40-50%! You do not pay income > tax at all on the first > part of your income (about £4600 or maybe $7000), > and that is *everybody*. > Everybody then pays 20% on the next part and there > is a sliding scale so > that you pay a *maximum* of 40% for anything you > earn over a certain limit. > So the tax goes in stages for everyone. > > Then there is National Insurance which is a > contribution to the state > pension. NI is only paid if you earn more than a > certain amount each week > (even though everyone gets state pension regardless > of if they've been able > to contribute), and there is a maximum contribution > too. > > Council tax is paid depending on the value of your > property (and those with > low incomes get relief from this too), and this goes > towards education, > social services, libraries (where anyone can borrow > books for free), road > maintenance and services like bin emptying. > > And finally there is VAT, currently 17 1/2%, on most > goods, although not > children's clothes, or books. I think it is less on > gas and electricity. > > If you have a chronic illness needing regular > medication (like diabetes) > then you do not have to pay anything for any of your > medications. Parents do > not have to pay for children's medications either. > > in England > > ___________________________________________________________ ALL-NEW Messenger - all new features - even more fun! http://uk.messenger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted November 30, 2004 Report Share Posted November 30, 2004 The cost of medicines in this country is ridiculous! I live in CA, and spend $25 on some medicines, per month, though I do get lucky and pay $5 or $10 for others. (And it's amazing what the insurance co.'s remainder to pay is -- the pharmacy receipt shows the true cost.) My 9 yod has six prescriptions she takes regularly, and my 3 yos has 1 (though there are extra asthma meds we get for both as needed). I pay a lot per month in medical insurance, which I know I'm lucky to have, but it's only because I've chosen to work in order to get that extra $$ and better insurance. (Dh has good insurance offered, but there is a huge deductible, so one ER visit could result in us paying $3000 in one month's time.) It used to be that a doctor could prescribe a 60-day supply and you could get it for the same cost as a 30-day, but now they've capped it in many instances, so you can only get 30-days at a time -- and for medicines like Maxalt (anti-migraine med my 9 yod and I are on), it only comes 6 pills per box, and the insurance co. will only cover so much per month, even if you need more. It's not right -- we work so hard to pay for that insurance, yet they can deny things that way. My 3 yos (the reason I'm on this list) has hip rotation in one hip, and both knees have rotation, resulting in flat feet. He requires orthotics, to the tune of $220, every other shoe size -- insurance won't cover 'inserts,' yet they said happily "We'll cover any surgery or braces he needs later on though!" Well, gee, I feel better now...grrr, insurance can be a touchy subject. Donna medicines and costs In a message dated 11/26/04 7:31:14 PM Central Standard Time, Autism and Aspergers Treatment writes: prescription medicine. (When I arrived in Hong Kong Iwas amazed to find that I could buy things likeVentolin Inhalers over the counter in the chemists forhalf what a prescription cost in the UK!) Alsomistakes are often made, such as the lack of supportfor this couple, and for victims of child abuse Hi LesleyMy husband and I and my one son ( I have two) the one who is Aspergers, are all on prescriptions, and out of our pockets we pay 30$ EACH for each of our prescriptions so this totals almost 200$ a month, and our insurance costs us 400$ amonth out of our pocket just to have it from his employer. We also have to pay other costs such as doctor visits. Right now we owe over 3000$ for my husband's recent hand surgery. We also pay taxes here too. We do not pay them at the 40-50% rate as the UK does, but at the same time, we do pay them and sometimes for some of us over here our taxes, and our medical costs out of pocket can cost over 50% of our incomes for some of us. I have been there!My sister who lives in England tells us that we have a better medical system, better trained doctors, and a much better and faster medical care here in the USA, but still it is not always that good nor is it at all cheap for any of us, except those who are quite low income.Love in IL Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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