Having followed both sides of the US health care debate, I approached the Danish health care system with skepticism. I was prepared for long queues, difficult access, and a poor level of care. But, I've been pleasantly surprised!
I'm not sure this is the place to be if you've got a life threatening illness, there's too much potential for cost cutting and shortcut-taking. But the more I think about it, the more I see that the US system plays a similar game with PCPs, referrals, pre-certifications, etc. My experience in Denmark so far has well exceeded expectations. It's at the very least equal to, and in some ways, better than, the private system I was used to in the US.
The CPR number is the Danish equivalent to the US Social Security number. I swear you cannot do anything without one of these. This little yellow card is my health card, library card, and ticket to a Danish bank account, the tax office, and pretty much every other practical aspect of setting up a life here. In Denmark, everyone who has residency (temporary or permanent) or citizenship has health care.
They've also introduced something called, NEM ID. It's basically a single sign-on to the tax and banking system. I enter my username and password, then I get a 4 digit code, which I look up on a paper card that's sent in the mail. Each 4 digit code corresponds to a single use PIN that I can then use to login. Once I'm out of codes, they automatically send me a new card.
My bank account and the tax office (SKAT) are linked, so my income, interest earned and paid, etc. is automatically shared by my bank with the tax office, and my Danish tax return is figured automatically. As an American, this is an uncomfortable system for me. I'm not used to Big Brother having such easy access to my health records, library records, and spending habits. Yeah, I know, "if you're not doing anything wrong, there's nothing to worry about." Whatever. I'm not a fan of the Patriot Act, either. It's not because I've got anything to hide, it's because I was raised with a certain expectation of privacy and giving that up makes me a bit anxious. It's just so — not American. But, the system is incredibly efficient. If I need to book a doctor appointment, I go to a website, sign in with my CPR number and book online. I can email my doctor and receive a reply the next day. I can call any weekday morning between 8 and 9 and speak with my doctor. I have direct contact, not just an empty promise of "the doctor is with a patient, I'll have her call you."
Article comments
1 - Glenn Contrarian
Nonononononono! socialized health care is BAD, young lady, BAD! Just ask any conservative in America, and they'll tell you just how much better we have it here than anywhere else in the world!
Right now I can promise you that Sean Hannity is adding you to his list of card-carrying members of the Socialist Party....
2 - Boeke
Like Sage, I have experienced European healthcare and it worked well, was easy to navigate, inexpensive and perfectly adequate.
3 - Glenn Contrarian
NONONONONONO! Tom Cruise himself is jumping up and down on a couch telling you how evil and socialist it is to even suggest that other nations - and especially socialist nations - have a better health care system than we do!
4 - Amy@AiA
It's not that European healthcare is inexpensive it's that you are not directly paying for it. The problem with European healthcare is that it's revenue to operate comes from taxes, which is fine if everyone can agree to fork over some more. Those type of systems also operate along the lines of "everyone pays in and so everyone will use" which is far from the case.
In Britain (where I live as an expat) for example there are huge waiting lists for most things having to do with dental hygiene (big surprise there) so most people have to go private anyway while STILL paying into a system that promises them dental care. This is a waste of their own personal, hard earned money.
Healthcare would be great, if we could afford it. We are not like these Scandinavian countries for a number of reasons and I hope people will stop comparing the US to them. For one, we have a lot larger population and a very sickly population to boot.
5 - Boeke
Average per capita health cost in the USA is about 50% more than industrial Europe, and we still don't cover everyone.
Our monopoly operated, for profit, health system is a fiscal failure. It costs us about $2.5trillion per year and about $1trillion of that is overcharges and waste. If we converted to a simple UHC we could easily reduce the National Debt and eliminate the Deficit. You know, just what all those politicians and Tea Partiers claim to want to do.
6 - Cindy
Socialism is bad. Why? Because it is SOCIALISM!
7 - zingzing
amy: "For one, we have a lot larger population and a very sickly population to boot."
why are we so sickly?
8 - S.T..M
I like what happens Down Under: A good universal health care system paid for out of our taxes, but combined with a private system that runs parallel to it.
I have private insurance like a lot of Aussies, but often myself or my family using the public system too. In that system, I have my choice of doctor and a private room where possible.
Getting a tax break on my health insurance is important too. It takes pressure off the public system - unlike in many parts of Europe - and offers that all-important ingredient: CHOICE.
However, I also like the idea that those not as well off as myself will have the same quality care I get, or close to it. Even if it means I pay a bit more in tax, because I know those earning less are paying just as much on a pro-rata basis, even if it's a lesser amount.
That is not socialism, it's a bit of mild social engineering, and should not be confused with socialism ... most Americans wouldn't know real socialism if it bit them on the arse.
And a health country is a happy country. A country where everyone feels they are treated with equal importance is even happier.
America's problem in relation to this is not so much the cost - which is bad enough - but the divide it has created.
For a society that supposedly prides itself on its egalitarianism, there's an awful lot of inequality and lack of compassion.
9 - S.T..M
And yes, our public health system is very similar to Denmark's ... including a "safety net" on prescriptions and specialist visits.
My wife used to visit a specialist twice a month, and would be $80 out of pocket for the first few months on his fee of about $260 per one-hour consultation (which is $80 above the fee scheduled by the government; that is, the amount the government will cover, although doctors can charhe what they like within reason).
However, after a couple of months, she paid only the scheduled fee ... by paying the full amount to him each consultation and then going to the local Medicare office and getting an $80 cash refund.
Ditto with prescription medication, although quite a lot of it is subsidised by the government (with our taxes, of course). In that scenario of it being subsidised, a medication that might normally cost, say, $200 a month, will cost next to nothing.
Those figures are almost identical to US dollar figures, too.
10 - Cindy
Stan,
I thought you might like this, if you haven't seen it yet.
Surfing a ‘Tsunami’ Wave With Crocodiles for 20 Miles [HD Film]: Dodging Crocs and Riding a Chocolate Wave
11 - S.T..M
Thanks Cindy! I love ya. That was insane. I have seen a bit footage of similar tidal bore waves in the Amazon, China and a river in England or Wales (The Severn Bore), but not in Indo - which, BTW, also has some of the best regular waves on the planet: as good, some say better, than Hawaii.
However, that is the best footage I've seen of tidal bore waves being ridden anywhere. It looks like there was a light offshore wind (blowing on to the wave from in front), which cleans the face of the wave up and makes it perfect.
I'm off for a second look :)
12 - S.T..M
Even better the second time around. Good on ya Cindy.
13 - STM
Cindy, just showing thyat clip to all the boys at work. We're loving it. Indonesia's our closest neighbour, lots of us have been up there surfing, so everyone's trying to work out where the river is.
Cheers.