bpeuWinning is relative
Lifted_loweredInstead of being smug Europeans could try to help foster solidarity amongst the workers of the world and help Americans fight for their labor rights
Ok, how do I, as an individual, do that?
By posting memes on Lemmy to piss off Americans, so they start to take formative action after they research the memes context and realise they don’t have free health care, cheap/free post secondary education, and mandatory holidays like the EU bros.
ie: Post them memes buddy!
Free healthcare does not exist. Someone will pay the bill. The bill may not be ridiculously inflated but someone pays.
I guess what Europeans mean by free healthcare is healthcare that doesn’t structurally fuck over the poor, and makes what’s left of the middle class poor as soon as they have a bit of bad luck regarding their health.
Most people that consider european healthcare free do not pay for healthcare because they are still studying. Healthcare is cheaper because the insurance companies are involved in paying the bills and negotiating prices where in the us there is no negotiation.
Healthcare is essentially a progressive tax in Germany. You pay based on your income - and none if you have none, but you get care based on your needs.
I pay around 1300€/month (split about equal between me and my employer, and I’m pretty well paid), even though I cost maybe 10€/month, and the rest is a form of solidarity. That also means, I will literally never be in a situation where I can’t pay for healthcare, even if I’m unemployed.
You technically can fall out off the system, bit it rarely happens. Not sure about the details though.
Rückkehr zur Krankenversicherung nicht aufschieben
Etwa 61.000 Menschen in Deutschland (Stand 2019) sind ohne Krankenversicherung. Dabei ist der Versicherungsschutz während der Corona-Pandemie wichtiger denn je. Der VdK erklärt, wie man in das Versicherungssystem zurückzukehrt und womit man rechnen muss.
Yeah anyone who looks at lifetime bills in America Vs Europe and thinks the American system is better because it’s “not actually free in Europe” is completely delusional imo.
It’s free at the point of delivery. The whole of society pays for the whole of societies health care. As you mention it can mean young people paying more than they currently cost (although let’s not ignore the young people who do have serious issues and likely wouldn’t have a big employer funded healthcare plan), but when you’re older you’re paying way less than you cost, and don’t have all the anxiety about whether you can afford a preventative treatment, or if your medical bills will bankrupt you and make you homeless at age 70. That’s well worth the up front minor expenditure that comes out of your taxes and isn’t noticiable to me.
American salaries are higher, but they tend to spend (what looks to me at least) as a similar amount on taxes and healthcare as people in Europe do, but have much less to show for it.