As an American I’m curious what it’s like if you need to go to the doctor and how much you pay from say a broken arm to general checkup. Also list what country please

  • paranoia@feddit.dk
    1·
    3 days ago

    The public system in Ireland is not tied to any income threshold. There is a nominal fee that is waived if you are unemployed, disabled, a part time worker, etc., but the public system is accessible to all.

    • Nibodhika@lemmy.world
      1·
      2 days ago

      Without a medical card you need to pay for visits, also your GP decides where he forwards you to, if he forwards you to a private specialist that’s where you need to go, and if you don’t have a medical card you will have to pay for that as well.

      In THEORY the public system is free, but:

      • Your GP NEEDS to forward you. Despite having a family history of heart conditions mine refused to forward me to a cardiologist.
      • Some specialists simply aren’t available on the public system, my wife needed a psychiatrist and the waiting time was 1.5 YEARS
      • You still need to pay for your visit, sure that’s a low value and it caps at €800 per year, but that’s still NOT free