Universal health care question

Universal doesn't mean free. It means all people who qualify are under the government plan. You aren't in that plan. You would need to pay out of pocket. Some US insurance is valid overseas. Check your policy.

You typically do. At the very least, medical evacuation coverage is advisable in case you run into a serious health issue. Less severe issues (i.e. doctor visits, x-rays / injury care, etc) are unlikely to bankrupt you in Europe... But they'll still typically cost more than what an insurance policy would have.

Because you are not eligible for treatment in those countries as a non-resident.

Italy doesn't have universal health care. Care is provided to citizens and permanent residents.

Health Care is universal in Italy, it is provided to everyone. Just like school is provided to any minor who is staying legally or illegally on Italian soil, the big difference is that school is universal & free whereas the health care is just universal.

In short: You would be eligible for any emergency or life-saving treatment in Italy, but you would be asked to pay all the variable costs resulting from your treatment the moment the emergency is over.

Incidentally, Italian taxpayers would advance only the costs of the best medical treatment you can get in the Region where you are staying. We couldn't care less about the tens of thousands of dollars needed for a medical evacuation by air. Who's going to pay for that flight? It's either you or your travel insurance.

Without mentioning that you may not be used to a public hospital.

I have to wonder whether the original question was posed to mock the idea of universal health care. Maybe not, but it does leave one wondering, no?

The question is asked with some possible assumption of entitlement. Because you are neither a permanent resident nor a citizen of that society, it means you have no entitlement to access things that permanent residents/citizens of that society are entitled to. It's that simple.

That said, there might be some countries that offer some basic health care services for free to tourists although I don't know of any. It is very possible that in some situations, doctors in countries with universal health care may provide some services for free to tourists in need and that usually probably means they are just not going to charge the government the basic service they provided to you (because you aren't in their healthcare system and so the doctor is just absorbing a little of the cost).

The NHS in Britain will in practice treat visitors without charge. There is simply no easy mechanism for charging.

The funding model is entirely different so it’s not as if the orthopaedic department will claim for treating 1 broken arm from some central pot. What happens is that departments have funding based on the likely number of patients they will see and the expected cost of providing that treatment.

@Helen, now that you mention it, I do recall friends touring in the UK and suddenly needing to see a doctor and I recall them saying they weren't charged.

You're right that there's no easy way to charge in situations when there's often no billing department or easy mechanism to charge for things like that. It's a strange concept for Americans typically because we're so used to seeing hospitals, clinics, and private medical practices put front and center in the office essentially what is a cashier counter to receive payment. You don't get service until you either pay first or show you have valid insurance that will be absorbing the cost.

While so many Americans think this is not only normal but the best there is ever, I think to many others this form of healthcare practice is absolutely insane and inhumane. The worst isn't thinking that this is normal. The worst is thinking that this is the best there ever is and that there's nothing to learn from other countries. The hubris! Americans are so well known for that, isn't it. :(

Yes. In practice for many services there is no easy mechanism to charge, except for the highest amount of co-pay that Italians would pay (Italians call the co-pay "ticket" in English, for whatever reason). Such copays are often based on income level (I think there are 3 or 4 levels for "ticket" determination purposes), so a hospital would probably charge a foreigner the co-pay that Italians at the highest income level would pay, but otherwise I doubt public hospitals in Italy have a CDM (Charge Description Master) like we have in hospitals in America.
However if you go to a private doctor's office, you will be charged, or also if you go to a private clinic. They have such pricing mechanisms as they do charge Italians who go to those private entities.

As a visitor, you are actually required to have some type of health insurance as a condition of entering the country. If not, they can deny you entry.

We have had medical care in France, Spain, Greece, Japan and Egypt. We will given a bill to pay each time and a receipt to file when back in US with our insurance. We have done that a few times.The fees were so much less than in the US like 3€ for an hour and a half of ER treatment by a physician, stitches in arm. 60€ in southern France for more stitches and 100€ total for three lengthy MD visits and medications in Provence, France for treatment for a bad stomach infection. I saved the 3€ receipt from Greece. Medical care was freely offered, no problems at all. One visit my dh had to run to a ATM for cash to pay the bill.
In Egypt we had travelers insurance luckily as an ER visit and multiple tests came to the equivalent of $2000. Travel insurance paid it all when we returned home.

Suki, it was cheap because they made you pay only for the copays. I can guarantee you that even in Europe a visit at the ER costs more to the system than 3€ and 3 visits to the doctor would cost way more than 100€ if they made you pay for the full cost of the service, even in Europe. The average cost of a private visit to a doctor in Italy (not at a public national health service provider location) ranges from 70 to 150 euro, without special tests. The SSN (National Health Service) reimburses primary care doctors approx 70€ for each patient enrolled under them on a capitation scheme.

Yes, even in countries with universal health care, you absolutely do need travel health insurance. Here in Canada, the "universal" health care system is paid for by taxpayers, and I know from experience that people who aren't on provincial medical plans, will pay steep charges should they need to access medical care. I also know from personal experience that hospital care in Italy can be expensive for those without travel insurance.

I’m a retired nurse, and many years ago we had a run at our hospital of Korean exchange students injured on the ski slopes.
None had travel insurance as they had been told by their travel agents at home that “Canada would pay any medical bills you might have.”
Our surgeons, and the hospital, were rarely able to get paid for treating them.

It is absolutely not worth it to travel without travel insurance these days.
There is no free lunch.
Easy to buy, and good for your peace of mind while out of your own country.

There's a difference in pharmaceuticals prescribed and surgical interventions. My US doc prescribed a lifelong med that made no sense. My French doc said it wasn't necessary. US dermo suggested a lifelong pill for DH, while French doc prescribed a 6- month treatment. US opthalmologist suddenly proposed cataract surgery. French doc says they are still too small and operating too early could have repercussions. I had good insurance and med care in the US, but now I also see the effects of the for-profit system.

And no doctor here on the Mediterranean coast has ever lectured me on the Mediterranean diet. In fact, I've never been weighed. Bless their little hearts.😂

yes, there is a difference when the doctors can see the results of their suggestions in their bank accounts.

Because the people of that country pay the taxes that provide them with health care. You don't pay those taxes, so while you will be treated, you will be expected to cover the cost.

There is no "universal" universal health care. Each country has their own system with different rules. The book "The Healing of America" by T.R. Reid gives good summary and comparison of how systems work in other countries, and makes good reading.