In the U.S., health care providers are predominantly private, with only 20 percent of the public sector. There are several options in the country as to how health insurance is obtained:
self-purchase
If you work officially, the state covers part of your expenses.
The state takes care of insurance policy payment in full (pensioners, people with low income, children, etc.).
If your employer pays for all or part of your health insurance policy, you will be covered entirely or partially.
There are two types of health insurance available in the U.S.: The first is HMOs (Health maintenance organizations) with low cost, but this option provides treatment only in certain single network health care organizations and only one therapist, who decides if and how the patient can see other specialists. Without insurance, the appointment with a specialist costs about $ 150, but on average, even with a health policy, you will still have to pay from 50 to 100 dollars, because insurance in the U.S. does not cover 100% of the patient’s care.
In cases of emergency, ambulance treatment in other hospitals to the victim with HMO insurance will still be provided. The lower limit of the minimum insurance is about $160 per month. By the way, you should also be aware that in the U.S., the penalty for not having insurance policy is about $100 per year.
The second option of medical insurance in the U.S. – PPO (Preferred Provider Organizations), it will cost more, but in this case you can use the services on favorable terms in a particular health network. Such insurance guarantees free and independent visit to the required specialist. PPO implies special rates, which depend on the amount of compensation for services:
Platinum – insurance company contribution of 90%
Gold – premium paid by the insurance company 80%
Silver – insurance company contribution 70%
Bronze – insurance company contribution 60%
Minimum – emergency cases, for people under 30 years old or in a difficult financial situation.
But even with the option of expensive insurance (its cost will depend on income, region and selected insurance plan in the range of 150-300 dollars) usually have to pay separately all services related to dentistry, ophthalmology and mental health care, because the services are quite expensive. The cost of a single filling without nerve removal and additional manipulation will cost $250. As for traditional checkups, a series of general tests and check ups will cost $700, while insurance will pay about $250 for a person. Surgery costs start at $25,000, whereas with insurance it would be $2,500.
That is why most experts in American medicine advise: it is better to live in the United States either with insurance or not to live. Also you should know that in America you can buy medicines only with a prescription, even a simple antipyretic or headache remedy, and for this you will need to go to a doctor.
Among the most in-demand hospitals in the country is the Mayo Rocheste Clinic in Minnesota – it is recognized as the best in the United States and in the world. Two employees of this hospital Edward Kendall and Philip Hench were awarded the Nobel Prize in Medicine or Physiology in 1950 for the discovery of cortisone. Cancer research, heart and lung surgeries, laboratory techniques, etc., are performed here. More than 50,000 patients go through it a year, and the primary care unit accounts for at least 70,000 people annually.
The leading specialties at the second most popular clinic in the country, Cleveland Clinic in Cleveland, are gastroenterology and gastrointestinal surgery, kidney disease and rheumatology. Also in high demand among patients is The Johns Hopkins Hospital, the largest hospital in the world in terms of the number of employees. Exactly in this clinic the foundation of modern approach to treatment in the United States was laid, the national health care system was developed here and hundreds of modern methods of diagnosis and treatment in more than 40 specialties were discovered.
