I'm super grateful in this regard to live in Germany, where free doctor visits are not a benefit of something but fucking minimum for literally everyone. Even though it may take a while for specialists. I even get benefits for going to free appointments at the dentist. Safes money and pain later, leading to more productiveness as well.
Was really weird watching "Breaking Bad" just as I had cancer myself years ago (Cancer-free today 🙂). Being in a hospital, receiving anything I needed just by showing my insurance card (for which I didn't have to pay anything either as I was without a job at that point). And as long as our government ain't complete dicks I'm more than glad to pay that back.
The US just weirds me the fuck out. I don't get this selfish lack of solidarity towards your fellow humans.
Going to the doctor half the time feels like a waste anyways. No matter how sick I am, I’m never given medicine or antibiotics and I’m always told to wait a week to see if it gets worse. It already had to be a big deal for me to go the first time around, I’m basically done after that and resigned to suffering without help. The worst was when I had been perpetually sick with something for 5+ weeks right before Covid first hit, never got anything and doctor was just like, “Yeah, some colds or flus can go for that long.”
For physical injuries though, that shit is important and that seems like something they can treat, but anything else it’s just, “You’re on your own, good luck!”
People at my new job talk about how great our dental benefits are. I found a dentist, scheduled a new patient exam (4 month wait). They told me I needed a cleaning and scheduled it for 3 months in the future. Two months after that, they stopped carrying my insurance.
I found another dentist, 6 month wait for an appt this time, was told I needed a cleaning, got a call the following week that they were no longer accepting my insurance.
I do have insurance, as we're legally required.
Haven't been to a dentist for years even tho i need it, the money isn't there. Insurance only covers it for a small amount if you pay a premium, which i'm not doing obviously.
I went to my childhood dentist after being unemployed and homeless, dad was convinced the government would get me a house and when i lived with him they told me "no, that's the old system". He didn't believe me so he kicked me out because he was so sure of himself.
When i got to the dentist after a couple of years he started pointing out what premium things i needed and how i could afford them after saving the money from the years i didn't go. I tried to explain to him like an adult that i had lost my savings and was pushed into homelessness and unemployment.
He then decided to get his ego bruised and started calling me names.
I got pretty sick of his childish behaviour and decided to never come back.
I tried a differenr dentist when i was actually ready and could see myself build up the funds again, but i ended up having to move for a job and life has only gotten more expensive while my wage stayed stagnant.
Right now i'm making more, finally but it's at a job i'm not sure i can physically handle. It's been 4 weeks now and it's 4 weeks of backpain and painkillers to keep going.
I've been working nonprofit for a couple of decades but it hasn't supported me well. I haven't been to the dentist in 22 years. I'm thankful I don't have any tooth pain. My wife is in the same boat. We had worked side jobs and hustled during COVID to put away some cash for it, saved up $19k. Only to need massive foundation/waterproofing work on our home. Now we're broke, my job contract ends in less than a month. I was worried about my teeth, now I'm worried about my family being homeless.
Docs tend to lose sight of the fact that everyone is not able to pay their fees, some even with insurance.
In Canada the public health cover doesn’t cover dental so you’ll have little luck in that category. You might get a free cleaning and scan but little else. It’s like one of the few things they’ve been dragging their feet on still.
A lot of people live on Advil until the tooth falls out on its own. Or if they can afford the cheap option: have it pulled.
You still need to get private coverage for anything more.
People with mild discomfort (e.g. a persistent cough) fill up most of the emergency rooms where I'm from, since the hospital is free. Unfortunately what this means is if you have a non life threatening problem, you have to wait in the same room as people with colds and flues that should be in bed waiting it out and eating soup.
The UK's dental care is also not really covered by the NHS beyond a few emergency procedures, and even when it is (assuming you can get onto an NHS dentist's register) it costs a significant amount of money (70+ for checkup and dental work) once you turn 18, so I can imagine that most people just don't bother.
I've already resigned myself to getting most of my teeth removed or replaced, as painful as that is, because I spent years without dentist cover thanks to COVID and generally refusing to spend the costs on checkups (as bad an idea that was)
I've got to be like that after being almost killed by doctors in my first years. Unless it's something urgent or cosmetic, I struggle to trust them. I feel like it'd be the same even if I move to a better country.
