My good friend in Israel had appendicitis this week. Luckily, she caught it early and had surgery to remove her appendix Friday evening. She's recovering quickly. We joke that, if it had to happen, it's a good thing she had appendicitis in Israel where health expenses are free (she's from the US like me). I've gotta say, I love living in Israel because of its health insurance. When I lived in the US, I was lucky that I could be covered under my dad's health insurance. However, I would drag my feet every time I needed to see the doctor because the co-pay was $40 per visit. I turn 26 this year and I am dreading returning to the states and having to find my own health insurance because it will cost hundreds of dollars a month and I will still have to pay a co-pay. It's not like this in every country. All international students at Tel Aviv University are covered under Clalit, one of the largest insurance companies in Israel, When I was looking into making a doctor's appointment in Israel for the first time, I approached a friend from Switzerland who had a lot of experience with the Israeli health care system. I asked whether there was a co-pay. She tilted her head to the side and replied, "What's a co-pay?" I had to laugh because many people from "welfare states" do not know the struggle of co-pays. You see the doctor and then you have to worry whether you paid or not. If you don't for some reason, you get a bill in the mail. When I went to the emergency room in the States, my co-pay was $150, but my friend with appendicitis paid nothing. There are several complaints I've heard about "universal health insurance." First, it is nearly impossible to get an appointment. I have not had that problem. I've now seen a doctor twice here, which were both same day appointments, and have dermatology and eye doctor appointments scheduled. I have had to schedule non-emergency dermatology and dentist appointments a couple months out, but that is normal in the US as well. An additional concern with universal healthcare is that hospitals are overcrowded and there are long wait times. When I picked my friend up from Ichilov Hospital, it was pretty vacant. Other fun things to note: the hospital food was delicious. For lunch, my friend had beets with carrots, peas, and rice. For dinner, she had an array of cucumber and tomato salad, labne, yogurt, pasta, and soup. Every medical personnel I have come across has spoken English (although I've heard this isn't always the case when doing blood work). My friend's nurse at the hospital spoke English, Hebrew, and Russian. I speak English, my sick friend is fluent in Hebrew, and our other friend speaks Russian, so we took turns speaking with the nurse in different languages. It felt like a truly multi-cultural experience. Lastly, check out this beautiful view! I've had a great experience with the healthcare system in Israel thus far. I hope I don't end up in the hospital, but if I do, I feel assured that I will be in good hands. |
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