A Better Way: Health Care for the European Student
Posted on 19. Feb, 2010 by Robin in Op-Ed
Like pretty much every other American who hasn’t been living under a rock for the past year, I’ve got health care on the brain. With some new study or statistic coming out every other day, it’s rather hard not to think about it. But until recently, I was apathetic about the whole thing.
And then while on the phone with a very close friend of mine, I found out that she had been having some rather worrisome ‘female problems.’ But I couldn’t convince her to go to the doctor. Why not? It was too expensive.
Fortunately her story has a happy ending: she eventually spoke with a doctor and it turned out nothing was wrong. How many college-age adults skip the doctor’s visit because they won’t or can’t shell out the money? How many ignore medical problems with the mantra, ‘it’s nothing, it’ll go away, I’m only 20’?
There has to be a better way. I’ve heard people argue that a better way already exists in Europe, but you rarely hear about if it’s a better way for college students. So I decided to ask friends from study-abroad two questions: How does the system in your country work? Do you like it?
First up, England’s famous National Health System. “Most universities will have a student medical centre, or a doctors’ [office] designed for students where you can register while you’re away from home,” explains Sarah Hardy, a student at the University of Leeds. “It’s free unless you need a prescription; then there is a prescription charge of around £7.50.”
“But if you’re under 20 or over about 60 [prescriptions] are free,” adds Aymee Smith, another Leeds student. “There is a lot of talk about waiting times to see doctors, to get operations, but I don’t know anyone who’s had any problems. Whenever I’ve used the NHS it has always worked really well, and even though its free, they don’t stint on the stuff they give you. You always get the help you need.”
The French system got similar reviews, with one big difference: French students have to pay. “You pay €200 per year for social security and often a mutuelle (a fee for mutual insurance coverage) that covers certain things,” says Justine Dunand, a law student at Université Pierre-Mendès France in Grenoble. “It’s very expensive but I think that it’s the best method for guaranteeing equality.”
Guaranteeing equality in health care? That’s a new one.
“The health system works well in France,” says Marie Farandeau, a student in Valence. “We don’t really have the concept of cost anymore since our system does reimbursement so well. I don’t complain even if I think socialism has advanced too far.”
That leaves Roxy Keiler from Germany. She had some very definite views on the health care debate in the United States, so I was curious what she thought of the German system. “Students under 25 whose parents are insured with the AOK can be insured via their parents and don´t have to pay anything at all,” she said. “This is the insurance that most students use.”
“The system is really good,” Roxy continues. “When I was insured with the AOK … I never had to take care of anything. If you need a doctor or you have to go to hospital you just have to show them your insurance card. You´re not even bothered with bills, the doctor gets his money directly from the insurance.”
And then she drops this bomb: “Oh, and the pill is also free for girls under 18. That is very useful, too.”
You might correctly point out that none of this covers the enormous costs to the state, which is a very important part of any health care system. Some of you are going to say (also, perhaps, correctly) that while this may work in their respective countries, those cultures are very different from ours and the systems might not work here. Some of you are going to start foaming at the mouth and screaming incoherently about socialism.
But I didn’t want to talk about costs to the state or cultural differences or big bad Socialism. My point is this: there is a better way. One where students can go to the doctor when they’re sick and not worry too much about the cost. One where they can get what they need, even (gasp!) contraceptives. It’s up to us whether we want to go that way, too.
