Do people get options with universal healthcare in Europe?

[Anonymous]

In America, let's say you're an old man with few teeth left, and you decide you want a pair of dentures.

Well, it's a pretty big decision. You shop around for different prices and options. Weigh the pros and cons of each.

You could get economy dentures for a thousand bucks or so. They might not feel great in your mouth and you'd have to endure the awful taste of denture cream to hold them in. Most of the time, you won't want them in your mouth at all. But hey you got a deal, and you can eat.

Or let's say you've got a good nest egg then can go for the luxury dentures. How about a set of teeth that's molded for your mouth and printed with a 3D printer? And you don't have to take them out of your mouth because you can have implants to hold them in.

Same for single-tooth implants -- you could get gold or acrylic.

What would they do in Europe?

Smile

Updates

+1 y

Yes, I'm asking specifically about Europe.
I have my reasons.

Updates

+1 y

Thanks for helping me understand why there are so many snaggletooths in Britain, y'all. God bless America!

[OpenClose]

It varies a decent amount between countries.

In the UK you might not get as many options because their entire health industry is public-sector, not just the insurance sector like in most countries.

There's a few countries (I want to say Germany) where the public system will pay a certain amount from a procedure and has in-network places that can provide the procedure within that amount. If you want extra, they will pay the original amount, and you pay the difference out of pocket. I like this one because you keep your choice. And similarly, if the government pays $200 for a cast for a broken arm, then if a 3rd-party provider can do it for $100, the government pays them the full $200 anyway and they get to keep it as profit. I think this system is relatively compatible with US values.

In Switzerland, you basically get a government stipend that you can use to purchase insurance from any of many private providers. You can pay out of pocket to expand your coverage. This is a good one, too. But because they still have a private insurance sector, their prices are more gouged than other countries. Hence why they have the second most expensive system behind the US.

But in the vast majority of the cases, universal healthcare results in MORE choice because you aren't limited to networks of providers. I've had to change doctors several times to keep coverage as my jobs changed. Under almost any universal healthcare system, if the doctor is registered with the board, they are covered. So you can go to anyone you want.

The only "choice" being lost is in choosing which middle man gets to take a cut of the profits. And by "cut" I mean the vast majority of the money. Let me explain. In the US system insurance companies basically demand providers drastically inflate their prices to consumers so that they can write it off an expense. That broken leg might cost $100, but insurance will demand you be charged $5000, pay only the $100, write in $5000 as what they paid, and pocket the extra $4900 while still being able to claim they are non-profit or at least within profit regulations.

So if we're talking about systems for the US, I don't really care how much of the healthcare provider system is public, as long as the insurance sector is public. By socializing health coverage, there is way less need to regulate healthcare providers into the ground.

[Кураж]

Universal healthcare typically covers nothing whatsoever when it comes to dental health, it's all out-of-pocket expenses.
In my country you get one free preventive dental checkup a year, and that's ONLY at the state-contracted dentist appointed to you.

I have a private dentist and my insurance basically doesn't matter because it covers nothing there.

[Asker]

Thanks so much. Brush twice a day!

[purplepoppy]

For general healthcare you just pop to your doctor or hospital and you get free treatment, in England you'll have to pay for a prescription if your working, in wales they're free. If you need an operation you'll be put on a waiting list according to need, alternatively you can pay to go private.

Dentistry is different, you'll have to pay whether you go private or through the NHS. Obviously private is more expensive and may offer extras you can't get on NHS. I may be wrong on this but I think old people don't pay for treatment. Whether or not treatment is better is debatable as it's often the same dentist doing the work anyway.

[Asker]

Thanks anonymous purple person. This is very helpful.

[purplepoppy]

Oops didn't realise I was anon

[Asker]

LOL. I thought maybe you were afraid of us having a London office one day. And you and I being actual friends.

[Asker]

I've always dreaded the thought of going global, but listening to you guys, it makes me want to, actually. That would be so cool - I could finally not sit here in the South bored out of my f**king skull.

[Aerissa_Jade]

How long is the waiting list usually though? I'm just curious as in Canada it can be years. My biggest fear of socialized medicine, waiting lists... get rid of those and I'd be onboard for it.

[Asker]

@Aerissa_Jade You can DM me if you need a deal on extractions, implants, or dentures. We have onsite labs so we're super efficient. Basic dentures can be made in one day. Ultimate fit in about a week. I'll have to research what's close to Canada.

[purplepoppy]

It's hard to give figures because it varies between hospital and type of operation. More serious ones shouldn't take long.

[FreyaRed]

In EU it differs from country to country, but generally implants aren't covered by health insurances or national health funds. Fillings, extraction, root treatments and low cost dentures are covered or partially subsided.
Universal healthcare doesn't grant you bright TV smile, you need a thick wallet. Maybe not that thick like in US, but in Norway and Germany dental services very expensive, that's why we have customers and they don't.

[DamnSam]

Well European states all have a different Healthcare tooth system.

I'm in Austria 🇦🇹

The social health insurance covers only the lowest stage... everything over that gets pretty expensive

But prices are extremely different big city to countryside... countryside is way cheaper, but good luck to find a dentist with an appointment left...

To compare... amalgam (which we know does damage your brain over the years) is covered by the social insurance
Ceramic mixed with other stuff ones are ~4 bucks on countryside, but like at least 65 bucks in the bigger cities, per tooth

Implants
We Austrians usual go to Hungary for that. Even we are just tourists there, the cost/quality is unbelievable... almost if not the same quality for like half of the costs here... but still like 600 per implant

Using a drill is unfortunately still the usual case... dental lasers where introduced in Europe almost 10 years ago, never seen one
I did read somewhere that they use them regularly in Germany but I have no confirmation for that...
These lasers can be tuned to not damage healthy tooth material and it doesn't hurt, it smells strange...

Some private insurances sometimes have special offers... like years ago in Germany, "ergo zahnersatz" no matter if you miss one or ten teeth, 6,95 every months for the rest of your life and you will never ever again need to think if you can chew it or not...
Was only for German citizens...

With like 25k euro you can do everything with a good private dentist here...

Social insurance only dentists are like 2 of 3 are trash and should do something far away from teeth...

Over 10 years ago I found a good one... he had 2 heart attacks later went into pension at age 68... I got general anesthetic, was knocked out for 3 hours 30 minutes... he surgical removed one tooth which was too broken to grab, took one out with root the usual way, gave me 19 ceramic fillings
... the bill ridiculously said 265 bucks 12 bucks for 30 minutes overtime...

Now I would need it again 😩
But I've not even found a half decent one... just the general anesthetic is like 1.6k

[DJaQueef]

I've heard that some countries give you the option of a Cleveland steamer which in turn gives you the option of whether you would like to leave the Dr an upper decker or reverse kanga. You could go the route of finding a female Dr, asking her over for dinner, play a nice game of tickle the pickle then give her a dutch oven. The are many more options also readily available, but I just named my personal favorites.

[Drumlin2001]

Firstly, Europe is made up of many countries, each with their own health system, so you'd need to look at each individually. If you have a passport for any country in the EU you maybe able to get a level of care across any of the EU states but you'd need to research it.
In UK, the NHS provides a basic level of care at a reduced rate (there's still a fee as far as I know), so you'd approach the dentist you were registered with and they would give you options. You could go to your private dentist which would cost more but they would have access to better products, in your scenario they would also be able to recommend a specialist. If you were foreign national you could probably find a private specialist online and arrange an appointment.
TBH the UK is quite expensive compared to Eastern Europe so you'd probably be better looking at Hungary or Ukraine

[genericname85]

here, you pay 60% yourself (50% if you have a regular dentist checkup). rest is covered by general health insurance. you gotta pay an extra dental ensurance, if you want full coverage for dentures.

of course there's gonna be some options that the insurance won't pay.

[TommyMountainFigure]

Here in the UK, the dental costs are subsidised. If you're in employment you pay I think in $ it would be about 80 and the cost of which over that is paid for by the NHS, WHICH is ultimately paid for by us out of our wages anyway.
People who are unemployed would get it free I think.

[Buntyp]

Not all countries in Europe are the same, regarding health care coverage. What you describe here would cost extra (private insurance, co-pays) everywhere but the prices vary from one country to another. Hungary and Poland do dental care vacation packages that are popular.

[Razp_Sorbet]

Unfortunately here (not Europe) our subsidized healthcare only includes dental for school aged people, once you leave school or turn 18 whichever comes first you're on your own

[Ninania]

Of course we get options, but not all options are free. The insurance covers a certain price and anything above that isn't fully covered. Simple.

[Pohjolan]

I would suspect it varies like some European countries students have their own public dentists.
However I do believe you have to go a private dentist if you want gold in your mouth.
Though anything beats nothing.

[Adam1978]

You can get full health care with new teeths, the bill will be adjusted to your wealth. So you can always afford it. Government will cover it. So it's our tax money in play.

[pibe10]

I not shure but I think that in Spain part of the money is payed by the goverment and that other part by you

[Frauensindobjekte]

Not sure what universal healthcare is but dental isn't covered in most countries.

[BillyBalls]

What?