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Do you people get all your diabetes stuff for nothing?

National Insurance in the UK is tiered (as already mentioned) and so is income tax. There is a calculator here that allows you to work out the actual National Insurance and Income Tax paid:- http://www.moneysavingexpert.com/tax-calculator/ National Insurance is used to fund NHS, State Pension, unemployment benefits and sickness and disability allowances.

Somebody has tried to compare USA/UK take-home pay here:- http://blog.thesalarycalculator.co.uk/paye/tax/comparison-of-uk-and-usa-take-home/

The BBC have tried to compare Income Tax for a high income earner across a range of countries here:- http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-26327114
 
In Australia we have a couple of govt schemes for medications- the PBS (Pharmaceutical Benefits Scheme). All prescription medication is covered by this. People on welfare will pay $5.60 ($4.25 US, £3.40) and others up to approx $38 ($29 US, £23) depending upon the drug. Novorapid costs me $38 for 25 3ml pen fill vials. There is a maximum annual amount after which all prescription items are free.
Then we have the NDSS (National Diabetes Services Scheme) which subsidises syringes, pump supplies and testing strips. CGM supplies have just started to be subsidised for people under 21 - but Diabetes Australia and other orgs are working to get this for all. It took them 4 years to get CGM subsidies for under 21s.
Finally we have Medicare - the Aussie version of the NHS, but over recent years it hasn't been kept up to date so patients now need to pay more co-contributions for each visit to the doctor. Medicare is 2% of tax
We also have private health insurance but unfortunately this only covers the cost of an insulin pump (and maybe a BG meter) but no CGM supplies.
For me, on a Medtronic 640G and using CGM, testing 5 to 6 times per day, my supplies and insulin costs me about $350 (US$250 £210) per month.
I suppose we all need to understand that each of our various countries have differing health systems where in some ways we are better off than others in some parts of the world and in other areas of the health system we are not better off. Overall I'm thankful that I live in a Western country where I have access to some of the best health care in the world, and I'm happy to pay for that
 

Another useful site for these type of calculations is: https://www.income-tax.co.uk/ it breaks down tax and salary deductions in the U.K based on income. Here in the U.K diabetes medication

Another good site for salary and tax deduction calculations can be found here: https://www.income-tax.co.uk/really useful income after tax calculator, also gives you the option of finding out your weekly and hourly rates too, I've used it a few times to save the headache of trying to do it myself

Also in regards to diabetes medication, I do know that here in the U.K you need to posess a medical exemption form in order to be entitled to free medication. This is applicable to everyone who treats their diabetes with tablets or injectable therapies/insulin.
 
When Bevan set up the NHS he was inspired by the Tredegar Workmen’s Medical Aid Society. Aneurin Bevan was the MP for Tredegar and had been on the Medical Aid Society Committee. Everyone paid subscriptions to the Society and the money was used to provide medical and dental care for those who needed it.
This communal, caring model has served us well in the U.K. for many years.
Now, though, the NHS seems to be under threat from a desire to privatise and contract out services. We’re told that rising costs and greater demands have made it unsustainable.
However, we pay less of a proportion of GDP towards healthcare than most other European nations. Many of us would be happy to pay more tax to keep Bevan’s ideal alive and well but the government does not wish to do this. I hear that a number of senior figures have invested in, or have interests in the private providers.
I’m feeling very downhearted about the future of the NHS.
 
I don't pay for anything since changing employers and getting a wonderful health plan. It's one of the reasons why I'm still with the same employer. The Canadian province/state I live in subsidizes the costs for diabetes supplies but it's only a partial subsidy and you require a doctor's prescription. The Canadian Federal Government had a Diabetic Tax Credit that a lot people were claiming and receiving but since the Justin Trudeau Liberals won the last election many diabetics have now been denied that Tax Credit. It's too bad but that's just the way things go .....
So depending on where you live in Canada - the subsidy varies for diabetic supplies. Some provinces/states have excellent subsidies while others have no subsidies at all. So if you have diabetes and are thinking about moving to Canada - check which province has the best subsidy and don't rely or depend on the Federal Diabetes Tax Credit because you likely won't qualify.
 
DunePlodder said:
Not many people have pumps & very few people get CGMs paid for.
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Far too low key a reply. Be thankful for what you get instead of moaning about what you don’t get. We get life saving medication for free. I know we pay national insurance when we work, but let’s face it if you were unemployed/retired you still get the NHS. As The Big Newt points out he pays for it, as well as paying for medical insurance. I know this reply won’t be popular, but we seem to have forgotten how lucky we are in this country.
 
TheBigNewt said:
Usually the "free" eye tests are in places that pimp eyeglasses and they test your vision only. No looking for retinopathy or glaucoma. they do 'em at Walmart here. They wanna sell ya some specs!
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I have my free yearly eye test booked for free next week. Had my in-depth yearly retinal scan in April. I am eligible for this free eye test wherever I want it. The optician then claims this back from the NHS. My husband who is 60, gets a twice yearly one due to his a age. We are lucky lucky lucky!
 
@becca59 . Totally agree with you. It may not be popular but people should be more appreciative of the NHS.
 
When I was working as a computer progarmmer, the "buying power" of my wages would have been about double in the USA then the UK. However I expect a lot of this is due to the "slaves" doing the basic work not getting health care etc.
 

I wasn't complaining. The OP had made a list of items he thought were funded & I was simply pointing out that most of us don't get pumps & cgms paid for.
 
Yes, I'm extremely thankful for the nhs. Not only do I have a pump, and all its paraphernalia paid for, I get free eye-tests, free eye operations and free access to numerous specialist doctors. I'm most thankful for the insulin though, about one vial per week at £1200 per vial. No way I could afford that!
 

1 vial of insulin doesn't cost the NHS £1200. Its more around £25 - https://bnf.nice.org.uk/medicinal-forms/insulin.html

I think in the US insulin prices can be over inflated and that's to do with a lack of regulation on drug pricing.
 
there are a couple of eye watering insulins out there. Xultophy is £1,545.46per year. Novo Rapid costs £297.02 per year.

my yearly bill would be around 1500 my daughter has asthma and hers are around 10000 so im glad we are in the uk and they are free for us in scotland.
 
Seacrow said:
One vial of Humulin R U500 costs $1500, it's not priced on the bnf because it has to be special ordered from the manufacturer every time. $1500 is about £1200 (at the moment anyway). You do get 20ml rather than 10ml as other insulin.
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U500 is 5 times as potent as IU100 insulin. Plus you get 20ml. So if you equate that to Humulin R U100 10ml costs $120 pounds.
catapillar said:
1 vial of insulin doesn't cost the NHS £1200. Its more around £25 - https://bnf.nice.org.uk/medicinal-forms/insulin.html

I think in the US insulin prices can be over inflated and that's to do with a lack of regulation on drug pricing.
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Amen. The people who get hosed are those without med insurance (like me for 25 yrs). If you know how you can get discounts from the drug companies sometimes. I used to save half buying my insulin online from Canada. President Obama did away with that bless his pimp-to-drug-companies heart.
 
Back did President Obama not make health insurance afordable for people with Type1......
 
ringi said:
Back did President Obama not make health insurance afordable for people with Type1......
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No he did not. He did make it possible for us at least to buy insurance (no preexisting conditions exclusion). The only people it's affordable for are those whose income qualifies them for a gubment subsidy. The other people who have to use the gubment insurance exchanges and pay full price pay more than they did before, and their bills go way way up each year. Now many US counties have only 1 insurance provider to choose from, and some have none. In short, Obamacare is a hose job if you don't get a subsidy. But probably 80% of people who use it do get one. My friend's insurance for he and his wife is $800/month and their deductible is $8,000/ year. Before Obamacare it was about half that. Nice.
 
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