One of the most important areas of life is the one that has to do with health. There comes a time when it is necessary to assess which is the best health coverage for us or for our family: public or private health. In most countries, residents have the right to have public health care. However, over the years and the increase in the purchasing power of the population, the demand -and therefore the supply- of private healthcare has grown.
Bearing in mind that these two options exist, it is important to assess both to know which one best suits our needs. First, it must be borne in mind that the means available to public health are not the same as those available to the private sector and that these means are also acquired for different purposes.
Public healthcare is financed through taxes paid by citizens. This money, which is an amount withheld from people’s income, is used to pay the salaries of health workers and to finance independent projects.
For its part, private health care is financed by a payment agreed upon by the beneficiaries. The price of this service may vary depending on the coverage that each person chooses. The private service is more expensive than the public one.
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Advantages and disadvantages of public and private healthcare
To find out which service is best for you, between public or private health, you must evaluate the characteristics of each one. First of all, if you are one of those who prioritizes comfort, you may have to opt for private healthcare.
In this case, before a hospital admission you can have a single room, an extra bed for a companion, air conditioning in the room, among other amenities. This does not happen in public health. If you require hospitalization, in most cases you will have to share a room with another patient and this can lead to inconvenience for you and your companion.
Another aspect to consider when choosing between public or private healthcare has to do with time. This is perhaps the main disadvantage of the public service. In this case, it is common for there to be long waiting lists for surgical interventions, as well as to obtain the results of some tests. It is even possible that to request an appointment the waiting time is up to double that needed in private healthcare.
But in private healthcare, you can book tests online and in advance, through services such as patientportal aegislabs com and can even get the results conveniently at home, without any struggle.
This happens because public health services are usually more saturated, especially emergency ones. In addition, if you want to visit a specialist, you will first have to go through a first filter with your family doctor and it will be this one who will later refer you to the specialist you need.
On the other hand, in private healthcare you can directly choose the specialist doctor you want to see you. As it is a paid service, there are fewer waiting lists: When you ask for an appointment, there is usually no delay and as mentioned before with private services like patient portal.aegislabs when it comes to delivery of analysis and test results, these are usually available quickly.
However, there is one aspect in which public healthcare far outperforms private healthcare. And it is when it comes to diseases with serious complications of chronic diseases where long-term treatments are needed. In these cases, private healthcare usually refers its patients to the public service. The reasons are various.
In some cases, the recurrence of a chronic disease requires professional follow-up for life, something that is more bearable through a medical history known by the general public health doctor.
On the other hand, if you are thinking of opting for private healthcare, you should bear in mind that the expense may go beyond the monthly payment. In the health system of the private system there are services with copayment. This means that, in addition to the monthly fee, you will have to make a payment at each consultation.
Public or private health?
After being clear about the advantages and disadvantages of each service, you can evaluate which one suits you best. Your personal conditions, both health and financial, are what will determine which is the most convenient service for you. Remember that, if you are interested in guaranteeing the well-being of a family member, you can give them health insurance.
In any case, you can always opt for a combined service. Each service can offer different benefits depending on what you need at any given time. Just remember that before taking out a policy you should pay close attention to the conditions to make sure that it is really going to be convenient in the short, medium and long term.
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