[OT] US/IE comparisons (was Re: [ILUG] Re: ILUG Digest, Vol 30, Issue 45)

[Justin Mason]

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[retitled; we're getting way OT here ;)]

John Gay writes:
> Because there is 'no' national healthcare in America, and such extensive 
> insurance plans, medical expenses are based on what insurance companies can 
> pay, not what the government will pay. That's why it's so much more expensive 
> in America than Europe. Governments wont pay a fraction of what insurance 
> companies will.

it still doesn't quite work out that way, though -- even with the
insurance companies supposedly paying for a lot of the expense, the US
*government* pays more per capita on citizens' healthcare than Sweden, and
per-capita spending (including both government and individual costs) is
highest in the world.

It's really not working, but it's a hot political football issue so I
wouldn't recommend waiting for it to get fixed.

Paul Jakma writes:
> Do you get tax credits / TFA over there? Also, they dont have PAYE do
> they? Everyone has to do their paperwork and accounts and file their
> taxes? (is that right? it's just my vague impression).

there's a tax credit, but it's quite low -- something like $18k iirc.
I did have to fill out the paperwork by hand last year, which is
*insanely* complex, and definitely one to be avoided.  (rant on
the subject at http://taint.org/2005/03/14/203207a.html .)

Thankfully, this year I qualified as a resident for tax purposes, so I
could use software instead ;)

- --j.
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