merrix wrote:Of course, our health care is not really "free". We pay it through taxes.
But you are sort of stuck in the system you are. It's a bit of a stretch to have a moderate salary, pay 40% taxes, and then skip your already-paid-for health care and go overseas and pay the total cost. That means you literally pay twice for the surgery.
Of course, if one have the money, like I luckily had, then fine.
But if those 40% taxes have meant you have nothing saved (which you in some way don't need in Scandinavia, since schools for kids, universities, health care is all "free" (i.e. tax paid)), then you are stuck with using the services you have paid for all your life.
So my advice is still the same. If you can afford it, then go to Eid (rather than Kramer).
If that would wreck your financials for decades, then go domestic with the absolutely best you can find.
Finally, since we are discussing tax systems here, In my country people with high salary literally pay the surgeries of low salaried people.
People with high income pay the universities for the kids of parents with low salaries.
Our tax system is heavily progressive.
Back home I would pay 55% income tax on my salary, and then 25% VAT on most goods and services bought.
A guy at McDonalds would pay less than 25%.
55% of a lot is 5 times more than 25% of a little. So I literally would pay 5 times income tax every month than the McDonalds guy. Plus the VAT difference from my higher spendings.
But that is a political discussion which I should refrain from giving my opinion of any preferences on.
All I will say is that I think it is sort of ok with a high total tax burden if the country is doing great. If schools are top class, health care is fast, available and high quality. Infrastructure is great. Criminality is low. Then that high cost was maybe justified. But if not - then what the F am I paying all those taxes for..?
Merrix: I also live in Scandinavia and I am a happy tax payer. We get so much for the taxes that I would never change the system to anything else. Everybody can read and write here. Nobody lives on the streets. If you want high education your parents don't have to pay all their lives for it. Plus million other positive things. I pay a lot of taxes and there are poor people that benefit for that. Of course I pay also their bills but I am happy to do it because I know that the system will also help me if I get into trouble.
To get an implant here is a little risky as the top local doctor does only 5-10 implant surgeries in a year. The number of cases in the whole country is less than 30 in a year. Eid and Kramer do bigger number every moth. But if I never go for it I will do it locally.
