I don’t really understand the details of the health-care reform battle which is going on in the U.S. - I understand the objective but I don’t understand in detail what is happening.
I am an American but I live in Turkey.
This month, on the first of January, a major change was made to the health-care system here in Turkey.
There was already a relatively good system in place. People who worked paid a payroll tax of about a hundred dollars a month for national health care and the entire family was covered if the head of the household - it could be the father, or mother, or a grown child - was employed and the health-care tax was being paid.
Retired people were also covered and those who were poor and unemployed could apply for coverage, at no cost, but they had to apply every year.
On the first of January the system was revised.
Now everyone has to be a member of the national health care system. If you work, you and your family are already covered. If you are retired, you are already covered.
But if you are poor and unemployed, or rich and unemployed, now you have to join the system.
Everyone - on a household basis - who is unemployed and not retired has to apply, and when you apply your household income is calculated.
If the average of the household income is less than about $160 per month per person, the health care is free for the household.
If the average of the household income is between about $160 and about $500 per month per person, the health care is about $18 per month for the head of the household.
If the average of the household income is between about $500 and about $1,000 per month per person, the health care is about $60 per month for the head of the household.
If the average of the household income is more than about $1,000 per month per person, the health care is about $120 per month for the head of the household.
If you are rich and don’t work you didn’t use to have to pay national health care taxes. Now you do. Most rich people weren’t paying national health care taxes; they only had private health insurance.
If you don’t apply, you will automatically be charged the highest rate, about $120 per month.
And, this system is also mandatory for foreigners who are permanent residents in Turkey for more than a year.
So this week I’ll be going down to the national health insurance office, declare my monthly income, find out how to pay my monthly fee, and be back on Turkish national health care - I haven’t been since my last contract ended.
And I will not have to worry about paying for private health care or private health insurance anymore!