ELT World Discussion

[David]

How well will you be provided for should you need urgent medical treatment?

[Emma]

Glad you've done this David.

In Greece, although your employer has to pay your contributions over to the national health service, I'm not sure how good it is and most people have a top-up insurance, even though it is in the EU.

[MELEE]

Mexico has national health, not the greatest, but if I had 3rd degree burns over 70% of my body, they'd treat me. Whether or not I'm close enought to a hospital that could handle that terrible of an accident is another story.

Having grown up in and around rural areas of the US, my dream is to convince Carlos Slim (the world's richest man and a Mexican) to buy the state of Oaxaca a medical rescue helicopter (or a fleet of them).
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[lozwich]

I've been lucky (??) enough to have had two surgeries here in Boggy, both completely paid for by my insurance. I think they even paid for the rental of my crutches, and they definitely paid for some slightly radical treatment I had.

I need to see a skin cancer doctor, and am specifically doing that before I leave this job, just in case I don't have the same medical coverage in my new place.

I gave myself a second degree burn when I lived in Spain, and the "treatment" I received at the local hospital was awful. I got better treatment and follow up physio advice (I damaged tendons in my hand through the burn) from a couple of pals who work for the NHS in London. I think burns are not very well understood by many medical professionals, and think there's plenty of room for improvement on that front all over the world.

Here's a website I wish I'd read before I burnt myself.. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/first-aid-burns/FA00022 I use this site a lot to find out about medical things, regardless of whether I have insurance or not.

[denise]

I've only had minor issues and routine checks, but they've been nearly fully covered. I just pay 2 rials, which is about $5, and get way more drugs than I need for free. Typically, the doc says, "I'm giving you this pill to take three times a day, and this pill to take once a day, and this pill to take only if you're feeling really really bad, and this other pill that you shouldn't take at all."

Once you get into the system for the private hospital in Muscat, you get good care nearly fully covered. You just need a referral to get in for that first visit.

d

[EFL Geek]

Yes.
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[dmb]

Yes, also pays %80 of medicine. If I die however, I am only worth 15 grand($)

[yaramaz]

Yes- but only since last September in my current job. Last spring, several teachers (including myself) were involved in a car accident on the way back from a company class. The owner of our school arranged ambulances to a private hospital and paid out of pocket for all tests and treatments and hospital stays and follow ups (one teacher had a double fractured pelvis). As a result of this accident, they added full private insurance to our new contracts- I haven't used mine yet, but am glad to have it. Public hospitals here are not very reassuring.
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[fat_chris]

If a job wouldn't offer me health insurance, then I wouldn't be likely to take that job.

That said, if I am choosing between two jobs with Job A offering more money and a "lesser" health insurance policy and Job B offering less money and a more comprehensive health insurance policy, I may be more likely to take Job B.

Having an adequate health insurance policy can't be emphasized enough.

I am currently covered with life insurance thrown in as well.
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[Glenski]

Health insurance copayments are required by law in Japan. Just be careful about how your employer operates. If he counts only the hours you are in the classroom and it's less than 29 per week, he can legally call you part-time when he reports you to the tax authorities and therefore avoid making the copayments.

[David]

Thanks for your responses. I'm also running this poll on the blog, it has received 40 responses so far.

http://elt-world.blogspot.com/

[David]

Thanks to all those who've voted:

http://elt-world.blogspot.com/2008/05/does-your-tefl-employer-provide-medical.html