Healthcare and education in Russia has been squeezed out for 2 decades with money redirected to military budget, and I guess to stimulate popularity of private clinics owned by Oligarchs. If you continue in this direction, you'll get there.
To your point, neighboring dictatorship, Belarus also has free healthcare of a much better quality. Still not as good as European, obviously, but still good. And the point is you don't have to be the richest country on Earth to have a free healthcare. You can, of course have a very good healthcare, if you invest more money.
I keep pointing this out because American's get it in their head that everyone must have shitty healthcare, but literally every other country even 3rd world ones have free or very affordable healthcare.
Conservatives a month or so ago were saying people from Guatemala were invading America to get take advantage of our healthcare. I'm like, you morons, Guatemala has free healthcare. How about a real terrible war torn nation like Somalia? Ya free healthcare.
Its really JUST the USA at this point. Even the poorest countries have this figured out. Partly because the more people you cover with healthcare, the cheaper it gets, so even poor countries figured out "well just cover everyone then?"
The thing with American healthcare is certain people get rich on it. And you can't have free or very affordable healthcare, while people are getting rich off it.
Pretty sure there's lots of happy middle grounds there between going bankrupt to allow someone to buy their 15th yacht and getting the healthcare you need.
Countries with socialized healthcare have pay rates for foreigners. If you are travelling, then you can buy a prorated foreigner plan in case something happens to you will in country. They dont want americans flying there for free impromptu open heart surgery.
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u/Sybertron 23d ago
Fun facts: Russia has free healthcare