For anyone interested, good health coverage - but medical only - not dental or optical - in the NYC area is about $1300 per month for one person. That gets you

Essentially free hospitalization

$10 for visits for in-system MDs

20% of visit cost for out of system MDs (many MDs in NYC don;t take insurance)

Prescriptions for $5 (generic), $10 (lower priced branded) and $20 (higher priced branded - but some VERY expensive drugs aren;t covered unless you MD can substantiate you can;t take one of the on-formulary drugs)

Tests approved in advance (these are routinely approved) such as CT scans or MRIs are $10 or $20 (versus the $800 plus cost of the test)

Normal tests (blood and urinalysis part of regular physical, EKG, mammogram etc) are paid without prior approval - at $10

Plus you pay the first $1000 out of pockets yourself.

Your total in-network cost is limited to $2500 for the year.

FYI - a visit to a specialist in Manhattan is about $300 and up, to a family doctor about $200.

If you're healthy this is a lot of money.

If you have a problem (I needed surgery with a 5 day hospital stay a couple of years ago) the cost for hospital, MDs, tests etc would have been over $180,000.

After 20 years or so in the north of England, Bill Bryson moved back to the US with his English wife and children. To Hanover, NH, if I remember correctly. They insisted on walking into town as opposed to driving, to the surprise of their neighbors. However, his wife found life easier in the US than in England.

Disclaimer: this is from my faint memory of the book he wrote on the subject. Any errors are all mine.

Hi CW,

>The problem for us Brits is we tend to think of America as a bit of Europe that talks funny and has strange shoes. It's not. It's a very alien place indeed.<

Likewise, most folks in the US think that the UK is like the US, with a funny accent. "It's not. It's a very alien place indeed".
...............................
Hi D,

>Good health coverage
in US must cost a mint.

If you're not in a group, about $24k pa for a family plan as good as one could get in France, the Netherlands or Denmark under the national insurance.

>I think the intolerance (in small towns) would be more towards people who were not religious.<

Here in my small town (pop 3200) almost everyone belongs to a church and doesn't care if you don't.

We also don't ask what people do in the privacy of their bedrooms.

OTOH, if you don't follow UGA football, you are talked about.
..............................
Hi J,

>She and I were out yesterday for a picnic ....<

Before you use that word again, check
http://www.fodors.com/forums/threads...p;tid=35143793
:)

((I))

"Then you need to meet more Americans. When I lived in Oklahoma, there was intense pride in the Native American heritage and it was the focus of much of my primary school history....

sorry , never been to Oklahoma...
One can only meet so many people out of 300 million...

The impression one gets about religion in America is that any a hint of not being religious " enough"
( ie Christian , a few token Jews), would be the end of any politician or high ranking Army officer.
We were in Italy during the municipal elections - don't remember seeing politicians on TV competing to show who is a "better" Christian or carrying their Bibles.

"For anyone interested, good health coverage - but medical only - not dental or optical - in the NYC area is about $1300 per month for one person. "
If you're not in a group, about $24k pa for a family plan as good as one could get in France, the Netherlands or Denmark under the national insurance."


someone must be wrong here!

If I could move for a couple of years with a decent job, then yes - but I would not do so with the intention of making it permanent.

As I have never been to the US, my reasons are obviously all based on stereotypes and perceptions.

I feel I am far too left wing to fit into American society. Many of the views I read on Fodor's stun me with how Extremely right wing I perceive them to be.

My politics border on Socialist - I dislike the extreme corporate power and Ultra capitalism that characterise the US. Gun laws, overt patriotism and lack of healthcare for all would all be offputting.

I am Agnostic - I feel that this may be a problem in such a religious country. I find it difficult to understand how a nation that produces so much of the world's good science can have such a high proportion of creationists (i.e. fundamentalists who believe the literal truth of the bible and don't agree with any form of evolution.)

I am a great follower of sports, none of which are played in the US. I can relate to Australian's love of cricket and the Kiwis obsession with Rugby, but mainstream US sports are a mystery to me.

I'd miss decent national newspapers, pubs and real ale, Monday morning discussions on "match of the day", Test match special, Radio 4, English Heritage and the National Trust.

If I sound "anti American", It is not intended - there is much I admire in America (Constitution, freedom of speech, due legal process etc) There are many parts of the US that I would like to visit - but as a person I feel I would find the US far more foreign than e.g Australia.

"The U.S. is the melting pot of the world..."

More of a mixed salad I would say.

Well, I remain a fan of many things American, but to claim it as THE melting pot of the world seems going a bit too far.

The rate of legal immigration to the USA is no longer anywhere near what it once was. I would imagine there are any number of countries that can claim an ethnic mix equal to the USA nowadays.

<i>if you don't follow UGA football</i>

There are two types of people in this world, those that care about SEC football and communists. :)

<i>I'd miss decent national newspapers</i>

But you live in the UK? I have to say that none of the UK papers, save the FT really impress me at all. Certainly no better than the NY Times or the Washington Post, which are as national as The Guardian or The Independent. And I read the press pretty widely.

<i>pubs and real ale</i>

Move to Boston. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a pub. Most have a far wider selection of real ale than the lately, lager-mad UK pub scene.

<i>I am Agnostic - I feel that this may be a problem in such a religious country.</i>

I think you worry too much. The vast majority of Americans view religion as a private matter. Being an agnostic is not an issue that I have ever seen, and I know plenty of Agnostics.

<i>The impression one gets about religion in America is that any a hint of not being religious &quot; enough&quot;
( ie Christian , a few token Jews), would be the end of any politician or high ranking Army officer.</i>

But there are litmus tests for politicians of any country. For many years, it seemed you couldn't be a UK politician without being skeptical of the EU. It would seem to be difficult to be a French politician without railing against US dominance and calling for a French counter-weight. The point is that you shouldn't confuse the message of politicians (which appeals to jingoistic cliches in every country) with the reality of what you are likely to encounter during your normal day. And the average American would find it rude to inquire about your religion, much less denigrate you for it.

We briefly considered moving there - if we could figure out the visa situation - but the horribly short annual leave regulations decided it for us. No way could we survive with 2 weeks leave a year, that is no way to live.

America is a great place to visit on holidays, have been there many times, but happy with where we live now (5 weeks leave plus public holidays).

Kay

<i> No way could we survive with 2 weeks leave a year, that is no way to live.</i>

This depends upon the company. My company starts at 3 weeks + 2 personal days, and you get an additional day each of the first 5 years. Quite quickly, you are at 22 days of vacation.

Plus, you are eligible, from day 1, to &quot;buy&quot; a week of vacation, whereby, you place 1/52 of your salary into an account. So, even a new employee is eligible for 20 days leave + 2 personal days, and 2 or 3 more national holidays than we provide for our French, German, British, or Danish colleagues.

&quot;the NY Times or the Washington Post, which are as national as The Guardian or The Independent.&quot;

I didn't know these - I presumed that with the size of the US , the papers would be more regional - as I said, my views are based purely on perceptions and stereotypes as I have never been to the US.

Correction , didn't know THIS.

<i>I presumed that with the size of the US , the papers would be more regional</i>

They do have a larger regional section, but the average NY Times or Washington Post probably has twice the content of the average UK daily. There is plenty of coverage there. Also, the NY Times, in particular has been aggressive in marketing itself nationally, and it also owns the Boston Globe, for instance, leveraging its national and international desks.

&quot;The vast majority of Americans view religion as a private matter.&quot;


&quot;he point is that you shouldn't confuse the message of politicians (which appeals to jingoistic cliches in every country) with the reality of what you are likely to encounter during your normal day.

If religion is seen as a private matter by the majority of Americans, how can a religiosity of politicians (elected by THE MAJORITY of Americans to lead the country) be a litmus test for the jingoistic crowd only ?

Flanneruk...I mean &quot;really&quot;...how over the top I find your comment. As far as &quot;fairskinned&quot; people not hardly being able to go outside without getting skin cancer here... well...really...There IS sun screen and there are hats. Plus, we are populated with not only &quot;fairskinned&quot; people.
And Southern California isn't the only sunny/hot place, in the world, that fairskinned people live.
I have plenty of fairskinned Australian friends who've been living there for generations. And I'll tell you that when I was in South Australia, in December, some years ago, it was a heck of a lot hotter than here in L.A. That's the only place I've ever been where I ended up with a skin problem that took a couple of months before my skin returned back to its norm...and I'm Afro-American and am one who's never worried about my skin. Happy Travels!

I have not read this entire thread, but as a dual national holding a passport of the 'sacred' country (and which I hope to hold on to, since I have nothing against it), I cannot think of a reason that would make me want to live there again.

I am lucky enough to have 10 weeks vacation, and I don't think that any American job other than teaching would provide me with that. I earn enough money for my needs and do not see any reason to enter a system where I could double or triple my wages. And most important, even though I know that I could suddenly lose all that I have, I am very happy to live in a country with a social network that would provide housing and health care and minimum resources automatically if necessary.

And all of this is totally separate from the cultural quality of life, the normal food that is eaten, the constitutional values of the country where I live, the accessibility of other interesting neighboring countries, or just the rich variety of my neighbors. I would have great difficulty replicating all this in the U.S. (a country that I very much enjoy visiting)

<i>If religion is seen as a private matter by the majority of Americans, how can a religiosity of politicians (elected by THE MAJORITY of Americans to lead the country) be a litmus test for the jingoistic crowd only ?</i>

But, as long as the majority does not care, why annoy the minority that does? There are no votes to be had by being the anti-Religion candidate, so why go out of your way to be that person? It is much easier to just check the box.

And don't kid yourself about whether European populations don't care. My gosh, the whole Prince Charles divorce thing was suffused with questions about religion, questions completely separate from morality. Or the church tax in Denmark, to support a religion that virtually nobody cares about. Yet, you don't hear politicians promising its repeal. It is culture and habit and tradition that makes it political.

Much as I enjoy visiting the US (over 20 trips for business and pleasure to date), I couldn't really envisage living over there if I had to earn a living. Some of my most important priorities in life are good health and plenty of free time to travel. Here in the UK I get up to 42 days PAID days off a year together with national health cover that's (virtually) free at the point of need. Even though in my professional field I could earn considerably more in the US, I just think the sacrifices I would have to make are too high. Each to his own I guess...

What an interesting thread. I was unaware of the stereotypes foreign countries had of the USA and seeing how wrong they are makes it clear to me how wrong American stereotypes of European countries must be.
violence: Just because our constitution gives us the right to bear arms doesn't mean we all do. In fact I would venture to say that most of us don't.
quality of life: to be sure we may not all receive 1-2 months vacation, but most of us receive more than 2 weeks. Straight out of college I had 3 weeks, and I know many who started with 4. And living in Colorado, where we average 320 days of sunshine a year, I think I average 1-2 minor sunburns a year.
religion: contrary to our political figures, we're a very religiously tolerant country, of course every country has their own religious nutcases, but overall it is considered incredibly rude to criticize another's religious beliefs.