The U.S. Health Care Debate

[jabarto]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/8200844.stm

Americans give their opinions on the NHS. Why is it always the NHS?

[tibilicus]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_depth/8200844.stm

Americans give their opinions on the NHS. Why is it always the NHS?

Stopped watching about 5 seconds in.

"Your health Care in the UK sucks"

Funny that, seeming surveys have continuously showed about 90% of the general public is satisfied with the NHS and the service it provides. Sure, we wait longer than you do in the US, but it's greatly exaggerated. If you need medication, surgery or whatever it may be, you can get it near enough no problem.

Also saw the signs about socialism, those jokers wouldn't know what socialism was if it slapped them across the face. I myself am miles away from socialism politically, and do I feel the NHS is the beginning of the red army coup coming to the UK? No.

The fact remains that as far as I'm aware, the USA is the only rich westernised nation that doesn't offer universal health care, quite frankly you ought to be ashamed. Then again do I expect any better from a nation where a large proportion of it's citizens seem to linger on inequality like it's the "American thing to do"? America has been a nation driven with inequality and a massive rich poor divide since the day it was born, you think that the people might actually want to do something about it.

The simple fact remains that health care in the US is seen as something that only those who can pay deserve to get. Health care should be a basic human right, the argument that healthcare standards would drop if you had universal health care is also flawed. Statistically America is one of the most unhealthy rich nations. I mean c'mon, even your doctors want healthcare reform.

/End rant.

P.S American media, quit hating on our NHS, we like it, your just jealous.

[aimlesswanderer]

Yes tibilicus, the whole circus seems very strange. I love the "Communist", "Socialist", or even "Nazi" (huh? Hitler would not approve I dare say) signs, that just confirms to me that the lunatics are loose!

Yep, an insane amount of money is spent for crappy outcomes and vast numbers of people with no care at all. If, in any other developed country, the leader of a major political party said that they were going to change the health system to an "American" model, they would do extremely badly at the next election. Now, this either shows that the rest of the developed world is Communist/Socialist/Nazi, or just more sensible and fair minded.

[Lemur]

Just to dig in on a point: Medicare D is projected to cost us $8.1 trillion dollars, according to the CBO. It was originally supposed to cost $1.2 trillion over ten years.

Somebody explain to me why nobody is protesting Medicare D?

[Strike For The South]

Just to dig in on a point: Medicare D is projected to cost us $8.1 trillion dollars, according to the CBO. It was originally supposed to cost $1.2 trillion over ten years.

Somebody explain to me why nobody is protesting Medicare D?

Becuase old people vote and there's fixin to be allot more of them. We need to scrape medicare and medicaid, it's like the worst of every system put into 1.

I really am sick of old people and there crap. I'm not paying millions of pesos to go to school only to have nana take it away down the road simply becuase she's old and gives Wethers caramels.

[KukriKhan]

Becuase old people vote and there's fixin to be allot more of them. We need to scrape medicare and medicaid, it's like the worst of every system put into 1.

I really am sick of old people and there crap. I'm not paying millions of pesos to go to school only to have nana take it away down the road simply becuase she's old and gives Wethers caramels.

Seniors are jerks. all they care about is getting that check in the mail and they vote for whoever promises to uphold it.

You askme before we make more reform we have to either scrap medicare and social security or drastically reform it, before *shudder* the baby boomers get into the game. They ruined every other public institution they touched (schools)..... they are like a cancer, they just eat away.

Someday (not here, it'd derail the thread) we ought to look at this (the anti-senior sentiment) and see if it holds any water. I think I'm safe in predicting that such attitudes will be expressed more often, and more loudly, in the next 5-15 years.

[Strike For The South]

Someday (not here, it'd derail the thread) we ought to look at this (the anti-senior sentiment) and see if it holds any water. I think I'm safe in predicting that such attitudes will be expressed more often, and more loudly, in the next 5-15 years.

All seniors care about is their issues. They like to complain Obama is spending there grankids money when in reality they have been doing that for years! Social security, medicare, and most social legislation is all becuase senoirs vote en masse.

Dont get me wrong I love my nana but at the same time she is bankrupting the country.

I'm also not saying they should be put out to pasture either, I'm just saying we need to fix the system and everything should be on the table. Yet Medicare is like a sacred cow.

[Xiahou]

Just to dig in on a point: Medicare D is projected to cost us $8.1 trillion dollars, according to the CBO. It was originally supposed to cost $1.2 trillion over ten years.

So, when healthcare reform is projected to cost $1 trillion.... should we believe them?

[Lemur]

I'd be thrilled if either party would talk coherently about cost containment. But it certainly seems as though Obama's plan is being held to higher scrutiny and investigation than Medicare D ever received.

The path to real savings probably lies with one of two politically unrealistic options: single-payer or Paul Ryan's roadmap. Single-payer has the advantage of being a tested system, since every other industrialize nation has had a run at it. Ryan's proposal is much more radical, but even greater savings might be realized. Bit of a leap of faith.

But neither outcome will happen, so why am I bothering talking?

[ICantSpellDawg]

I'd be thrilled if either party would talk coherently about cost containment. But it certainly seems as though Obama's plan is being held to higher scrutiny and investigation than Medicare D ever received.

The path to real savings probably lies with one of two politically unrealistic options: single-payer or Paul Ryan's roadmap. Single-payer has the advantage of being a tested system, since every other industrialize nation has had a run at it. Ryan's proposal is much more radical, but even greater savings might be realized. Bit of a leap of faith.

But neither outcome will happen, so why am I bothering talking?

Single-payer would get the job done, but at the expense of the US health industry. PLUS I think that it would obscure cost even further, unless the government essentially controlled the production of health materials, which would be totally insane.

I love the roadmap. It makes sense to me and puts visible money in between most doctor-patient transactions. I'll be damned if I'm going to keep going to a doctor who, after an hour wait in his disease filled office and a 20 minute **** talk, gives me a bill for $700. I'd spit in his face.

The roadmap is radical. That's why I love it. I love radical, minimally-socialist ideas. That's why I am sometimes uncomfortable with the title "conservative", because I favor a radical overthrow of conventrional norms too often, but almost never in favor of flower-child "single payer/command economy" nonsense.

I know that the current system is a failing one. Everyone can see how it has contributed to skyrocketing cost, but nobody wants to jettison a sinking ship. The US is all about new ideas, why can't we go Paul Ryans way?

[Seamus Fermanagh]

Just to dig in on a point: Medicare D is projected to cost us $8.1 trillion dollars, according to the CBO. It was originally supposed to cost $1.2 trillion over ten years.

Somebody explain to me why nobody is protesting Medicare D?

I objected when Bush pushed for it and have stated my opposition to in on many occasions in the BR. A boondoggle of the first rank.