Free Health Care in The USA

[Strike For The South]

Should we take a page out of Canadas book and nationalize health care? I think we should I beleive the benifits would overshadow the minor tax-bump

[Goofball]

Should we take a page out of Canadas book and nationalize health care? I think we should I beleive the benifits would overshadow the minor tax-bump

*waits for Sergeant-at-Arms to confiscate SFTS's Conservative Club membership card, rip the epaulettes from his jacket, confiscate all his guns, and send him on his way out the door with a swift kick in the arse*

[Beirut]

Viva socialized medicine!

The hallmark of humanity, intelligence, and civilization.

All we need is better implementation and control of it. The idea itself is sound and the right one.

[Goofball]

On a more serious note:

You should take half a page from our book. Have universal free health care, but also allow "for profit" private health care.

All of the evidence shows that countries that take a blended approach are able to offer a higher overall quality of healthcare to all of their citizens.

[Beirut]

On a more serious note:

You should take half a page from our book. Have universal free health care, but also allow "for profit" private health care.

All of the evidence shows that countries that take a blended approach are able to offer a higher overall quality of healthcare to all of their citizens.

God knows our system stinks sometimes, but the idea of socialized medicine is nearly perfect.

I think if the system is properly administered, there is no need for pay-as-you-go health care, which, as evidence shows, is a slippery slope to mass for-profit-health care, which is an abomination.

[Kaiser of Arabia]

No.

STFS, as a long member of the Conservative Club in good standing, I hereby declare your membership null and void.

May God have Mercy on your Soul, for we shall have none

[Strike For The South]

meh thats fine KOA I seriosuly think it would be great for us I see no downside espacilly in the long run

[Kaiser of Arabia]

meh thats fine KOA I seriosuly think it would be great for us I see no downside espacilly in the long run

Give me a T! Give me an A! Give me a X! Give me an E! Give me a S!

What does that spell?

Communist Dictatorship based off of anti-American and anti-Freedom ideas that opress the majority of the population with opressive programs and pogroms that will result in the deats of at least 20 million people!

[Strike For The South]

becuas eCanadas in such strife

[Weebeast]

I don't mind paying taxes as long as I get it back not spent on some e-porno crackdown.

[Kaiser of Arabia]

becuas eCanadas in such strife

We're talking a nation of 32,270,507 people and 9,984,670 sq km. They have too much land and natural resources for them to have any form of strife. Also, they're unemployment is much higher than ours (6.6 percent average versus a 5 percent average.)

EDIT: You also don't see the US deporting people because of their political beleifs, no matter how radical they are...

[Red Harvest]

GM is becoming a candidate for bankruptcy. One of the big overhanging problems being named: healthcare costs.

The decades of double digit inflation in healthcare costs are taking their toll. They are finally reaching the point of making our nation *uncompetitive.*

I'm not as enamored of a fully "Free" system. Sharing the cost is probably best, but also making sure there is full coverage (not simply "free" coverage.) I would like to see a *uniform* system nationally, and some direct effective methods of controlling cost. There is a quite a bit in the way of overhead that could be completely eliminated in this manner.

I don't think true nationalization is necessary...although it would beat the current course we are on. The current course WILL lead to higher taxes, as well as a decreasingly competitive economy.

[KafirChobee]

In 1948, Truman proposed a National health insurance policy - his "do nothing" republican congress fought him at every turn and it failed. Had LBJ, not gotten stuck to that war across the pond he crey well may have been able to push his through. But, alas he was bogged down in a war and the cost of it detracted from the medical needs of the public at large.

Today, the majority of Americans are either uninsured or have medical policies that in the event of a catostrphic emergency would bankrupt them (even if they can no longer file for bankruptcy due to medical reasons).

The need is there, but the AMA is one of the most powerful lobbying groups in D.C.. It is highly unlikely that any medical bill can be passed that does not insure that things go on as they have - except maybe making it harder to sue for malpractice.

btw, did you know that if we simply reversed the taxes of the $1million+ a years back to 2001 rates (and left the remainder as is) we would again have a surplus - and then be able to have a health care system for all Americans (plus other social programs, and a better educational system - - you did hear Bush wants to slash the moneys for education to "balance" his budget).

Some day, after the revolution ..... maybe.

[Xiahou]

Should we take a page out of Canadas book and nationalize health care? I think we should I beleive the benifits would overshadow the minor tax-bump

Wait.... you're not joking?

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

Today, the majority of Americans are either uninsured or have medical policies that in the event of a catostrphic emergency would bankrupt them (even if they can no longer file for bankruptcy due to medical reasons).

From my limited understanding, there are segments of the population that do not purchase health insurance because they don't see the need. What are the chances of a "catostrphic" injury or medical crisis, anyway?

[Papewaio]

On a more serious note:

You should take half a page from our book. Have universal free health care, but also allow "for profit" private health care.

All of the evidence shows that countries that take a blended approach are able to offer a higher overall quality of healthcare to all of their citizens.

Australia has a blended approach.

I have private health cover but I haven't used it except for Wasabi's contact lenses. Public health is pretty good and we use it most of the time.

[Alexander the Pretty Good]

So you pay for private health when you want it "snappy" or something like that?

[Papewaio]

For elective surgery yes. For emergency stuff the public hospitals are the primary ones.

For things like glasses, lenses, orthodontics ... anything that is a want rather then a need then you use private health care. Anything that you need to live is generally done in the public sector.

[Crazed Rabbit]

The hallmark of humanity, intelligence, and civilization.

All we need is better implementation and control of it. The idea itself is sound and the right one.

Reminds me of some things people say about Communism.

God knows our system stinks sometimes, but the idea of socialized medicine is nearly perfect.

I think if the system is properly administered, there is no need for pay-as-you-go health care, which, as evidence shows, is a slippery slope to mass for-profit-health care, which is an abomination.

Yup, better to make people wait for months for essential services than give them the ability to pay to get better! That's why people are crossing into the US for $25,000 sugeries!

Crazed Rabbit

[Papewaio]

I think for some aspects of Health care it is far more cost efficient to be a public funded insitution for others it is better held in the private courts.

[Xiahou]

Service and innovation is almost invariably better in free markets and private enterprise- whether its medicine or computers.

[Papewaio]

So you think the CDC would be better privatised?

Things like immunisation are better done to everyone rather then just who can afford it. It works better then a piecemeal approach.

[Xiahou]

No, preventing and controlling epidemics would fall under the general welfare duties of the government. Day to day healthcare does not, imo.

[Beirut]

Reminds me of some things people say about Communism.

If you would be so kind, please offer unto me, any examples of how allowing all people equal access to life saving medicine, regardless of their ability to pay, equates with a dictatorial police state.

And if it is true that socialized medicine equates with the tenets of communism, and communism bearing the hallmark of mass incarceration of its own citizens, why does the US with its for-profit medicine have one of, if not the highest, percentage of its own people in jail? Far more than Canada with our quasi-commie healthcare. Where is the corelation there?

Yup, better to make people wait for months for essential services than give them the ability to pay to get better! That's why people are crossing into the US for $25,000 sugeries!

Absolutely true. Not all the time, but enough of the time to matter. Again, it's our management of the system that is lacking, not the system itself.

[solypsist]

we're too busy trying to build a wall across our southern border to bother with giving even a modicum of national healthcare to the average citizen.

[Xiahou]

we're too busy trying to build a wall across our southern border to bother with giving even a modicum of national healthcare to the average citizen.

Yes, clearly the better choice would be to throw our borders wide open and then give free healthcare to our millions of illegal immigrants along with everyone else.

[solypsist]

Yes, clearly the better choice would be to throw our borders wide open and then give free healthcare to our millions of illegal immigrants along with everyone else.

O RLY? by "citizen" I was referring to legal citizens, i should have been clearer.

[Xiahou]

My mistake- I didnt know you were in favor of denying healthcare to illegal immigrants. Now I know.

[Beirut]

My question still stands.

If socialized medicine is linked to communism, and communism is linked to oppression of the people, why does the US with for-profit medicine have higher rates of imprisonment of its own people than (most if not all) countries with socialized medicine?

[Red Harvest]

From my limited understanding, there are segments of the population that do not purchase health insurance because they don't see the need. What are the chances of a "catostrphic" injury or medical crisis, anyway?

No, it's cost to benefit, pre-existing conditions, etc. Heck the supposed "premium" for my company's family group health insurance was a full year's pay for a minimum wage earner. (1/4th a year's pay for someone earning four times as much as minimum wage.) Cheapest private group plan I could find was about 1/3rd as much, but covers less...and doesn't cover some things at all. So once you figure in annual cost of premium and copay/non covered expenses the total is at least half of what a minimum wage earner would make.

Catastrophic...depends on income...chances are relatively high with lower income, even in the healthy. A $50,000 bill is not all that unusual for a treatable illness/surgery and a few weeks of hospitalization (having gotten one of these bills not all that long ago.) Without insurance that is catastrophic for many. You have to multiply it out over family size too when considering probability. And even if you are insured, you can expect a fairly hefty out of pocket expense, on top of those annual premiums.

And keep in mind, the chunk it is taking out of income each year is larger percentage wise than the year before. (The govt. expense and employer expense for it is growing disproportionately as well because of the inflation rate of medical expenses.)