I'm talking about universal health care paid by the government (and your taxes) like the NHS in Great Britain. I lived there for 7 years and both my children were born there - with my ante-natal care, two c-sections and one child in special care for a week I probably would have gone bankrupt in the USA - but over there I didn't pay 1 cent! Do you think it could work over here?? In response to some of the answers, I just wanted to verify that I realize I paid higher taxes in the UK (did I ever!) - free health care is not literally free, but to me it's worth it to know that I could go to a doctor or emergency room and not worry about how I was going to pay the bill. Also, I am coming from the perspective of a person who works full time and does not have the luxuries of cell phones, car loans, credit cards and satellite TV. We don't even have basic cable in my house! I'm just tired of handing over nearly half my paycheck for insurance premiums and then paying co-pay and deductibles on top.
Government - 17 Answers
Random Answers, Critics, Comments, Opinions :
1 :
Hell, no, I dont want to pay for people who choose not to pay for themselves. besides if you cant feed' em dont breed 'em and that includes the medical costs.
2 :
That would be socialism, which I am against.
3 :
Not a good idea at all. research the health care crisis in Canada.
4 :
No. You are deluding yourself. You paid for your health care through taxes. If you had insurance in the US, you medical expenses would be covered. In the US we have the best health care in the world. If we pay for the best, we get the best.
5 :
I'd prefer less government intervention in the industry rather than more. Though, as long as the alternative is private insurance ponzi schemes, I can't object too strongly.
6 :
Why stop there? How about free housing? Free food? Free cars? Free money? C'mon...wake up and smell the coffee. People can afford health care in the USA if they have their priorities straight. Too many times, I hear people whining and crying about no health care, only to find out they have 2-3 cell phones, cable or satellite tv, a new car in the driveway of their new home that they purchased with an interest only loan. Sorry, I'm not going to fork over anything to anybody who won't help themselves first.
7 :
I think it could work, however you would have insurance companies have a heart attack. It can be worked out, there should be sponsored government health care and private health care for those who can afford health care. I think we should follow the model Sweden is using, they have one of the best health care systems in the world. It actually the cost for health care is low by international standards, 7.6% of GNP compared to 14-15% in the United States. Sadly enough insurance companies and lobbyist will say it is will coast too much. http://www.swedenabroad.com/Page____32628.aspx http://www.sweden.se/templates/cs/FactSheet____15865.aspx
8 :
I think it's a good idea, but to make it work you'd have to tax the rich. In 1979 the U.S. had 15 tax brackets with the top bracket paying 70%. Now we have three with the top bracket paying 35%. Since the rich folks make the tax laws I don't see much hope for change.
9 :
That would mean more government, and more taxes. Not in favour of either.
10 :
No, I don't want half my paycheck going to taxes, which is the case in Canada and Australia. I DO think the government needs to enact legislation to cap drug costs, malpractice lawsuits, and insurance premiums so all WORKING people can be afforded healthcare by their employers.
11 :
It would be a complete nightmare. We are a capitalist country, and health care is about 1/6 of our total economy. We get quality out of it being paid for by the recipients and we would lose that and have mediocre medical care if it were to be socialized. It will never happen in this country IMO because a bill could never make it all the way through Congress.
12 :
I lived there too and thought they had a perfect health care system and wouldn't mind paying higher taxes for the service. If the US could do that it would be a miracle. Its all about money plan and simple
13 :
Universal Health Care would most definitely work over here, but nobody is open to it. People, think about it. It'll basically be an insurance company that's accepted everywhere. Except for paying a monthly sum, it'll go into taxes. YOU ACTUALLY SAVE MONEY!!! It would work over here. Me personally, I am all for it. I'm waiting for Hillary to make it happen.
14 :
WHO'S PAYING FOR THIS HEALTH CARE??????? ME, the working class that's who.............surely not the unemployed or illegal aliens pouring into this Country Why am I responsible for your health care (or life) ????? That is actually what all you "Universal Health Care" advocates are trying to imply...... Next you'll want me to make your RENT payment and probably the one for your car too.
15 :
There are a lot of assumptions here that are just plan wrong, here they are: “I don’t want to pay for people who choose not to pay for themselvesâ€. I don’t want to pay for other people’s irresponsibility either, but we are paying for it one way or the other. Why do you think we pay so much for coverage now? When folks don’t have coverage they end up waiting till it is too late and end up going to the emergency room. The point they finally make it to the doctor their condition is so bad that the cost for fixing it is higher than if they took care of it right in the first place. Emergency room visits cost more than a routine visit to the doctor. Who pays for all this if they don’t? We do! We pay for them with or without universal health coverage. Why do you think we pay so much for insurance? My wife and I are young and healthy, and we have a healthy baby boy. To have full coverage with Kaiser it costs us over $800 a month! In countries where they have universal coverage people don’t even pay that much in a year! We also pay for it when our Hospitals close because there isn’t enough money to keep them open. We also pay when the government has to bail out the insurance companies when they go belly up. We also pay when our work force is threatened because people who need treatment aren’t getting it. WE PAY ANYWAY! “That would be socialism, which I am againstâ€. Yes it would be a social program, God forbid. Let us see what other social programs we suffer from: public schools, road maintance, the military, social security, the postal service, etc. Maybe we should just go back to living in caves? “Not a good idea at all. Research the health care crisis in Canadaâ€. Research the health care system here! We are in trouble, not because we have done things the Universal way but because we have taken the privatization route. You can find bad examples of anything if we look hard enough, but if we look for where the best medical system live, they are found in countries where a universal system is in place. “In the US we have the best health care in the worldâ€. I wish this was true but it isn’t. It may have been true 20 years ago, but the world has changed since then. Not only do they do it cheaper over seas but they do it better. I have seen the hospitals in France, I have seen the dentist offices in Thailand, and I have seen the pharmacies in Holland. We are falling behind. Going to a Dentist in Thailand is like getting in a time machine and traveling into the future. The maternities in France are like dieing and going to heaven; private rooms extended stays, service, etc. Drugs are cheaper, medical innovations abound, all over seas. The USA is a joke when it comes to health care; we are rated 37th in the world. We have double the infant mortality than France. And drug costs are absurd here. Let’s go Universal!
16 :
I think, according to everything I've looked at... health care costs would probably be cut in half (relative to what you pay now for insurance vs. a tax increase)... and, at best, a very minimal decrease in quality... same basic services for half the costs... I like it... costs are totally out of control in the U.S. and you can't put a cost on good health, so there is no regulation to the market... also, I think we would be a more successful country if everyone had health care... witch many don't have access to any decent level of health care (only emergency care, which many health professionals will tell you that just doesn't cut it)...
