Should America have free healthcare?

Question

Canada has had free healthcare for ages now. Why not America? I find it shameful that someone should be sent home to die if they don't have the money to pay the surgeon with.

Answer 1

Very good question. Do rich people think Americans got it too good to work like slaves? We USED to have health care easily obtained, but they scammed us out of it.

Answer 2

hell no it should not be free.

Do you want to wait a month just to go to the doctor for an ingrown toenail. NO.
anything free isn't worth having.
Somebody always has to pay.( higher taxes)
competition is the reason America has the best drugs and healthcare. The hosptials Can not tell you to go home and Die because you cant pay the bill. The indigent have the ability to get Gov't healthcare. Insurance is the problem. Before insurance EVERYBODY paid the doctor before they left. Then insurance companies got involved and the doctors and hospitals Charge 3 times more for the service because the insurance co. is only paying a small portion of that bill. where as an individual would be
resonsible for the Whole Bill. The other reason the Dr. cost so much is that they are required to give away so much free healthcare that they add that time into billing all of there other patients

Answer 3

I thought the same way, until I talked with a lady from Canada. She says that their healthcare is really aweful. There is no competition among doctors for patients, so a lot don't really provide the best of care, because regardless, they'll get patients anyway. I'm not sure where you live in America, but in Georgia, the emergency room of a public hospital cannot turn anyone away that needs medical attention. And anyone who is dying and cannot afford treatment also has the option of applying for Medicaid or Medicare (depending on age).

Answer 4

no offence but you just asked us to trade the west's 2nd most gliched system for 1st letme give you the rundown:canadaians b\c of free care have a lack of doctorsetc especially cutting edge ones since they can't be paid as much so besides the poor quality of their hospitals and huge tax drain there are mile long waiting lists esp. though I can't remember why(m\b to insure a need) but its tied in, its illegal to undergo most procedures out\s the country-this is more than an inconvenience people die\live inhorrible cond.s on top of that such a system creates a huge beaureocrasy and miles of red tape a typo can set back a surgery months well, you get the idea;the american one is better in quality,efficiency,development(which ADDS alot to the economy-alotmore than you think),and its unlikely that you wont get most treatments due to lack of money onthe other hand this creates an enormous conflict of interst in the medical comm. to make decisions based on financial gain(or at least to be swayed(s\t unaware)-were all human) in addition being an unregulated industry the problem of monopoly is a big one(why should you be in debt till your60 just b\c some big shot is greedy) also as a consequence people may forgo necessary treatment so de-facto not be covered-but it still serves its purpose(keeping people healthy[aside from the eco, angle])better than canadas the real solution,as in so many things lies in between the 2 extremes to do it the european way where(I cant remember all the details) they do things like making sure the employer insures,regulating coverage and price of ins. gov. aid ona limited scale .also med industry should be regulated nice sentiment but yugotto check your facts,again no offence

Answer 5

What we 'SHOULD" have is different than what we can have. Universal healthcare with our present system is a total pipe dream. We have 230 million people. The amount of money needed to provide current level care to all of them is beyond comprehension. It would involve the establishment of a new massive layer of government burocracy, millions of pages of laws and regulations and years to implement. Without cost controls on virtually every sector of our society you would face 70% tax brackets and national bankruptcy in about 10 years. It COULD work if the entire system were changed totally. Drug companies, doctors, medical device manufacturerers, companies that make bandages and hospital beds, nurses unions, the AMA, lawyers, insurance companies and dozens of other groups would have to be reigned in. That is what they could make and charge would have to be limited. You could not exempt seniors, the poor, illegal immigrants, low income people etc. from paying as it would only cost the rest of us more. Extremly high priced procedures would be strictly limited. People who were terminal would not get total care but drugs to "keep the comfortable" until the inevitable occured. The Canadian system doesnt work that well. Remember Canada as a nation has less people that the state of California and many of them pay 40% taxes. Care is rationed and limited. This country would have to change totally if it was going to work.

Answer 6

I agree with you. I think that the US is the ONLY country in the world where people do not get free healthcare. It's the most ridiculous crap ever. You are right, it is shameful to send a person home to die if they can't afford to pay the doctors or if they are too sick to qualify for insurance. The entire government should be ashamed of themselves, but they don't care about the citizens of the US, they only care about the money lining their pockets.

Answer 7

Have you any clue how bad treatment is in Canada? The canucks and brits come HERE for care because our govt doesn't have to ration care. Read up on the cons of 'free health care' before you make such a suggestion.

And in point of fact, if you are in need the hospitals here won't turn you away. They will even help you work payment plans and help set you up with assistance programs if nescessary.

Study up on it, it's not all it's cracked up to be.

Answer 8

Canada does not have "FREE" healthcare. They pay a huge portion of their income in taxes to have a government run medical system.

They also have to wait weeks and sometimes months for treatment and many hospitals lack advanced medical equipment ( things like MRI's ) that are found in just about every hospital in the USA.

What are you shameful about? We also have a public hospital system that accepts everyone regardless of their ability to pay and laws theat require private hospitals to provide emergency care to everyone in need.

Nobody gets sent home to die. Stop spreading internet myths.

Answer 9

Lived in Canada. Experienced their brand of "health care." Canadian health care is by no means free. It is more expensive and of much lower quality than what we have here. Making the consumption of a product free doesn't ever releave the consumer of the cost of the product. That cost is simply transferred to the consumer in ways are less visible. I don't call that free, I call that manipulative.

Answer 10

There is no such think as free health care, however you are right that every American should have access to quality health care. I think it is the insurance company's fault, if you take their profit out of the cost of health care it would be much cheaper. I have been calling for socialized medicine since 1985, it is just the right thing to do.

Answer 11

Cuba also had a free healthcare. American doesn´t have enough money to pay the system benefits for the own citizens. It´s a shame.