No free health care in the US. But enough money to finance wars half the time?

Question

I find it uncomprehensible that the US being pretty much the greatest country in the world has people starving and needing medical care. We got all of this money to fund wars over in Iraq?

Answer 1

I will get a great deal of flac for this but here goes. I am currently on Medicare and Medicaid after trying to work and keep insurance and pay for my own health car for about 20 years. I became ill as a teenager but tried to have a normal life.
1) Just try to get a job when you are disabled. Yeah sure there are laws. Try and enforce them
2) Try and find a job with health insurance. Wait out the previous condition rider.
3) Try to find a job were the employer is willing to adapt to your special needs.
4) You tell them flat out at the interview you will need time off for Dr's. appointments. They say OK. They fire you for "absenteeism."
I could go on. Every time you lose a job, you lose your medical coverage. Yes you can by Cobra coverage but the last job I had that was $284.00 /month for a single person. An unemployed single person.
Sure you can go to an e-room. But that's not the way to have a chronic, lifetime illness treated. E-rooms are for emergencies.
I ended up in the hospital, finally convinced to apply for social security disability.
The sicker you are, the less likely you are able to hold a job,and the less likely you are to have insurance. Binding insurance to working is just plain silly. Now my insurance is bound to the fact that I don't work.
Some sort of national health plan, Something with a $1000.00 per family yearly deductible, with an 80/20 co insurance with a stop loss after $5000.00 out of pocket, could work. All but the poorest of the poor could handle that. Could the richest country in the would pay for it? I think so.

Answer 2

Kelly, this is an excellent question with many points to be considered for both sides of the issue. I too am very concerned about this issue however I believe it will be difficult to do much better then our current system. Steps are being taken though. Although it is illeagal to import drugs from Canada, we have just started the process of decriminalization for this. It was announced not long ago that charges will not be filed against some of those who are doing so. In my home state of VA we have a system in place though the Fan Free Clinic that insures that every citizen of VA can have their medical needs provided for. It relies on both state and private contributions and the wait for treatment can be lengthy, but it's a start.
Also consider that our socialist friends in the UK have a national healthcare program and while it is working, you must step back and ask just how well does it work. I have friends there who say they have waited months and even years sometimes to get the medical attention they need. For people like myself who make too much for medicare/medicade, don't have issurence through my job, and still can't afford an office visit on my own, it seems that there is no resolution in the near future.
And Iraq......we can't afford it and our country is suffering from it. There are so many progams that have already suffered or been eliminated to pay for Iraq and I can't wait to see peace again so that we can get back to what realy matters, taking care of our own house first.

Answer 3

The US had those problems BEFORE the war in Iraq and will likely have them when the war is over. You can't wish free health care into existence, it is not sustainable...probably not even a good idea in the long run. While there are a few people starving (although not many), there are certainly more that are eating less than they should. That is more of a societal issue than a money issue, because the food and system to access it exists...but it is not efficient.

Answer 4

First off Babyrawl, is incorrect in that we have it better than anyother country economically, Switzerland, Sweeden, Saudi, Kuwait, and several other countries have higher standards of living.

secondly we don't have the money to finacne the war we are borrowing to fight it, at an enoumious cost!

thirdly health care in the US is a disgrace! Insurance companies make enormious and excessive profits, drug comapnies over charge, as does Walgreens , CVS, and other pharmacies, physican's are in to the money, the beamers and what i buys rahter than medicine and curing people.

I would rather have my tax dollars pay for medical coverage for all US citizens, than to foot the bill for Iraq, presidentual luxeries, congressional salaries, the space program, and foregion aid in general.

Dr B is full of crap, I personally know several people who go without health care due to the high cost! They cant afford it and dont have a good enough job to provide it.

Answer 5

I agree. There is medical care should your income be low enough. BUT what I despise the most is that if you are an illegal alien you can come here and get free health care...

I have a daughter with autism. She is on a waiting list for Medicaid Waivers. Looks like it could be about a total of a 20 year wait. Therapy costs about $30,000 per year for just speech and occupational therapy(not work related as most assume but for fine motor skills. ie; using eating utensils, handwriting, cutting with scissors, zipping, buttoning, etc...) services. If something isn't provided sooner, these kids will not be able to function as nearly as well as they should as adults.

THEREFOR, in some instances free health care should be provided. On that note. If you can afford it, you should pay for it. Leave it for the truly needy, the ones who have extenuating circumstances or temporarily fall upon hard times.

As far as money for war. It is needed but I think most of us agree that we were totally misled about going into war in the 1st place and we need to bring our guys and gals back home where they belong.

Answer 6

Yet, hmm, lets see....no decapitation for crimes committed, when people would think that would save money from putting people in jail and prison, women should have no rights as they dont in many other countries (thats just wrong, women have the right to do what anyone can), Free health care so illegals get off scott free (dont think so), starving people, huh (have you asked many of the people why they are starving, well, I did once and I got answers like, I dont want to work, or I refuse to work at a mcdonalds and work for 7-9 dollars an hour) arrogance is a big part of homelessness. There are many ways to get food but they mostly are to lazy to do it.

Answer 7

Actually, there is free health care in the US. Anyone can go to any public hospital for emergency treatment. The hospital must treat them regardless of ability to pay.

In addition, every county, and some towns and cities, have low-cost clinics that anyone can go to. Payment depends on level of public benefits currently being received. Even though I have a doctor, I get tetanus and flu shots from county health; $5 for a jab there vs. $15 or more at my Dr.'s. If I were already receiving public benefits, the jabs would be free.

Answer 8

To me it is incomprehensible that we pay money to many countries in the world for new hospitals, schools, roads and many other projects, but do not have the money to give free higher education to our citizens or free or nearly free medical coverage to all.
If we charged everyone on a sliding scale based on a percentage of their income and charged companies a percentage of their profit we would be able to pay for both needs. To me this would mean we would not have to play the high insurance rates or the high cost of higher education.

Answer 9

The US is not a socialist country..yet. People need to earn things like money to pay for health care. Free is not a concept this country was built on. The war and health care entirely separate issues. Your question shows much too much simplicity. I respect the question though!

Answer 10

There are NO people STARVING in America. Other than the occasional senior citizen who is unable to care for themself and also neglected or child abuse case, name one incident of starvation in this country.

As for needing medical care, again, hospitals are required to and do provide a great deal of uncompensated health care. Is it great? No. But that's why MY bill for health care is so high when I use it...to pay for the poor.

Frankly under GWB, this country has no financial discipline and is attempting to have social programs and wars at the same time.