Should the United States of America have a national health care system?

Question

What if it was an optional system? You could choose if you wanted to purchase better healthcare or take the national plan.

Answer 1

Socialized medicine, like all forms of socialism, has been a world-wide failure. As people throughout the world from the Soviet Union to South America are learning, socialism cannot work. Socialism is fundamentally incompatible with human nature.

Horrible Idea, we do not need another entitlement program in our country. Would you like to be in a line for a kidney or a liver and never get one? How about having innovation limited by promoting the status quo and mediocrity? Don't fall for utopian ideals which are not achievable.

"Throughout the world the story is the same: socialized medicine results in skyrocketing demand for nominally "free" health care, doctors are overburdened, medical services steadily deteriorate, and there are endless waiting lists for health care. In the Soviet Union before the collapse of Communism, anesthetics, painkillers, and most drugs were rationed; 57 percent of hospitals had no hot running water; and it was standard practice to clean needles with steel wool and reuse them. In New Zealand, which has a population of just 3 million, there is a waiting list of 50,000 for surgery."

Medicare and Medicaid are imposing horrendous costs upon American taxpayers. There is no free lunch. When health care is "free" (i.e., indirectly financed by taxation), there is little incentive for either patients or doctors to minimize costs. Government-guarantee medical services raise prices and costs, result in massive waste, and create a bureaucracy in a futile attempt to control costs.

Government should get out of the medical insurance business. We will get far better value for our health care dollars if we spend them directly ourselves.

I surely do not want this to happen here in the USA, and you shouldn't either!! Please read the links. Educate yourself and others about the truth!!

Answer 2

confident and for people who think of there is the thank you to preserve people who don't have insurance, dream on, it does not exist..my family members won't be able to have sufficient money the month-to-month value of insurance and or the deductible.....the drug business corporation's are assisting with decrease fee drugs yet human beings prefer scientific help, tests, blood tests and and so on and that's no longer attainable...if someone's desires emergency care that works some, yet only undeniable preventive wellbeing does not exist, Washington state had a plan observed as "hassle-free wellbeing" that worked for years till bush took controll and then this plan went under and human beings have no longer something.....that's an absolute shame the main useful, richest united states contained in the worldwide that rushes to the help of each and every united states yet won't be able to preserve its very own human beings, finished shame...

Answer 3

I think it should be available for people who cannot afford their own insurance and that you would have to qualify for it. We have an obligation to our children to provide them with health coverage and there truly are people in this country who cannot afford the outragous cost of premiums. Connecticut has a plan that covers children, but they have to have a parent that qualifys. I've even heard that they go after dead-beat parents and require them to reimburse the State if they are financially able. The option needs to be there, but more importantly this country needs to focus on the costs associated with being sick. Prescription costs are rising so that the drug companies can place ads in magazines and on television. There are even ads for surgery being done and seen on TV. This is disgusting and this is the first thing that needs to be addressed. There is so much wrong with our health care options.

My biggest issue....why am I forced to pay for maternity care with my premiums when I am 46 years old and am done having children. This is a "benefit" I will never use again, and yet I still have to pay for it. Maternity coverage should be optional with lower rates for those people opting out.

Answer 4

Not having national health care but funding the current war, not a good choice for Americans.

Answer 5

YES! And we have a perfect example of how not to do it with Canada. Health insurance is a joke. It should be called Sick Insurance. The way HMOs work is SCARY!!!! I knew someone who had leukemia and the insurance company tried to cancel the policy!!!! The family didn't need that stress...and on top of that it was the insurance company's error!!!!!!

A national health care system can work, it just has to be structured the right way. With how many people do not have insurance, it's time for for the government to do something about it!!! (Not sure I want them to, but it is needed.)

It would also control some of the retarded costs in healthcare!!!! Don't even get me started on this!!!!

Answer 6

Yes. Recent studies have shown that the US has the least efficient, most expensive healthcare system in the world, and it still provides worse overall treatment than any other first world country. A national healthcare system would ensure that people didn't have to worry about losing their homes and savings due to illness or injury. It would lower costs, since costs are inflated due to the number of people who are unable to pay their medical bills. It would allow us to shift our focus from expensive treatment of medical conditions to the much less expensive prevention. Doctors wouldn't have to spend a fortune on malpractice insurance. It's time the US caught up with the rest of the first world.

Some interesting articles comparing the US medical system with those of other nations:

http://www.cmwf.org/publications/publications_show.htm?doc_id=401577
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2005/11/03/AR2005110301143.html
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/blake-fleetwood/cuba-has-better-medical-c_b_19664.html
http://dneiwert.blogspot.com/2006/09/saras-sunday-rant.html

Answer 7

Who pays for your "optional" system? My guess is everyone, whether they opt in or not.

NO. Look at other countries that have a national system. They are complete failures with cancer patients waiting years for treatment. I'd rather pay too much and get the care I need when I need it than pay too much in taxes to get the shaft.

Answer 8

No, look at Canada. Everyone has health care but they have to be on a waiting list for serious operations etc. How about quit giving prisoners all the top notch care that they recieve and give it to the people who are actually productive members of society.

Answer 9

No. Healthcare is not a right granted to you by the constitution. You need to purchase this just as you do a car, gasoline, smokes, beer, etc.

Answer 10

NO

Ask any Canadian what they think of their socialized health care system and they'll tell you about waiting months just to get to see a physician and then even more time to have an operation performed.

I like that our doctors and hospitals compete for our business and need to stay on top of the latest procedures.

Competition breeds excellence.
Lack of competition breeds apathy and sloth.