Why Should Health Coverage be free?

Question

How could this be possible or be workout out in the government?

Answer 1

You don't seriously want the government to control your health care decisions do you?

This is the same government that can't get it right to figure out a way to get ourselves back on the right track in Iraq.

This is the same government that ignored the warning signs that led to 9-11.

And, this is the same government that couldn't even get even the most basic help when the residents affected by Hurricane Katrina needed it the most.

Most big government programs are crushed by their own bureaucracy and are a miserable failure.

You want THAT government to control what happens to your health care???

If they can't get the easy stuff done....how do you ever expect them to handle something as complex as the nation's health care system.

It would automatically be the largest, most bureaucratic and most cumbersome federal agency in the U.S., virtually crippled under its own weight from the very get go.

The doctors won't want it because there will be no incentive to go into medical specalties. Right now, many docs know they can specialize and get rich. Without many docs in medical specialties, then the quality of the system will go down.

If you want a nationalized free health care system, you'll get a free system....but it won't be one you'll want. It will be mediocre at best.

If you take the profit motive out of the system, you kill of any incentive to spur quality or innovation.

A far, far better idea is to have a national health care access system where you give poor citizens vouchers to purchase private health insurance on their own. It will be cheaper and much more effective in the long run.

Answer 2

We as a public can vote it in, ultimately we have a democracy and if the majority of the public want Socialized healthcare then the USA will have it. Here is a dose of reality and probably why we won't:
a. England and Canada does not have a middle class, you have rich and poor- in both places the rich still purchase health plans to see private physicians the poor are waiting in lines for medical care. Why, you ask- because of increased tax's- no big secret if you want socialized medical plans you will need to pay for it by increasing tax's which will wipe out the middle class of america.
b. 300Million populate America, approx. 43million don't have health insurance- will 90% of Americans pay for 10% of those who don't have health insurance?
c. War
D. Earthquakes, Hurricanes, any national disaster will stop any plans of socialized healthcare.

What I find a better question is this, why in a society that wants to lower healthcare premiums are Health Savings Accounts not more popular?.. that is the real question, and here is a short answer, because health insurance companies and health insurance agencies don't want you to buy them. You do not see any advertisements on these type of accounts. But as you say, should health coverage be free, a person who has a health savings account and it is fully funded and is self employed is getting his/ her healthcare for free,, but how many americans have health savings accounts currently approx. 3.5 almost 1%, because health insurance co's are not promoting these plans, as they are the most un-profitable. Do the research on Health Savings Plans, most high income earners have them, because they are normally the smartest with money matters. And they can be the best for Middle income earners.

Answer 3

Free is impossible, nothing in life is free. If someone can't get health insurance for some reason the government steps in and provides coverage to some extent in some cases. This coverage is not free, everyone else is paying for it. This is part of the reason that taxes have to go up periodically in order to keep up with the cost of such benefits that are given to the poor and disabled.

Answer 4

I think health coverage should absolutely be free. There are over 46 million Americans without health coverage and these are usually hardworking people who still cant afford the insurance provided by their employers. If everyone were insured it would relieve the strain on emergency rooms, medical conditions would be diagnosed earlier and save lives, seniors would not have to choose between medication and food. I could go on and on.
How could we pay for it? The government wastes billions of tax dollars every year. This is money that is totally unaccounted for. In 2003, 24 billion dollars were lost in what the Treasury Department calls "Unreconciled Transactions". This is money that the US auditors cannot account for (See U.S. Department of the Treasury, 2003 Financial Report of the United States Government, pp. 126, at fms.treas.gov/fr/ 03frusg.html (March 28, 2005). Unreconciled transactions totaled $3.4 billion in 2004.) This is money that someone somewhere has used and the Government does not know who or where. Imagine if your spouse who does the budget had "unreconciled transactions" you would end up in the poor house.
Every year there are billions in "unreconciled transactions". If the US government becomes less wasteful with our money we would have more for social programs like health insurance.

But I'm just a bleeding-heart liberal

Boley I want to give you a THUMBS UP but I'm only level 1: sorry :)

Answer 5

Nothing is free. True, fundamental economic principle, "There is no such thing as a free lunch."

Now, if you are talking about a healthcare system that can be accessed by anyone, that would be paid for by taxes or some other form of revenue. Most everything is paid for by the work of working people, one way or the other. Any kind of system that may work to provide the best quality care could work, but always competes with the quest for personal profit.

Answer 6

Well, it's NOT free, ok, people pay EXHORBITANT taxes to have cr@ppy health service with long lines and incredible delays, and third rate equipment.

NOTHING you get from the government is "FREE". Whatever you get through the government, actually costs MORE than if you would get it through the private sector, and is ALSO more filled with fraud, because there's little inclination to do quality control.

If you want "free" health care, move to Canada, or the UK, or the Netherlands. Be prepared to pay 50% to 75% income taxes for your "free" health care.

But keep in mind, people there who can afford "real" health care, go to a private doctor or come to the US for medical care.

Answer 7

It's not free, nor is there any way possible for it to be free. It has to be paid for somehow -- either through taxes or insurance premiums.

A number of countries have universal health care or socialized medicine. Tax rates are astronoical in those countries.

Answer 8

"Free" as in forcibly take my money, have the government distribute it, and call it free.

“I predict future happiness for Americans if they can prevent the government from wasting the labors of the people under the pretense of taking care of them.”
-Thomas Jefferson

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Answer 9

They do it in Canada, the UK, France and lots of other countries but in the US the doctor's and hospitals have always lobbied (bribed) congressmen and government officials so the laws for socialized medicine could never ever be given a start.

Answer 10

it should be we are the richest country in the world and we dont have it england has it canada has it in my state though (illinois) kids can get it which is pretty cool