Question about socialized healthcare?

Question

Do you think that doctors will quit and fewer people will be interested in becoming doctors if the United States starts having socialized healthcare?

Answer 1

Yes, the statistics would mirror Canada, which now shows a distressed health system, with their most talented surgeons, physicians, and nurses having left the country and now employed in the US. Many Canadians have left waiting 6-8 months for services we take for granted.

Socialized medicine will destroy our medical infrastructure.

Answer 2

I have lived in Britain since before we first had social healthcare and there is no shortage of doctors. It is not a perfect system but I am glad now that as both my wife and I are getting older and things start going wrong I am grateful that we do not live in the U.S.

For instance, should someone here need medication there is a flat fee of approximately $14 per item but for many people such as those over retirement age there is no charge. In fact, I think only about 50% of the population have to pay at all. For people who have to have a lot of drugs they can buy a "yearly season ticket"which will cover their needs throughout the year no matter how great.

Should I be unfortunate enough to suffer a cardiac arrest, an ambulance would be at my home in about 30 minutes maximum and have me in hospital within less than 30 minutes at the most.
All this care would cost me nothing.

Four years ago I had a cataract operation for which I paid around $3500 as I thought it was urgent. The following year I had the other eye done which, again, cost me nothing at the NHS hospital.

My wife is anaemic so every two weeks the visiting nurse calls to do blood tests then she phones us the following day with the results. My wife is seeing a haemotologist and had to wait about six weeks over the Christmas period for an appointment but, again, it is costing us nothing.

Our National Health Service is in financial difficulties but many think the trouble is caused, not by having too few doctors but too many managers and administrators.

When the system first started in 1947, everything was free. Spectacles, hearing aids, wigs and anything else people thought they wanted. Of course, this greed caused problems quite quickly so now it is a less generous system. Spectacles and wigs are no longer free though hearing aids are still supplied albeit with a waiting list.

It cannot be denied that this has to paid for through taxation but, from what I have read, the contributions are still less than US insurance charges and, at least, the State doesn't stop treating you when you need it most.

Another advantage for us is that if we travel to another European Community country we are entitled to treatment there as well.

I repeat, not a perfect system but I wouldn't change it.

Answer 3

I'm inclined to say no. They've stuck around through the HMO nightmares, so why not socialized healthcare?

Personally, I think the govt would save money, and the general public would be better off if our govt put forth some extra effort in making sure people are paid fairly. I've never understood why minimum wage is so low in the first place...for those of us who can afford to wear Armani suits, well do you think that charging us double or triple to have the dry cleaned will force us to start drycleaning them at home on our own? No, I don't think so...we can pay for the luxury, so why not pay the person who makes it possible for us to wear a clean suit, a wage worth cleaning it for.

If the 1/3 of the American's living off of minimum wage or slightly higher were given more money, they would be able to afford their employer offered healthcare plans, more people would be insured, less healthcare expenses unpaid...more people going to the doctors...more nurses and doctors needed, etc. And if our govt can't afford to keep these people on Medicaid, then for crying out loud, fork out the 200 extra bucks a month to pay for their employer offered healthcare plans. That's a heck of a lot less money than paying for doctor's visits, medications, etc.

Answer 4

Absolutely...I work in the medical field and the best and the brightest are only accepting cash because of the horrible reimbursement....however, most of these are willing to negotiate much cheaper prices if they deal with the patient directly and they pay cash...which can be 50% less in most case...the author of "Healthcare for Less", Michelle Katz went into her story on CBS Evening News, and it was great...she saved over 50%.....her methods are in her book and I would recommend getting this before doctors start dropping health insurance.

Answer 5

Even if that were so, don't you think it would be better to have doctors that are in it to help people, rather than just for the money?
I personally wouldn't want to be treated by someone that became a doctor for the money.