Why socialize healthcare in tht US, when the vast majority of Americans have health insurance?

Question

For those that don't think the majority of Americans have healthcare insurance, please provide a source to back you up.
Even those who don't have private insurance are covered under medicare and medicaid. Why should I have to have my healthcare subsidized by the Gov. when I am perfectly happy the way it is?

Karen. Hate to insult your intelligence, but 30% of those "in poverty" does not equate to 1/3 of the entire population.

Answer 1

The idea of manifest destiny means you take care of yourself (in very laymens terms). In America one has the right, ability and responsability to take care of themselves, a program like this would just give more Americans a reason to be lazy and the ones already on every form of public assistance something else I have to ultimately pay for.

Answer 2

Once you discount the 15MM illegal immigrants from whatever number they're using this week for "Americans without health insurance" it's down to 7-8% of actual AMERICANS without health insurance.

Ratcheting the number up by 3MM every year is silly - we have 4.5% unemployment, the economy is constantly creating new jobs and the "McJobs" argument is a myth - based on the far Left's hoping that most people believe "service sector" means foodservice, rather than any white collar job.

And calling anyone in this country an "American" is also silly, because it is misleading. It's not about what I think of illegals, it's that when the Lefties count them as "Americans" they know that people will think it DOESN'T count illegals when it does.

Same goes for the "increase in poverty" numbers - there are 2.5 million more poor people - and 8.5 million more illegal immigrants, at least 90% of whom came here the poorest of the poor - in the US since 2000. Do the math.

As for "what, if anything, are you going to do about it?" The answer is nothing. Look, how often do you really get sick - I've done the math and it would actually have been cheaper for me to self-insure for the last 10 years. How many of the "people without health insurance" (I refuse to say "Americans" when about a third of them aren't Americans) just opt out? Maybe they're penny-wise and pound-foolish but since when does the government make that decision for us? And on what basis does the government justify forcing the people who made the prudent decision subsidize those who didn't? What, that it's cheaper than giving them free emergency room care? Who decided they were entitled to THAT?

Answer 3

I think this question is a little flawed, although I am also not a supporter of universal healthcare. However, the idea would be to make it so that people who can't afford private healthcare can be covered. Do you know how much simple trips to the doctor or hospital can cost without insurance? It's my belief that there are to be a way to help people who aren't covered help themselves. Only the very poorest are able to get the government help and there is a group of people (myself included) who can't afford private care, but don't qualify for government aid either. Reforming the current system might help. I tire of paying for illegal immigrants to have healthcare that I don't have with my tax dollars. My thought is that instead of a drive to socialize it for everyone (and believe me...people with private healthcare don't want it...it would compromise the quality of their care), to have better programs to help those who can't get it. That could be tax-free health savings accounts...all sorts of things. I'd prefer to see those ideas explored further. So I agree with you that socializing health care is a bad idea; however, I disagree with the statement that the majority of Americans have private insurance because it just isn't true. I guess I mean...good idea...badly written question.

Answer 4

All of the answers so far have been good (except for the wingnut who claimed that this was just another way to get people hooked on the government, that was a horrible answer) but I think it's also important to point out that there should be a safety net for everyone. Those who do not have health insurance are putting a squeeze one everyone because they have to rely on emergency treatment, which we all pay for regardless of where the cost goes.

We're already paying... we might as well control the costs as well and open the system up to preventative treatment, which will ultimately decrease the costs that we're already paying.

My health insurance is tied to my job. A safety is important because one's health should not be tied to their employment status.

The current health care system is pay-to-play... that's both immoral and actually costs the average person more.

Answer 5

http://www.census.gov/Press-Release/www/2003/cb03-154.html

This is a link to the US census data about the uninsured population in the United States. I will not insult your intelligence and copy and paste it to you.
Medicaid insured 14.0 million people in poverty, another
10.5 million people representing 30.4 percent of those in poverty had no health insurance in 2002.

30% is hardly a vast majority. It is almost 1/3 of our population.

Young adults ages 18-to-24 years old were less likely than other age groups to have health insurance coverage by 70.4 percent in 2002.

The rate of uninsured Hispanics, who may be of any race, was 32.4 percent in 2002 higher than any other racial or ethnic group, but unchanged from 2001.

Answer 6

if its good enough for illegal aliens and the congress and senate. It must be good.
I do not think the vast majority have a good health plan. I have insurance that cost me 230 dollars a month $5,000 deductible and still have to pay 20% of the bill. Even with that I am forced to go to another country for healthcare

Answer 7

The problem is , that the majority of American citizens can't afford medical insurance , therefore don't have it .
You live in one of the richest countries in the world yet 43% of American children live in homes without medical care and are among the poorest .
What does that say about this country ?

Answer 8

The issue is what, if anything, to do about the considerable number who don't. Socializing health care may make it more accessible to some who don't have coverage, but make it more difficult to get needed work done, as is presently the case in Canada. Any Canadian who needs prompt medical treatment can either come to the US to get it, or wait -- months or years -- to get it in Canada. By the time the Canadian patient gets to the head of the line, he may be dead.

Answer 9

about 1/6 the of Americans have no coverage medicaid or otherwise.

That is not the vast majority.

Most heath care plans only cover treatment, not prevention. that In itself is a huge problem.

Answer 10

and the vast majority of American have that health insurance paid by their employer. It's becoming too expensive for businesses to keep paying. It's a drain on the economy.