Do you really think a national health care plan woulc succeed? Name one government agency that is run well.?

Question

We are constantly complaining about the innefficency of the government. Education, transportation, homeland security, IRS, congress, FEMA, etc......

Why on God's green earth would we take one of the best health care systems on the planet and put it in the hands of a government that can't even handle the things they currently manage?
Think about it!!!
Name one thing the government is doing well.

Answer 1

The post office is privately run.

National health care has been an issue for over 30 years. It presents a lot of problems, mainly distribution of services. I do believe at some point health care will be nationalized, we will pay more for it too, the service will be awful.

We will scream for nationalized health care because the poor always scream loudest for what they believe are free benefits. Let the government take care of me: They will take care of me.......like they have the income tax.

I can't think of anything the government does well except collect income taxes and other types of taxes. They do that very well. Another thing the goverment does VERY well is to waste money.

Answer 2

The whole premise of your question is incorrect. Many government agencies, such as NIH work marvelously, and the ones that don't, like the FDA, are the ones that have been hyper-politicized by the current administration. There is always a need for competent management in government, no doubt, but the premise of your question is that the baby must be tossed with the bathwater.

That said, there are lots of different plans for universal health care, and they don't all require new or expanded government agencies. Get educated on the issue, because it's a huge issue. Check out www.hcfa.org as a starting point.

[added] To Kyle and others of like mind - where do you come up with the notion that Canadians, Brits, and other westerners - not to mention the Japanese - don't like their health care regimes? The U.S. is the ONLY industrialized nation without a national or universal health care system, and it's killing this country.

You claim (falsely) that Canadians and others come to the U.S. for treatments, ignoring the reality (documented) of Americans getting pharmaceuticals in Canada. Moreover, Americans are increasingly seeking surgeries in India and Thailand - often with their employers' (American companies) blessing. Explain that one, if the U.S. system is the best in the world.

Last year, when Toyota sought North American locations to build a new auto plant, they looked at 8 U.S. states and Ontario - and they chose Ontario BECAUSE Canada offers health care to its citizens. And as far as Britain and Japan go, their life expectancies exceed those of the U.S.... in fact, that's true of most of western Europe, too. Mortality rates are lower in those countries as well. And just why is it that there is not a social or political movement in those countries to dismantle there systems?

I'm sick and tired of health care luddites who make specious, unsubstantiated attacks on systems in the rest of the world without any basis in fact whatsoever. They yell idiotic words like "socialism" when those systems are no such thing - certainly no more than is a shared national defense. Get yourselves a clue before you spout.

Answer 3

one of the best health care systems in the world?

I guess that's if you can afford to use it... ask the 45 million that don't have insurance if it's the best in the world?

and the thing is.. .that number is growing and has been growing, as medical costs spiral out of control...

the choice seems to be... do you want a health care system that may be a little worse, but serves 100 percent of the population or one that is a little better and serves what may be going toward only 60 percent?

the simple fact is... people are going to start voting on this issue and when more people lose it... more people are going to be voting for social health care...

something is better than nothing....

Answer 4

Actually VA hospitals are pretty efficient. They could be used as a model. Of course lines suck, and bureaucracy is a pain. But it would be a great starting point. If we can manage to give all veterans health care, why not everyone else?
Besides that other great examples...The U.C. schools in California. University of Michigan, etc. Post Office is pretty good, and cheap. I'm sure you could think of a lot more. But that is more than a few examples.

Answer 5

People are citing the Post Office as a great government institution..it has been privatized folks, and they still suck off the taxpayer's tit. UPS and Fed EX, DHL and others wouldn't exist if the Post Office was so great.

As far as the gubment running healthcare, that's just another way of securing votes for the ruling party. Scare some old people into believing your party is gonna take care of them, and waaallaaa they vote for you. Look at Johnson's War on Poverty Program..TRILLIONS spent and we still have poor people, so much for the government running anything efficiently.

I don't need hillary telling me who, what and where I spend my money for my healthcare. It's bad enough with HMO's.

Floatpool (RN)

Answer 6

First off, there already is a National Health Service Corps, it and its predecessors have existed since late 19th century.

Back to the present. The only success national health care could possibly expect to have is to separate taxpayers from more of our hard-earned money.

Getting more of taxpayers money is the only reason (excuse if you will) that they have for trying to create such an agency.

Answer 7

a national health care program is not the answer, but, by protecting our doctors more and not giving a billion dollars to some one who claims they suffered some minor slight or mistake making doctors insurance premiums over $100.000 per year would certainly help, we don't need a gov,health care program that will be abused by the minorities or illegals as the general hospitals are now,we need affordable health care, but, by controlling health care cost such as Dr, fee's prescription fees hospital fee's etc, every one would be much better off, as it is now when a Doctor sees a patient he thinks hummm will I be seeing this person in the court room next time.no the gov, Will screw it up and we won't have any medical at all, unless we go to Israel and claim to be Jewish,

Answer 8

My answer is think about a person dying of cancer whose health insurance won't let them get the treatment they need, think about an old person deciding whether to eat or buy medication. Who gives a rats a$$ about FEMA, just stop acting like a robot with a caluclator up you a$$ and think about human suffering

Answer 9

Why do you think Canadians come here for health care? National health care, (socialized medicine) has not worked anywhere it has been tried. Just ask the Canadians or Brits.

Insurance companies can take most of the blame for our health care problems, not medicine itself

Answer 10

We wouldn't put health care in government hands, we would send the government the bills, and they would pay them out of a tiny fraction of the money we save from stopping the insane war Bush is waging in the Middle East.