Why doesn't America have a free health care system like Canada?

Answer 1

There is an awful lot of misinformation spread about Universal health care by some strong lobbying groups, the insurance industry and the American medical association, Canada, has a fine health care system, just ask any Canadian. While there is no such thing as free heath care it is much less expensive then our current system. Another myth is there are long wait times for procedures and services. Not true. The truth about Universal Health Care is that it is sorely needed in this country, with 47 million people without access to affordable health care in this country it is a black eye on all of us.

Answer 2

To start with, Canada does not have a free health care system. The Canadian people pay high taxes for their system, and it is so pitiful that those who can afford to do so run to the United States when they get sick. The people who say the Canadian people are happy with their system are lying. Be warned, America. When you give the government control, you lose control over your own life. Do you want the government to decide if you are worthy of being treated when you get sick?

Answer 3

It's no secret why the US is the last technologically advanced Western society to not have universal health care - the socio-economic/political system which supports the private health care industry is so entrenched that real, progressive change is practically impossible.

To get a good understanding of the history of the health care industry in the US, read the Pulitizer Prize winning book, "The Social Transformation of American Medicine: The Rise of a Soverign Profession" by Paul Starr.

Answer 4

This is an easy question to answer. Free Health Care may sound nice, financially, but there are some major set backs. For One: You can be waiting to see a doctor for a major injury, for months. By then, your wound has just gotten worse. Secondly: They won't care about the condition of your wound, they will go as a "first come first served" basis. America has a splendid health care system. If you break your arm, or split your head you're guaranteed to see a doctor immediately before your wound gets worse. This is a true fact, research about Canada's health care, and then America's health care, you will find a difference. Free health care is just for finances, it has nothing to do with the benefit of the people.

Answer 5

Health care in America has changed from it's original direction, but the fact is that Health care in America is free for some, subsidized for some, paid for by some. Medicare and medicaid are govt programs for the elderly; employer's and self employed purchase health care insurance for themselves and their employees. State and Federal Government's subsidize and maintain health care programs for their workers and the needy. You can immigrate to Canada if you want. But my best advice is go to school, get a good education and work hard, you will not have a problem with health care.

Answer 6

Because every country that has implemented a 'free' (i.e. funded from higher taxes) health care system has ended up ruining the quality of care with many resorting back to private insurance to make up for the lack of coverage and poor quality in the government run system (so basically they had their taxes raised and ended up having to pay the costs for insurance same as before... sweet deal)

Currently in the United States NO ONE (even illegal immigrants) go without health care. It is simply a myth to claim that they do. Under federal law every hospital is REQUIRED to treat you regardless of your ability to pay and even your citizenship status (which is preposterous). Roughly 40 million people in the US do not have health insurance... the vast majority of which are young adults and the self employed who CHOOSE to save their money and not spend it on health insurance when they are predominately healthy and instead opt for 'catastrophic' coverage which is only for extreme emergencies and costs only a couple hundred a year (myself included). A doctor's visit for the flu ends up costing me a little more, but it's much better than shelling out thousands a year for coverage that I won't ever use.

Ever been to a post office? How about a stop at the Department of Motor Vehicles? Now take that quality of service and put it in a health care system. People need to remember that the government is not your nanny and there are no free lunches.

Answer 7

Medicare is far from free. Social Security recipients pay for medicare coverage. Taxes pay for Medicaid coverage. So long as somebody is providing a service, somebody is paying for it. Canada's health care is paid for in tax dollars. There is no such thing as a free health care system.

Answer 8

I have heard the health care system in Canada is not good. Long waits for appointments, substandard medical care, and the necessity of a trip to the USA for complex surgery. I don't like what we have here, but I don't think the Canadian system is the answer.

Answer 9

Because we want our system to work! If you want socialized health case go to Canada. Watch a movie called "Barbarian Invasion" and see how the system up there works many bureaucratsand unions and not enough health care.

Answer 10

As we are based on the principle of a free market economy, and as that has, by a process of social natural selection, most empowered those Americans of entrepreneurial and ambitious and acquisitive bent, we have gradually evolved into a system in which wealth, not individual effort, is power, in the broadest sense.

Here, corporations are the new church. Not only do we have a profound burden of corporate influence in government (at last count, the pharmeceutical industry had 6 lobbyists for every senator in Washington), but we perceive the interests of business to exceed even the interestes of individuals (consider the fallacy: we must migrate jobs overseas to keep profits up, or businesses will leave the United States!).

When you add up huge corporate profits, a conservative voting bloc that assures a culture of deregulation, and a lazy electorate that is unwilling to do the work to get the benefits it demands, you get a wall of resistance to a universal health care program that will take years, billions of dollars, and probably thousands of lives to break through.

I wish it were otherwise. :^/