DO YOU LIKE HEALTH INSURANCE THE WAY IT IS ? Are you against Universal Health Ins.?

Question

If you feel that the Govt. will just screw it up,and that 'free' health care will make the country socialist.
How's that 'free' fire care doin' for ya?
How's that 'free' police care workin' out?
What about your 'free' roads and hi-ways?
Taxes are not socialism !
Taxes being used for the COMMON GOOD are the true meaning of Democracy ! We all benifit from all the taxes used to make this a strong nation ! Pay your taxes or leave !

JohnA..
WOULD YOU PAY 600.00 YEARLY for UNI.CARE?

Answer 1

It's interesting to see people who argue against providing free universal healthcare using all kinds of reasons which don't add up. I also like to think of people who pay between $300 a month to $5000 a year for health insurance.

I am Irish and my wife is American (Texas). We live in the UK, and I pay all my taxes - the amount I am expected to pay towards healthcare as part of my tax payments is much less than any of the amounts quoted here.

Neither of us would be alive now if it wasn't for the National Health Service, starting with the option to get free visits to our family doctor (I hear it costs about $90 a time over there!).

In my own case I would not have bothered to visit my doctor for a blood pressure checkup two years ago if I had to pay this extra amount, but because I did, I went and he found that I had an irregular heartbeat, as a result of which I was in a hospital bed within an hour. After a few months of treatment, I am in full health again, continuing to pay my taxes, and grateful to be in a position to do so. I am also glad to see that this facility is also available to other s less fortunate than I who cannot afford to pay.

My wife had a persistant pain in her belly for several months but it took some urging from me to get her to check it up with her doctor, as she is used to the american culture in these things. She went, and it was discovered that she had a tumour in her kidney. She had the kidney removed by keyhole surgery in one of the finest cancer hosrpitals in Europe (the City Hospital, Belfast) and has fully recovered. All this, free o chatrge. I think of the tens of thousands of dollars that would need to be paid for this treatment in the US. And I have no qualms about paying my taxes.

Not only that, European citizens are entitled to this treament anywhere in the European Union. Some time back, my wife suffered sever migraine while we were on holiday in a remote area of Portugal. She was in agony. I got a taxi to the local hospital and she was medicated within 2 minutes. In this case, we had to pay 3 euro for administrative costs. As you may know., outpatient services such as this in the US will set you back at least $200 in the US.

Everybody here loves it and the only problem is that the government doesn't put in more money. A few years ago, the Scottish voters voted for increased taxes to pay for more public health care provision. The medical profession are also amongst the strongest supporters of the system- although they don't get the scandalous amounts that are paid to private doctors and consultants in the US, they have more than enough for a comfortable upper middle class lifestyle.

I undertand that at present up to one third of the population of the US is now cut off from healthcare. Don't you think that's uncivilised?

Answer 2

OK, I have no idea what unicare is.

But I do know that "government housing" isn't where I want to live. And I know that our CURRENT government health care programs - medicaid and medicare - spend $.85 on the dollar in administration, which makes it the MOST expensive health care for the least coverage that there is.

Anything government does is going to cost more, be less effecient, and STILL not get the job done fully. That's just the way it is.

Health care is ok right now.

There's no such thing as "free" anything. Only people who don't work (aka, freeloaders) don't pay taxes for social security and medicare benefits - which are pretty damn high right now, if you ask me.

"Universal" health care in other countries doesn't cover everyone, either - if implemented here, it wouldn't cover the 26,000,000 illegal immigrants we have here. It doesn't cover non-citizens/subjects there. So how EXACTLY are you going to insure all the people of the world on the US Taxpayer's back?

You see people flocking to Canada for medical treatment? I think not! Those who can afford it (oh! elitism!) come to the US from ALL over the world, for prompt, quality medical care.

FWIW, I don't have "free" fire departments, health departments, roads, or highways. I pay property taxes - and a VERY healthy chunck of property tax - to contribute towards them. AND, they aren't PREVENTATIVE services, they are "corrective after the fact" services. My dog and my Baretta are better crime control in my house, than the police. I trust them both to protect me better than waiting 2 hours for HPD to show up.

You're right, taxes themselves aren't socialism. Taking money in the form of taxes from the individual, to spend it on the collective, THAT is socialism. AND IT DOESN'T WORK, IN THE LONG RUN. These national health care systems are imploding - and if you don't see that (even with 75% income tax), then it's because your eyes are closed.

Answer 3

How about the DMV
or the Post Office?
The idea that my healthcare would be provided by the same entity that provides those services scares the hell out of me. Right now, I could drive to my healthcare provider's office and see a doctor faster than I can mail package.
How about any of you in Europe. Can any of you see your personal doctor (if you have a personal doctor at all) in less than 2 hours without setting an appointment?
Why do the wealthest people in the world fly to America for their healthcare needs?

Common good has NOTHING to do with democracy. Democracy is the right to free representation in the government of the nation. http://www.m-w.com/dictionary/democracy

Answer 4

No, I do not like health insurance the way it is, and I am NOT against Universal Health care!

Also, I agree that some taxes are necessary, but ONLY those kinds of taxes allowed by the ACTUAL Constitution. I am totally against the sixteenth amendment, I am totally against the IRS, I am totally against the Federal Reserve, and I am totally against the income tax. I do not believe that the income tax is being used for the common good, and I am completely in favor of abolishing the Federal Reserve, and totally replacing the income tax with the Fair Tax! *sm*

Answer 5

It will be very expensive if it covers much. I would be in favor of taxpayer supported major medical but not office visits and minor things.
People could either buy insurance or self insure for the first $5,000 per person per year. Then let the government pick up the rest. If you had it cover first dollar it would mean people had no incentive to not overuse the system.
Major medical coverage would allow people to retire before 65 even if they had too much money to get on Medicaid.
We could still cover the first $5,000 for Medicaid and Medicare.

Answer 6

I generally do not trust insurance givers. But I have to take insurance from them anyway and tolerate their innumerable minus points. Who in the world gives you free service without having an ulterior ill-motive?!!

Answer 7

I like it the way that it is now. I have health insurance through my employer. I pay $300.00 a month so it certainly isn't free. The government will screw it up. I will add that I when I was searching for an employer I considered the benefits.

Answer 8

there are millions (and i'm not talking about illegals) without health insurance. I haven't looked into universal health insurance, but heard a little about it. Sounds like a good point that you are making.

Answer 9

I want America to get universal health care. Whether its one payer with the present insurance companies, or phased in "socialism" like in England or Sweden is fine with me, but this present system is dysfunctional, it is broken, it absorbs 40 % of every health care dollar on paper work, its absurd. It is hurting the rest of our economy--the cost of health coverage for workers adds over $1,100 to the cost of every car produced in the US but only $100 for cars produced in Japan or Canada; our present system is bankrupting our industry and putting some of our most productive companies out of business. It MUST be changed.