Please explain socialized medicine to me.?

Question

I have some problems with socialized medicine, or universal healthcare, whatever it's called today, and I would like someone to help assuage my concerns. And maybe I'll consider voting for a candidate that supports it.
1. Socialized medicine has been billed as "free health care for all" (at least by Michael Moore). I believe that "there is no such thing as a free lunch" and "you get what you pay for". Someone's going to pay for it, and I already don't like paying taxes towards abused social programs; so how can this program happen without a massive tax increase?
2. The gov't is involved in education, social security, transportation, and none of those systems are considered successful. What about S.M. makes anyone think this will work?
3. Liberals hate George Bush, conservatives hate Hillary Clinton. I don't like the idea of Hillary being in charge of my health care, just as I'm sure libs don't want President Bush in the same position. What is the answer to that?

I want specifics here. A lot of folks say how great this is going to be; they said the same thing about welfare, and how it would end poverty. Did it? I have this gut feeling that people will still go without adequate healthcare, and the people that normally could afford healthcare, will be swamped in red tape and bureaucracy. Tell me HOW I'm wrong. So far I appreciate the answers, but nothing's come close to selling me on it.

Answer 1

It's simple: it means a government monopoly. I think we can all agree that monopolies are bad, especially ones with the power to put you in jail or shoot you.

It is not at all like the police or fire departments. Fire and crime affect the entire community, so the community should pay for it. If you eat nothing but Twinkies and never exercise, that will just kill you and not affect the community.

Here's what it boils down to:
1. monopolies are bad, why do you want one controlling who lives and dies?
2. Some people exercise, some don't; forcing the ones that exercise to pay for the medical bills of those that don't is just plain EVIL.
3. Socialized anything is the antithesis of freedom: everyone must participate or the government destroys your life and puts you in jail. Is that what we want America to be? What every happened to "give me liberty or give me death"?

Answer 2

I like your approach, I really do. I look at it from a different angle though: what can we do to eliminate the gaps? Here they are, in plain daylight:

1. Children with parents that can't afford to cover them. CHIP helps here, but Bush wants to veto that right out the window.

2. College students. Not covered under parents, yet can't afford their own in many cases.

3. Quit one job, move to another. Health insurance doesn't follow. And if there is a gap of unemployment, it is hard as hell to get covered again.

4. Follow up on 3, if you are diagnosed with a severe illness while uncovered, it is hard as hell to get coverage again. The HMO's would rather see you rot than pay for you. This is a problem. Lance Armstrong fell into this category. When he changed teams, his health insurance didn't follow. Between teams, he went to the doctor with his concerns, and was diagnosed. Then the insurance provider for his new team wouldn't cover. His team manager (and Oakley in partnership) had to threaten complete removal of their business to get Lance coverage. I might have some of the facts wrong, but the general idea is correct. This info comes from Lances' book: "It's Not About the Bike".

Imagine what it's like for the little guys.

5. The elderly, paying an arm and a leg for prescriptions.

These are all problems that private HMO's won't fix. I think the answer will lie in a private/public co-op. Not totally privatized, yet not socialized either.

As the leader of the free world, and the country that pays the most into health care, yet ranks 37th in health care, that is sad. We need to cover ALL Americans, and a privatized system isn't doing it.

And BTW, can you imagine corporations running education? Where is the profit motive? However you want to slam public education, there is no way ECO's (Education Care Organizations - my own made up term) would function.

Profit to the CEO, teachers paid little, students thrown out who won't function, no education for the disabled, etc. That would be an absolute disaster.

Answer 3

It would be the best thing that happened to this country because it would increase the well being of all Americans, through wellness programs. It is sort of like 911 police service, and libraries, public access to all regardless. Socialized medicine or state medicine is a system for providing medical care by means of government regulation and subsidies derived from taxation. [1] Socialized medicine can refer to any system of medical care regulated, controlled and financed by the government, in which the government assumes responsibility for the health needs of the population. [2] The term is often used disparagingly in the United States to describe publicly administered health care systems such as the British National Health Service. There is a give and take, lets say your candy bar cost 1.00, or 1.06 plus tax, under this national plan your candy bar would be 1.13, and at the end of the year instead of paying 300.00 in taxes, you might owe 360.00, but of course the good of the society is well worth it, especially if you can have a heart transplant that cost nothing. America has the lowest birth rate, lower than some 3rd world countries.

Answer 4

Nobody is talking about 'socialized medicine'. Nobody is talking about NATIONAL HEALTH CARE. The issue is NATIONAL HEALTH INSURANCE. Insurance is a fairly cut and dry business. You pay in, the insurance company get the bill, the insurance company cuts a check and sends it to the care provider. Private insurers are 'for profit' corporations. The less they pay out, the more money they make. If they can fudge on a bill or deny it they'll do it. If you become a 'bad risk', they'll drop your insurance. If you have a pre-existiing condition you won't be insured. Trying to equate HEALTH INSURANCE with other government functions leaves a lot out of the equation. Today we have computer power that can track payments and ferret out fraud. Remember...all this is is INSURANCE....the government isn't going to take over the hospitals...all that will happen is that providers will get paid....something that happens less and less with the current system. If the private insurers could do the job we wouldn't be having this conversation.

Answer 5

It means health care would be run like the public school system.
The very rich would get private care and the rest of us would be screwed.
Anyone remember Hillary's great idea with "socialized" flu shots? she was going to have flu shots for everyone. Then wouldn't pay the companies enough to cover the costs and two years later there was a great flu shot shortage.

Answer 6

Socialized medicine is where everyone has free health care and the working class pays the entire bill for everyone. The lazy class makes out well and the elite class exempts themselves.

Answer 7

IMHO: Universal health care could lower the cost to everyone, by removing a lot of the overhead in the current health care system.

1. Everyone is entitled to the same level of care
2. Health insurance goes away
3. Malpractice insurance goes away
4. Drugs bought by the government would get lower prices
5. Over time people would be healthier with access to medical care

Sad it will never happen, to much money being made by the industry.

Answer 8

Everyone is treated the same whether they are rich or poor. They all have access to the same care. No tax hikes are needed the government has to switch the spending habits and invest in health care , environment and education. The biggest problem with the U.S. is their foreign policy and the wasted billions of dollars. Make Health not war!

Answer 9

The good thing about socialized medicine is that it will help bring about The Collapse that much sooner. It will require a huge tax increase along with a big decrease in quality of care.

The good thing about making The Collapse sooner is that we can start rebuilding and bring about a better system sooner rather than have this sick system linger for several more decades. Bring it on!

Answer 10

Everyone pays and nobody gets service!

Look at France & Canada. Their medical is horrible. Why do you think they come here for care?