I have noticed presidential candidates talking about healthcare?

Question

I have listened to Hilary Clinton, Barak Obama and John Edwards all talking about health care. Hilary is talking about universal healthcare system how come the usa is resistant to universal health care system which would help those who can't afford health insurance. I have read that there are X amount of America who either under insured or have no insurance at all because they can't aford it. I know that the insurance companies make a fortune in the US but like UK/Canada we have national insurance and if we need operations we don't have to sell our homes or worry about insurance and if you want private healthcare insurance then thats an option too.

Answer 1

I don't know why the US is so against a universal health plan. It would be so helpful to so many people.

The people in the US seem to be opposed to anything that will raise taxes. Also -- many companies hire lobbyists to convince legislators to vote against bills that do not favor them. It may be that the insurance companies are lobbying against such a plan.

Answer 2

Other countries do it, theres no reason we can't.
For those of you who say its not a government but a private responsibility, I have to things to point out, first, that we already pay for the poor to get emergency treatment that costs many times what preventative care does, second, that the government is involved with many aspects of health care, if you go to a foreign country they tell you which shots to take, if you get an illness that is going to make many people ill they have the right to order you confined to a hospital. When polio ran rampant in the fifties, every child was given shots of vaccine, and they didn't pay a dime. It was a very successful government run program and the benefits were immediate, and saved thousands of children.
Insurance companies already make you wait for surgery, HMOs already make you wait for doctor appointment by making you see a primary first, if your insurance changes so does your doctor, unless he takes both kinds, you don't choose your doctor now, you must take a doctor off their list.
Wouldn't it be more sensible to eliminate the profit motive from a basic human need like health, and have a healthy and productive working population?
I mean we are the ONLY industrialized nation that collects change for kids needing operations in a can at the 711.
Doesn't that make you squirm?

Answer 3

I am one of the many uninsured Americans. I work two jobs and own my own business. I had health insurance but when my premium for myself alone (because of health issues) became $750 a month, I had to drop it. I have been uninsured for four years. I still receive healthcare when needed. I am more choosy of the medicine I take and how often. My doctor graciously supplies me with free samples when available.

I will fight to the death not to have "universal health care." I also work in the health care industy. If you want to deal with the cost of health care, start first with tort reform so that legitimate malpractice claims are paid at a proper balance to the unfortunate circumstance for which they have arisen. When doctors, nurses and hospitals do not have to pay outlandish costs for malpractice insurance, perhaps some our costs for their services will also decrease.

Secondly, these drug companies charging $20-100 per pill for any pill not made of pure gold is ridiculous. Something needs to be done about that. I, the uninsured, am the one footing the bill there for all those who have the $10 co-payment for their #30 pill Rx. I have to buy my migraine medicine one pill at a time because I cannot fill an entire Rx. Are you aware that on any given day of the week, a drug rep walks in and feeds your doctor's staff lunch for free? Almost every single day in every office I have ever worked in. These drug companies spend an enormous amount of money bribing the doctors to use their drugs. Across our nation, in every doctor's office, this must be an incredibly high "marketing" cost for which I pay dearly at the pharmacy.

Thirdly, the quality of our healthcare, unquestionably the best in the world, will deteriorate drastically under a universal health care plan. Check out these other countries that have this . . . we see patients every day from Canada just needing to get an MRI and have waited months and months for it.

Americans will be incredibly unhappy if they chose any president who wants to provide universal health care.

Answer 4

Healthcare is just another step to having everything in this country be federally funded. Is that good or not? You decide for yourself.

I've lived in a country with healthcare systems and its just like communism; it looks better on paper than it is in real life. People don't get to choose what doctors they want to see, families have to wait for a long time to get medical attention, everyone is paying for everybody else, the list of negatives goes on forever. Why would I want the government to force me to pay for somebody else's healthcare out of my paycheck?

Move to a country with national healthcare and see what its like for yourself. I challenge you.

Answer 5

These Democrats are not the only ones. Mitt Romney is also talking about a healthcare plan like the one his state implemented with great success. His is very similar to obama's. Hillary's plan seems a little more socialist and kucinich has a total socialist plan.

Answer 6

It is all about $$$$. Big insurance companies make lots of it and want to keep it that way. Drug companies make lots of it and want to keep it that way. Some politicians benefit from contributions from those companies and so they want to keep it that way. Meanwhile the people who need the services and medications suffer.

When people cannot do for themselves what needs to be done the government must step in and make it happen. Since the insurance companies and drug companies aren't about to lower costs to the consumer on their own it will be necessary, in order to make quality health care available to everyone, for the government to get involved. I wish the government didn't have to do that but I don't think we have much choice any more.

Answer 7

With Universal health care you won't be able to afford a home to worry about losing. When programs become too expensive the government cuts out services and treatments. Fewer hospitals, cheaper doctors, and government staff(does Walter reed ring any bells).

Answer 8

Let's stop saying HEALTH CARE. That's not going to happen....nobody is talking about the 'government' taking over hospitals and putting doctors on salary. The question is HEALTH INSURANCE. That's something that's doable. UNIVERSAL HEALTH INSURANCE is the wave of the future in the United States...and if it's up to the current GOP, it always will be. Their propaganda machine is in full cry against the concept of a national, non-profit, publicly owned, tax supported health INSURANCE corporation that covers all Americans. Should we ever get anything as realistic as that the executives of the current health insurance mafia would be diving out of windows.

Answer 9

Talk to some Canadians about their system. Some people wait six to eight months to see a doctor. Walter Reed was part of the Military hospital system and does not fall into this area. Hilary Barak and John are saying anything, as all politicians do, to get elected. This Cow Droppings has been going on for years, Bill was yelling it too!!!

Answer 10

Google "Ron Paul Health care"

Go into the first "hit"

Read on

P.S. Ron Paul is a doctor. He's had to deal with this on a day to day basis. NO ONE ELSE is as intimately aware of what we need here!