Do you think Universal Health Care is a good idea? Why or why not?

Question

If someone is a bum, a criminal, or a slacker, should he/she be eligible for universal health-care?

And should illegal immigrants get universal health-care too?

Answer 1

No because it has been proven that it doesn't work. Take France for instance, Britian has its problems and so does Canada. There is waiting lists for the simplest procedures that would be done in a NY minute in the U.S. Anything the government gets involved in becomes a bondoggle, and bogged down with buracuracy. This will happen too. It is a form of Socialism and Socialism has never worked anythere anytime anyplace. Look at Russia, China for instance..they are becoming more capitalistic than we are. Also, bums, criminals, slackers, and non-citizens do not apply.

Answer 2

Of course it is a good idea. There is no reason, that the goverment should not take care of it's people. The people are the ones that put people in goverment. It is ridiculous, that people can't get the medical attention that they need. Canada has universal healthcare, and so do a lot of other countries and it is working out fine. The United States sucks compared to a lot of other countries in regards to healthcare. In fact most of Europe has universal healthcare. Even most of South America. And Mexico is attempting Universal Healthcare. All people of the united states should be eligible. I think that it is ignorant to say that because someone is a bum or a slacker, they shouldn't get the same medical coverage as other people. Every person is entitled to "life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." That should include health care. The United States is a joke with the way that it takes care of it's people.

This statement is in the constitution of Cuba. I mean CUBA, and we can't do better. "Everyone has the right to health protection and care. The state guarantees this right by providing free medical and hospital care by means of the installations of the rural medical service network, polyclinics, hospitals, preventative and specialized treatment centers; by providing free dental care; by promoting the health publicity campaigns, health education, regular medical examinations, general vaccinations and other measures to prevent the outbreak of disease. All the population cooperates in these activities and plans through the social and mass organizations."[

Answer 3

Look at us in Canada
Universal health care is a great idea.
We have a health card with our picture on it that covers most of our needs, then most companies supply bennifits to cover a good portion of what is not covered.
As for illegals, they deserve nothing but a free ride home.
Here if you dont have a health card, you pay for it cash only.
You still need ID to be registered at a hospital, so if you are illegal, you may get a huge medical bill and still get deported.
If you dont pay in, you dont take anything out.
You cant pick and choose which citizens get health care such as unemployed or criminals so we do have compassion in some ways, but our system works very well.

Answer 4

I believe that not only should America offer universal health care, we can do it better than everybody else if we wanted to, and without necessarily even raising taxes for everybody. Some members of our society need a good kick in the @ss to get their lives in gear, but I don't believe anybody should be denied basic medical services regardless of their income or why they don't have one. Essentially, thats no less barbaric than letting somebody starve to death in the middle of the street, or forcing somebody whose house is burning down to pay the fire department before they put it out. I'm sure there are better ways to encourage people to be productive without withholding health care from them. In other countries which have tax-funded medicine, this isn't even considered a political issue. Go to Canada, Germany, France, etc, and you'll see that even the staunchest conservative politicians and voters wouldn't dream of trying to turn medical care into a profit-driven business like we have.

I don't see why we can't have BOTH private health insurance companies, AND universal government-funded health care for those who have trouble paying for it themselves. Then if you want to pay for your own health care provider, you should be allowed to exempt yourself from having to pay a chunk of your taxes. That way, individual choice is preserved. For other people, yes they will have higher taxes - but they will also have a higher standard of living and a longer life expectancy. Besides, part of the reason why health care is so expensive in the U.S. is because the price of drugs here are superinflated to ridiculous extremes because of all the profiteering middlemen. Every kind of drug we make that costs hundreds of dollars a bottle here, typically costs only about $2 or less a bottle in other countries with universal health care such as Cuba. Just what the hell is up with that?

And why are people so afraid of tax-funded health care anyway? Bureaucracy? That can be dealt with if people would simply get off their @sses more and vote for politicians to straighten it out. We already have many universal government services in the United States: like police departments, fire departments, libraries, public schools, and the post office to name a few. For the most part, they work pretty well and I don't see anybody calling to abolish THEM.

Answer 5

Yes, I think it is a good idea. I am speaking from some experience. I was in the middle to upper income bracket, was paying faithfully into my medical group coverage for years through my employer. Through an act of God (or poor genetics) I unexpectedly collapsed at work, was taken to the nearest hospital and immediately had emergency surgery to repair a dissection of my aorta... Up to that point I rarely used my medical insurance, I was athletic and very healthy. My ambulance and hospital stay (I had many complications) was in the millions of dollars. I did NOT go over my medical insurance coverage... they paid all of it but grudgingly (the insurance company nitpicked every charge and had to be fought on each point... it took years for a person recovering from a devestating trauma to finally get a resolution from the insurance company).

It did not take long for the insurance company that I had at the time to drop the entire group... in other words they dropped the coverage for the entire work force in the company I worked for (because of my claim). This put 86 employees in a scramble for new insurance policies. I lost my job (my decision, I contracted with my employer so he could find reasonable premiums for his employees); I had to sell my house (because my physical rehab was no longer covered given that the insurance dropped me)...

Medical insurance in this nation is more of a business than a benefactor... I don't have a problem with that in theory but we are talking about lives and livelihoods. There needs more regulation with private medical insurance but our legislators have rarely tried holding these companies to the fire. I wouldn't agree with Universal Healthcare if our politicians gave a damn about cleaning these companies and forcing some regulations on them... but they will not. I am tired of waiting for some kind of fairness so I have no choice but to support Universal Health Care.

Medical Insurance companies take the premiums of their insured and invest the money into other business ventures (restaurants, resorts, even radio stations)... if Congress could limit the investments of these companies then maybe I could accept the medical industry still working in its current state. The majority of the money from those premiums should go back into medical coverage. It is currently not.

Answer 6

No, I do not think UHC is a good idea. There are many reasons, and mucho opinions.

I do believe that health care needs an overhaul. We need to look at doctor liability, malpractice lawsuit caps, and many many other things.

Alaska offers funding to future doctors to assist with the cost of school, in exchange they agree to a limited term of practice in Alaska. I believe another state also does that, but I am unable to verify it.

I watched a doctor go out of business because his prices were affordable but his malpractice insurance was not. He had one person claim bad doctoring, he was found innocent and yet his insurance sky rocketted.

I believe hospitals should be allowed to garnish tax refunds and gov't funds like education loans.

I believe we need to quit holding Dr.s to an unimaginable standard. Yes, there are bad doctors that do not deserve to practice BUT that does not mean that every Dr should pay for it.

Also, I do not trust any gov't run program to run effeciently and effectively. Besides the post office, name one that is run well.

Lastly, as I have stated before, when I worked in HR at the last company, I watched time and time again as employees under the age of 30 pass up insurance because at $30 per month it was too expensive. It was cheaper to go to the ER and skip out on the bill. (Our min wage was $12.50 per hour, avg salary was $37K, one guy was pulling $50K per year and still thought it was too expensive).

Answer 7

Yes, every one is entitled to health care. I cannot imagine having a heart attack and not being able to work for some time, if ever, and being stuck with a crazy *** bill afterwards.

I will wait an extra hour or two if it means that everyone is being taken care of.

Really, would you prefer the "bum with TB" to be walking the streets infecting everyone rather than in hospital and quarantined?

Answer 8

No, it's a terrible idea

It is not very difficult to envision a US government-administered system of socialist medicine: health care with the efficiency of the Postal Service and the compassion of the IRS? No thanks!

Didn't they learn their lesson the first time Hillary tried that rubbish in 1993? She got smacked down, hard. Socialist healthcare is not something that the American people are prepared to tolerate; do you hear us, leftwingers? Not on OUR watch!!

As far as illegals, they should be rounded up and shipped off to Antartica

Answer 9

Why don't I just turn my check over to the Democrats? Will they take care of me, and help me make choices? I can't do it by myself, Whaaaaa,
Explorer, your health care is pathetic! I am an RN and I have seen many people from Canada in US Hospitals getting care and your nurses are crossing over daily to work here. Your technology is 20 years behind ours. When is the last time you had an emergency. A nurse friend of mine from Canada had a son in an accident in Canada and laid in the hospital over there for 3 days with a broken leg. She finally brought him to the US for care. I could tell you more truths like this one!

Answer 10

Bad idea.

Look at how Medicare is for seniors. Most get a supplemental insurance policy.

Alot of doctors out there are also 'opting out' of Medicare assignment. They don't like the way the government controls pricing on Medicare services.