Why are Republicans/ Conservatives against Universal Healthcare so much?

Question

I don't fully understand it, universal healthcare seems to be such a noble and caring cause. It gives all Americans the right to being healthy and living long and prosperous lives. As is, there are millions who can't afford healthcare who are suffering from no being able to see a doctor when they need it. Not only that but many people who do have healcare can barely afford their premiums and their copays. No matter what political party you come from why is it such a bad idea to help people by providing them with free healthcare(I know it isn't completely free; taxes)? Is it that conservative/republicans don't care about the health and welfare of the underprivileged american? I can understand why they would be pro-life or pro-gun control, but I can't understand why they won't support peoples health and welfare, it just doesn't make sense to me. Please someone enlighten me.

The Final Word

From the responses that I've got so far I have made a conclusion on why the conservative republicans are against Socialized Medicine. It is apparent that many conservatives/republicans are very selfish and truly DON'T care about Americans but only themselves. I'm hearing a lot of arguments that sound like, "only lazy people don't have healthcare", "everyone already have the right to healthcare", and "socialized medicine is full of problems." This is all ignorance and is typical of the conservative right. Socialized Medicine is a working system in many of todays developed, and some underdeveloped countries, and all arguments against socialized medicine have no reason behind them because it has worked with few flaws all over the world. I'm sick and tired of this ignorant, evil, and corrupt right wingers within our country. To anyone who reads this question, read the responses and see the ignorance that is the conservative mindset. In 08 lets get rid of these monsters!

Answer 1

Because we all have to pay for other people's health care and people who don't get sick would lose money, yea you're right though we just don't care about other people's health

Answer 2

This is all the taxpayers need....another forced social program!
Why should I work hard each day, then take a portion of what I make and hand it over to someone that won't work, or has made such poor life choices that they can't support themselves?
Look at all the fraud and abuse in the welfare system. This free medical care would in no time wind up the same way.....another Govt run operation that is full of red tape, counter producing regulations, and laziness. Ever see a Govt worker work real hard?
You can't understand why we don't want to support people's health and welfare? Have you been living on Mars? How many billions of dollars have gone out in welfare programs......and for what? We have generations of the same families on the Govt "dole", we have horrible welfare fraud, Section 8 housing fraud, food stamp fraud....and that doesn't piss you off? It does me! Seeing my tax dollars wasted on fraud.
Why don't we do this, I'd support medical care IF, and only if we kick off the welfare roles all the deadbeats, druggies, drunks, lazies, and bums. We cut back on the free college education for the "underprivileged", cut back on the support for the single moms that keep having kid after kid that the taxpayers wind up supporting.
If and when this happens, I'd support universal health care.......but I'm not holding my breath. This will be just another welfare project, nothing more.

Answer 3

First you have to find a socialized plan the government administers well. Take a look at what we complain about most today. Social Security, Medicare and Education. In other words, the answer is none. So why turn another responsibility over to them? By the way, you do not have a right to health-care. You have a right to access it within the system you live in. Just like most benefits this country has. Finding a way to keep costs down and allow the doctors and the companies providing the goods and services to earn a living equal to their labor, would be a good start to correcting the imbalances. Throwing our hands up and shoving it into the governments hands is not a solution. When has that ever worked? Again, never.

Answer 4

Lets look at the socialized health care system in Cuba, Fidel had to go to Spain to get a real operation. Canadians wait for a long time to get needed surgery. Sometimes they wait the rest of their lives.
The taxes would be a killer too. You're better off paying the premium for a health care policy with a private insurance company than the taxes. With the private insurance company you also have the freedom to choose and an agent to go to, not some bureaucrat who doesn't know or care about you.
One also must ask ones self, who would go through all the hoops one must to become a Doctor? Or Nurse or any other healthcare professional. The Government would have to cap their wages, why would anyone want that?
The poor get excellent healthcare treatment at our expense already.

Answer 5

People who are against universal govt run healthcare are misguided idiots. Who would rather go bankrupt getting cancer and then once you're broke and still sick, you're not covered any more, versus getting free universal care, getting treated and not spending a dime, except maybe for deductibles on meds. If you're rich, OK sure, by all means go chose your fancy private care facility and pay with your own money, exercise your right to choose. If you're not rich, like 99.9% of us, you'll probably want to keep your retirement funds rather than blow them in one shot on the disease you figured you would never get because you're so healthy.

All those who claim they are "against" universal free healthcare are ignorant and misinformed - let them get sick, let them see what happens when their hmo no longer covers them after the first sign of cancer (or before), let them see what happens when they end up sick, broke and on the street, with no insurance, left to die without any care. The republican con job on some kind of fabled principles from the 18th century is about as funny as the right to bear arms. Every other industrialised nation looks at the US as the laughing stalk of the world, richest country with the most poor of the rich nations, no national healthcare system, people living in abject poverty across the US etc.

Do Canadians complain incessantly about not having to pay to see a doctor or go to a hospital? I don't think so. Sure, the wait times can be longer for specialists, but there are fast tracks. You don't have to worry about being covered or losing coverage. Cancer or major illness are devastating enough without having to think about how to pay for it, besides losing income etc.

Answer 6

1. They think they will be paying more which is wrong.
2. They support corrupt healthcare firms that set arbitrarily high prices on treatment and try to drop your coverage if and when you get sick.
3. They think people are lazy in nature, when infact many people work long days (12+ hours) and just barely get by.
4. Those that are against it are more often than not able to pay the ridiculous fees charges to them by healthcare firms.
5. They care about themselves, but not other hard-working Americans.
6. They believe that universal healthcare means poor service where you can't see another doctor, which is a crock of lies. Unless you make a law that states otherwise, you can see as many doctors as you want.
7. Doctors are motivated by healthcare firms to deny patients care and leech as much money out of them.

And last but not least, they argue that waiting times are bad. This I find ridiculous.

Two weeks ago, my sister had a near fatal car accident, car overturned and totalled. She went to the EMERCENCY ROOM of the nearest hospital and the waiting time was 6 hours through the early hours of the morning (12:00-06:00). If you for a second believe that waiting times under a universal healthcare system could possibly get worse, then you must be living in a rich white affluent area.

Answer 7

It is a noble and caring cause and if there was a way to do it I would take it. But here's the problem for me and many conservatives. It will come off the backs of tax payers who are the middle class/conservatives. Not only that but add onto the fact the corruption that would go along with having a government run healthcare system and we would be up **** creek. Look at how well other universal healthcare systems have worked. Cuba is a dump, Canada records three hour waiting times, China is well behind us. Need a better example visit those countries and try to get decent medical care.

You think we our greedy and lazy. Well guess what, if we our the one's paying, we should have a say in it. Period.

Answer 8

Because when government has their hands in it they mess it up.

I know what a pain it was to just be in an HMO plan and trying to get into the Dr. let alone the crap you have to fight with the company for everything. They decided what you needed and when you saw a specialist and what you were to do. They get so busy it's just like a cattle call shoving people in and out to where they mis-diagnosed alot and denied people treatment they needed. It's still going to boil down to where it's only the wealthy getting the proper care. I've worked in nursing homes that were medicare funded and I swear I wouldn't put my dog them. I don't want the government deciding if I'm worth saving or not.

I don't have insurance now and yes it would be great for basic things.......like if I need antibiotics or something.....but not for anything major. I don't trust them. How are you going to know if they aren't using us as guinea pigs in exchange for our "free" treatment? I just beleive there has to be another answer besides the government getting involved.

Answer 9

If every other national health care program around the world is any indicator of what we would face, Or using the VA as an example of what we already have, I would have to ask why would anyone in their right mind think that going backwards is a good thing AND paying more for it. It has been proven too many times to count that the government can't do anything right. Why would you want to slap a tax burden on the citizens AND reduce the care we get today just to address a few that don't have insurance? That is illogical and wrong.

Answer 10

Instead of focusing strictly on Universal Healthcare, why don't we look at one of the major reasons that our health care system is in so much trouble? Law suits! I have absolutely *no* problem with legitimate law suits - especially with the medical field, since their mistakes can be fatal or permanently crippling.

Why don't we just make the loser in a law suit pay for all expenses incurred on BOTH sides? That will eliminate the BS suits that should never be filed, and in turn, that will lower the malpractice insurance that doctors have to pay.

Not only are BS lawsuits screwing up our health care by contributing to prohibitively expensive costs, but they are also driving good doctors out of business. OB/GYNs in particular are leaving the field. It's scary, really.

Henry - You can't possibly be so ignorant as to believe that, can you? I have volunteered several summers with local kids groups. I guess I'll have to quit, since we hate kids. We always select a senior citizen to give Christmas presents to. I guess we'll have to stop, since conservatives hate old people. Good Lord - this is exactly what is wrong with America these days! We're all Americans, FFS - why does everyone try to divide us up these days?!?

Answer 11

If you have a job ask your self how much of your salary would you be willing give to pay for universal health care. Then how many government programs do you know of that really work.You could expect your income tax to just about double and with the government bureaucrats in control it would be come another slow moving, very confusing program.