What's the deal with healthcare?

Question

I am in a speech/debate class and I have to organize a debate on healthcare...but Im clueless on the whole subject (i saw sicko, but thats it...and 1 sided) . what is the most recent controversy about healthcare systems, or a more specific issue being discussed?

Answer 1

You tell your class "Down with socialized medicine!!!!"

If you want the government to have full 100% access to your medical records, then by all means support government health care. If you want the government to take 50% from your paycheck to pay for the health coverage then by all means support government health care. If you want the health care industry dominated by the most inefficient and incompetent monopolies of all time, then by all means support government health care.

That Michael Moore movie is nothing more than 100% pure communist propaganda.

Answer 2

The controversy is that approx 50 million Americans do not have any health insurance and many more are underinsured. The World Health Organization recently ranked our health system the 37th most effective in the world - despite it costing more than twice as much per capita as the developed world average. That a child is twice as likely to die in the US before the age of 5 than in most of the developed world. That we have amongst the lowest life expectancy and healthy life expectancy in the developed world.
There is a health care crisis in America today - it would be astonishingly ignorant to deny it. We pay a great deal more than any other nation for a system that is failing us.
The debate is about the solution.
Some advocate the provision of universal health insurance by the government (there is no serious candidate proposing a nationalized government run hospital system so you can ignore ill-informed rants from the likes of $). Every other developed nation in the world has some sort of guaranteed health insurance system.
Others advocate that competition and profit motives are the only way to efficiency and blame the current laws covering health insurance. Philip H seems to be stating this but again is confusing the provision of INSURANCE with the provision of healthcare.
I am not advocating one system or the other here (although if you want to see where I stand check some of my previous answers) just trying to keep you straight on what is and is not being proposed. The thing to remember is that the debate is about health insurance and how to determine that Americans can recieve the treatment they need.

Answer 3

To have a workable affordable healthcare system you must clean house in congress. These 20,30 year politicians(not representative of the people after that length of time) have lost track of why they were elected. To do the will of the people has been replaced with "what I feel is good for the people & most of all, for myself". The corruption in the halls of congress are rampart in both parties. With corruption cmes exra cost to pay for the corruption. If you could get GOOD people instead of arrogant, selfish, thick skinned, self serving people that we have now. National healthcare would benefit the nation. But, the corruption would need to be eliminated for it to work. We screw each other or family members out of money, why would we think anyone in the government would be any different. If you have honesty at the ground floor, it will grow as people grow. Sicko was about those that think they have health insurance and when the go to use it they are denied coverage (HMO's). Happens more than you think.

Answer 4

The big deal is that health care wasn't much of a problem until the government decided to interfere with health care back in the 1960's and 70's and created HMO's and Medicare.
As usual, politicians cannot begin to manage the needs of American society.
What the Government manages, they manage poorly and a greater cost with less success than if it were managed by private sources.
Health car is NO exception.
If Government manages it, who will determine the cost?
Where will the line be drawn?
If spending 5 million dollars can keep a person alive for 2 years, but in pain and unable to function, should we spend the money? WHO makes that decision?
Who pays for it? Who is to say "Let him die?"
Who determines what care is appropriate? WHEN do we let someone die?
These issues MUST NOT BE MADE by a divisive political establishment. Every individual case could become a National Political issue!
These decisions MUST be made by the the individuals directly involved in the situation and the tax paying American public MUST NOT be held HOSTAGE to paying the costs of each and every decision!
HOW MUCH are YOU willing to PAY?
The ONLY answer is to keep the decisions and the costs in the hands of the individual.
Insurance is VOLUNTARY Socialism. People pool their money, and by contractual agreement, medical bills for large expenses are covered by the insurance company.
Check your needs, the insurance contract, and your ability to pay the costs. The decision becomes yours.
If it is in the hands of the government, it is no longer voluntary and you have no legal recourse if the government makes a bad decision. You probably won't even be able to sue the doctor or the hosital, and definately not the insurance company.
SICKO greatly distorted the facts. Ask people who have lived with governmant health care and you will get a different story.

Answer 5

Did you know that all diseases can be alleviated by proper nutrition? Get a coffee mill and grind up raw flax seed and eat it raw. Then learn how to juice garden grown veggies and totally avoid MSG, flouride and artificial sweeteners. I cut and juice field grown alfalfa and drink it daily. Health is found in green chlorophyll not in the grocery store prepared food section. Then you can say "you can keep yer health care plan"
Good Luck!

Answer 6

Malpractice Insurance-outrageous medical lawsuits-pill popping America being killed by the pharmaceuticals they take to get well-Health insurance rates that vary from state to state-unaffordable health care technology-understaffed health care facilities. The biggie an aging population.

Answer 7

Why not research and find out what caused the USA high cost health care? Till the 80s anyone could afford it

Answer 8

The issue is that 50 million americans don't have health insurance and health insurance costs are getting out of hand.

Answer 9

Is it the government's responsibility to ensure that all citizens are provided health care? <--suggestion for debate issue

Answer 10

Look into the fiasco that has become the SSI system. You will be amazed and frustrated at the ineptitude and waste occuring there.