Do Americans want Healthcare for everyone just like the UK?

Question

I keep hearing how the medical benefits in the UK are so much better, everyone has them and that healthcare is a right that Hillary Clinton would like to give us.

I hear there are people pulling thier own teeth over there......

http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20071015/wl_uk_afp/britainhealthdentists_071015111944

Is this what we really want?

Answer 1

America already has health care for everyone.

Medicare and Medicaid provide for our elderly and children who live in low-income conditions, and the rest of us are plenty rich enough to afford basic health coverage.

In addition, states have health coverage already for the "working poor" in case some of those just above the poverty line can get it.

The rest of us spend so much money on crap that we can't afford insurance, or we actually do pay for it. I'm getting real tired of people expecting the government to bail out stupid people who spend all their money in casinos and on playstation games and cry when they get sick.

It is NOT the government's job to reward ignorance!

Answer 2

Universal healthcare is great. When you are sick there is always somebody you can go and talk with. If you need emergency treatment they will see you almost right away. If you can wait a little longer they put you on a waiting list and you're usually seen within a couple of months. I have needed them several times over the years for different medical conditions, and never once has the cost been mentioned. I am a firm believer that healthcare should be a human right for everybody, not just a privilege for the wealthy few. They can afford to go private if they wish to jump the queue. You shouldn't take your health for granted just because you are lucky to have it now. A time may come in the future when you or a family member needs life-saving medical treatment and you won't have enough insurance to cover it. What are you gonna do then? Most people in the UK are happy with the NHS for the peace of mind it provides. It's by no means a perfect system, but it's definitely better than having nothing. :-)

Answer 3

As far as I know Hilary's plan is not like the English system, and will not cover teeth. I did have an occasion to go to an emergency room in London, and from my experience it offered better and faster care that the US ones. There are many tales of bad care from countries with national health care, but the are also stories about US health care system. Since I have been covered by medicare and had the majority of my bills paid by the government I have not seen any decline in quality of my care, and I am willing to wait to see what is proposed before making a judgment. I really don't see why taxpayers and their children should not have the same benefits I do.

Edit? Reading the previous post caused me to remember how apologetic the English people including the health care workers were about my treatment in their system. They seem to assumed that things worked much better here and that waiting over an hour to see a doctor would never happen in a US emergency room.

Answer 4

I have been paying taxes since '73. The only ppl in US who can get help are children, women with children, handicapped, and disabiled for over a year...etc. Someone is getting my tax money. I have always paid cash, I will take any help I can get. I am still paying medical bills from 2003 @ $5 a month. While recovering I had to live off my credit cards which are now about $400 a month in interest alone. This is my policy since grad. nrsg school...I'm not about to buy health insurance because I resent a flunkie without any biology classes dictating to me if I can get help or not.

Answer 5

Affordable health care is something I would prefer, as opposed to free, haphazard health care.

Currently, I spend approximately $12,000.00 a year of my income on health care for my family of four, not including co-payments of $20.00 a visit. That is way too much.

Medical costs in the US are through the roof; everyone needs to have some type of affordable health care plan, or risk economic destruction.

Answer 6

What Hillary is advocating is nothing like the UK's NHS.
Using the private sector to achieve universal health insurance does not equate to nationalizing the health care industry no matter how much some ignorant conservatives like to pretend it does.

Answer 7

Mmmm no offence to you but im english and your extremly ill informed about the situation in britain.

Health care ISNT FREE. Only if your at school, or very old.
There are not enough hospitals
There are not enough doctors
There are not enough nurses
Allot of patients are left in the corridors! theres not enough beds.
Medical machinary is failing rapidly and theres no money to replace it.
Financial situation is appaling, the NHS is in serious debt.
Many superbugs live in hospitals, so people die when they go in for a checkup. (There arnt enough resources for proper cleaning)
Many, Many other problems.

Infact the only good thing about our health system is a certain percentage of the staff, who try to do their best with almost nothing.

So if you want your country to go to hell, then by all means have our system. (Extra thanks must go to George.W.Bush and his administration and all those who voted for him and for the Iraq war, those cruisemissiles used alone would have payed for most of these problems to be fixed and saved many lives).

Edit-
Yes we are meg =P, it really needs improving. Hope you didnt have to wait to long, you have to wait for months for vital operations sometimes >_<.

Answer 8

toothless people VS people dieing without proper medical treatment due to lack of insurance. I'll take the toothless people.

Answer 9

Americans teeth are falling out over here already dude!!!! Wake up...while 45 million+ have no health care coverage, 100 MILLION have no dental coverage!!!!!! This is real!

Answer 10

They ration and have long waits for test. No america can find a better way!