why should the government provide healthcare?

Question

and not food or shelter or utilities?

Answer 1

We can all do something to affect how much we spend on food and shelter. We can't necessarily do that with healthcare.

If we can't afford a house we can share a place with other people. We can alter our eating habits to cut our costs. And if we can't afford food or housing, the government does help provide it to us.

But healthcare insurance is a large expense that we can't really cut down on. There are a lot of people who are working hard and cannot afford it if their employer does not provide it to them. They either have to pay the full price or not get it at all and hope they and their children don't get sick.

Also, nobody will deny you an apartment to rent because you are without a home. But companies DO deny someone heath insurance because they need it. People get denied coverage because of pre-existing conditions all the time. And people with coverage get denied payment for this reason, too.

So I know this was a smart-alecky question but thank-you for asking it. IT does help point out the problem.

Answer 2

It's not a matter of what they provide, but it is with the tremendous cost people have to pay for coverage by the private insurance conglomerates. There is double-digit inflation with the costs of health care these days and those that deny this are wrong. EVERYTHING is so high priced that our government CAN'T say we have 2-3% inflation this year! It just isn't so! You are asking people to make a choice between food, housing or medical care - it isn't that easy and it isn't a choice these days - all are necessities for life! As for the chimp and his beliefs - his attitudes have to change or there WILL be socialized medicine and that's a fact. The American people can no longer work for little or no benefits provided to their families by companies who believe the employee should pay these horrendous costs. This coming election (2008) will tell just how mad the people in America are. Those that aren't are those that are wealthy enough to be able to go to the doctor when they are sick - people now have to make a choice - do I go to the doctor or do I eat???
That is NOT the America I know - and I want my country back. Today is a good day to start!

Answer 3

Why should the federal govt provide this stuff at all. Local govt would better serve the local people by doing this. Accountability would also be better.

But, in the end, why can't people provide for themselves and their families? I don't want anyones hand out. Is that the governments real job? Or, is it the governments job to provide me/you with an atmosphere where we can be successful on our own?

Answer 4

A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public Treasury.
From that moment on, the majority always vote for the Candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship. The average age of the world's greatest civilizations from the beginning of history, has been about 200 years! So, enjoy your government sponsored healthcare, it will be short lived.

Answer 5

the gov't DOES guarantee within bounds that we are provided with reasonably priced and safe food, safe housing and monitoring of utilities to make sure we're not extorted by the mobster mentality of utilities providers

a gov't guaranteed healthcare system is just lagging seriously behind most other industries - which is boggling considering healthcare is of such tantamount importance to our strength as a nation and our economy

Answer 6

ahhhh, it already provides all of those things

you only need to be old, or on disability, social security, medicaid, medicare

you get food stamp cards and heat vouchers and rent money too

some is federal, some state, some local

take youre pick, i have a tenant that is in his mid 50's who hasnt worked in years and is milking the system becuase he drinks too much and has gout and "cant" work now, what a country!

Answer 7

The state govt. already provides food, shelter, and utilities to the poor, or at least my state of NC does.

Answer 8

They should promote the healthcare of our citizens rather than promoting the deathscare of the world. THEY are the schizophrenic, power hunger elitist core of our nation. They'd rather disempower us by making us sick. And don't buy Hillary's demand for healthcare for all. There's a hidden agenda there.

Answer 9

The government is not really providing it, only sponsoring it. Here’s a summary:

Hillary Clinton has unveiled the third part of her plan to ensure that all Americans have affordable, quality health insurance. Building on her proposals to rein in costs and to insist on value and quality, her American Health Choices Plan will secure, simplify and ensure choice in health coverage for all Americans. This Plan covers every American – finally addressing the needs of the 47 million uninsured and the tens of millions of workers with coverage who fear they could be one pink slip away from losing their health coverage – with no overall increase in health spending or taxes. For those with
health insurance, the plan builds on the current system to give businesses and their employees greater choice of health plans – including keeping the one they have – while lowering cost and improving quality. Specifically, the American Health Choices Plan will:

1.Offer New Coverage Choices for the Insured and Uninsured: The American Health Choices Plan gives Americans the choice to preserve their existing coverage, while offering new choices to those with insurance, to the 47 million people in the United States without insurance, and the tens of millions more at risk of losing coverage.

2.The Same Choice of Health Plan Options that Members of Congress Receive: Americans can keep their existing coverage or access the same menu of quality private insurance options that their Members of Congress receive through a new Health Choices Menu, established without any new bureaucracy as part of the Federal Employee Health Benefit Program (FEHBP). In addition to the broad array of private options that Americans can choose from, they will be offered the choice of a public plan option similar to Medicare.

3.A Guarantee of Quality Coverage: The new array of choices offered in the Menu will provide benefits at least as good as the typical plan offered to Members of Congress, which includes mental health parity and usually dental coverage.

4.Lower Premiums and Increase Security: Americans who are satisfied with the coverage they have today can keep it, while benefiting from lower premiums and higher quality.

5.Reducing Costs: By removing hidden taxes, stressing prevention and a focus on efficiency and modernization, the plan will improve quality and lower costs.

6.Strengthening Security: The plan ensures that job loss or family illnesses will never lead to a loss of coverage or exorbitant costs.

For more info click on this link:
http://www.hillaryclinton.com/feature/healthcareplan/americanhealthchoicesplan.pdf
.

Answer 10

I think the government should stay out of our private lives. I have yet to see anything they do for the people turn out good. The type of break I would like for health care is a direct net taxable income deduction for healthcare paid out.
If you made 60000.00 and paid 8000.00 then 52000.00 after healthcare deduction. If nothing then nothing.