Should America implement a national healthcare system?

Answer 1

God Why? Why would anyone think the gvmt could do better planing their health care then they could?

Answer 2

There are two different issues here-national health care and what Obama is proposing. Unlike Clinton, Obama is not asking for nationalized health care, rather a reformed health care system where we can negotiate more effectively with insurance companies. I work in health care, I have been among the uninsured, and I'm now paying $4800 per year for my own insurance. This does not include health care for my children. A system is severely flawed when state programs go bankrupt, where even the insured cannot afford to get sick, and even worse, when patients must make a choice between food and medicine. The number of uninsured is growing daily. Another problem we face is that the health care we do receive from providers is influenced by insurance companies, who in turn influence pharmaceutical companies. The system is flawed in that it simply does not provide adequate health care for a large number of people. I don't pretend to have answers, and not many people I talk to in the industry have answers, but we all agree that something needs to be done. There is an arrogance about this, in the attitude of many that if they can afford health care, they can demand "the best" for themselves. Sit and watch a cancer patient slowly die as they lose access to necessary medication for both treatment and pain relief. Sorry, this is flawed and something must be done. This is not advocating either side, I just look at this particular issue from my own perspective. You make good points. But the middle class is the one group who falls through the cracks, neither qualifying for government give-away programs nor having access to pay for quality health care.

Answer 3

Interesting, I see only half-informed answers thus far for the most part.

Let's look at things from the pro-end of this topic.

For the person who answered this before me about people in the UK pulling their own teeth out with pliers because they couldn't get a dental appointment in time....

No offense intended, but do you believe every piece of muddled crap that's placed before you?

99% of my family is from Europe, primarily England, France, and Italy....all of which have nationalized tax-funded health systems.

The service, from what I understand, is excellent. They have timely service for what they need to be done, and the doctors are rewarded for actually doing their job (i.e., improving health) over American doctors just being rewarded for prescribing the new hot drug on the market and doing nothing to actually improve health.

The system, when implemented correctly, works perfectly. It works well in Canada, the UK, and France for example. Doctors work for the government, they don't work in the back pocket of drug and insurance companies like they do here.

If it works so sadly as we're taught to believe within the US, why did my uncle not to long ago tell me that if they removed the NHS in the UK there'd no doubt be revolution? I don't know about you, but there seems to be a certain fondness to the system.

I'm all for them implementing a socialized health care system in the States, I feel that it's about damned time that they do it.
What I'm curious about is this : can they do it correctly? On that, I'm not so sure.

Answer 4

America / national health care, (i.e. socialized medicine) (i.e. socialism).

Seems like an oxi-moron to me. Maybe the people who think national health care is such a beautiful, compassionate, and fair concept, should move to a country of like-minded people, where it has already been implemented - and is working so well. Instead of constantly trying to cram the failed policies and ideologies of other socialist and/or communist countries down our throats

Answer 5

NO!! It is not working in other countries why would you think it would work here. Look at how well the liberals do things now how in the world could they run a health care system.

Answer 6

Sure. It makes perfect sense to give our government control over health care. Just look at the excellent job they have over education, the environment, managing national parks, our boarders, fighting a war, airport security, etc. In fact, maybe we should give them control over brushing our teeth also. They could hire millions of people to come in a brush our teeth for us. It would stimulate the economy and no one who have tooth decay.

Answer 7

well something needs to be done for sure!but our fine moral president just vetoed a bill to insure health care for american children because it would be too expensive,35 billion $ over the next 5 yrs but has no problem wanting to spend 195 billion more $ to extend the pointless war in Iraq. If I were George bush and I was a religious man I would damm sure be praying right now.

Answer 8

Ask people in England, they are pulling their own teeth out with plyers because it takes 6 months to get an appointment. It is free, however!

Answer 9

Hmmm lets see

*checks constitution*

Nope don't see providing health care under the powers given to congress.

*checks History*

Hmmm seems it hasn't worked efficiently anywhere else in the world.

I am going to go with Nope :)

Answer 10

Four words.

Dept. of Homeland Security. Need I say more!?