Hmmm...maybe Universal Healthcare isn't so bad afterall?

Question

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/?qid=20071101122810AAd9D4J

Answer 1

Universal health care is actually a really good thing. I go to school in Canada and for $400 per yr. they are able to provide all my health care. And even, if for some reason, I need Psych. meds, they will pay for me to go to a psychiatrist :)

Seriously though, we Americans do not fully understand UHC. And that is something that I think certain gov't officials want to keep that way. Can you imagine not having to worry about getting sick and/or injured and become worried about how you will afford the 500-800 dollar xray, or even just the doctor's visit. Our misconceptions here are that there are extremely long waits for appointments. Well, no longer than what we have here, except for ER visits which can be long (if you live in big cities especially). The nurses will prioritize by injury/health problem first and first come first serve second. So if you have a broken finger and someone comes in after you who is going into emergency labor then they will be seen first, but wait that is no different than here is it? The other misconception is that the gov't will be over burdened financially. Well this may be true, but look at this Canada has been in a surplus for the past 8 years and they will have their debt paid off by 2010-2012. This year, for example, the surplus was expected to be 3 billion but instead was 13 billion. And so far as the tax issue, what kind of lousy crap do you think we are paying for right now. We will still be paying for welfare people's healthcare who find loopholes and get disability and other gov't benefits. But most importantly those people with cancer and/or other diseases that cost thousands or even hundreds of thousands of dollars to treat will not have to worry. The surgeries/treatments they need will be provided for. And guess what Canada pays only a very bit more tax than we do, and it is most certainly less than our income tax and health insurance costs added together so really they are paying less for better health care. And for us to look at it like "I dont want my tax dollars to go to some freeloadin' welfare couple" is ludicrous. Our dollars go to them anyway (and many other places). What about all those genuinely poor people who couldnt afford college educations and are working minimum wage or slightly better? Don't they deserve to get healthcare without going broke and not being able to afford food and/or electricity. I hope you realize there aren't just a few of those, there are millions. Millions of Americans are walking around w/o insurance b/c it is so expensive. UHC wouldn't be just for the "welfare" types, it'd be for everybody. And you'll be paying taxes anyway, no matter where it goes. So much of our money goes to places that none of us would like, yet we still have to pay them don't we? So I mean in this country we have such a huge deficit right now that yeah we can't immediately switch to a UHC system, but I think it is something we should be working towards.

Answer 2

Universal Health Care will be a disaster, but, if Americans are dumb enough to adopt it, Americans will deserve it.
The main thing is, adopting it means more than most people realize. Take for instance health care professionals, if they are in a regulated industry that depends on the government, why would anyone choose such a profession. Why go through all the expense and hard work to become a health care professional if you don't get much back in return? Brace yourselves for a serious shortage of Doctors and Nurses and techs.
There will only be a finite amount of resources so, the resources will have to be rationed, probably unfairly. It will be like third world health care.
If you want it, go for it, just don't go pissing and moaning about it later when you don't like it.

Answer 3

There was also a recent survey done in 7 countries, 6 of which had universal health care, and it pretty much confirms that all the scare tactics employed to dissuade Americans are false. The wait times in other countries are only longer for elective surgeries, and even these are only longer than the US by a short time. We already pay twice as much for health care than these other countries, yet we don't have universal coverage and all the others do. And the satisfaction of the patients was higher in every other country than here in the States. People here abstained from going to the doctor and abstained from using medications for their chronic conditions when people in the other countries hadn't resorted to such things.

Answer 4

Universal healthcare is fine for people who are young and do not get really sick. It is great for regular everyday illnesses like an infection, the flu or the measles. It is when you get older and get things like heart disease, cancer or need a back, knee or hip operation.

From the british New Paper, the Daily Mirror
Critics point the finger at the growing obsession with waiting-time targets.

Trusts were put under huge pressure to cut maximum waiting times to 13 weeks for a first outpatient appointment and six months for non-emergency operations
.....
Under the Tories in the 1980s and 90s, the NHS budget increases came nowhere near the rate of inflation. And patient care hit a new low.

Waiting lists were 1.3 million and waiting times for non-emergency operations such as hip replacements climbed above 18 months. Nigel Edwards, director of policy for the NHS Confederation, said the vast majority of the new cash was eaten up by pay awards, contracts and national insurance increases.

http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/tm_objectid=16790866&method=full&siteid=94762&headline=so-where-s-all-the-money-gone---name_page.html

Answer 5

I don't know much about Canada or their politics. Do they have people sitting around on welfare who DO NOT work that are jumping all over "Universal Healthcare?" I think everyone should have to work for it. I don't want my taxes going to pay towards someone else's health benefits when they aren't even paying towards it.

Answer 6

Finally someone is admitting that Hillary may have been right a long time ago with this proposal when she was first lady.

Answer 7

As I see it, the major problem that our nation is facing is a crooked and corrupt Republican administration. Electing a Democrat (Hillary Clinton) would not solve the problem. Other candidates, too, are in the dark as to international conflicts and have no foreign affairs experience at the decision making level that this nation needs.

Would you prefer to solve health care, while the entire world faces a mutually assured nuclear end?

Once we get our international affairs in order major issues like health care can finally be resolved!

Max
peacenegotiator

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Answer 8

I'm not even going to waste my time with such a hopeless cause.

Answer 9

When the government takes over health care, a lot of people will die waiting for help. You need to read the health care bill that Hitlery was pushing last time.

Answer 10

I want someone to pick up my tab as much as I want to pick up theirs. Remember, if you're on your death bed would it be fair for me, a healthy person to split the cost? Or vice versa?