Why not universal health care in America?

Question

So what if it's "Socialist"?

A lot of programs in America are 'Socialist' i.e. Teachers, Libraries, Postal Service

The problem with health care in america is that insurance companies make money. Insurance should be a governmental program because if they are making money, that means that they're exploiting their customers. Countries such as Britain, Canada, and France have universal health care and their average life expectancy is higher. Why not have it in America?

we don't have the best health care, they want you to think that. we're really 30 something i think

Answer 1

Well Jet
The main reason that we don't have it here -- is the Doctors AND the Insurance lobbies and their alliances with the "congressional" hoard by way of the millions of dollars that they have POURED into the lobbying against it !!!

Truth is -- there is an unholy intertwining of the American Medical group and the Insurance "thing" within the country that is bleeding BILLIONS out of the American people !! And, they do NOT want this "gravy train" to be derailed and are ready to do ANYTHING to see that it isn't !!!

Under a "universal" health care situation -- Doctors would still be able to make major money -- just not the killing that they are getting at present -- for their services would be "capped" to a "reasonable" "averaged" status !! And Insurance companies would be limited in input and involvement by way of having to settle for the "sideline" policies that insured the outside perimeter of the common "universal" coverage on such items as "specialized care" and etc. !! This is another item that would get into the Doctors' wallets for ---- unknown to an awful lot of people ----- Doctors themselves are HEAVILY invested in the insurance business !!! This being a CLEAR comflict of interests according to the standards set for MOST businesses --- but one that is allowed within present day law BECAUSE OF their contributions to and support of so many candidates AND sitting political figures !!!
Which is a major case of --- undue influence !!!

SO -- the reason that we do not have universal health care in this country --- is NOT that the people in DC are that concerned about our QUALITY of care -- or the EFFIECIENCY of that care -- or even the COST of that care on the Federal level ---- it is because of the Doctor / Insurance Lobby -- and their undue influences in Congress --- protecting the "killing floor" that they have set and running ON the American Public !!!!

Answer 2

Well, to be frank, it is because the free market has always ferretted out things that don't work. If someone tried to make something or market something bad, the idea or the company died. It is the same with Healthcare, the market will ferret out the bad institutions. It is the trial lawyers and Governemtn that has caused prices to be so high. If doctors didn't haev to spend so much on malpractice insurance and the trial lawyers trying to sew everyone under the sun.
Socialised medicin means they will come knocking on your door, making legislation to raise your already high taxes. Americans already work 3 months out of the year to pay taxes and the government has proven themselves inept to be responsible with our money, and you want to give them more.
Once a Governmental system is in place, people will be pressured to join it and drop their individual coverage. The people that have none due to the high price will default to the Governmental programs. As all Governmental programs, they will have shortages, mismanaged money, not enough to go around, so they will start rationing who they help or who is applicable.
You tout UK, France and Canada....so why is it UK is asking pregnant mothers not to show up at the hospitals and have in-home birthing if the system is soooo good ? Why are people that need urgent care for cancer and the like on 6 month waiting lists in Canada ? Some Canadians skip across to the American side of the border to get treatments. France has been in turmoil because their socialized medicine is bankrupting the country.
This is what you want for America ??
Why is it you are sooo willing to trust a political entity with you and your loved one's health ? They are not experts and they usually...as most Government entities....do a substandard job.
We need change, I agree, and I'd like to see the Government simply just out right pay hospitals for an annualized account of all the bandaids and gauze they use in treating minor wounds. Government should also fund this by dropping some of their pork project / earmarked monies without adding taxes. Anything more than mino wounds should be through personal insurance or maybe subsidized through social security or other funds. But since SS is bankrupt due to congress always borrowing from it, It might have to be a separate protected fund.

Answer 3

the premium for family medical coverage where I work is $100/wk. that is just what employees pay. the company has been absorbing the remainder and the increases for 5 years now. Coverage is average, high co-pay, no dental, minimal vision.
with premiums close to $200/wk total for family coverage that is about 22% of my weekly earnings. I can't see how universal single payer health insurance could cost much more if it was paid as a "tax"

the other thing is that if there were Socialized medicine a' la' Veterans administration, the wealthy people would have to get in line behind the poor people.... and because the wealthy have the power, they would rather the poor not have insurance.

Sister Godzilla, are you saying that you do not have health insurance? and that you pay the for all your medical yourself? Self insured? ever have an operation? how about an MRI, PT for that shoulder tear?

Answer 4

The problem is with our culture. It's not capitalism so much as it is how WE see capitalism. The highest value in our culture is profit. Success is measured by profit, return on investment. For instance, if someone tells you his uncle is a successful doctor, you know that doesn't mean he's good at helping people or has a good bedside manner, 'successful' just means he makes a lot of money.

For insurance companies the highest priority in health care is not keeping people healthy or making people healthy, it's maximizing profits. And often they can do this better by denying care than by providing it. The insurance companies are among the biggest contributors to political candidates and parties, so they get what they want.

President Clinton had a plan to vaccinate ever kid in America at federal expense. His proposal showed how this could be done, by the govt. buying millions of doses of vaccine and making them available to everyone. He showed this was very cost-effective in terms of the vaccine being much cheaper than x-number of kids getting sick who would then have to be cared for at govt. expense. The vaccine manufacturers would have gotten a fair profit for the drugs, so everyone should be happy, right?

The plan was killed by the vaccine mfgrs. They did some quick math and found they could make more money vaccinating only 80% of American kids at the full rate than 100% at the cut rate, even though they would still have made a profit. Their lobbyists told Congress they didn't want the plan, so it was dropped.

Mind you, those vaccines were developed at public expense!

That's why we don't have universal health care. Canada was wise enough to kill the health insurance industry in its cradle. Today our health insurance industry actually owns the hospitals and clinics and the doctor work for them.

Answer 5

We are talking about a socialized health care system in a country of over 300 million people. Do your see a problem with that. Why should hard working Americans pay for somebody else medical expenses?

To Wilsonmathews:
To mention Michael Moores mockumentary "Sicko" negates your argument. Our system is not broke. As a matter of fact, my wife, who works an insurance company told me that there are a lot of discrepancies in "Sicko." Michael Moore has a problem of skirting the truth.

Answer 6

If our government were able to successfully handle socialized anything, I would say that socialized medicine would be a life send to, at the very least, me. I can not and will not speak for America in it's entirety. But, I can speak for me when I say that socialized medicine is a wonderful concept.

In my opinion, which I formed despite numerous reports that contradict not only me, but each other as well, S.M. is something that works very well outside America. But, I don't think that it will translate well into the language that is commonly spoken by our government and by our existing health care system - The language of Greed.

Why make it free when you are profiting so well on it in it's current, flawed, and monopolized state?

Answer 7

Being a Canadian, I can tell you, universal health care will make your taxes increase....ALOT!!! But, you won't have to spend on health insurance. It works out well. As soon as you hear "higher taxes", people say no. We, in Canada, don't have a lot of spending on our military, so we can afford to have the health care. Have a look at the documentary 'Sicko' by Michael Moore. He talks about the problem well. Remember - If you can find money to kill people, you can find money to save people. Hope this helps. Matt

Answer 8

The Insurance Companies have prevented affordable universal health care. They suck all the money out and bribe all the Politicians.

Answer 9

We should have no socialist programs in America. Yes, that means the government has to give up control of the Post Office (did you know it's illegal to send personal correspondence via a private carrier?) and public schools (why else do people want vouchers?). If we give the government control over healthcare, it will just be another program hemorrhaging money and doing a poor job at providing service.

Answer 10

I guess you haven't heard of the word "greed". Our Drug companies don't care about a drug to cure anything unless it'll make tons of money. ED is a case in "point". Insurance companies don't care about "caring " for anyone, just getting the premium. As long as we have Republicans in the back pocket (and many have gotten jobs as lobbyists for drug companies) of insurance and drug companies...the US citizen is in a heap of "doo doo".