We are the only civilized country without free health care. Why is that?

Question

The HMO system is designed to DENY health care. That is how they make profit. And they DO make profit. Why is the decision of who lives and who dies up to someone in an office, many miles away? Why shoud Americans live in fear of the denial notice?

Wraith- better let the UK and Canada know they are communist or socialist. I'm sure they would be interested to find that out.

No, Darwin, I live in fear of the denial notice that will put me and my family into the red for good. We get by, but we can't afford a bone marrow transplant that is deemed "experimental" or medicine that runs $300-$400 a month for life. That's what I'm afraid of.

Wow. A lot of experts here, with no information and no links. Why do you believe that there are long lines in other countries? Why do you believe the price tag will be $300 Trillion? Are we going to give health care on the moon?

By "free" I meant, obviously, free at the time of care. I realize that a government program would cost money. I refuse to believe that it is an extravagant sum and that it would not be worth it.

And who on earth is going to go into an ER with cancer and get treated? Tell me, please.

Army Dirt Mover-
I work hard for what I have. I don't ask for handouts from anyone. I am more than willing to pay my taxes.

Why would a military guy have a problem with health care for all? I had great health care in the Navy and it was mando.

Bwana- without a link, you are officially pulling the "died waiting for an MRI" thing out of your butt.

Answer 1

Because the other nations have realized that having their citizens healthy and (at least somewhat) secure in their access to healthcare is in the best interests of their social, political, and economic productivity, where the US still sees its people primarily as consumers from whom a profit can be made.

Answer 2

What do you mean by civilized? Are the masai not civilized? Is India not civilized? Also I hope you don;t think those are genuinely free anywhere because all "free" means is that the costs are hidden from the person receiving the care. Some people pay for other people's care. Also we might be headed in that direction, but we had a much better system under the free market. The US system is currently the cause of corporate welfare (with the consequences blamed on the free market). Politicians know better than to take us from A straight to Z. They take us to B first.

Answer 3

Free health care????

Health care is never free. In fact it is incredibly expensive. The question is do you want to pay as you go, buy insurance, or pay for it through tax increases. The price remains the same.

Someone has to control the spending, and right now, that is the HMO. I agree that is not a good system, but I don't trust a government bureaucrat to make life and death decisions either. Most important, it doesn't matter who pays the doctor if the price is the same.

The system needs work, and the number one challenge is to lower the actual cost. If the price of healthcare doesn't go down, we haven't accomplished anything.

Answer 4

I think Robert C has made a good point about the medical industry. As long as they are charging individuals, it is much easier to allow pricing to run amok. Charging the government comes with some massive accountability issues and some federally mandated price controls most likely. In other words, they have to play fair. Certainly free quality health care should be available to all as an option. Private health care should also be an option for those who choose to pay more for lets say personalized no wait service.

I agree with you it shouldn't have to cost an arm and a leg to save your arms and legs. For those who cant imagine it think of it this way. Our local police and fire department provide 24 hour protection for all free of charge right? Of course not. They get paid also. We know its not really free; the services are paid through local, state, and federal tax budgets. But if you have the need and the money, you can hire a body guard and a security service to protect your individual home. Our children can attend public schools free of up front charges or again you can pay for private schools. The military already gives "free" care to all servicemen. Our economy is huge. As with everything else in this country we can always employ multiple options. Its never all or nothing.

There is no reason why the health industry can not operate in this way. Dont we or our employers (or both) already pay for group health insurance? Isnt the money for it being deducted from your check? Free national health care is just a much bigger group. Again the money for it would be collected through payroll deduction (taxes). Certainly our health is equally if not more important than fire protection, home security, and education. We simply need to stop thinking of our U.S. government as some sort of royal self supporting institution. As a whole, we the people control and support the government; not vice versa. When you accept government provided services, it is NOT a handout. It is part of a package of pre-paid services, not unlike your private insurance.

Answer 5

The reason we don't have socialized health care and never will (despite who gets elected)is because there is immense profit in health care. Health care is one of the largest industries in the United States...its not going anywhere.

One should be aware, regardless of your reasons for being for or against socialized health care, that health care is never "free". To insinuate that it is is a lie that will bring down the entire argument for socialized health care. If this is the goal, then the argument must be honestly dealt with with the nation, and terminology used that reflects that. The healthcare industry will expose falsehoods, you can more than count on it, and they will ride such things to the destruction of the argument altogether.

Answer 6

Because we're the only civilized country that still has a population intelligent enough to realize that government provided health care is undesireable.

As for the HMO system, understand that it is a government regulated system, and that it sucks BECAUSE of, not in spite of, government interference.

If you look at countries with "free" health care (goodness, who's gullible enough to believe it's free?) they have bureaucrats with actuarial tables determining if you get treatment. Because of government management (it will be just as good as the "good job" Brownie did after Katrina!), there are shortages of dentists in UK, there are shortages of beds in Canada, UK, and Australia, there are long waits for "elective" surgeries like knee or hip replacements, etc.

But here, you cannot be denied health care. There are many programs that fund insurance for the indigent. No hospital can deny you care.

You might be bankrupted if you don't have insurance, but at least you'll still be alive. And if the insurance company won't pay, isn't it better to be alive and fighting them, than being dead because you had to wait too long for an MRI?

Answer 7

Oh haven't you heard? Because that would make us all socialists. This is the biggest neo-con fear tactic of them all. Why? So the insurance companies and pharmaceuticals can rake in the big profits to line the pockets of the people that are supposed to be representing us. The people don't have any representation and it is becoming blatently clear that we are run by corporate interests.

Answer 8

I know, I have no link, but Hillary and her 'healthplan' put the HMO's up our booty's, to promote cooperation with getting her plan passed.
If it were 'just' a health plan without some party sneaking in a line that changes the constitution, we could all vote it in, right?!
It works in the other countries, but wouldn't profit private businesses and THAT is why it gets waylayed. WE NEED IT!! HMO,...$ ucks eggs.

Answer 9

There is no 'free health care'. The cost is borne by taxing the citizens of the countries who provide it...and the taxes are huge.

Canadians come to the U.S. for operations because they could die waiting for it, free, in their country. So do many other foreigners.

People in England and France often wait years for surgery,and sometimes die, because some bureaucrat ' in an office many miles away' makes the decision.

It is not perfect, but we have the best healthcare, equipment and practioners in the world because it isn't "free".

Answer 10

"FREE" healthcare is an oxymoron. There is no such thing as a 'free' lunch, and nothing that you can consume besides the air you breathe is 'free': somebody had to either produce it, or carry it to you, or spend their time and skills to make it happen for you.

As such, "FREE" healthcare is a hoax. It's just robbing Paul to pay to Peter. The government has to tax somebody to get the money to pay for the "FREE" healthcare.

People who expect anything for 'FREE' are either ignorant or lazy, or both. If you want healthcare, earn it.