Universal healthcare...?

Question

I watched Michael Moore's 'Sicko' last night and I have to say I was appalled. I did not realize that the US is the ONLY industrailized nation that does not have universal healthcare. I was shocked to learn the many things that other countries have as a right of citizenship that the US again, does not have. After watching it made me feel almost ashamed to be American; why are we not taking care of our citizens to the fullest extent possible? I was also quite touched when in the movie, they went into Cuba and recieved medical treatment for free. I was also shocked to learn that Cuba offers this when we do not.
So I guess my question is, why is America so against universal healthcare?

Answer 1

To answer your question directly:

1) Taxes
2) The fact that conservatives are opposed on principle to having any sort of government run program of any kind that does anything (aside of course from bombing terrorists and annoying people who might be but probably aren't terrorists when they're trying to get onto an airplane...)

And for the record the US healthcare system is great if you have money, mediocre if you don't, and you're in serious trouble if you don't have insurance. The US if it adopts a program to provide coverage for the uninsured will probably require everyone to buy insurance and provide programs to ensure that this is affordable for poor people. Despite what conservatives will tell you it is extremely unlikely that the US will adopt a top down, the government runs everything healthcare system like you have in England. It is possible that the US might eventually adopt a single payer model where everyone is insured via a state run program.

And remember bottom line: we spend more per capita on health care than anyone else on Earth and have worse health outcomes.

Answer 2

My favorite author (Robert A. Heinlein) has a phrase in some of his books--TANSTAAFL (There Ain't No Such Thing As A Free Lunch). Many people oppose universal healthcare on the understanding that it will raise taxes. They are absolutely correct!
HOWEVER--they forget that they are currently paying a VERY inflated cost for what healthcare they have! Between their own payments for Medical Insurance, Co-Payments, Doctor Visit Costs, and Medicines--they pay a LOT. PLUS, generally their employer pays A LOT too! BUT they don't seem to understand that they are ALREADY paying for those who don't have health insurance! Medical Provider Corporations average a 42+% PROFIT margin. This is because they add up the unpaid bills (from those who don't have insurance) and add it to the costs paid by the Health Insurance cost. Now the Health Insurance Companies average a 21+% margin. So, YOUR Health Insurance Costs already are sky high because you are ALREADY paying for the uninsured.
The question is--WHICH POCKET DO YOU WANT TO PAY OUT OF???
If there were Universal Healthcare in the US--funded by TAX money--the profit margins would go down to a reasonable level--say 8 to 12 % profit. That would cut the Health Insurance Industry Profits in HALF. The Medical Provider's profit margin would be cut to one fourth! But think about the cut in the Profit of the Drug Companies--their average Profit margin is about 100%!!!!!!. One tenth!
So, I think that increasing my tax to reduce my REAL out of pocket expense would be a good thing! Plus the fact that people will get treatment BEFORE they are on death's bed (because they have no insurance--which also should lower the costs of medical care--Doctors, drugs, and treatment OUT of hospital are generally cheaper than IN Hospital treatment!)

That's why the Medical Providers (and their associations- The American Medical Association) the Health Insurance Companies and the Drug Companies OPPOSE Universal Health Care! They don't want to loose their exorbidant PROFITS.

So, who is the ONLY Presidential Candidate supporting Universal Health Care in the US?

JOHN EDWARDS

Answer 3

Sicko is a very one-sided view of healthcare. If you would move to Cuba, you would see for yourself what kind of health care the normal citizens get.

Nobody is against Universal healthcare, what they don't like is paying for Universal healthcare. Visit a Veteran's hospital to see how the government runs healthcare. Your tax dollars at work.

People in Canada and Australia wait comparatively long periods for elective procedures or tests requiring expensive equipment. Universal healthcare does not support the level of service that pay-per healthcare does.

Answer 4

hmmm..i think of the plan is to end massive insurance companies and CEOs from raping the yank people. With decrease rates greater people might have the skill to have sufficient money insurance...and individuals that have insurance basically isn't procuring the uninsured. for people who can not have sufficient money insurance...the government.will furnish tips....basically like it does now, in user-friendly terms at a greater value-effective value! that's long late....the Bush administration has allowed insurance companies to rape the yank people at checklist severe costs. wellness care expenses have ballooned seventy six %. i prefer to understand why Michelle Obama won a 200 thousand dollar a twelve months advance from a non-earnings scientific institution in Chicago after Barack exchange into elected to the US Senate. Her earnings ballooned to 342 thousand a twelve months....who's paying the invoice? that's basically greater waste, fraud and abuse! So, do no longer assume plenty from Obama....Obama is for Obama in user-friendly terms!

Answer 5

It's more about taxes than anything else. Well that and immigration. First taxes are going to have to be raised significantly to pay for this universal health cost. Secondly people are arguing about the costs of illegal immigrants that are not paying taxes but will be getting free health-care, that's not all illegals but there are quite a few that don't pay any taxes.

Answer 6

You don't want socialized health care. There is a case in England where a man was refused medical treatment throught their universal health care because he smoked. He was told that he could receive the treatment if he would quit smoking. Don't get me wrong, though. Smoking is a horrible killer, but whose to say they wouldn't deny you the universal care if you were, say, overweight? Hardly anyone in America could receive the universal health care.

Answer 7

The quality of care is compromised? Why does your birth give you the right to health care? Why do all of the "universal health care" countries citizens come to America to have any life threatening work done? It's because they don't trust their government with their lives to provide the resources to save them. Why should I have to work harder and longer to provide you with a free right? Why should I have to give up the level of health care provided to my family because others think they are entitled to something without cost?

Answer 8

FYI:

Hey All, I saw on the news up here in Canada where Hillary Clinton introduced her new health care plan. Something similar to what we have in Canada. I also heard that Michael Moore was raving about the health care up here in Canada in his latest movie. As your friend and someone who lives with the Canada health care plan I thought I would give you some facts about this great medical plan that we have in Canada.

First of all:

1) The health care plan in Canada is not free. We pay a premium every month of $96. for Shirley and I to be covered. Sounds great, eh. What they don't tell you is how much we pay in taxes to keep the health care system afloat. I am personally in the 55% tax bracket. Yes 55% of my earnings go to taxes. A large portion of that and I am not sure of the exact amount goes directly to health care our #1 expense.

2) I would not classify what we have as health care plan, it is more like a health diagnosis system. You can get into to see a doctor quick enough so he can tell you "yes, indeed, you are sick or you need an operation" but now the challenge becomes getting treated or operated on. We have waiting lists out the ying-yang some as much as 2 years down the road.

3) Rather than fix what is wrong with you the usual tactic in Canada is to prescribe drugs. Have a pain here is a drug t o take- not what is causing the pain and why. No time for checking you out because it is more important to move as many patients thru as possible each hour for Government reimbursement

4) Many Canadians do not have a family Doctor.

5) Don't require emergency treatment as you may wait for hours in the emergency room waiting for treatment.

6) Shirley's dad cut his hand on a power saw a few weeks back and it required that his hand be put in a splint - to our surprise we had to pay $125. for a splint because it is not covered under health care plus we have to pay $60 for each visit for him to check it out each week.

7) Shirley's cousin was diagnosed with a heart blockage. Put on a waiting list. Died before he could get treatment.

8) Government allots so many operations per year. When that is done no more operations, unless you go to your local newspaper and plead your case and embarrass the government then money suddenly appears.

9) The Government takes great pride in telling us how much more they are increasing the funding for health care but waiting lists never get shorter. Government just keeps throwing money at the problem but it never goes away. But they are good at finding new w ays to tax us, but they don't call it a tax anymore it is now a user fee.

10) My mother needs an operation for a blockage in her leg but because she is a smoker they will not do it. Despite her and my father paying into the health care system all these years. My Mom is 80 years of age. Now there is talk that maybe we should not treat fat and obese people either because they are a drain on the health care system. Let me see now, what we want in Canada is a health care system for healthy people only. That should reduce our health care costs.

11) Forget getting a second opinion, what you see is what you get.

12) I can spend what money I have left after taxes on booze, cigarettes, junk food and anything else that could kill me but I am not allowed by law to spend my money on getting an operation I need because that would be jumping the queue. I must wait my turn except if I am a hockey player or athlete then I can get looked at right away. Go figure Where else in the world can you spend money to kill yourself but not allowed to spend money to get healthy.

13) Oh, did I mention that immigrants are covered automatically at tax payer expense having never contributed a dollar to the system and pay no premiums.

14) Oh, yeah, we now give free needles to drug users to try and keep them healthy. Wouldn't want a sickly druggie breaking into your house and stealing your things. But people with diabetes who pay into the health care system have to pay for their needles becau se it is not covered but the health care system.

I send this out not looking for sympathy but as the election looms in the states you will be hearing more and more about universal health care down there and the advocates will be pointing to Canada. I just want to make sure that you hear the truth about health care up here and have some food for thought and informed questions to ask when broached with this subject.

Step wisely and don't make the same mistakes we have.

Answer 9

You lost me at Michael Moore...