Universal Health Care, If enacted do you think you will be standing in line with Pelosi, Kennedy et al?

Question

Will Universal Health Care make the health system better for all or will it make it worse for all. Will we all end up with a Medicaid type of coverage with long waiting lists for essential services, government health care workers that don't care about the quality of their service, a system designed & operated in the same model as the U.S. Postal Service. In other words will misery be spread across our land? With the exception of course for those with political power and connections, those who foisted the plan upon the people, the Clintons, Pelosi, Kennedy, the entire Democratic leadership, Do you really believe that they will stand in line with the public & be told that the next available appointment is in 6 months?

Answer 1

I know the ones who impose it will make sure to exempt themselves as they customarily do from many of the things they do to us for our own good.

Universal health care would be a disaster. Not only is it a disaster everywhere it exists (people who are either not ill OR who don't even read their own government reports of course don't notice how bad the system is for those who MOST need it. Those who most need it are also likely NOT on the computer, warning people either.) but it does not work in the US with the assorted government-run programs: Medicaid, Medicare, IHS, VA, SCHIP are all examples of failure.

As apparently Michael Moore has a lot of sway with folks, though he does NOT do his homework, he's wrong about how wonderful Medicare is. First, the premiums rise annually. The rise from 2007 to 2008 was little, but that is not the point. 1998 premium: $43.80, 2008: $96.40. That's up more than 100%. Virtually everyone on Medicare either:

has to buy a "medigap" policy which is not cheap, but HELPS to cover the 20% co-pay responsibility for them
OR
they go with an HMO (or some managed care) company to help reduce costs. HOWEVER, in the last decade (nothing significant in 1998, just using a decade because it's enough time to show trends--a one year blip doesn't necessarily prove anything useful)--many things that would be NO or low co-pay a decade ago the HMO will put the full 20% responsibility on the Medicare patient. Also drug coverage which was common with these plans has been in many cases DECREASED to conform with the insane "donut hole" game the feds designed.

This is another important note: Medicare is specifically prohibited from bulk buying meds, so med costs are ridiculous in too many cases. The VA, on the other hand, DOES bulk buy. Interesting.

Medicare is going broke. In order to forestall this, one of their favorite immoral tricks is to take it out on the doctors. Doctors who already are NOT well reimbursed on Medicare are routinely threatened with SMALLER payments as the money runs out. Not just threatened, they HAVE received less than the original promise at times.

The list of problems goes on from there. Compare this with what is happening when there is something APPROACHING a free market in medicine. Look at the cost of LASIK or PLASTIC SURGERY over the last decade: it's LOW. The third-party payer parasites are out of those two areas for the most part. Doctors can be efficient and competitively priced.

Some docs have opted out of the bogus insurance rat-race:
http://www.simplecare.com/

Occasionally a DOCTOR-OWNED and RUN hospital will come along (like many USED to be):
http://www.azcentral.com/community/gilbert/articles/0217er17.html

Want a GOOD plan to undo the mess? It's free-market based, BUT initially is run through the government BECAUSE of the millions ALREADY on government-run health care. HOWEVER, not only does the program PAY FOR ITSELF BUT it's designed to COMPLETELY transition to the private sector. Read the PDF. Lobbyists will hate it. Politicians ignore it because there are no special deals they can cut under this plan (there's more to it besides the PDF--taking care of reduced prescription prices through bulk buying, etc. are included):
http://www.booklocker.com/books/3068.html

The evidence is in: the free market works, universal health care does NOT.

Answer 2

Nobody in the military waits 6 month for an appointment and yes generals have special arrangements but get the same service. Although is not a perfect system works better than what the general public gets and up to now no system is perfect. Health care is one of the military major recruitment tools and attractions.

Answer 3

To answer your question, no.

But, that is not the reason you should not have a national health care system. If you are willing to read the facts go on. If not, save time and give me the thumbs down now.

Healthcare in the US fails the USA. It costs more than it does in other western democracies http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care#Economics and provides you with a worse service. In the USA you are statistically going to die sooner than someone in Puerto Rico or Cuba. A baby born in the USA is more likely to die than they would in almost anyother western democracy.

In the UK, we have a national health service, and yes there are waiting lists. It is not perfect, but people get treated. If you want, you can take our private insurance, just like you can in the USA, and some companies offer private healthcare as well. The difference is that the uninsured get treatment, and are not lumbered with huge medical bills.

If you are proud to live in the most powerful and richest country in the world, I can understand that. But are you proud of your figures when it comes to life expectancy and infant mortality?

Answer 4

Where does the falacy of long lines come from?....are we suddenly going to double the population?....if you feel there will be long lines simply because everyone has access to health care, tough, ........you are basically then saying that if we could make it so the poor couldnt afford to buy food either, it would cut down the lines at the grocery store

Answer 5

For those that are normally heath people, it will be better for them. However, for those that truly have serious ailments it will be much worse. Everyone keeps pointing to Canada and England as shining examples of how they think our system should be based. The US has 10 times as many people as Canada and they are waiting months for necessary surgeries there, how long a wait can you imagine here?

Answer 6

No, they don't need it just as all your rich conservative Friends don't. On the other hand, I am sure there will be a bunch of less well off conservatives in line with you. That is called not standing up for what you believe in. Then it will be, " well by God if MY tax dollars are paying for it, I will get it too! " We would see how " I will take care of myself " goes then.

Answer 7

Congress has their own health plan. There's not a chance in hell they'd forego that in lieu of the same health coverage the commoners would have.

Answer 8

You won't see Pelosi and Reid anywhere near the lines you'll be in. It is true that most Canadians love their national healthcare system. The ones that don't are the ones that get sick.

Check this out: http://www.onthefencefilms.com/video/deadmeat/

Anyone who thinks the Canadian system is just peachy needs to watch this.

Answer 9

nope just the hordes of poor and middle class. the rich and political powers will be getting care. while we die standing in waiting lines

Answer 10

We're not standing in line with them now because they already do have government-paid health insurance. But we are standing in line, don't kid yourself.