I'm amazed at how many people actually think this is a good idea!
Sure, it's difficult to afford insurance and co-pays and all other fees associated with health care, believe me I know. I currently owe close to $40,000 in medical debt to hospitals to pay for procedures that were not covered by my insurance. I can't afford that, so yes, we need some sort of help with our health care system.
But universal health care? No!! The money to pay for that has to come from somewhere, so where is it going to come from? Our taxes. It will more than double our taxes. In the end you'll be paying the same, if not more for health care through your tax dollars, and taxes are capable of hitting us harder. They can put a tax on everything from your wages to your purchases, and your yearly taxes on your properties. Don't be fooled thinking that a universal health care system will actually be free!!
And do you actually think you'll recieve the same level of care that you do now? Don't count on it. Doctors won't be paid as much, so it won't be a lucrative profession, which means we won't see as many doctors and nurses. That means wait times for life saving procedures will be longer. How long are you willing to wait for treatment? Weeks? Months? What if you have 3 months to live without the procedure, but they can't fit you in until 6 months out because there just aren't enough doctors? Wouldn't you be willing to pay more to get the treatment sooner?
Tell me, in all honesty... how is universal health care going to actually help us??
Yes we need to find ways to make health care more affordable, I will not argue that. But it should be something along the lines of supplimental insurance for the lower income, something that will help with co-pays and fees that our primary insurance won't cover. That would be more affordable for the government (without raising taxes) and for the people.
[question posted by katsmeow1213]responses and comments:
"But universal health care? No!! The money to pay for that has to come from somewhere, so where is it going to come from? Our taxes. It will more than double our taxes." It is almost impossible that this would be true. In every other industrialized nation that has universal health care, the cost is less per person than it is here in the USA. However, those countries also have higher life expectancies, and lower incidences of preventable diseases/illnesses/etc. than the US. So if it's done right, it will certainly NOT cost more than the system we have now. If other countries can do it, why can't we? The US has no business holding such a pitiful position compared to other industrialized nations in preventable diseases, for crying out loud. [ClarusVisum]
Doctors make plenty. Dentists make plenty. Attorneys make plenty. CEOs of companies and SOME government employees make plenty. I don't see any issue with those people taking a pay cut, look at how much they charge for their services, and for the most part, they are completely unwilling to cut anybody a deal or even take payments. Hmph. Their prices are inflated, that is part of the issue. [mommyboo]
Kat, you are in debt because of medical expenses that your insurance didn't cover. My husband's first wife is DEAD because they were uninsured when she was diagnosed with inoperable liver cancer. My husband needed $200,000 in cash before she would be put on the transplant list. She was 51 years old. The $5,000 credit for health insurance that McCain promotes will not help the uninsured who are older or are already not in good health because they still won't be able to come up with the other several thousand dollars needed to buy coverage. Of course any sane person would be willing to pay more for better or faster treatment but the reality is that many can't afford to...if they want to eat that month. [spalladino]
I don't want to pay for other peoples' health ins either. I just want MY health ins to cover decently for things that happen to ME or my family. Ins companies should not get to set prices or decide what is covered, and doctors and hospitals should also not rape consumers and patients when overcharging for everything. WE all know that a packet of gauze does not cost $25 and I can tell you too that a week's worth of pills for anything should never add up to $1400. It does not cost that much to produce and the people producing it shouldn't be making $30 an hour either. Greed has caused all the money problems here, that's the bottom line. [mommyboo]
In every other industrialized nation that has universal health care Which would be EVERY OTHER INDUSTRIALIZED nation. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe every other industrialized or medically advanced nation in the world has it, except us. France is considered to have the best health care in the world, and yep, it's universal healthcare. [philjas]
Kat, you're making it sound like doctors are greedy and only practicing for the money. That bothers me, if that is true. It bothers me if anybody choose a career based on the money and not because it's something they care about. I hope sincerely not to ever employ somebody who is doing their job strictly for the money. They don't deserve to be paid if that's why they chose it. I mean my doctor could give me unsound advice, prescribe things I don't need, or tell me I need procedures I don't in order to make money. That's a pretty horrendous thought. [mommyboo]
Well Kats, if universal health care isn't the answer than what is? Do you realize that GE, and GM spend over 3 billion dollars a year in health care? That is just two companies, just imagine how much we, as a nation, spend. I think we need to find some the help us, because our current system isn't working. [thegreatdebater]
Jonsmom2, Great post, I couldn't say it better myself. I can't believe that we can't find an answer to a question as simple as this. [thegreatdebater]
I see where you're coming from but "who" will be taxed more is the question that needs to be answered. I have state assistance and I get better care then I did when I paid for my insurance. I don't think it's that bad. I think more questions need to be asked and answered before everyone assumes that they will be the ones paying higher taxes. I know I don't have the answers but if the candidates aren't asked the questions, how do we really know the answers? [camomom]
I think the answer to this is easy. Only offer welfare, health care, other insurance, and government assistance programs to American citizens or people who have a valid green card AND a permanent job. I agree with you Camomom that in your situation, it's either 6 of one, half dozen of the other. I am not employed outside my home either, I don't want to spend over and above the salary I would make on daycare, commuting, and such. It would negate working at all unless I made near my husband's salary, in which case we'd be bitten in the butt by higher taxes as well as me still paying out more than HALF of my salary in daycare and commuting! I don't know about you but I'm not willing to go back to work to bring home less than 1200 a month after all the expenses have been taken out of what I would make. I wouldn't even be willing to do it for 2K a month. Anyway, back to the other issue. I believe the reason that government programs are in the state they are is because they are not being given to American citizens. They are being abused and used by people who are illegally here, who work under the table, do not pay taxes, and per person they are bleeding more money from the government than an upstanding family of four who are many generations American citizens but who make $50 too much to qualify for government programs. As a result, they are going WITHOUT insurance for their kids, they are having to spend out of pocket for everything, and because of that they are living paycheck to paycheck and hurting, unable to keep a full pantry, unable to KNOW they can pay their mortgage and utilities each month, etc. This is not fair! Unless all the citizens of a country are being taken care of, NOBODY else should get a dime!! I don't think this would be hard to enforce and I do not see why people are not being deported in order to keep things as they should be. Just because someone not from here is born here doesn't make them legally allowed to be here and allowed benefits. It just means their parents are trying to screw the US government. [mommyboo]
As a disabled person and a health educator, I must disagree with you. If people can't afford healthcare they don't get treatment early when things are more easily fixable. As others have said, we are the only industrialized nation that doesn't have it. I think this is bad for America, as a whole. [cripfemme]
I agree, but if it's free and you don't go that your own issue. I think this will happn less if we have universal health care. [cripfemme]
Well to start with I believe the USA is the only civilized country in the world that does not have have universal health care. Certainly all the European countries of the Western World have it. It astonishes me constantly that Americans are against it. The richest nation in the world cannot offer decent health care to its citizens. You yourself said you owe 40 000 in medical bills. That must be a totally crushing burden. I live in Canada and we have universal health care. Sure a lot of people complain that the waiting period for certain operations are too long, it is difficult to schedule an MRI if you need it soon, etc etc. Let me tell you I will be eternally grateful that we have it. After a collapse in my son's house this summer I was taken to the hospital. I stayed there for two days. I had several ECG's, an MRI, a CT scan and was seen by three specialists. After I was discharged I received a bill in the mail for $ 46.30 as my share of the ambulance fee. I can live with that and I am not in debt because of medical bills. I am retired on a fixed income and could not afford to pay the prices that US hospitals charge if you have to be admitted. Most of my friends do not venture into the US without extra medical coverage, even for one day. It is true that we have to wait for certain procedures but they are usually not live threatening. Other times we are inconvenienced. Since I needed another MRI. I was told the unit operated 24 hours a day 6 days a week. Would I be willing to accept an appointment at 3 in the morning? Yes of course, it would only cost me $ 30.00 to order a taxi to get me there at that time of the night. Is this not acceptable? I was told I could have an appointment across the border in Buffalo USA the next day at a charge of $ 700. Did I take the night appointment? of course I did. Do we get the same quality of medical care as in the USA? I am convinced we do. Canadian specialists are on the forefront in the world as far as research and expertise is concerned. Do we pay for it in our taxes, yes of course we do. But we also know we can partake in preventative medicine, have regular checkups, be referred to specialists before it is too late and get treatment for life threatening conditions. Most of all though, every person rich or poor can get treatment. We also have the options if we have the money and don't want to wait to scoot across the border and pay thousands there. So ask any citizen of any country that has universal healthcare if they want to give it up. I think you can guess the answer. Shame on America for neglecting health care for families on the poverty line, for young independent people working for minimum wages, for the elderly, for the indigent and homeless. It is the duty of any civilized society to look after its people. [Lindalinda]
As far as the perfect world scenario, it would HELP if the president and congress would force that hand. Ok, you get a tax break. This means you HAVE to make it trickle down to consumers or no more tax break. If you lay off workers or hike your prices, not only will you lose the tax break, you will get a tax HIKE. I think this would scare businesses into simply taking a small profit loss. I don't think it would even equal out to a profit loss because if I can buy a staple item for $1.50 instead of $2.50, I'm going to go to the place where I can get it less. I might even buy TWO and I'd tell my friends to go there too. They'd more than make up for the lowered prices in more customers. [mommyboo]
In my country, we already pay a lot of taxes but there is still no support from the government when it comes to health care. I'm lucky that my parents can afford the best doctors for me if and when I get sick (knock on wood), but I see a lot of poor people who can't afford it and that's when I realize how important a universal health care could be. Of course the funds will come from the rich who can afford to be taxed more, but the poor will be the primary beneficiaries. After all, why would the rich want to go to the same hospitals as the poor when they could afford better treatment at a more expensive place? My point is that it would be better to have a universal health care than none at all. [mimico]
The taxes are passed on to the rich and the poor. We would be in no better shape than we are now. [katsmeow1213]
Canada has had a Federal health Care plan since the mid 1980's and we love it. We have a 14% tax on most things we buy except food. The Great thing about our health Care is that every one is treated equally regardless of income or lack of it. We don't have people getting sick and loosing everything, because they didn't have any health Insurance. Also its a certainty that the Insurance and Drug Companies in the US are getting rich, on the backs or the poor and the sick.I have friends in the US who gamble on their health. As long as they are healthy they and wealthy. But if they ever get sick, everything they have will be gone in a couple of months. This scenario is enough to make anyone sick! Imagine loosing your home in the winter? Every developed Country in the world has a Health Care Plan. Whats wrong with America? [barehugs]
I actually don't think that the private health care I have (or have had) in the past is so bad. There are some things I feel they should cover which they don't, but for the most part it is worth the cost. My plan does NOT have a deductible, and I don't understand anybody who carries a plan that does. With a deductible, even if it is as low as 200 or 500, I would NEVER spend that much in a year, meaning I would pay monthly for insurance coverage I would never get to use. Many deductible plans have high amounts, like 1500, 2000, 3000. Even if I were a MILLIONAIRE I would rather have NO deductible and pay $20 to see a doctor per visit! I have small copays for certain things, as well as a small copay for prescriptions. My lowest copay was $5, currently it is $20, although I can get $4 prescriptions for a 30 day supply at many pharmacies. Every few years or so there is usually something that may cost my ins company a chunk, and as long as I only have a small copay, no biggie. I feel that after the money that was paid into it, it's been paid for and it makes me feel better about having paid that money into it. Kat, have you tried working with the hospital or doctor(s) about the medical bills? If you're considered private pay because you didn't have insurance, you can often work with them to reduce the amount owed. Anybody with a brain KNOWS the average person is going to have a heart attack about a 40K bill. That's also something that cannot be remedied in 2 years. I received some bills in the mail after a car accident I was in back in 96. I almost had a nervous breakdown when I opened them and saw the amounts! Unfortunately the people handling my claim had not gotten them diverted before they reached me but it turned out I was not responsible for them, I was instructed to forward any and all bills to them for payment. I am fairly sure they did not pay the totals requested, something was worked out and contracted and the rest was written off. See what you can do, I have heard from a number of people that bills have been adjusted significantly, especially if you work out a payment plan. [mommyboo]
You, at least have health care coverage, katsmeow. It is shameful that in a country that is supposed to be the greatest nation in the world there are so many people with no health care. Where is the money going to come from? Well, they are printing money right and left for everything else, so, why not health care? For starters we could get out of these wars we have become bogged down in. The costs of these wars is breaking the back of America, and there is no end in sight. Many people here are going hungry, homeless, and without health care while we are financing endless wars. Where is the sense in that? [worldwise1]
If there is so much gold in the vault, katsmeow, why are you the only one aware of this? According to everything I've heard over the last several years the gold just isn't there. I stand by my statement that health care should be available to everyone equally! [worldwise1]
I just want to say that I'm honestly not trying to offend anyone but I've had good insurance, I've had bad insurance, I've had no insurance, I've had private insurance, I've had insurance through my jobs, and I've had state insurance (medical assistance). In my opinion, Medical assistance has been the best insurance that I've ever had. This would be the same as Universal Healthcare. I have gotten treatments that I have needed faster then with other insurance. I've been treated with more respect then I was with other insurance. I can get treatments done that I couldn't get done with other insurance. I have HPV, the virus that causes cervical cancer, If it turns into cancer I WILL be able to get the treatment that I need but only if I can keep my medical assistance. Otherwise, I'll die. If I can't pay the co-pays and premiums, I can't get treated. My 2 beautiful daughters would grow up with no mommy. I cannot afford private insurance due to medical problems that cost hundreds of dollars a month. My fiance however, does not qualify for medical assistance, he has insurance through his job but can still barely afford to pay his bills. He spends close to $200.00 a month just on his diabetic medications. He pays close to $60.00 a month on his premiums. He spends close to $1700.00 a year on blood work and diabetes check-ups. This is AFTER the insurance pays what they pay. This does not include any other medical needs he may have throughout the year. He makes under $24000.00 a year before taxes and has 3 kids to support. With McCains plan, we could both die. With Obama's plan we can live and have money to pay our bills. Like I said I don't want to offend anyone but I feel VERY strongly about this subject and feel the need to express how I feel. I don't want be one of the people that is in debt so far due to medical expenses that I'll never get out of it. I don't want my credit to be destroyed because of medical expenses. [camomom]
If teachers made more money we wouldn't have the good quality of teachers that we do have. If they made a lot of money they'd be there for the money, not for the kids. I feel the same about all career fields especially doctors. We'd have a better quality of care if they made less, even if there are fewer of them. [camomom]
If Obama Bin Laden really thinks that's the answer, then let him go on and raise taxes so we can all have access to medical care that will be equal to the medical care given to those living in grass huts in Kenya. Then another problem will arise. If he thinks the housing market is bad now, wait until people like me go into foreclosure because 48% of my income I make in a week goes to pay taxes. I'll be bringing in HALF of what I do now. How in the heck am I supposed to afford a mortgage? I won't be able to. My house, along with millions of other houses, will go into foreclosure furthering the mortgage crisis that is gripping the nation today. No employer is going to up our salaries to 50% to cover the proposed tax hike that Obama Bin Laden wants to put into play. I know mine won't. Heck, if the tax hike does go into effect, I'll probably lose my job because my employer won't be able to pay me. And all of this just so we can have clinics like those in rural Africa. Great. Third world medicine in a first world country. I can't wait. [ColdSunshine]
Very well said. But Obama plans on taxing the rich and giving more money to the poor... so that means anyone who makes good wages can just quit their job and work and McDonald's and live better than they were before. No more CEO's of companies, no more doctor's, lawyers... yeah, then where will we be? [katsmeow1213]
I think alot of people feel something is better than nothing. Alot of people are going broke trying to afford something in the way of healthcare. I have family that has no healthcare. If you are scared you may go for anything. Whether you believe it to be the answer or not. [ersmommy1]
But nobody is looking at what that's going to cost us in the long run. Yes health care is expensive... I've been complaining about it for years myself, especially back in the days when we were paying $100 a week for it while trying to get food stamps to put food on our table. I was asking them why I couldn't get help with my insurance since we couldn't afford it. They offer health coverage to low income families, but not if it's offered through your job. And of course when applying for food stamps they don't take that bill into consideration. So no it's not a perfect system, I'll never say it is. But we'll be losing far more money in taxes if this goes into affect. We're already losing $200 a week towards income tax... that doesn't even count how much we pay for sales tax, property tax, car taxes, anything else. Canadian sales tax is 14% in Ontario, that's just sales tax, and part of that is to cover their health care system. That's just an idea of what we'll be looking forward to if and when we go into a universal health care system. [katsmeow1213]
I kind of get the impression your mind is made up and that's that, which is your right, but it should be pointed out that Obama has never proposed government run health care or "free" health care for all. We all pay much higher premiums and much higher costs for health care because of the many people who are uninsured and wait to go to the ER when they get sick and then are unable to pay. I won't pretend to be knowledgeable enough to know the exact details of the plan that would work best for everyone but I do know nobody in a nation such as ours should go bankrupt, lose their home or die because of health care costs and McCain's plan would help nobody that needs help. Annie [anniepa]
I want to say that I'm done discussing the matter of healthcare. I urge everyone to go to factcheck.org and check the facts before you vote. This is an unbiased site. they only give the facts. [camomom]
He took us to war because of 9/11, or at least used it as an excuse to get the country to back him up. He also used it as a way to get revenge on the people that supposedly tried to kill his father. He said so himself. The real reason we are there is because of Hussien supposedly having weapons of mass destruction, which wasn't brought to anyones attention until after 9/11. [camomom]
I agree completely with the original statment, someone here said that other universal health care systems work ... I can think of one Very Good reason why ours wouldnt. We are Americans. thats it. Thats my reason, its because we can AFFORD to treat our bodies like crap, we can AFFORD to eat out 30 times a week, and we can AFFORD to smoke, and just generally treat our bodies like crap until one day, Oh no. We need a new lung, or a new kidney or we suddenly have diabetes, or w/e it is, its because we treat our bodies like such crap, we couldnt afford to treat others who couldnt figure out what they were doing to themselves, and you know what? I dont think I should have to pay for them, I work hard to keep my body healthy and make choices to save my money rather than buy all the junk food they do, why should I have to spend MY money on them too? yes there are people who sincerely did nothing to deserve their sickness... but in a lot of cases, people are earning it these days, and because of that, there would be more people needing money from the system, than putting into the system, and frankly, I dont want to pay for them, I'd rather save my money, and protect my body and pay for myself. I mean, I would consider dumping a bunch of my money in if someone was in a car accident or something, but I dont think I should be forced to pay for the soda guzzling woman who has been smoking for the last 40 years, who ways 300 pounds and suddenly got lung cancer, she could have avoided both of those, and I didn't get ANYTHING for what she payed into it, thus why should I bail her out? Not saying I never would... I just dont think the government should force me to, its not their right. [LilPixelle]
If everybody could get out equally what they put in, then it would be fair. If I knew that I could get any level of preventive or treatment care that I needed, WHEN I needed it, and I wouldn't have to pay extra or have things 'not covered' and it didn't involve a gigantic tax hike, then it might be okay. The problem is that some people are hypochondriacs or abuse the medical system, going to the ER for a cold or the flu. I don't want to pay for abuse like that. I also agree that if I take care of myself and eat healthy and exercise that I don't want to have to pay for someone who is obese and smokes and chooses other unhealthy behaviors. I don't believe I have any say in what they do, they can abuse themselves as much as they choose - BUT I do not want to have to pay for the damages they do to themselves as a result. I think we all need to be responsible for ourselves and pay for what we get ourselves into. In the same vein, insurance is there to care for people so we don't have to have out of pocket costs, and it SHOULD be doing that when people need it. When you think about it there are healthy people who might visit the doctor ONCE in a year. Meanwhile they have received premiums from that person and from their employer ALL year long but have only paid out FOR that person for ONE visit. They need to keep track of that and if that person ever needs a great deal of care, then they deserve it because of all they have paid in. Someone who becomes a drain on the other hand who ends up having more paid out per year than they actually put in.... I would say they shouldn't be using it so much. Exclusions would be someone who is terminally ill, injured due to an accident, etc etc. If it is a condition caused by the person behaving badly - alcohol and drug abuse for instance, that is nobody's fault but their own and other people should not be forced to pay for it. [mommyboo]
katsmeow I disagree.almost every other country has universal health care and they actually get better care, so I feel your arguments are the same old one republicans have used for a century, they just do not want us middle and working class to finally get the kind of health care other nations have had 'for ages. I am a senior citizen with a great hmo so I am well covered but myadult son has no insurance and it wou ld cost him a fortune to get coverage,hes just 49 so he cannot get social security yet. we working and middle class people need help to afford good health care, why cannot we have the same univeral health care as all the other more progressive nations?The crap you suggest is the samw old welfare crapola that none of us working people want, too many strings attached to it, you just breathe the wrong way you would get penalized. no I wish we could have universal health care. [Hatley]
Hmmm. I suppose universal healthcare given to only citizens would work. I hope I don't open a can of worms by saying that I think the cost this state pays out in benefits to people would be cut in half if this money was ONLY spent on citizens of the US. Now I have seen cost comparisons for healthcare in the UK... I think they call it NHS. The taxes are like 48% on people! We pay enough taxes towards programs that are not even functioning, or programs that are 'hiding' other expenditures. I agree that it would not be cost effective UNLESS they could siphon enough money from other things without raising taxes. Yes I know the government would complain this isn't possible. I personally have a problem with the 'costs' of health care. I believe they are inflated, and I'm not talking 'a little'. I believe that the standard prices should be equal to the basic amount that a state sponsored health plan would pay for the service. That is the value. There is no reason why a lab test should cost $120! If it costs 49 cents for the tube and 29 cents for the needle and they pay the technician $17 an hour and it takes them oh... 2 minutes to draw blood for the test, that is not $120. Yes I know that they also have to pay for the test kit or strip and pay the person who actually does the test but it's still not worth that much. Here is an example - a dialysis treatment 5 years ago through a particular clinic was charged at $785. That's for one treatment. The state ins would pay approx $135. Some contracts were negotiated around $250ish. Some private and/or commerical ins would pay up to $400. We'd still be writing off a significant portion. I do not think it should ever have been charged so high, charge what the usual and customary amount you'd receive from an ins company or a patient! I am also unsure why people are waiting so long. There are TONS of doctors! If someone is waiting forever it's because not every doctor takes every insurance or is accepting new patients. I think all doctors should accept every insurance and new patients. I also think that ins companies have no hand in deciding if they should pay for something. If a doctor deems something medically necessary or in the patient's best interest, the ins company should pay for it. If they won't pay for it all, they can pay the usual and customary amount toward a 'new' procedure - the same amount as they would pay towards a traditional procedure - and then have the patient pay the balance. Or maybe it could be a percent, say they'd pay ALL of a traditional procedure but only 50% of the other one. Either way, ins companies are making money hand over fist, they are definitely not bankrupt or even hurting, but the PATIENTS are hurting! If everybody could get supplemental ins, which was government provided (using tax money they ALREADY HAVE and just take away from useless other programs) that would pay the copays, the balances that primary ins wouldn't pay, and make it a lot more affordable for people to get preventive care so they didn't end up having a bypass, a mastectomy, etc etc because they could not get any care until their situation became an emergency. [mommyboo]
Yes, I agree with you. Unfortunatly the doctors don't want a cut in pay because they're greedy, and the government won't stop paying "useless other programs", instead they'll raise our taxes again. It's not a perfect world we live in, and it never will be. [katsmeow1213]
We definitely do not want Universal Health Care like Canada. I have lots of friends in Canada. They say the wait is terrible for minor things, and you might as well forget it like major things - MRI's, etc. Those patients, if they are able, come over to the US and can be seen by a DR almost immediately. Having to wait is not good for those patients that need a DR in a life or death situation. There are ways to get your children on health care here in the US without an arm and a leg. My daughter thought she was going to have to put her two younger ones on it when she changed jobs since she could not afford the family plan with her new job. Also, my daughter told me that there is insurance that her older teenagers can get themselves that is cheaper than her full family plan would have been. [Barb42]
There probably will always be a co-pay for most people. We are on straight medicare now with no co-pay while my Mother, who is 91, has another medicare plan and has to pay $10 copay. We also have an annuitant insurance my husband has through his company where he retired that cost us around $200 or so a month, but it's in the place of any of the alternatives with Medicare which would cost us more. It will take up where Medicare leaves off. We also have medicine coverage through this insurance, too. So, I guess, no matter who you are, we are still going to have to pay for our insurance. But I had rather do that than ever give the government the right to take care of my entire health plan! [Barb42]
I come from the UK, where we have the NHS paid for through taxes. it's not perfect, but it's the best system there is. because I earn too little to pay taxes, it costs me nothing. when I was earning more, I paid for it through my taxes. if anything is wrong with me I don't need to worry about whether or not I can afford to pay for medical care, it's there for me. those that want to pay more to have treatment quicker, or at a higher level, can pay privately for pro hockey equipment. those that can't don't go without. seriously, I would never ever ever exchange a national health service for the American system, which I find absolutely third world in comparison. why should only the wealthy get healthcare and night bike lights? what if I needed an operation? what about when I was bitten on the face by my dog. what if I'd just had to let it heal as it would, rather than getting stitched up, then getting to go back and have the scarring tidied up so that I wouldn't look like Freddie Krueger. I was out of work at the time through illness, so would never have been able to pay for cosmetic restoration. I was shocked when I first discovered that Americans have to pay for their healthcare as well as their hot dog cookers themselves, through insurance if they can afford to have insurance, or finding the money somehow. I thought that sort of thing only happened in third world countries. [Galena]
but why do you think our system is so bad? people like me, who struggle to pay to get to work about half way through the month, and the rest of the time are a carer to a mentally ill partner who can no longer work. we need healthcare too. a short while ago he was having his medication changed, and having two visits daily to assess him. according to a friend who is a nurse, each home visit costs approximately £100. he needed two a day. last year he was in hospital for 6 months. even without the medical care, meals and board would have been more than I could pay, with him not working. I am not a scrounger or a layabout, but I need the NHS to pay for my medical care, and for his, as he can no longer work at all. not everyone with little money is in that situation because they are lazy. once I earned enough to pay taxes, and looked after people like myself and my partner through my taxes. now it's my turn to get that help. I'll always admit, the NHS isn't perfect, but not having it would be so much worse than having it or cymbal hardware. [Galena]
There are differant ways to save money like the company im with is a health discount plans company that has hospital advocacy that would of probally reduced your $40k in debt to a much lower amount. But there is a lot of things about this election that I dont get. Like the total socializim view of obama that no one seems to relieze is a very BAD idea no matter how good of a person he seems to be or whatever. I can understand people being tired of republicans but dont let it make you make a bad decision on who is president. Mccain isnt perfect but hes better than Obama [libertarianfreedom21]