Health Care Reform in the United States

What are your thoughts on health care reform in the United States? Would the country do better by reforming into a nationalized system, a single-payer system, or an expanded free-market system?

i think health-care is a double-edged sword. i won't speak for anyone else, but when i'm 80 years old i'd hate to think that money is being spent to keep my alive if my quality of life has already begun declining, it's expensive to keep older people with health problems alive. honestly i'd rather have my life end early than spend my last years having my diaper changed and living in physical pain, sickness and suffering. when you times this by however many people are in that position, it becomes very expensive

Limit the amount of lawsuits and the price will drop.

I watched a documentary about this called "Sicko" and it was really interesting. I honestly couldn't believe a country as rich and powerful had such utterly shite health care for its citizens.
If can find any clips of it have a look at the documentary.

Did you see the whole movie, including the part about health care in the UK? I wonder whether the National Health Service is really such a boon as Moore makes it out to be. One British correspondent tells me that its costs are becoming insupportable, not because of the rising cost of medical care but because of ever-increasing administrative expenses.

I could see such being hard to believe for someone over there.

Keep in mind we have superb health care for those who have premium health insurance or are wealthy enough that they don't need insurance. It's the lower classes that are shit out of luck.

At times I'm embarrassed that such a well off First World country doesn't have universal health insurance.

Personally I don't want the government getting anywhere near my medical records. They already have a precedent of spying on peoples phones.

It always amazes me that the people who scream loudest for socialized medicine are also the ones that scream the loudest about keeping the government out of womans wombs. This would give the goverment much more access than anyone would want.

And when has the government (outside of the post office) ever done anything cheaper and better than a private company? Does anyone remember the phrase "lowest contracted bidder?"

This is a disaster waiting to happen. If you think health insurance is expensive now, wait until this happens.

I'll keep my private insurance which works much better than anything the government will ever be able to do.


Thanks for listening,

Sklar

P.S. What do you call the doctor who graduated last in their class?

Answer: Doctor.

Better yet, stop raising med school tuition so that they don't require a whopper six figure salary in order to pay off their student loans.

The US ranks 39 in the world as far as health care is concerned (last I read; i'll link if I can find it). I'd say we're heading toward being the world's largest third world country.
You realise you are quite lucky not to be one of the 47 million uninsured?

The purpose of an insurance company is not to provide medical care, it is to pass on money collected to stockholders.

It is unfortunate there is no alternative in this country.

How is it that private insurance companies are supposed to provide consumers with better medical coverage than any government-run insurance program could do when those companies have a financial incentive to deny coverage of medical expenses to customers whenever possible, and to refuse to extend coverage at all to applicants whom they deem likely to have costly illnesses?

Quote:

Originally Posted by Pokey4fun Limit the amount of lawsuits and the price will drop.

My God but you are naive! That is only about 2% of the problem. Besides which there are unfortunately a huge number of incompetent doctors that maim and kill patients. The victims & surviving familys have a right to sue those bastards into the ground and have their licenses permanently revoked.

[quote=Sklar;1457418]Personally I don't want the government getting anywhere near my medical records. They already have a precedent of spying on peoples phones.

It always amazes me that the people who scream loudest for socialized medicine are also the ones that scream the loudest about keeping the government out of womans wombs. This would give the goverment much more access than anyone would want.

And when has the government (outside of the post office) ever done anything cheaper and better than a private company? Does anyone remember the phrase "lowest contracted bidder?"

This is a disaster waiting to happen. If you think health insurance is expensive now, wait until this happens.

Quote:

I'll keep my private insurance which works much better than anything the government will ever be able to do.

You and those like you are not the people who are affected. I'm not even sure people who think like you should have a say.

I voted for the single payer national system.

But here's the key: The right to healtcare should be with the person, and not the job (i.e. not thru employer coverage of the worker).

People should not be forced to stay in miserable jobs just to be able to see a doctor.

I'm with Dodger, "Sicko" was extremely interesting. Try to see it, rent DVD etc., if you can.

placing the publics health in the hands of private business allows profitabiliy to enter the piece... not a good union when a persons health can be measured through monetary means.

A government that truly cares for its people sees the burdon of health care as its due diligence, not a budget line item.

No easy answers here. However anything resembling Socialized Medicine would be a complete disaster.

Its not just the lower classes... its the middle classes. Fewer and fewer middle class employers offer medical benefits... and as middle classer's get middle aged, fewer and fewer can qualify for independent insurance.

And if you are self employed? Good damn luck finding coverage.



The problem is, as usual, to be found in DEREGULATION.

The entire CONCEPT behind insurance is to spread the risk.... the more people paying in... the better...

But insurance companies have been allowed to write their own laws... they have been allowed to refuse insurance to those who might actually NEED it... preferring to insure only those who will least need it.



We can fix the healthcare system very easily.

Pass a law that insurance companies can not deny ANY person coverage for any reason... and that the highest rate can not be more than 40% higher than the lowest group rate.


What you would find is that, if this were the law... health insurers would be pressed to get every single person they could covered...