157 replies to this topic

[Robert Giacometti]

Ah, yes! The foreign countries where everyone has guaranteed health care, and they have a longer average life expectancy than we do! Quel horreur!!

Did you know that in the U.K. nationalized health care is considered sacrosanct? No politician in any party would ever dare suggest getting rid of it, because the public loves it so much. Yes, of course there are complaints about rising costs and wait times, just as we have here, but no one would even consider ditching the concept of the NHS. Ditto in France.

Here, there are many people calling to adopt a British, Canadian, or French style health care system. There is no one in those countries clamoring to adopt the American system.

Are people in these countries clamoring for Obamacare?

Answer this for us, why is it those in these countries who have the means or are high ranking public officials choose to come to this country for healthcare services when its a serious matter?

If one of your children were seriously ill and you could take them anywhere for treatment, would you take them to one of these other countries or get them treated here?

[bordercolliefan]

If one of your children were seriously ill and you could take them anywhere for treatment, would you take them to one of these other countries or get them treated here?

Well, if it were my sister who lost her job and therefore lost her health insurance (COBRA expired), I guess I'd take her to one of those other countries, because at least she could get healthcare there without running up enormous bills and losing her house.

But I will grant your point -- at the high end, our health care probably is the best in the world. (I'm thinking Stanford, Dana Farber, etc.) The problem is that we fail to provide any health care (other than last-ditch ER care that we all pay for) for a large proportion of the population. I just heard that in Texas, 1/4 of the people have no health insurance!

And yes, I would concede that it probably cuts down waiting time for doctor's appointments since so many people can't realistically go to the doctor because they lack insurance.

At some point, it is morally wrong to lock a whole lot of people out of the health care system so we can preserve the "best" care for a few.

[supermom]

I just heard that in Texas, 1/4 of the people have no health insurance!

Texas is sort of a bad example to use. Here is why: http://blog.chron.co...eceive-welfare/

[UncleVinny]

Looking back at all the pro- and con- posts about Obama care, the only core complaint of those opposed to it is what I call the "Wah, Wah! My taxes!" argument, that the government is going to waste my tax money on undeserving poor people.

First that totally ignores the moral and spiritual imperative to be our
"brother's keeper" but I won't go into the highly charged controversy.

But looking at the money issue, Americans are ALREADY paying through the nose, because:

1. They pay 30% in administrative costs for health care. Most of those administrative costs
are for the insurance company to look for ways to deny claims, and ensure their own profits.
and

2. We are paying for the uninsured who use the E.R. as their primary health care.

Cost per patient in the US In the UK
. . . . . . . . $8,400 . . . . $3,400
Percent of income in the US In the UK
. . . . . . . . 17% . . . . 8%

The UK has single payer system which holds administrative costs to about 5%

So a socialized medicine approach is much better and lower cost.

People don't like the word 'socialized' because it congers up images of Stalin,
but socialized is exactly what we have in Medicare, the Post Office, and National Defense.

Now if the critics would watch something besides the Kardashians and Faux News
they might learn something - that their reasoning manipulated and paid for by the
big health care organizations which are ripping us off

Check out Fareed Zacharia's reporting on CNN.

[UncleVinny]

Wow, how did you get that ability to look into the future and forecast with any degree of accuracy exactly what is going to happen with health care costs??!!

Look, 17% of the income of Americans goes to medical care.
That's 8% in England, 4% in Taiwan, which has a single payer system.
Your heart is in the right place, but you are carrying water for the very
people who profit from the current rip-off system.

[nomad]

Funny these people touting how great the treatment in the UK is. Do they have any dentists over there? Is that covered?

Ever see the "Big book of British smiles?"

Yikes!