Just want to know what your thoughts are on socialized vs. privatized healthcare. Also, is it a major issue for you in next year's elections?

Socialized healthcare is definitely one of Clinton's issues...I don't necessarily agree with it. By socializing healthcare you are decreasing the quality of healthcare...Oh, and taxes will certainly go up...I feel like healthcare needs to be observed by the government not run by it...

I don't think socialized medicine is a good idea. Ask our friends from Canada, to be sure, but I believe they have long waiting periods for procedures, and not as much access as we have. Although they sure don't spend as much on meds as we do here.
I don't think its the medical system that is totally broken, Its the INSURANCE co's.

I have many relatives in Canada and they tell me waits on special procedures take about as long as they do here. One month. In case of emergencies, they see you right away. As for access, my parents now see doctors in Canada b/c of the ease. There's no bureaucracy to work thru. You make an appointment & that's it. No paperwork, no questions, no fuss.

Let me pose this, if healthcare here is working, why do we enjoy three years less on average life expectancy than other industrialized countries w/ healthcare. If you've been following the news. that number is about to increase b/c they just announced that the life expectancy rate here is about to be lowered for the first time since the Civil War.

When I was 8 I was a huge supporter of socialized healthcare, but since I was young and I used the word socialized, I was shunned. But now every democrat is pushing fro it calling it Universal Healthcare. And even though I am still a huge fan of it, I was one of the first people to push for it. Although I think its a good idea. The American public wants everything to be PERFECT. And what they don't realize, is if we get Universal Healthcare, taxes will sky rocket. For example, Sweden has the second best healthcare system in the world (if you are a Swed, you wouldn't have to pay a nickel for braces), but they have the highest taxes in the world by far. That is a huge disadvantage to public healthcare, it would have a huge cost.

According to the Wold Health Organization Sweden is ranked 23rd in the world, France and Italy hold the 1st and 2nd places.

Because of the litigious nature of our society insurance costs have gone out of site making it too expensive for lower income families to afford. Our pharmaceutical industry is gouging their own countrymen for more than what their drugs sell for just across the border. The free health care and welfare that we afford to illegal aliens is literally shutting down hospitals. We have a broken system with no easy solutions.

Why is that? We just paid $40.00 for five pills the other day. Damn rediculous if you ask me.

You mention insurance companies as the cause, but you need to list pharmaceutical companies & the law industry in there as well. $40? You got off easy.

Let's face it, the only ones against socialized medicine are the ones who stand to lose money from it & those brainwashed by the propoganda spewed by the big insurance & pharmaceutical lobbies. Of course they're going to tell us what disasters the medical systems are in England, France & Canada.

You all may be right, but do you want the government running things? They botch everything. I just saw a report that the gov. is trying to recover almost 500 Million dollars, in false claims, that they gave out after Katrina. I really don't trust the gov. to sharpen pencils by themselves.

One of the many arguments for some kind of Universal Health Care is that many Americans are unable to afford preventative medicine, and wait until they become seriously ill to seek help, which increases the social cost far above what it would cost to "insure" the uninsured.
Medical costs have increased far above the rate of inflation, and paying for medical coverage has become a problem for the average family, and the "free" medical coverage provided by the workplace has seriously damaged our ability to complete with overseas companies.
Z

Here! Here! MK
Jo4Peace

You hit the nail on the head

I would bet that if it wasn't called "socialized" healthcare, there would not be such resistance to the idea. Just like the estate tax being called the "death tax." The term is used to imply that it is a bad idea to have universal health care, with the strongest opponents being those that have means. Ask 100 uninsured, and I bet you'll see that 99 would be all for free healthcare.

Considering that (in general) free healthcare is a democratic issue, the republicans should spot the inefficiencies in the present system, and want to change it on the basis of making better business sense, and stop labeling it as socialism. The cost of healthcare includes the money spent on lobbyists, profits of insurers, and all the jobs that exist that contribute nothing to society. A doctor contributes. A nurse contributes. A janitor that mops the hallway contributes. A CEO, or even the peons that answer the phones at insurance companies are nothing more than middle men performing unnecessary jobs, that do little more than add costs to an already costly process. Cut them out (and cap malpractice suits) and I'm guessing you'll see 20% of the cost go away. Am I wrong?

No matter what it's called, a plan that all can afford and have access to is pretty great.

When a Country can afford to give away millions each year to foreign countries, surely their own citizens (who's money it is, after all) honestly do deserve to have a health care system that won't leave families terrified an illness will leave them destitute?

Here in Canada, for all it's flaws and hiccups, we have a wonderful system - and no increase in taxes either.

All (and I stress all) doctors, whether family physicans or specialists bill our health plan, rather than the patient. And our government has a 'cap' set on what they are paid for each and every treatment, visit, etc. - and oddly enough, they are still wealthy. And good for them!

1. When we see our family physician, it's a doctor we choose and it's simply a matter of calling one and making an appointment. (No 'middle man').

2. When our family physican refers us to a specialist, again no 'middle man' involved and no cost to us for the specialist's appointments.

3. When we need emergency care it's instant - and great. (We do pay a minimal charge of about $60 for a trip in an ambulance unless we have extended health care coverage).

4. When we need surgery, it too plus the entire hospital stay is free to us. (The exception to this is, for instance, tatoo removal or by-choice breast enlargement, etc.

While most people's medical plan is paid for through their employer, for those that don't have this or students who are no longer covered under their parent's plan, they pay by the month for the insurance coverage - an amount based on a sliding scale of their income and truly affordable for everyone.

Prescriptions here in British Columbia are a tad different ... low income, most if not all prescriptions are covered. Mid and high income, a 'ceiling' method is used where we pay for the first amount during the year until we reach this cap, and after that prescriptions are fully covered. (Note however, that not all drugs are covered by the medical plan. For example, one can always get an antibiotic but they may choose to substitute a 'no name' brand, etc).

It's not perfect and our government makes woeful medical decision errors - eep! - but for one of the leading Countries in our entire world, the United States of America, to not have health coverage for all it's citizens is ever so puzzling to me. You're worth it. Divert some of the millions given away each year perhaps? Or put a 'cap' on what physicians are paid for each service or visit perhaps?

Don't have the answers, but I hope ever so much that all of you will one day not have to worry about a family medical emergency or long-term care being the cause of a family financial ruin.

That said, I hope someday we here in Canada won't have the same woes simply because our government officials are often a tad daft - gentle sigh.

This post has been edited by Mara: Dec 21 2007, 02:46 AM

Copy France, they're #1 in the world for a reason