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Though a hot topic politically, this is not a political or financial question. It is a moral one.
Basically, should an American confidently know s/he has timely, readily accessible healthcare when needed.
The goal is to see just how far apart we are.
If we have common ground, common purpose, shared values, I believe we can find ways to get through the details - through healthy debate and negotiation. Freedom takes work!
I'm a conservative who would be in favor of a single payer system if EVERYONE was required to pay into it.
But the leeches won't want that.
Wow, this could be great. I will keep track of responses and send a summary at some point in future. Maybe we can provide information to our dysfunctional congress rather than argue among ourselves. (I must have taken the optimist pill last night.)
Goinback2011, for clarity, please define who are the "leeches". (Seriously. the insurance companies? pharm companies? poverty level Americans?, entitled/narcissistic Americans who think they should get without giving (regardless of income, education, political affiliation, etc)?, ???)
Wow, this could be great. I will keep track of responses and send a summary at some point in future. Maybe we can provide information to our dysfunctional congress rather than argue among ourselves. (I must have taken the optimist pill last night.)
Goinback2011, for clarity, please define who are the "leeches". (Seriously. the insurance companies? pharm companies? poverty level Americans?, entitled/narcissistic Americans who think they should get without giving (regardless of income, education, political affiliation, etc)?, ???)
For purposes of heathcare, a leech is any able-bodied American using taxpayer money to pay for their medical care.
I'm a conservative who would be in favor of a single payer system if EVERYONE was required to pay into it.
But the leeches won't want that.
Prove it. You make up a lot of stuff to back up your conservative agenda. Explain to me exactly how you know what these "leeches" who live in your mind feel about this issue. Do you have a crystal ball? Tea leaves? A palantir? Enquiring minds earnestly want to know.
I think it is inevitable that America will one day get one... I think the Republicans would be smart to give it to the Democrats early (now) for the following reasons:
#1 Obamacare is highly inefficient...By 2023 we will still have 31 Million non-elderly uninsured Americans at a total cost of over $2.5 Trillion in new spending and a loss of work equaling roughly 2.5 Million full time jobs.
No one can justify the above inefficiency, I don't care how dreamy Obama is.
#2 If the Republicans gave the Democrats a single payer system today, they could get something HUGE in return like a balanced budget amendment.
P.S. a single payer system could enhance capitalism as it could take away an advantage that large companies have over small and start up companies that can't afford to provide healthcare as an employee benefit compensation.
I also support a single-payer system. I'm one of those people who dislike Obamacare because it's not single-payer. I believe that giving life or death powers to for-profit companies is one of the most insane things this country has ever done.
All Americans should exercise and eat healthy and not over-medicate their obese , lazy, degenerate selves. That'll make for a much healthier life, and help alleviate most diseases..which manifest themselves years after the abuse of their bodies by horrible diets and overly medicated rampages. And no, healthcare isnt a right..Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness are rights. Pay for you and your own families needs, let charity deal with the rest!
Wow, this could be great. I will keep track of responses and send a summary at some point in future. Maybe we can provide information to our dysfunctional congress rather than argue among ourselves. (I must have taken the optimist pill last night.)
Goinback2011, for clarity, please define who are the "leeches". (Seriously. the insurance companies? pharm companies? poverty level Americans?, entitled/narcissistic Americans who think they should get without giving (regardless of income, education, political affiliation, etc)?, ???)
I think that question hides another important sticking point: how much healthcare should everyone have access to?
We can technically deliver a lot more healthcare than what we can afford to pay for. That's why insurance companies used to have yearly and lifetime limits. That's why there is rationing in socialized systems. We could easily spend every dollar we make extending lives, even in cases where we would only be extending lives a few extra months.
We can not afford to give every person in this country unlimited access to healthcare, nor can any other modern country. We have to have rationing of some sort.
But toward the question, I think every American should have access to healthcare if they need it, but I am in favor of each person paying for their own. If someone chooses to use their money to buy things other than healthcare, then that's on them. So I would only have government purchased healthcare for the indigent and children.
That's in a perfect world.
In the world as it is, I think we ultimately have to go to a single-payer system, because the American people want socialized medicine whether they admit it or not. But I wouldn't be against surveying the other nations that have socialized medicine and modeling our system after the one found to be most effective.
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