Only The Rich & The Welfare Poor Get Good Health Care

[hotair2]

Originally Posted by jmking

That is correct and the fact he is a well articulate speaker he would be able to drum up support from the public forcing the issue down congress's throat including Ted Kennedy who isn't really on board either.

Agreed.

[Swansen]

..... once you get past like 5 pages threads get crazy.. Anyways, i'm not going to pretend i know what the answer is, but i do know a decent amount about how health care in this country used to be, and how health care in other countries works. I also know that health care in this country about 7 years ago was very good, and very affordable. My mom worked for blue care blue shield, which recently wanted to change to a for profit comapny, but thankfully MI would let them. (medical care should be something that everyone should have, its just that simple, how we go about it is something else) Back then, people were constanly coming up with new ideas and health plans, everything it was affordable... Immense greed is ever present in evey area of this country it seems..

Originally Posted by seamusnh

I have good health care. It costs about $12,000 per year (family plan) and my employer pays 80% of the cost. I guess the 150 employees at my company are all rich as none of us are on welfare....

you are a minority, i would hang onto that job at all costs.

Originally Posted by geeoro

I live in the USA part of the year and to be honest if i had to just use the America health system i would be worried. Maybe Americans are used to being ripped off by Insurance companies, maybe Americans fear that by giving Health to Everyone makes them Communists, it can't be the fear of being called socialist as their are many socialist traits now sweeping America. Bailing out the big companies for example.
Why do some idiots fight so hard against a uhc system that has been proven to work in every kind of culture. I hope that now Obama has started the ball rolling that it will pick up momentum and a UHC will come to America. Some on here have crystal Balls and cry that UHC will never happen in America..i wonder if they know this weeks lottery numbers too.

You pay fortunes for a health system that is now pretty average. My cousins girlfriend was taken to hospital a few weeks back while holidaying in America. She was taken to what was supposed to be a top hospital. She said she had thought the hospital was no better than the UK hospitals and she didn't think the staff knew what they were doing. She herself is a nurse.
In the case of American healthcare you most certainly don't get what you pay for and if anyone tells you differently then they have absolutely NO knowledge of how a UHC is run.

thank you

Originally Posted by jetgraphics

Infant Mortality and Life Expectancy for Selected Countries, 2007 — Infoplease.com
Infant death (per 1000 births)
U.S.A..... 6.4
U.K........ 5
Canada...4.6
OMG - 1.4 MORE than U.K.!!!!

However, in contrast with other nations, that statistic is not impressive.
South Africa ... 59
Russia .......11
Mexico.......19 (Hmmm, perhaps that is why they seek to have anchor babies in the USA - higher chance of living?)
Angola.....184
China.......22.1
Brazil.......27.6

Life expectancy
U.S.A.......78
U.K..........78.4
OMG - 0.4 years more life if in the U.K.!
Canada....80.3

Switzerland .. 80.6
S.Korea..........77.2

your confused, and didn't list Japan or Switzerland, Japan = 2.8 switzerland is 4.3 What does this equal? that their system works for the majority.

Originally Posted by Marlow

I have not read the entire thread. But I don't think we can think about health care reform without looking actual costs for care v. what you get billed for care. It's like some bizarre parallel universe. My elderly mom was recently in the hospital for about 5 days. I was reading one of her itemized bills from the hospital. It said that her IV stick cost $712. WTF? I was standing right there. It took 5 minutes. I know that you have to factor in the nurse's pay, insurance, the building costs and the air you're breathing while you're there, etc., but $712?

They also billed her $850/hr for monitoring while she was in the hospital. And that was with her sleeping most of the time and my having to tell them "She needs to use the restroom. Can you help me?" I'm not complaining about the level of care because it was excellent. But $850 an hour???? And Medicare pays most of it and her secondary insurance pays the rest. Of course Medicare is going broke.

Until costs reflect the reality of the situation, there can't be any talk about paying for it.

i feel you there. Anyone can make all the excuses they want, that stuff is just ignorant, my brother was in the hospital and he saw an actual doctor for a total of 5 minutes, but that doctor charges him $800 just for those 5 minutes. I mean, he called and they took the charge off, but i don't even care, there is no reason for stuff like that. Do i think doctors get paid to much, yes, do i think they should have their salaries capped, i don't know, but they should hold themselves to a higher standard. They are suppose to be healing people, how can you put a price on that. Doctors in my area make a couple million a year.... that seems like to much, especially considering how much people in the area make.. Thats my only point.

Originally Posted by Katiana

There are times when I wish we could still give out negative rep.

Yeah, but the problem comes in when you have people who rate some one negatively, not because what he said was straight up offensive or moronic, but because some one simply doesn't ally with their beliefs.

Originally Posted by Greatday

My own personal preference would be to have a National Referendum on the subject of National Health Care.

Put the issue before the people - Let the American people vote on the issue.

This could be combined with a Constitutional Amendment on the issue -

Let the PEOPLE decide - not the politicians.

thank you

Originally Posted by Tambintime

Where are doctors earnings capped? i was reading about what doctors can ern in the uk annd they can earn in the public sector and in the private sector its a bit like having the public sector as your steady salary and the private as your huge bonuses. I talked to a poster on here who knows the uk system well and he told me that doctors do very very well in the uk and they have a fantastic lifestyle. considering how expensive it is to live in London they must be doing good.

Originally Posted by Greatday

The "system" is not letting anyone down. And, the "system" is available to everyone - and that is a fact.

In theory yes, in reality no. Sure, here in America we can grow up to be an astronaut, but how many astronauts are there? Just because something is available, doesn't mean that it is ultimately open to anyone. In this world of ours, money is king, if you don't have any money, than MANY things aren't available to you. I earn just above minimum wage, i'm lucky to have a job in my area, i'm trying to finish my schooling, and i don't get help from anyone or thing. Its extremely difficult, and having to constantly worry about what would happen if i need medical attention doesn't help.