Universal Healthcare

[ManaMan]

Harry Truman said we should in the 50s, the Clintons tried to do it in 1993, Ted Kennedy tried again in 1997. Most other wealthy nations have been doing it for years--with mixed results.

What do you think?

Please provide an explanation for your opinion.

[SineSwiper]

I agree with the Canadian's stance: it's a basic human right. With all of the medical technology at our disposal, it's appalling that we don't give everybody access to our health care.

[Zeus]

We have it up here and most of us just can't imagine living without it. My father passed away in Buffalo and we got hit with an ambulance bill of $650 (1994). I can't imagine what the bill would have been if he had needed surgery. That's the absolute last thing you want to think about and would crush most people's financial situation. I know you guys have HMOs, but all we here up here is nightmares over that situation.

It eases the burden on the populace and he business that way, since work generally pays for it. It's also a human right thing. I mean, everyone should at least have an equal chance to live, regardless of their financial situation

[Julius Seeker]

I believe that getting good healthcare available to everyone is one of the most important things in society. I am always for more money into healthcare as well, and I do not care if it increases tax rates, it is one thing I would be willing to put a little bit of extra money into.

The US healthcare system does have advantages; but I do not think many here can take advantage of those. The reason being that it serves the wealthy class better than Canada's public healthcare system, but Canada's public healthcare serves everyone else better. I also would like to see Canada and the US work together on this with other European nations perhaps. The reason for it: the US health companies have taken a chunk of the most skilled workers from Canada and Europe simply because the money is available there; unfortunately, those skilled workers are only available to work for people with many millions to billions of dollars in their bank accounts. Europeans and Canadians (with millions and billions) still have the same advantages, they just go to the US if they have to. This is very counter productive to a public healthcare system; it is similar to a class system advantage, something that has been on its way down for hundreds of years.

The only reason why I speak this way is because I believe that this is what is best for society. I am also involved in the healthcare industry.

[Kupek]

Yes. We're a rich nation with many uninsured people.

[Imakeholesinu]

A couple of reasons behind my Yes decision. One of which is that my medical insurance will run out on my 23rd birthday. Another thing is that this topic is kinda timely since I was talking to a kid from Denmark and even though he has to pay an insane amount of taxes, if he gets injured, it's covered. So basically all the hospitals are monopolized to become pretty much government employees which cuts out the middle man of insurance, but when you look at it in the long run I'm sure you're still paying about the same for medical insurance here as if you were to pay taxes and then pay the medical to the government instead. Either that or I'm just wrong.

[Nev]

I would have voted for a "Need More Info" option if there was one, since I don't know much about it, but generally I feel like the medical system in this country sucks balls...and if Canada can do it we sure as hell ought to be able to!

[Torgo]

Hell yes. Not everyone can afford insurance. I mean geez, it's a fucking human right!

I'm a process server, and a good portion of the people I have to serve are under 20k a year families who couldn't afford to pay their hosital bills. I fail to see the justice there.

[SineSwiper]

Everybody is so afraid of the tax hike, but they don't realize how high medical insurance is anyway. Even if you have a really good insurance plan (like us; we're paying about $50/mo for both of us), your employer is taking a big chunk out of that. With the middleman, the insurance companies are making a killing, money which the government should make, or should go back to the people as savings.

Reminds me of a plan to hike gas taxes by 50 cents and start universal car insurance. Of course it gets shot down because people are stupid and fear the word "tax".