National Health Care

[Sophus]

I'm interested in others thoughts on this. It seems like it has the best of intentions. However, I don't know how effective it would be or if it's really the best thing for the country. Although, I doubt the results would be anything like what conservatives make it out to be. After all, we are the only industrialized nation without national health care.

Thanks.

[iNow]

I support it, but actually want more.  I'm in favor of a single payer system, aka universal healthcare.  I think they would have gotten farther with this idea if they simply called it "Medicare for Everyone."

In all honesty, I can't believe our populace is so ignorant as to have allowed this lack of care to go on as long as it has.

[Will]

I support it only because it's better than the status quo. I'd much rather President Obama completely ignore the Republicans and put massive pressure on the blue dogs in order to get single-payer pushed through, the way FDR ignored the Republicans on the New Deal and LBJ ignored the republicans on Medicare.

They're out of power, so it's time to treat them as such.

[rlrose328]

I'm for it... I haven't done complete due diligence, but what I have researched thus far sounds good.  I'd prefer a single payer system as well, but it just won't happen, sadly.

Why is it that the people who need this the most are the ones listening to the lies the Republicans are spreading and thus, the ones that will be screwed out of it?  They vote their desired identity, not their best interest, and it really bugs me.  I'm not to change anyone's vote, but this has been confusing to me since I started voting so many years ago.

And don't you love how the Republicans are actively refusing to participate bipartisanly (is that even a word?) then turn around and accuse Obama of not living up to his promises to lead a more bipartisan Congress?  Ugh.

[MommaSquid]

I'm against the national health care plan.  As a Libertarian, I think the federal gov't is involved in too many aspects of our lives already.  They're controlling banks, auto makers and now they want to control health care, too.  Plus they can't explain how they're going to pay for it all (besides printing money in the basement and borrowing more from China).  

I won't be surprised if some manner of national health care bill is passed soon.  Don't expect me to be happy about it.    

[andrewclunn]

Objectivist, so I should be against the plan strictly on principle, but I went undecided because I if (when I read the plan) Obama's proposal really can be paid for using budget cuts in wasteful areas (something I'm very skeptical of) then I'd see it as well worth the price of medical tort reform.

[Will]

As a Libertarian...

Wow, really? Were you born libertarian or did you have socialist parents and convert later? Did you lose any friends over it? Have you read Ron Paul's "The Dodd Delusion"?
 

[Arctonyx]

I haven't voted, as the plan won't affect me here living in the UK. However universal health care is good, even if it doesn't go to the lengths of a single payer system or something, just the principle of it is good in my view. No one should be denied or feel unable to get healthcare in a supposedly first world and well off country. Guess I've been spoiled by the NHS It's certainly not perfect, but does well mostly.

[McQ]

Against it, as it stands. Too few details and too much rhetoric. If someone in the government had a clue about how to implement it and pay for it, then I might vote otherwise. But it's pretty obvious that nobody has a clue. It's being rushed too much and will likely be so screwed up that it will only make things worse (and yes, they can get worse).

[iNow]

However universal health care is good, even if it doesn't go to the lengths of a single payer system or something, just the principle of it is good in my view. No one should be denied or feel unable to get healthcare in a supposedly first world and well off country.

I think one of the worst parts is that, even among people who do have care, they are very often under-insured... meaning they really can't afford to go to the doctor despite the fact they have insurance.  For example, my sister is a lawyer at a relatively small firm, and she can't go to the doctor because she has a $3,000 deductible.  In fact, her boss is considering getting rid of care for his employees altogether because he simply cannot afford it.

That concept of under-covered really strikes home when you realize that 1 out of every 2 bankruptcies filed in the United States are the result of medical costs.  Yes, 50% of bankruptcies because people got sick.  Now... Here's the kicker...  Out of that 50% who went bankrupt due to medical costs, 70% of them had existing healthcare coverage.  Seven out of every ten people who went bankrupt due to medical costs had existing healthcare coverage.  It's simply disgusting.

Here's a link supporting that claim, with some other rather telling numbers:   http://www.nchc.org/facts/cost.shtml



Also, McQ - You might enjoy this Frontline Special called "Sick Around the World."  It shows how it's done right now in five other nations, and helps to clarify a lot of the confusion in the short 50 minutes of the program.  It's really well worth the watch.  Enjoy.

Homepage: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline ... dtheworld/
Link to Watch Online:  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline ... ntinuous=1

[McQ]

I think one of the worst parts is that, even among people who do have care, they are very often under-insured... meaning they really can't afford to go to the doctor despite the fact they have insurance.  For example, my sister is a lawyer at a relatively small firm, and she can't go to the doctor because she has a $3,000 deductible.  In fact, her boss is considering getting rid of care for his employees altogether because he simply cannot afford it.

That concept of under-covered really strikes home when you realize that 1 out of every 2 bankruptcies filed in the United States are the result of medical costs.  Yes, 50% of bankruptcies because people got sick.  Now... Here's the kicker...  Out of that 50% who went bankrupt due to medical costs, 70% of them had existing healthcare coverage.  Seven out of every ten people who went bankrupt due to medical costs had existing healthcare coverage.  It's simply disgusting.

Here's a link supporting that claim, with some other rather telling numbers:   http://www.nchc.org/facts/cost.shtml


Also, McQ - You might enjoy this Frontline Special called "Sick Around the World."  It shows how it's done right now in five other nations, and helps to clarify a lot of the confusion in the short 50 minutes of the program.  It's really well worth the watch.  Enjoy.

Homepage: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline ... dtheworld/
Link to Watch Online:  http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline ... ntinuous=1

Cool. Thanks for the link. I'll give it a looksie this weekend.

And to be clear, in case I sounded like I like things the way they are...I don't. Health Care in the U.S. is very broken and needs an overhaul. I'm just seriously worried that we'll end up with worse than we have now. It needs to be done right, not rushed.

[John09]

I have listened to so many conservatives talk about why they are against it. Since I have never experienced such a system, I never felt I could really make a decision. Finally, I spoke at length with an English friend who has experienced national health care. He explained to me all the reasons why he was for it and why he thinks the current system is bad.  

I was quite persuaded by his argument.

I forgot that I also spoke with a lady from Canada who very much missed the system in her country.

[Ultima22689]

I have listened to so many conservatives talk about why they are against it. Since I have never experienced such a system, I never felt I could really make a decision. Finally, I spoke at length with an English friend who has experienced national health care. He explained to me all the reasons why he was for it and why he thinks the current system is bad.  

I was quite persuaded by his argument.

I forgot that I also spoke with a lady from Canada who very much missed the system in her country.

Of course, I hear the exact same whenever I meet foreigners from Canada or the UK. I've never met one who didn't like their system or at least preferred it to what we have here.

[Arctonyx]

Thanks iNow, that program was actually very interesting   Although looking at all the systems they all seem to have one thing in common, debt. And it seems it's down to the system of where this debt is deposited, in the US it's on the people, in the UK it's on the hospital administration and in the Japanese/German/Taiwanese systems it seems to be the doctors. There is no perfect system, and lets face it health care almost invariably brings debt for someone along with it, but I think most would agree that that debt shouldn't be on the patients or the doctors shoulders.

[andrewclunn]

After looking over the proposed bills, I'd like to change my vote to against.