How many Americans would actually support a National Health Service?

Not that many at present. Which is a shame, as Americans really have no idea how bad the system you have is. While healthcare for those who can pay for it is great, it is crap when you can not. Remember emergency treatment is available to all in the US, but prevention is better than cure.

Look at the facts. Despite spending more money, per person, on healthcare, the USA has higher death rates of kids aged under five than countries with universal healthcare.

Is that fair on American kids?

Its questionable. A lot of polls I've seen (I had to do a report on universal health care for a class last semester so I looked at a lot of research) show that a majority of Americans are open and support the concept of universal healthcare, but are less open to , like you say, the higher taxes and some of the other aspects it would include. You know, if it were to happen, its a big change, not a decision to be taken lightly. I think when and if there is a universal health care program proposal in the coming years, it will hopefully be vigorously scrutinized and debated. The think with the Clinton health care plan of 1993 was that it was a major platform of Bill Clinton's 1992 campaign, and at the time most supported it, but eventually, because of the way it was handled, and the effective campaign that opposition groups waged against it, public approval turned sharply against it and it was defeated.

I think a lot of people like the general idea but are much more divided and unsure once the details of such a system are really laid out and the changes and pros and cons are laid out.

I think the majority of Americans will support a National Health Care system once the facts are revealed. There is so much disinformation right not that many Americans are confused or just afraid. No, It would not require higher taxes. That is a scare tactic. Canada and the UK are just examples... The USA can and will make it better.

I would not support a National Health Service like in Europe, but what we have here is not working either. They have a hugely different set of problems.

We have the best healthcare in the world, but the worst way in paying for it. (We don't focus on prevention, we focus on treatments) A European system would stifle innovation. Most of the Drugs and cures come from the US and for good reason. We pump tons of money into R&D. You take out the profit motive, and companies would not create new cures.

At the same time, it is an absolute shame that we have millions of Americans that are uninsured and even being insured is no guarantee either. My wife had to fight tooth and nail for 6 months being on the phone for at least an hour a day for our insurance companies to pay for it. ($5000 in medical bills) Oh, and we are covered by two insurance companies.

We need the wages before we we can have National Health Care. It is time to turn these billionaires back into millionaires and show some real trickle down and shorten the gap between the rich and poor like in the 60s and 70s.

Actually, funnel a lot of that money being sucked away by the defense contractors into health care and you wouldn't have to raise taxes a cent.

Not I. There would be more cancer deaths in America. Currently, Canada's government sends its sickest cancer patients to America. With UHC, who would America send its cancer patients to?

Also, Canadians travel to America when the Canadian government won't agree to pay for U.S. medical care:

Canadian cancer survivor: "There’s no question that going to the United States saved my life"

Colorectal Cancer Association of Canada - CCAC

http://www.ccac-accc.ca/news.php?id=53

"In Canada the average wait for procedures such as neurosurgery is more than four months; for cancer radiation treatment, over two months. The average wait for treatment after consulting a specialist for coronary bypass clocks in at up to 52 weeks, with four to 12 weeks for angioplasty. That’s the reality in our backlogged public health system, according to a recent survey by The Fraser Institute, a think tank based in Vancouver. In the United States, you can often be on an operating table within a week or two of referral to a surgeon."

If it is so great then why do Canadians come here for health care? No, anything the government is involved in has way too much red tape, and they mess it up, and there is much corruption in it as well. Private insurance is much, much better where you can choose your own doctor, not have to wait, and have your doctor decide what is best for you - not a government rule.

Slow down so much of taking care of other countries and

take care of our own...What's on Mars we need to waste

so much money on...why do we care how earth worms

would copulate in space...all we got back alive was the

worms from Columbia...it can be acheived without increasing

taxes by a large margin if we cut down on the waste elsewhere! I would support it and I'm a veteran with VA

coverage if and when I need it.

Not me. I have never had a problem getting a job with benefits since I was 18 yrs old. I would rather pay my 15% out of pocket and have fabulous care then pay nothing but more taxes for sub par care. In WI where I live all of the deadbeat's kids are already covered under our Badger care (which my kids dont qualify for at a reasonable rate). I really dont feel like paying for any more deadbeats.