Universal Health Care, an idea... Give me your opinion...?

I feel for you and your family. I live in Canada where Health Care is paid by all, for all, through our taxes. Both my wife and I work, we have 3 boys. We pay roughly 28-32% of our salaries in taxes. This includes Health care. This past year we had 4 ER visits, one of our boys had his appendix removed, we all visited our family doctor last year and our out of pocket costs were well under $100.00. I've responded to this question many times when Americans ask because they all seem to think their Government will just tax you to death and ruin it anyway. We elect our MP's every 4 years, just like you and if the Government makes a mess out of things such as Health Care, they get voted out. Our system is not perfect, it is based on a worst comes first basis and there can be wait times especially for elective surgeries but no one is denied care and our system is based on Health and Care, not profit. Wish some of the opponents of Universal Health care would listen to reason sometimes instead of railing about how their taxes will rise and whatever... Make your elected officials accountable for any mismanagement and vote them out if they screw things up. Your situation is not unlike many in your Great Nation and you scoff at ours. Whatever... the facts I gave you on our family are all true and our system isn't broken, yours is, and we had all the same fears you all have before we changed to our current system back in the 1960's, we aren't broke yet or taxed to death. You guys have a huge problem with affordable Health care, our system may not even be the answer but to continue on the same path you are on and to expect different results , you get my drift.

Private corporations have one goal & that is to make the boss make money not the client. I worked for an ins. agency where the owner made $300,000 a year. That was years ago. So the government who is actually the same people who worked for the agency could pay someone to do this man's job for $75,000 a year & if they did that you would pay less for your auto insurance. Just a little example for you to thing about...we spend more on health care now than we would with Universal health care. If you listened to C-span today they spoke about the cost they have worked on cutting such as the testing people get that are just a waste. I worked in an emergency room & all they did was run a test & then sent the person home very seldom was anything done to accomplish anything...so the money that is now being caught from being wasted will more than pay for the coverage. If you understood the details you would understand that this is a much better idea for people like you. I don't know how good your coverage is but if you both lose your jobs tomorrow you will know for sure that it is a good idea.

I completely agree that I don't want the government to run the health care system. You are right on when you state that we could be creating a monster, it seems as though the word "government" is synonymous with mismanagement.

A government that can give you everything can ALSO take everything. I am NOT willing to give up another right to it. PERIOD.

What I feel is needed is to go back to the model that we had BEFORE capitalists got a hold of it. The concept behind insurance BEFORE it became a "for profit to stockholders" industry was for all to pay a REASONABLE sum into a pool that was then available to those who NEEDED it. It created a source of money that could then be wisely managed and used by those who needed it. A trust, if you will. It was a system that worked very well until some opportunist saw that pool of money and decided that it shouldn't be left sitting there when they could get their hands on it. Thus, the HMO was "born" and it has been the spawn of the devil. Health insurance SHOULD NOT BE A "FOR PROFIT TO STOCKHOLDERS" industry. PERIOD. Our money is diverted to stockholders - when stock is involved the first responsibility is to the stockholders, NOT the patients. WRONG model for this subject. Answering to stockholders when you sell soda or cars is one thing, but there isn't enough money to satisfy stockholders AND take care of patients. By removing these "sticky-fingers" from the equation, we go back to something that worked very, very, well.

Although the capitalists scream bloody murder about lawsuits, the actual amount is about 1% of the health-care dollar. I agree that frivolous lawsuits should not be allowed, I'm not sure I agree with the punitive damages "clause" you mentioned because lawsuits are really the only way to get some to clean up their act. Judges USUALLY are pretty good about throwing them out, and if we had a law that said if you sue frivolously, YOU pay both your lawyers AND the "other sides" lawyers, it would leave the tool available to keep dangerous drugs and procedures in check. It's dangerous to allow billion dollar drug companies or bad doctors in practice because they KNOW that it will only cost them a small amount IF THEY ARE CAUGHT. Punitive damages help keep us from being used as guinea pigs for corporations.

Right now, almost 50% of our health care dollar goes to executive salaries and ADVERTISING. What a waste! Why should drug companies be advertising to US? They should be educating doctors about their product, NOT turning us into hypochondriacs by sitting around watching their commercials and deciding we need their product.

By educating the doctors about their product does, they have the audience they need to sell their product and it wouldn't cost anywhere near what it does now. The doctors would then be able to decide if you need their product or not.

I'm with you on the unbelievable cost of today's "insurance" - it's just not affordable anymore, plus it's become absurd, you need insurance for every little thing, if you don't cover you eyes, ears, feet, etc.... they don't have to pay. Unbelievable. I thought I was having a heart attack, went to my local ER, was sent by ambulance to a hospital downtown and my insurance company REFUSED payment because I didn't call them for approval FIRST. Right, everyone having a heart attack thinks "call my insurance company for approval FIRST." WOW!

Many Americans, especially the wealthy love their current health care system. This is because:

- Because they love the thought of "for-profit" insurance companies deciding what kind of treatments they should get.

- They love the fact that one has to pay a small fortune of their salaries to get health insurance.

- They love the fact that they have to argue with the doctors and insurance companies, sometimes for months over billing and excessive charges

- They love the fact that if you lose your job, you can't afford health insurance coverage anymore.

- They love the fact that they can lose their home, and entire life's work if they have an accident or get seriously ill, and have no health insurance.

- They love the fact that they have a great health care system for those that can afford it. For many, the system is unaffordable and fails as a result.

- They love the fact that those with big salaries get better healthcare. In other words a lawyer's or CEO's child is more important than a school teacher's , fire fighter's or truck driver's child.

- And sometimes you have long waits in both the Canadian and American systems.

I disagree with Universal Health Care because I disagree with entitlements. No one is entitled to Health Care. It is something we all want and need but it is costly, and that is why we pay so much for it. the costs would go down significantly if you changed a few things though.

For one, if you walk into an emergency room they have to treat you, whether you can afford it or not, no matter what your ailment. Who do you think has to pay for that? Why do you think the lines and wait times are so long? Exactly, those of us who have insurance suffer for it. When someone sues a doctor or a hospital for whatever reason, who do you think has to pay for that? You and I in our insurance premiums. I won't make this an essay but the list of abuses that drive the costs up for the rest of us goes on for miles.

Our system is technically a privatized system, but because of the entitlement attitude and constant leeching and abuse of the system it costs those of us who pay for it an arm and a leg.

The government cannot improve the system without making it cost even more, which means the rest of us have to pay more for a lower standard of care just because many people don't want to pay for care or follow the rules.

You cannot lift one man up without first putting another man down.

Your idea sounds like a nice compromise, but I think that the private corporation would soon turn into government. People in power have a tendency to become corrupt. Also, how can you limit law suits without infringing on people's rights?

I like your idea, but it needs some editing.

So what's different from now? The most efficient health care system in this country is the V.A. system.

I'm always amazed at how many U.S. citizens have absolutely no faith in their own countyrmen and government. Why can't we learn from the other universal health care systems out there and create a better one? It won't be perfect but it's not perfect now. And all this crap about who wants government dictating health care... My PPO and HMO dictate it now - it doesn't matter what my doctor and I decide on.

look at Canada. they are a good example. As far as getting high quality, specialized care, you can forget about it (unless you are in DC). Pittsburgh has more MRI's than the whole country of Canada. That's a very good example..

Care will be fine for the young and healthy... for all else, forget about it.

Don't be fooled: What government funds, government runs.

Your better off without universal heath care