Health Care in the US

[snowman]

Health care in the US is the best, period. No other country in the world can even hold a candle to our health care. Don't beleive it? You have been given false statistics. Many countries fudge their health care numbers, big time. If someone dies before being seen in a 2 year long cue they died of natural causes, not because of bad health care.

Universal health care. The US has universal health care. Anyone in this country is treated better, quicker than anyone in any other place in the world. What we do not have is universal INSURANCE. About 1/5 of the population has no insurance, of that number about half are Illegal immigrants.

No insurance! How terrible! All that means is that the actual cost of the unwashed masses is there for all to see.

Anyone in this country, with an urgent problem, gets treated the SAME DAY. Thats EVERYONE!!!!, THE SAME DAY!!!

How many die in the que in Europe? That wait is not hours, or even days, it is years in many cases.

The socialists and communists, like Obama, want to nationalize our health care. That way Everyone will have insurance, but only 75% will have health care, just like in Europe.

People without insurance, the poor, are not affected by the lack of insurance. Only a very small portion that isn't insured, but can afford insurance, are. There are also an extremely small number of people just caught in bad circumstances that stand to lose their house (not a home) because they could not pay for insurance, due to job loss or whatever. But they still got their health care! They might lose ownership of a house, but they are alive and treated.

What Obama and the democrats are proposing is that the majority of americans with good insurance and health care, along with the rest of americans with the best health care in the world, but no insurance, trade that off for dependence on some politician and his good will. That would also insure that the quality of our health care diminishes to that of the third world and Europe.

Again do not give me the BS that ANY European health care is better than in the US. Statistics given are LIES. Europeans are corrupt in many ways, especially when it comes to compiling statistics about healthcare.

[peppy]

Agreed, the infant mortality rate that was in the news a few years ago was way off.

[Tobra]

It is ridiculous to say people without health insurance are not impacted by this fact.

[billwagnon]

you spelled "queue" two different ways

[Zef]

Go travel a bit...!

[creaturecat]

The US is "the best". Period. Correct?

[Seric]

The U.S has it so good in so many ways, it's retarded. Most people who complain have never lived or been abroad.

The system needs some serious tweaking, but overall is a good system. National healthcare is a socialist nightmare. 'Course I'm preaching to the choir here.

[K. Roman]

And when you awake, you will act like a chicken. YOU will flap your arms like a chicken, scratch and peck like a chicken...

[azasadny]

I'll have what he's drinking...

[livi]

Snow, don´t bogart the joint!

Although my grandfathers brother, who emigrated to America, always claimed that everything was bigger and better over there. His rural American neighbor used to boost how big his farm was, putting forth that it took him two hours just to get around it in his automobile. To which my relative replied: I know what you mean, I have had a similar car myself..

[Andras Nagy]

Last evening in the news, we saw two "experts" discuss health insurance, and why normal people can't affford it (what with high deductibles, large co-pays, previous conditions, etc.).

So why does no one ever ask the question as to why hospitals should not be for-profit, why doctors charge so much, why drugs are so expensive.

Everyone seems to bemoan how to pay for the health care, but no one seems to discuss how to reduce the COST by charging less, for doctors to make a decent wage, but they all seem to be able to afford huge houses and expensive cars, as to why a hospital should charge $5 for ONE aspirin, etc etc.

Where is the discussion on controlling costs?

[Aurel]

Originally Posted by snowman

Again do not give me the BS that ANY European health care is better than in the US. Statistics given are LIES. Europeans are corrupt in many ways, especially when it comes to compiling statistics about healthcare.

I have lived both in Europe and in the US, so I can compare the two healthcare systems. And I can honestly say that the healthcare system here totally sucks. Of course, if you look at the quality of the care you can recieve if you can afford it, it is excellent. Just like if you can afford a Porsche, you will have an excellent car. But what really sucks is the multiple insurance system, its complication, its variation from employer to employer, its corruption, and the fact that it is much less afforadable for self-employed people. Big companies like the State University where I work get good deals, smaller companies much less. I might already have started my own business if I could get same health insurance at the same cost for my familly. Seriously, people conveniently confuse quality of care and affordability when talking about healthcare. And if it was so good, why would every presidential candidate, Bush included, want to fix it?

Aurel

[Superman]

I wish you had done your homework first, or at least participated in the discussions we have had here on this subject. Here is a summary of what you missed:

Yes, everyone's medical issues are treated here. 2/3 of Americans have private health insurance. 1/3 do not. Of the 1/3 who do not, medical services are still available. Who pays? You do, through two sources. The first is the gubmit. Your taxes. If you oppose Universal health care, then you're relying on gubmit to take care of the rest, at your (tghe taxpayer's) cost. Only liberals would favor this current method of picking up the tab.

The other source is the inflated pricing. Medical insurance companies have more clout than the medical services organizations (hospitals, for instance). So.....hospitals cowtow to insurance companies. Insurance companies dictate pricing. If your pricing is not sweet enough for them, they won't permit their insureds to use your services. So....you make up the difference by inflating the cost of an aspirin......and discounting that for private insurance payments.

So......Jack......the problem isn't whether or not to have "universal health care." As you know. The real problem is whether we allow the insurance companies and pharmaceutical companies to bend us over the kitchen sink and slip us the Magic Johnson in our heinies.......or do we "manage" the system to avoid these abuses by these wonderful industries?

It's really a no-brainer....evidence by the fact that everyone in the know seems to agree that we need to manage those industries.

[nostatic]

Usa, Usa, Usa!!!

[Tobra]

Originally Posted by Andras Nagy

Last evening in the news, we saw two "experts" discuss health insurance, and why normal people can't affford it (what with high deductibles, large co-pays, previous conditions, etc.).

So why does no one ever ask the question as to why hospitals should not be for-profit, why doctors charge so much, why drugs are so expensive.

Everyone seems to bemoan how to pay for the health care, but no one seems to discuss how to reduce the COST by charging less, for doctors to make a decent wage, but they all seem to be able to afford huge houses and expensive cars, as to why a hospital should charge $5 for ONE aspirin, etc etc.

Where is the discussion on controlling costs?

because there are so many people like yourself, that have not the slightest inkling where the money is going.

Here is a tip, it ain't to the doctors. You may know some docs who have nice houses or cars, but they either
A-Made their money before managed(mangled) care stopped this.
B-Work 100 hours a week
C.All of the above

U S A, U S A, U S A, okay, done chanting.

Health insurance companies make the oil industry look like the salvation army

[Nathans_Dad]

What Tobra said. Let me tell you, I make less than many of my friends who are in corporate management and have much more liability and debt from school...

Yeah, still waiting for that windfall I hear all doctors get.

[nostatic]

didn't Michael Moore take the health insurance companies to task?

oh wait, he's the antichrist...never mind.

[on2wheels52]

Not to drag back to the topic, but who here wants to have any of their medical problems treated in another country?
I am indeed fortunate not to have any conditions that need treatment but in the event any arise I would wish the best medical care available. Where should I go?
Jim

[nostatic]

Hard to beat the US if you have good insurance and/or lots of money. There are people who travel to this facility though:

http://www.bumrungrad.com/

[jyl]

If you have health insurance, especially if you have good health insurance, then the US healthcare system is good.

If you don't have health insurance, or don't have good health insurance, then the US healthcare system is bad.

You should ask Warren Hall how good the US healthcare system is, when you don't have insurance.