"Free" health care!
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"Free" health care!
| Thu, 07-22-2004 - 7:15pm |
I wonder how many of you have had to live without health insurance? You say that health care is not a right? NO WONDER! You have always had a place for the bills to go other then your mailbox! How many of you have ever asked what the actual cost of your prescriptions are? Do the math! Do you have any idea what it is like to call around from doctor to doctor trying to find one who would see you WITHOUT insurance? Have you ever stood at your doctor office and humbly asked for samples instead of a prescription because u know that your $360 check wont stretch enough to cover your $280 med bill AND the doctor appt. Don't even mention medicaid! If you make enough money to buy food and scrape by...you do not qualify.
Go ahead and be technical but if you ever run into some bad luck you will see things in an entirely different light!
Go ahead and be technical but if you ever run into some bad luck you will see things in an entirely different light!

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"Besides, we Canadians pay 10% of our GDP for healthcare, and americans pay 14."
I just posted another thread talking about this. Canada enjoys mandated lower prices for drugs that we in America do not. Canada would not enjoy many of these drugs if it were not for Americans paying the higher drug costs and funding additional research into new drugs. This (in addition to the thread about their military) is another way Canada leans on the US economy, having the US citizens cover the cost of things, but Canada sharing in the benefits. (Hmmm, with many of my more recent posts people are going to think I’m anti-Canada when I’m really not. I actually like them and their country.)
“what I gather, only 11% of americans are happy with the american 'system', which is the LOWEST approval rating of all western countries.”
I’m not ducking this issue, but I’ve deliberately not commented regarding approval ratings of healthcare in various countries. I have not looked into the topic and can not take a position. I’ve read various posts in this thread regarding how happy some are or are not with medical coverage, but just do not know enough myself to feel comfortable commenting.
Maybe so in Canada, but not here in the US. Under the plan proposed by Hillary, selecting the doctor one wanted to be treated by was punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment for both the patient and the doctor. The local government had the responsibility to assign a doctor to you. Although one could petition for a specific doctor, your local government had to approve this change before you actually went to see them.
“-Taxes, fees and benefits would be decided by elected officials, thus being democratic.”
Democratic perhaps, but not better. Life, the economy, and medical care are much too complex to be mandated by a bureaucrat. This is why socialism fails when tried on a large scale (you may recall in the 80’s when Russia forgot to order the production of shoelaces one year). How’d you like the same thing to happen with say x-ray machines? Not possible in a capitalistic society. One hospital may mess up, but they all won’t forget something like that. But it can and does happen when centrally controlled in this manner.
Contrary to what many might be implying, we in the US don’t have people falling over in the streets due to a lack of healthcare. We also do have numerous charities, Medicaid, and a number of other fail-safes to help people that can not afford medical treatment get treatment anyway.
<<(Hmmm, with many of my more recent posts people are going to think I’m anti-Canada when I’m really not. I actually like them and their country.) >>
Too bad that 40% of Canadian teens (and a whopping 64% of French-Canadian) don't like us.
Miffy - Co-CL For The Politics Today Board
That’s a major problem these days. Everyone seems so worried about someone else having something better than what they have. Can someone from Canada explain to me how someone paying for their own medical coverage hurts the rest of Canadians in anyway. These people would be paying for medical care twice. Once through their taxes (which is great since they are paying for medical care through taxes, but not absorbing any of those resources thereby freeing them up for someone else), and again when seeking a private medical practitioner. But in a socialized system this is a crime, talk about draconian.
From what I gather, some US states are benefiting (financially) from the lower canadian drug prices....
In terms of the US military being 'of benefit' to us, I've also discussed this somewhere else... The last time were attacked on our soil, it was by the US. We don't have too many enemies... We don't believe in the arms buildup, and happen to believe that foreign aid and a JUST foreign policy (still with many flaws mind you) is the best defense. I don't feel protected in any way by the US, in fact I feel we as the closest neighbour could easily become collateral damage if the US gets attacked by the enemies it seems to create over the years. Sorry I know you will disagree, but that is how I feel. I was very scared, and still am very scared because of the US's attack on Iraq, despite the fact that Canada didn't support it. Why? Because there are many in the world who don't really make a distinction between americans and canadians - we're all lumped in the same group.
We should always learn from history. And history tells us loud and clear that a big defense, big military is NOT the best defense. Prevention, as in everything else in life, is key. Just as I think that the best way to reduce crime in the US is to 1) reduce poverty) 2)improve education, including early education 3)Provide universal health/psychiatric help at the very least to children and 4)focus on children protection (abuse, etc..)
I think this applies on the world stage too. Unhappy, crazy, uneducated, frustrated, hungry and sick people attack others/other countries. Happy, educated, sane, satisfied and healthy people don't.
I'm not saying let's take care of all the sick people of the world mind you. But I think the best thing we can do to kick start a 'good cycle' of improvement is to help them help themselves. Don't forget that democracy in western countries is still new - it came at its own pace, by the people themselves. Not every country is on the same schedule. As I said before, there were countries that were ahead of the US of a whole lot of issues.. like slavery, women's vote, to name a few.
Quality Health care is something we canadians just take for granted - we need it, we get it. No financial concerns about it, unless of course it's purely esthetic. Unlike the US army, we don't get boob jobs for free.... but we can get some somewhat optional surgeries and treatments pretty easily. I had some moles removed by the dermatologist at no charge (they were not pre-malignant or malignant) and my mom had bunion surgery (they weren't that bad). Now for that optional surgery, my mom waited a few months. But that's kind of expected - an orthopedic surgeon certainly would have more important cases than .. bunions (don't you just hate that word?)
;)
I think it is not the people that are not liked but the government (everyone's government). People may not agree with the Canadian healthcare, but that is in know way saying they hate Canadians. Actually it was my son who told me this. He said they didnt hate me becuase I was American, but they do not like America. Make sense? It did to me when he told me....
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