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Universal Health Care. The Cost. Having listened with interest to some (not all) of the Democrats currently running for President, one of the basic tenants they have is Universal Health Care. The question is, how are they going to pay for it?......The answer is you and I, but they are not telling us they will "Raise" taxes they say they will "Roll" back the Bush tax cuts. What does that really mean?.......Lets say your employer gave you a pay raise last year and now has decided to cut your pay. He calls you into his office and informs you that he is going to "Roll" back the pay increase he gave you last year. * "You mean you are going to cut my pay?" * "No I am just "Rolling" back your pay increase." * "What? thats cutting my pay." * "No its not we are just taking away your last increase." * "You expect me to buy that? why thats nonsense." * "Yes we do." * " Who in gods name do you think I am? a Democrat voter?" You don't burn the building because there is a hole in the roof. Lets make Health Care more affordable, more efficient, more responsive and provide more options. Government cant fix the problem, Government is the problem............... ......I want some Lobstahhhhhhhh chummies. "The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind."....T. Paine |
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5/15/2007 3:41 pm |
Hi 60min: As health care is free for all Canadians, I am so sorry the U.S. also can't find the money to do the same for all Americans. Instead they waste trillions of dollars of tax money since 2003 with the excuse that they are "helping" the Iraqis. I mean who is more important--the Iraqi people or the American people? Dramamomma: Sorry to hear about your insurance problem and your kidney stone experience. I had kidney stones twice (ouch!). Hope you will be o.k.
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5/15/2007 3:43 pm |
Look at the data, old son. All other industrialized nations (SA excluded) have single payor universal health care. They all cost less and deliver better outcomes than the US system. E.g. In 2000 Canada spent $2,500 per capita on health care, and the US spent $4,500. In Canada virtually everyone is covered, in the US 45 million people have no health care insurance. The US pays per capita out of the public purse for health care than is spent in Canada both publicly and privately. Frankly, the current system is a financial burden on the US, and conservatives should be outraged. What ever happened to the concept of fiscal responsibility and good financial management? How are you going to pay for it? It will be paid for out of the money you save from inefficiencies in the current system. Other savings will come from the elimination of most private health care premiums. If your taxes go up by $500 but you save $1,000 in health insurance premiums, wouldn't you think that a good thing?
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5/15/2007 4:12 pm |
Dramamomma, I am fortunate I am on medicare and what they dont pay my secondary insurance does. Perhaps medicare could be expanded to those under 65. There are many options to consider but another government beauracracy? OK Ill go along with Universal health care just eliminate the IRS and the Dept of Education. That will work. The politicians need to tell us the truth on how they will fund 1/6 of our economy thats all. "The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind."....T. Paine
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5/15/2007 4:15 pm |
Refuse to comment on the Canadian helth care system with its endless lines for elective surgery and others they deem non essential.... "The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind."....T. Paine
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5/15/2007 10:11 pm |
Refuse to comment on the Canadian helth care system with its endless lines for elective surgery and others they deem non essential.... The last time I ended up in an 'endless line' was some years ago when I developed a secondary cataract. Got in to see an ophalmologist in a week, and he did the procedure the same day. I've been living with the Canadian health system since its inception. In my experience, it's better now than when it started off. In the 60's and 70's it was common to sit in a doctor's office for two hours after the appointed time. Doesn't happen any longer. The last time I had to wait more than 10 minutes was some years ago when my GP got delayed in his hospital rounds. In any case, endless lines or not, health outcomes in Canada are better than in the US if you look at the WHO data that uses 25 or 30 different criteria.
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5/16/2007 3:12 am |
Sportslady: When I said the U.S. used its tax money to "help" people in Iraq, I was just making a joke (considering the plight of the Iraqi people since the U.S. "helped" them). One of our own members is $7,000 in debt for one emergency room visit. How can the government get away with squandering one more penny of taxpayers' money imposing their values on the people in the Middle East when problems like this one exist in their own country?
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5/16/2007 3:36 am |
bijou624.....Its very simple we are war with people that want to kill us. Shall I turn the other cheek while a plane flies into my house? "The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind."....T. Paine
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5/16/2007 3:44 am |
Leah, have a friend in Toronto who had a back problem and it was determined to be non essential. There was nothing non essential about the pain she had. Was told it would 18 months before she could be seen for it. She flew to South Africa, stayed in a first class hotel for a week, had the 30 min procedure done and flew home again for about half what it would cost in the U.S. "The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind."....T. Paine
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5/16/2007 7:33 am |
Leah, have a friend in Toronto who had a back problem and it was determined to be non essential. There was nothing non essential about the pain she had. Was told it would 18 months before she could be seen for it. She flew to South Africa, stayed in a first class hotel for a week, had the 30 min procedure done and flew home again for about half what it would cost in the U.S. Who needs objective data when one has friends who will reveal The Real Truth?
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5/16/2007 8:16 am |
bijou624.....Its very simple we are war with people that want to kill us. Shall I turn the other cheek while a plane flies into my house? Iraq had nothing whatsoever to do with Sept.11 or any planes flying into buildings. However, you may be right about the fact that your country is at war with people who want to kill Americans. The only problem with that theory is that the Iraqis didn't want to kill Americans until AFTER the U.S. invaded and occupied and bombed their country. If you think you are concerned about a plane flying into your house, think how an Iraqi must feel. For them it is an everyday reality. And there's still the problem of no money left for free health care for Americans.
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5/17/2007 4:39 pm |
Bikenski .....Ahh my friend OK was a sister in law who lives in Thornhill. Which is a suburb just to the north of Toronto. She is from South Africa. I am a resident of South Africa not a citizen as I am an American. Do you require any more details? "The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind."....T. Paine
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5/17/2007 5:04 pm |
LizzyLoo South African Medical facilities are perhaps the finest in the world. How can you say its the exchange rate? I payed R12.5 at McDonalds for a BigMac. In America I pay 2 dollars. Its about the same. A doctors visit in SA cost R125 thats about 18 American dollars. The exact same visit here is 75-100 american dollars and the doctor does the same thing here as they do there. Once went to Sunnighill Hospital in Rivonia, had 2 Xrays and a blood test done, I do not recall the Rand amount but when I got my Visa bill(which converts Rands to Dollars) I was charged 32 Dollars. In America it probably would have cost at least 300 dollars. I will not comment on your last suggestion for obvious reasons. "The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind."....T. Paine
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5/17/2007 5:14 pm |
Drammamama.... A man does what a man has to do.....Do you think I have never paid any hospital bills? I wasn't on medicare all my life, only when I turned 65. Do you think I am that insensitive to suggest that its your problem not mine? I understand completely your frustration at the system. I just feel that if government takes it over completely they will destroy an already broken system. Lets fix it not destroy it. "The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind."....T. Paine
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5/17/2007 5:27 pm |
biujou........ The American health care system is broken because of government. If the Free Market were allowed to florish like it does in so many other industries an unemployed Canadian would find it cheaper that he has it now. Lets stop giving aid to disasters around the Globe and lets stop buying the 85% of canadian GDP. How much health care will you get then?.......So did I hear you right? There are no radical islamic terrorist/insurgents in Iraq? Gee what a revelation. We ought to make you Secretary of State and head if the CIA. "The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind."....T. Paine
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5/17/2007 5:33 pm |
Aged very well For once I see from whence you come. Preventive Medicine works. Catching problems early is cost effective and increases cure rate dramatically. I wholeheartedly agree. Ohh and I dint stir the pot, the pot stirs me. "The cause of America is in a great measure the cause of all mankind."....T. Paine
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5/18/2007 7:10 am |
biujou........ The American health care system is broken because of government. If the Free Market were allowed to florish like it does in so many other industries an unemployed Canadian would find it cheaper that he has it now. Lets stop giving aid to disasters around the Globe and lets stop buying the 85% of canadian GDP. How much health care will you get then?.......So did I hear you right? There are no radical islamic terrorist/insurgents in Iraq? Gee what a revelation. We ought to make you Secretary of State and head if the CIA. Even if I were to grant that Canada's health care system works only because we get so much money from the US because of the oil, natural gas, and marijuana we export, that wouldn't account for the European experience. Most European countries have health care systems that offer better coverage than Canada's, and cost less than Canada's. We could learn something from them.
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