Should America have free health care?

posted by cbus4life

You should be able to afford and have access to the care that is required for the illness or ailment you have without the outrageous costs and sometimes bankruptcy that go along with that for many people in the US today. 

Right now, I don’t need free I just want people to have care that doesn’t make them go broke simply because they got sick. You should be able to get sick, pay a reasonable price, and get treatment.

Seems like many cancer patients in the US still end up shelling out thousands of dollars for treatment even when they have good insurance. 

Responsible people generally made sure they had adequate insurance for their family.  Unfortunately since obamaKare, most people who used to buy coverage on the open market can no longer afford the insurance, nor can they afford to use it because the deductibles have quintupled.  For the most part, you used to spend $400 per month for a decent policy with a reasonable deductible.  Today, you will spend $1,600 per month and have a $8,000 deductible ---- simply crushing.  What average person had an extra $14,400 on hand, per year, to fork over? 

For the democrats to sweep this harsh reality under the rug is beyond disingenuous.  obamaKare is nothing more than a Marxist ploy to take over 20% of the economy for the purpose of power.  It has ruined the health insurance market (as secretly planned). 

posted by QuakerOats

obamaKare is nothing more than a Marxist ploy to take over 20% of the economy for the purpose of power.  It has ruined the health insurance market (as secretly planned). 

Look, I think the ACA was a nightmare, too, and I hate it in principle as well, but ...

posted by QuakerOats

 

Responsible people generally made sure they had adequate insurance for their family.  Unfortunately since obamaKare, most people who used to buy coverage on the open market can no longer afford the insurance, nor can they afford to use it because the deductibles have quintupled.  For the most part, you used to spend $400 per month for a decent policy with a reasonable deductible.  Today, you will spend $1,600 per month and have a $8,000 deductible ---- simply crushing.  What average person had an extra $14,400 on hand, per year, to fork over? 

 

For the democrats to sweep this harsh reality under the rug is beyond disingenuous.  obamaKare is nothing more than a Marxist ploy to take over 20% of the economy for the purpose of power.  It has ruined the health insurance market (as secretly planned). 

You would find a way to blame democrats and Obamacare. You really do need to seek help for your mental illness (and pay for it yourself)

posted by SportsAndLady

You would find a way to blame democrats and Obamacare. You really do need to seek help for your mental illness (and pay for it yourself)

posted by SportsAndLady

You would find a way to blame democrats and Obamacare. You really do need to seek help for your mental illness (and pay for it yourself)

The premiums and deductibles speak for themselves; there is no debating the numbers.

I have always said no on this site and that one site we all started out on years ago. But since we already have medicaid that's been expanded, why not expand it further on certain and particular circumstances?

I have friends from other countries that have "free healthcare". From what they've told me, it's not exactly great. Not sure why so many people in the US want that, but it takes all kinds, I guess.

Speaking of this topic, I saw this thread on twitter earlier today:

https://twitter.com/GingyNorth/status/1074374009746280448

posted by CenterBHSFan

I have always said no on this site and that one site we all started out on years ago. But since we already have medicaid that's been expanded, why not expand it further on certain and particular circumstances?

I have friends from other countries that have "free healthcare". From what they've told me, it's not exactly great. Not sure why so many people in the US want that, but it takes all kinds, I guess.

Speaking of this topic, I saw this thread on twitter earlier today:

https://twitter.com/GingyNorth/status/1074374009746280448

From people in other countries, I see a mixed bag.  I have a dear Canadian friend who is about as bleeding-heart-pinko as they come, and she practically has an orgasm every time she sings the praises of their health care system.  Still another who has lived in Taiwan, Canada, and Singapore says that the care in Canada and Taiwan was piss compared to Singapore, and that the costs were comparable.

posted by O-Trap

From people in other countries, I see a mixed bag.  I have a dear Canadian friend who is about as bleeding-heart-pinko as they come, and she practically has an orgasm every time she sings the praises of their health care system.  Still another who has lived in Taiwan, Canada, and Singapore says that the care in Canada and Taiwan was piss compared to Singapore, and that the costs were comparable.

I think it's entirely reasonable to think that it's a mixed bag. But for some reason, Americans seem to latch on only what good they hear about it and choose to desperately want the good things here. You can almost see the golden ray of sun shining on them and hear angels singing when they think of it.

The bad things they immediately choose not to believe or just disregard it or it's somebody lying/distorting the truth. "You just don't care if people dieeeeeeeeeeeeeee!!!!!!!!!!1111"

There's no clean-cut way to save everybody inexpensively. Probably impossible. I happen to think that most people who claim that they'd be willing to pay more taxes either 1.) live in cities and rent or 2.) would get sick of it really fast when their savings stops (if they even budget for their future) and they just don't have expendable money to do fun things with like they used to or 3.) find themselves having to move in with the parents because rents go up as they always eventually do and they can't afford to buy their own home and commute.

NO

posted by O-Trap

From people in other countries, I see a mixed bag.  I have a dear Canadian friend who is about as bleeding-heart-pinko as they come, and she practically has an orgasm every time she sings the praises of their health care system.  Still another who has lived in Taiwan, Canada, and Singapore says that the care in Canada and Taiwan was piss compared to Singapore, and that the costs were comparable.

My coworker from Canada where we are headquartered said he had a better experience having his baby in Barbados than Montréal. That’s pretty shitty. 

I recently came back from 4 years in New Zealand, no major ailments but partner had a few and experience there far easier than our experience in US.

Only thing i preferred to US compared to NZ was the employee sponsored vision and dental.

Everything else, quality of care, wait, cost, NZ was heaps better, and I was just on a temp work visa.

posted by cbus4life

I recently came back from 4 years in New Zealand

 

Jealous! You'll have to put up some scenic pics in the travel thread and talk about things to do there!

posted by iclfan2

My coworker from Canada where we are headquartered said he had a better experience having his baby in Barbados than Montréal. That’s pretty shitty. 

I’m friends with about 15 Canadians. Not one has ever mentioned anything bad about the service at their hospitals. 

posted by SportsAndLady

I’m friends with about 15 Canadians. Not one has ever mentioned anything bad about the service at their hospitals. 

Service at their hospitals and doctor offices may be good....once you get there.  The wait for needed medical service is measured in months, not hours or days even if the need is urgent.

My kids had a high school friend who was competing in Canada in an international diving event.  Hit her head on the board and was advised to get a CT scan.  The wait at the Canadian hospital where she was treated for the CT scan was 6 months......family flew her back home and she had the scan that day.

posted by wkfan

Service at their hospitals and doctor offices may be good....once you get there.  The wait for needed medical service is measured in months, not hours or days even if the need is urgent.

My kids had a high school friend who was competing in Canada in an international diving event.  Hit her head on the board and was advised to get a CT scan.  The wait at the Canadian hospital where she was treated for the CT scan was 6 months......family flew her back home and she had the scan that day.

But at least it would've been free.

posted by SportsAndLady

I’m friends with about 15 Canadians. Not one has ever mentioned anything bad about the service at their hospitals. 

How many of your 15 Canadian friends have had much experience with their hospitals at all? 

posted by SportsAndLady

I’m friends with about 15 Canadians. Not one has ever mentioned anything bad about the service at their hospitals. 

Weird. I've heard nothing "good", other than free, but had heard plenty of stories about waiting for care, especially specialists. I don't think I've ever heard from one that moved here (they do temporary 3 years sometimes) that they'd rather have Canada's service over ours.

Shocking that people in opposition to universal healthcare have heard nothing but bad from it and proponents haven't heard anything bad. Just shocking.

posted by kizer permanente

Shocking that people in opposition to universal healthcare have heard nothing but bad from it and proponents haven't heard anything bad. Just shocking.

I’m not a proponent for universal health care, just simply started the thread. I’m researching the pros and cons of each and figured I’d start this thread to see what you all thought. 

My canadian “friends” are really not friends but coworkers and clients. I’m not saying they’re screaming from the rooftop how great their healthcare service is. But I’ve definitely never heard anything negative from them when it comes to hospital care there. And I was just talking to a couple the other day about it. 

posted by kizer permanente

Shocking that people in opposition to universal healthcare have heard nothing but bad from it and proponents haven't heard anything bad. Just shocking.

Que?

posted by O-Trap

From people in other countries, I see a mixed bag.  I have a dear Canadian friend who is about as bleeding-heart-pinko as they come, and she practically has an orgasm every time she sings the praises of their health care system.  Still another who has lived in Taiwan, Canada, and Singapore says that the care in Canada and Taiwan was piss compared to Singapore, and that the costs were comparable.