Thoughts on universal health care.
As a democrat that can't afford the 1/3rd of his check that goes missing every month who is already paying $400 per month for family health insurance that is pretty damn good. What do I think of proposed universal health care
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The plan being proposed to go into effect by the league of current candidates (excepting Kucinich, who wants full uni care), would be universal
health insurance. They want to FORCE large companies to give basic coverage to all employees for free (part AND full time) as well as give large benefits to small companies who cover their employees. ALSO, it would put sanctions on Insurance Companies to make them lower their rates, force more pay outs and stop discriminating so heavily against pre-existing conditions.
Doctors will not be really affected by this plan, too much.
For the lower income bracket, the raise will be about 2% in taxes. for the upper most eschelon, they're looking at 7% raise. The plan for universal health insurance costs about the same as the current war in Iraq per year.
Americans are currently paying over $7k per capita, the highest in the WORLD, but we are still ranked 42nd in life expectancy.
If Uni health care were implemented correctly, it would work like our Universal Education System. Public schools aren't as nice as private schools, but they get the job done AND they're free to everyone whether they can afford them or not. Taxes pay for it and they're worth what we pay. I think healthcare should work the same way.. and it DOES in EVERY OTHER developed country in the world.
Come and visit my discussion with twilight006!!
Especially this one
And this one
Twilight006 was NOT a proponent of national healthcare (or "socialized medicine" as she likes to say) even though she is drowning in debt from healthcare costs and is also having a hard time making ends meet. Come visit!
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Not to mention give better coverage to people who are underinsured, and hopefully stop the tens of thousands of bankruptcies (half of all bankruptcies in the US) declared because of medical bills.
The fact that 1/3rd of all our health dollars actually pays into overhead (hospital administration, hospital promotion, insurance billing, insurance administration, commercials, underwriting) can be cut and redirected into care for patients if real Universal health care is ever implemented. No need for extra staff for insurance research/billing/paperwork at every doctors office/hospital if EVERYONE is covered for free. But, we have to take baby steps to get there.
We already pay more than any other country, and still rank 42nd in life expectancy.
If you could afford private school, that is what you would choose, understandably. But can you? Are you glad there at least is an option that they can go to school ANYWAYS even though you can't afford private tuition? For people who have no health insurance, they have to go WITHOUT health care many times. I can't afford to go to any of my specialists (vascular, physical therapy, orthopedist or asthma specialist) I cannot afford my prescribed medication (the cheap prescription costs $107/mo and thats WITH government assistance programs helping me out with that) and my last hospital bill (while I was fully insured thanks to a government program, thank GOD!) was about $28,000 for a 3 day stay. Absolutely unaffordable were that to happen today.
Many who already are insured, might get better coverage under what they implement, PLUS cover the 48 million Americans who can't afford to ever have ANY medical emergency. There are free schools so we don't have to WORRY about if we can afford to send our kids to schools, and there should be free healthcare so we don't have to WORRY if we can afford take our kids to the hospital.
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Also our education system SUCKS so a comparison there doesn't work either. In fact by your own example if I could afford Private school for my kids I WOULD PUT THEM IN PRIVATE SCHOOL. I can afford health insurance. I CAN'T AFFORD a >7% increase in taxes.
I know for a fact I would have accepted these proposals more readily three years ago before my expenses sky rocketed after a house and two kids.
And regardless of whether medical specialist can leave the country to practice or not they are not going to be forced to accept uni health insurance when there is still private health insurance.
At this point the ONLY Universal health insurance that I'd support is one that redirects existing funds and that does NOT include war funding that shouldn't be there in the first place.
And Getting "the job done" doesn't exactly promote peace of mind when you have a sick kid.
I'd rather get what I pay for than trust the United States government to take care of it for me.
So the way I understand now is that I'd pay MORE for something that is LESS effective than what I have, but would presumably be, if I understand this correctly, good enough.
Yeah... I'm sold. Sign me up.
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