Do you support Nationalized Healthcare?

I support a national health care program where fees will be based on a sliding fee scale. The federal-state mandated programs today does not work, because everybody goes to the emergency room for non-emergency medical need. Many non-insured people go to hospital emergency rooms for colds and minor injuries. All visits to the hospital and/or doctor should have a co-pay.

So why not let the insurance companies worry about it like my proposed plan would do. If they fail to contorl costs without sacrificing the quality of service, groups will simply move to more successful insurance companies.

Many private insurance plans in California failed, because they couldn't make a profit. Many just moved out of the state.

It gets increasingly hard to find anybody who will honor many groups' insurance. It's because the insurance companies and the companies we work for squeeze a dollar for blood. Also, as CI points out, the system is getting abused. Not just by patients, I believe, but by everyone in the system. We need a national plan based on common sense, not everyone trying to sieze all of the pie. I don't care if it is government controlled or in private hands, so long as it gets policed for effectiveness and honesty.

Your proposed plan here sounds amazingly like the justification used to create the current HMO/Managed Care system we have now.

The government regulated HMOs were supposed to drive costs down by negotiating lower prices with the health care providers and drug manufacturers for their members using the leverage of buying in bulk.

Okay, call me crazy (((CRAZY!!!)))

but I must be a communist: I think with birth should come a place to live, food to eat, an education and free health care.

Who do you think all those sick people are infecting? It's in your own best interest to have a healthy populace!

Mental health should have parity as well.

Why do the most basic things in life require a price?

All the extras...charge what you will...but, why can't human beings be guaranteed the basics?

It seems to work well in germany.

We are the only western democracy (if not the only democracy) that doesn't guarentee it's citizens the right to health care.

What would you propose? How do you think national healthcare should work?

I'm the first to admit I don't know the details, however, I do know that in a country such as the US, one with such an incredible disparity in levels of income, this should not be a hard thing to work out. Cut the corporate welfare; reinstate higher levels of income tax to the wealthiest 10%; cut the pentagon budget...etc. Please don't rip me to shreds for not knowing exactly how to solve it; that's what the bureaucrats get paid to do. I just intuitively believe in my heart it can be done.

It's a matter of priorities: to 'sell' it to those who believe it must be paid for, one needs to get them to understand how it negatively affects them. If they have no empathy, let them bring it about because they do care about keeping their own little worlds safe, secure and w/o contagious new strains and viruses, etc.

A gated community will turn into a prison sooner or later...

Suzette, It's called supply and demand. With endless demand, it's impossible to provide the supply. We must look at the glass as half full; this country has done a pretty good job on most of the issues on your list. Communism doesn't work, because there's no incentive for quality.

I know that people with your POV call it 'supply and demand' ... people with my POV call it common decency.

Again, all your toys, your frills, your steaks and such...fine, gouge the public as you like.

But, simple necessities of life? WHY?

Suzette, Talk is cheap; so how much of your income are you giving to charity that helps poor people with helath care?

We have national healthcare here. There's some problems but the most part it seems to work.

Suzette's quote, "Again, all your toys, your frills, your steaks and such...fine, gouge the public as you like." I earned mine by working hard, so I'll enjoy my toys and world travel.

I support it, but I live in Canada where it is a reality. Our system is not perfect but I shudder to think what would become of our society without it.
I recently heard stats from the states, 1/3 of the middle class are without any health coverage. It's very sad when the working class, those that pay the bulk of person taxes, cannot afford decent health care. I have always been amazed at how much it costs the average US citizen for simple medical procedures, not to mention the amount of bankrupcies caused when people are inadequately funded.

Suzette, If you bother to read the second post of this forum, you'll see that I support universal health care. So, what is 'your' problem?

I like the Canadian System
BTW the USA is NOT a Democracy. It's an Oligarchy.

We have a President that gets his instructions straight from God, so we just kick back and relax.

When did the BRD cease providing healthcare to its citizens? Walter....?!?

I just know one thing. If I had to pick a country to get sick in, the US would be a looooong way down the list.

No problem at all. However, you don't support universal health care; you support a form of access to universal health care...one with a co-pay for everything. I see no reason why human beings should not be provided with what it takes to live; no more, no less.

As to how much I give to charity: more than I should; however, by the tenor of your posts, I doubt it would be much at all by your measure.