Universal Health Care is not the answer!

"But universal health care? No!! The money to pay for that has to come from somewhere, so where is it going to come from? Our taxes. It will more than double our taxes." It is almost impossible that this would be true. In every other industrialized nation that has universal health care, the cost is less per person than it is here in the USA. However, those countries also have higher life expectancies, and lower incidences of preventable diseases/illnesses/etc. than the US. So if it's done right, it will certainly NOT cost more than the system we have now. If other countries can do it, why can't we? The US has no business holding such a pitiful position compared to other industrialized nations in preventable diseases, for crying out loud.

Well to start with I believe the USA is the only civilized country in the world that does not have have universal health care. Certainly all the European countries of the Western World have it. It astonishes me constantly that Americans are against it. The richest nation in the world cannot offer decent health care to its citizens. You yourself said you owe 40 000 in medical bills. That must be a totally crushing burden. I live in Canada and we have universal health care. Sure a lot of people complain that the waiting period for certain operations are too long, it is difficult to schedule an MRI if you need it soon, etc etc. Let me tell you I will be eternally grateful that we have it. After a collapse in my son's house this summer I was taken to the hospital. I stayed there for two days. I had several ECG's, an MRI, a CT scan and was seen by three specialists. After I was discharged I received a bill in the mail for $ 46.30 as my share of the ambulance fee. I can live with that and I am not in debt because of medical bills. I am retired on a fixed income and could not afford to pay the prices that US hospitals charge if you have to be admitted. Most of my friends do not venture into the US without extra medical coverage, even for one day. It is true that we have to wait for certain procedures but they are usually not live threatening. Other times we are inconvenienced. Since I needed another MRI. I was told the unit operated 24 hours a day 6 days a week. Would I be willing to accept an appointment at 3 in the morning? Yes of course, it would only cost me $ 30.00 to order a taxi to get me there at that time of the night. Is this not acceptable? I was told I could have an appointment across the border in Buffalo USA the next day at a charge of $ 700. Did I take the night appointment? of course I did. Do we get the same quality of medical care as in the USA? I am convinced we do. Canadian specialists are on the forefront in the world as far as research and expertise is concerned. Do we pay for it in our taxes, yes of course we do. But we also know we can partake in preventative medicine, have regular checkups, be referred to specialists before it is too late and get treatment for life threatening conditions. Most of all though, every person rich or poor can get treatment. We also have the options if we have the money and don't want to wait to scoot across the border and pay thousands there. So ask any citizen of any country that has universal healthcare if they want to give it up. I think you can guess the answer. Shame on America for neglecting health care for families on the poverty line, for young independent people working for minimum wages, for the elderly, for the indigent and homeless. It is the duty of any civilized society to look after its people.

I see where you're coming from but "who" will be taxed more is the question that needs to be answered. I have state assistance and I get better care then I did when I paid for my insurance. I don't think it's that bad. I think more questions need to be asked and answered before everyone assumes that they will be the ones paying higher taxes. I know I don't have the answers but if the candidates aren't asked the questions, how do we really know the answers?

I just want to say that I'm honestly not trying to offend anyone but I've had good insurance, I've had bad insurance, I've had no insurance, I've had private insurance, I've had insurance through my jobs, and I've had state insurance (medical assistance). In my opinion, Medical assistance has been the best insurance that I've ever had. This would be the same as Universal Healthcare. I have gotten treatments that I have needed faster then with other insurance. I've been treated with more respect then I was with other insurance. I can get treatments done that I couldn't get done with other insurance. I have HPV, the virus that causes cervical cancer, If it turns into cancer I WILL be able to get the treatment that I need but only if I can keep my medical assistance. Otherwise, I'll die. If I can't pay the co-pays and premiums, I can't get treated. My 2 beautiful daughters would grow up with no mommy. I cannot afford private insurance due to medical problems that cost hundreds of dollars a month. My fiance however, does not qualify for medical assistance, he has insurance through his job but can still barely afford to pay his bills. He spends close to $200.00 a month just on his diabetic medications. He pays close to $60.00 a month on his premiums. He spends close to $1700.00 a year on blood work and diabetes check-ups. This is AFTER the insurance pays what they pay. This does not include any other medical needs he may have throughout the year. He makes under $24000.00 a year before taxes and has 3 kids to support. With McCains plan, we could both die. With Obama's plan we can live and have money to pay our bills. Like I said I don't want to offend anyone but I feel VERY strongly about this subject and feel the need to express how I feel. I don't want be one of the people that is in debt so far due to medical expenses that I'll never get out of it. I don't want my credit to be destroyed because of medical expenses.

I want to say that I'm done discussing the matter of healthcare. I urge everyone to go to factcheck.org and check the facts before you vote. This is an unbiased site. they only give the facts.

I agree completely with the original statment, someone here said that other universal health care systems work ... I can think of one Very Good reason why ours wouldnt. We are Americans. thats it. Thats my reason, its because we can AFFORD to treat our bodies like crap, we can AFFORD to eat out 30 times a week, and we can AFFORD to smoke, and just generally treat our bodies like crap until one day, Oh no. We need a new lung, or a new kidney or we suddenly have diabetes, or w/e it is, its because we treat our bodies like such crap, we couldnt afford to treat others who couldnt figure out what they were doing to themselves, and you know what? I dont think I should have to pay for them, I work hard to keep my body healthy and make choices to save my money rather than buy all the junk food they do, why should I have to spend MY money on them too? yes there are people who sincerely did nothing to deserve their sickness... but in a lot of cases, people are earning it these days, and because of that, there would be more people needing money from the system, than putting into the system, and frankly, I dont want to pay for them, I'd rather save my money, and protect my body and pay for myself. I mean, I would consider dumping a bunch of my money in if someone was in a car accident or something, but I dont think I should be forced to pay for the soda guzzling woman who has been smoking for the last 40 years, who ways 300 pounds and suddenly got lung cancer, she could have avoided both of those, and I didn't get ANYTHING for what she payed into it, thus why should I bail her out? Not saying I never would... I just dont think the government should force me to, its not their right.

As a disabled person and a health educator, I must disagree with you. If people can't afford healthcare they don't get treatment early when things are more easily fixable. As others have said, we are the only industrialized nation that doesn't have it. I think this is bad for America, as a whole.

I come from the UK, where we have the NHS paid for through taxes. it's not perfect, but it's the best system there is. because I earn too little to pay taxes, it costs me nothing. when I was earning more, I paid for it through my taxes. if anything is wrong with me I don't need to worry about whether or not I can afford to pay for medical care, it's there for me. those that want to pay more to have treatment quicker, or at a higher level, can pay privately. those that can't don't go without. seriously, I would never ever ever exchange a national health service for the American system, which I find absolutely third world in comparison. why should only the wealthy get healthcare? what if I needed an operation? what about when I was bitten on the face by my dog. what if I'd just had to let it heal as it would, rather than getting stitched up, then getting to go back and have the scarring tidied up so that I wouldn't look like Freddie Krueger. I was out of work at the time through illness, so would never have been able to pay for cosmetic restoration. I was shocked when I first discovered that Americans have to pay for their healthcare themselves, through insurance if they can afford to have insurance, or finding the money somehow. I thought that sort of thing only happened in third world countries.

You, at least have health care coverage, katsmeow. It is shameful that in a country that is supposed to be the greatest nation in the world there are so many people with no health care. Where is the money going to come from? Well, they are printing money right and left for everything else, so, why not health care? For starters we could get out of these wars we have become bogged down in. The costs of these wars is breaking the back of America, and there is no end in sight. Many people here are going hungry, homeless, and without health care while we are financing endless wars. Where is the sense in that?

There are differant ways to save money like the company im with is a health discount plans company that has hospital advocacy that would of probally reduced your $40k in debt to a much lower amount. But there is a lot of things about this election that I dont get. Like the total socializim view of obama that no one seems to relieze is a very BAD idea no matter how good of a person he seems to be or whatever. I can understand people being tired of republicans but dont let it make you make a bad decision on who is president. Mccain isnt perfect but hes better than Obama

I think alot of people feel something is better than nothing. Alot of people are going broke trying to afford something in the way of healthcare. I have family that has no healthcare. If you are scared you may go for anything. Whether you believe it to be the answer or not.

In my country, we already pay a lot of taxes but there is still no support from the government when it comes to health care. I'm lucky that my parents can afford the best doctors for me if and when I get sick (knock on wood), but I see a lot of poor people who can't afford it and that's when I realize how important a universal health care could be. Of course the funds will come from the rich who can afford to be taxed more, but the poor will be the primary beneficiaries. After all, why would the rich want to go to the same hospitals as the poor when they could afford better treatment at a more expensive place? My point is that it would be better to have a universal health care than none at all.

In every other industrialized nation that has universal health care Which would be EVERY OTHER INDUSTRIALIZED nation. Correct me if I'm wrong, but I believe every other industrialized or medically advanced nation in the world has it, except us. France is considered to have the best health care in the world, and yep, it's universal healthcare.

Well Kats, if universal health care isn't the answer than what is? Do you realize that GE, and GM spend over 3 billion dollars a year in health care? That is just two companies, just imagine how much we, as a nation, spend. I think we need to find some the help us, because our current system isn't working.

I kind of get the impression your mind is made up and that's that, which is your right, but it should be pointed out that Obama has never proposed government run health care or "free" health care for all. We all pay much higher premiums and much higher costs for health care because of the many people who are uninsured and wait to go to the ER when they get sick and then are unable to pay. I won't pretend to be knowledgeable enough to know the exact details of the plan that would work best for everyone but I do know nobody in a nation such as ours should go bankrupt, lose their home or die because of health care costs and McCain's plan would help nobody that needs help. Annie

katsmeow I disagree.almost every other country has universal health care and they actually get better care, so I feel your arguments are the same old one republicans have used for a century, they just do not want us middle and working class to finally get the kind of health care other nations have had 'for ages. I am a senior citizen with a great hmo so I am well covered but myadult son has no insurance and it wou ld cost him a fortune to get coverage,hes just 49 so he cannot get social security yet. we working and middle class people need help to afford good health care, why cannot we have the same univeral health care as all the other more progressive nations?The crap you suggest is the samw old welfare crapola that none of us working people want, too many strings attached to it, you just breathe the wrong way you would get penalized. no I wish we could have universal health care.