Healthcare Reform in the U.S

[Forest]

I can see your point. but your brother who has wife and son then its like a peace of mind as well for their care, would that be correct?

[Leody]

I can see your point. but your brother who has wife and son then its like a peace of mind as well for their care, would that be correct?

Yep

People make the system here out to be alot worse than it is. Much like all those who don't want universal health care make your system out to be alot worse than it is.

I will say, waiting 14 months for a knee ligament surgery like was said on the last page is ridiculous though. You would never see that over here. Unless the patient wanted to wait that long to save up the money to pay for it.

[UFGN]

the thing is that where the nhs really is a good system is for biggies like major accidents, cancer, diebetes etc. You know you will get a good standard of care and money is never an issue. For some things it can be a bit crap, less serious sports type injeries being a perfect example, but for those things, like anywhere in the world, you can pay to get it done in a private hospital tomorrow if you can affod it.....

[Leody]

Yep, and insurance is good for the big stuff here too... And damn near everybody that has a job has it paid by their employer if they want it.

But people always hear the 1 in a million story about somebody that can't get coverage for some reason, or can't afford something and the system gets painted with a broad brush. Just like stories we hear from Canada about people having to wait 6 months for chemotherapy treatment, or brits dieing of pancreatic cancer because they can't get in for a screening soon enough and they find the tumor too late.

We pay for the service in insurance premiums, you pay for it in the form of taxes. End of the day, there's little difference. We just have the freedom to choose not to participate if we choose not to.

[UFGN]

Well there we dont agree because i feel that you should be compelled to have 'insurence' because it creates a system of medical care free for all at the point of delivery which I can only see as being a good thing. A friend of mine has a partner who is from florida. he reckons that you get 'more for your money' with the nhs.....that the national insurence you pay through your pay packet is less than what you would have to pay for nhs standard care in the usa. That would seem to make sense as the nhs is the biggest single purchaser in the world of many medicines etc... Everyone benefits from the economy of scale and the fact that the 'customer base' is so huge.

So economically it makes more sense than private insurence, and there are obvious social bemefits too. Politically I can see the issues the usa is having with it..... It is true that the nhs was created by a socialist government in 1948.... But you should also consider thatall governments sinse have maintained it, labour or conservative. Even marget thatcher ffs, who was probably slightly to the right of George W!

[Forest]

and that leads to Wenger out how?

Think it all depends on the circumstances with insurance, Leody is not married and no kids far as im aware where as his brother has wife and child, so his brother would want to know his family will be looked after an accident.

Id take the NHS over private in this country as once they have their money and done the opp they dont want to know, a client of ours nearly died and the private hospital didnt want to know so had to go to the NHS hospital to be put right.

NHS isnt perfect and does need sorting out. The US reform care will benefit some and make others worse where as im sure the other way did the same.

[Leody]

UFGN

You and I will never agree on this. So it isn't worth going into honestly...

But the way you see it is very very different than I. There is no such thing as "free" heath care, never has been, never will be. It is all paid for, regardless of when. You may not pay at the counter when you get care, but you've either paid through insurance premiums or taxes. And you can bet your life that most people have paid more that way than they would have if they paid out of pocket. Because insurance companies are going to make their profits, and your taxes are also used to fund the ridiculously huge bureaucracy to manage the system. If you removed the bureaucracy costs and insurance profits, the cost for all would be lower as a whole... but they would have to have the foresight to save and plan for their care. A large part of your NHS and our insurance premiums go to things OTHER THAN care. Which is the true crime in my opinion.

I like my freedom to choose, many others are willing to forfeit that right. I never will do so willingly. With anything in life. I'm smart enough to take care of myself, and willing to pay the price for my mistakes. I don't need people telling me what I should or shouldn't do and what is good for me, I'll figure it out myself thank you. (none of this is directed at you UFGN, just general statements)