Universal Health Care

[Analog]

Obama's promise of worldwide health care is a difficult promise, from my standpoint at least.

I feel as if this promise would induce more problems rather than create prosperous situations. Higher health care costs are passed on to insurance providers and end up creating higher premiums. Also, if employers are forced to provide employees with health care, it might serve as a deterrent to offer more jobs.

Discuss, debate, etc.

 

You're correct. Socialist health care will fail eventually. See Sythe's thread in SFA for additional information.

 

[JSchaffter]

Ohhh boyyyy, this ought to be a fun one.

My stance, which I'll create early, is against a universal health care system for quite an array of reasons. I'll base my first post around availability.

Say you need heart surgery in the US's current system, you will get it relatively quick because the surgery is needed to live. In Canada, and other so called progressive health care nations, you will be put on a LONG waiting list. Some people die while on this list, and for thing such as prosthetics and smaller surgeries could take years for your operation.

Everyone under the sun will be going to E.R. and the doctors office for check outs if they're free, I mean why not. If you have a little stomach ache, why not make sure it's not a tumor or ulcer, I mean it's free. But with a mindset like that of everyone, have fun waiting in the hours of lines to get checked out.

I'm against it for a lot more reasons, but availability is one not many people think about.

 

[lLama]

Domestic issues should ALWAYS be a priority, assuming foreign ones do not affect our security. Personally, I think healthcare is low on a list of priorities and that he's just appealing to the proletariat.
He's overextending the already flailing arms of the US government; he should allow the country to gain its own balance first before helping others...
I gud metaphor k? llul

 

[Analog]

You're correct. Socialist health care will fail eventually. See Sythe's thread in SFA for additional information.

It's almost an impossibility to have universal health care, mainly because of the negation which it will have on employers and the increase which will occur in the every day American's taxes. The amounts are unannounced, but we can infer the increase will be moderately significant.

 

[The Fat Controller]

A quick comparison:

"In 2005, the United Kingdom spent 8.2% of GDP on health care, or US$3,065 per capita. Of that, approximately 87% was government expenditure.

In 2005, the United States spent 15.2% of GDP on health care, or US$6,347 per capita. Of that, approximately 45% was government expenditure."

Do the math and note that the US government spends more money per person on healthcare than the UK. The US lacks universal healthcare, while the UK does not, and that UK healthcare standards are hardly poor in comparison. This result is mirrored across most of the rest of the developed world.

I don't know if Obama will deliver or whether his policy will be successful, but what is strikingly obvious is that the US system has an array of serious efficiency problems that need tackling.

 

[Analog]

A quick comparison:

"In 2005, the United Kingdom spent 8.2% of GDP on health care, or US$3,065 per capita. Of that, approximately 87% was government expenditure.

In 2005, the United States spent 15.2% of GDP on health care, or US$6,347 per capita. Of that, approximately 45% was government expenditure."

Do the math and note that the US government spends more money per person on healthcare than the UK. The US lacks universal healthcare, while the UK does not, and that UK healthcare standards are hardly poor in comparison. This result is mirrored across most of the rest of the developed world.

I don't know if Obama will deliver or whether his policy will be successful, but what is strikingly obvious is that the US system has an array of serious efficiency problems that need tackling.

I feel as if you cannot make an accurate comparison between the United Kingdom and the United States. When comparing two different countries, which both run efficiently, while using different processes.

 

[The Fat Controller]

I feel as if you cannot make an accurate comparison between the United Kingdom and the United States. When comparing two different countries, which both run efficiently, while using different processes.

Absolutely, I'm just making the point that there are efficiency issues arising from the system the US has now. The UK has it's own share of problems too! I don't know what the best way to approach reforming US healthcare is, I hope Obama's people have a good strategy (I can't remember much about his policy in that area ).

 

[god69er]

if it worked like it is intended it would be great but that will never happen. however i doubt the U.S. will ever have national health care.