Rete

Because there are posters where who keep telling everyone that their former country's healthcare system is the best in the world, i.e. France, the UK, Canadian, Denmark, Sweden, etc.

We do need a healthcare system that encompasses everyone regardless of financial status with the same quality care that only the rich and/or the holders of top notch healthcare plans receive. To me, this is the ideal. I grant you I fall within that category and thank heavens each and every time I have needed a doctor or surgery or went to the pharmacy to pickup a prescription.

scrubbedexpat099

I thought the UK system was poor and then I came to the US.....

I have I think said in the past that the Politicians cover should be akin to Medicaid, same benefits, reimbursement rate.

Being realistic why should some people drive around in older unsafe cars rather than everybody have access to safe new ones? Same with property etc etc etc.

Life is not like that and never will or can be.

civilservant

As a healthcare provider, I have serious reservations about this bill and really hope it doesn't pass. The change of Medicaid to a block grant would potentially cause significant numbers of Nursing Facilities to close due to lower reimbursement rates - most are right up against the wall as it is. Let's not get started on what percentage of patients that us rural hospitals/nursing facilites have that have Medicare/Medicaid as their only insurance.

That's before we even mention the person issues I have with the bill, charging someone who has no insurance for 60 days 30% more? Most employers that I have seen in GA don't even offer insurance until you have passed your 90 day probation.... so you are slapped with a 30% extra bill for something you have no control over?

I never thought I was say this, but I really hope that the Freedom Caucus joins with the Dems and defeats this in the Senate. Not the fact that the think that even this is 'too liberal' is stupid. Pretty soon it's going to be every man for himself and if you get sick tough - go die in the street.

scrubbedexpat099

Neither the Dems or the GOP seem to have a clue, I would imagine many on the GOP side are hoping that it does get blocked, OCare continues and they can blame its continuing failing on the Dems.

In comparing the two it is all about which one is worse, not better.

I live in a rural area and our facilities have closed.

Pulaski

Agreed, all points.

And despite asking the question multiple times, I have never got an answer as to why health care gets singled out as being a government responsibility when food and housing are not?

Isn't provision of food even more important than medical treatment? With luck you can survive without medical care for many years, the same is not true of food.

scrubbedexpat099

I tend to assume that certain basic things do fall into the community sphere including police, ambulance fire brigade and basic health/medical care.

Obviously there is a line to be drawn and quite where that line is, is the tricky bit.

And it will vary, needs serious wealth to provide generous benefits and a inclusive society.

I doubt many people would be against a community paid Police force, but should that extend to providing an alarm system to every house?

Pulaski

Are you trying to derail this thread in favour of a second amendment debate?

mrken30

Or Schools, why should everyone pay for schools when not everyone has kids?

kins

Believe me - you don't want my kids roaming the streets

scrubbedexpat099

Should all education be free, no education be free or some education be free.

I assume most people realise that some education should be free.

Rete

Neither of those assumptions are 100% correct. As for cars, there are states like Mississippi where you can drive any piece of Sh!t you want and no one will stop you or give you a ticket. You can't do that in New York State where the State government has mandated that all vehicles must pass a yearly inspection before being road worthy.

As for food and housing, they, too, get government intervention in the form of welfare's section 8 housing, etc. and food is offered to those who cannot afford much by the use of food stamps or WIC <?> program.

Healthcare is singled out because there were too many people who could not get insurance because of existing conditions or many who could not afford the premiums on plans which were not provided by an employer and their voices were heard and their issue was used as a platform for election. If there weren't many votes attached to the issue, it would have been dropped, if ever picked up in the first place.

I've been on these forums for over 19 years and have stopped counting the number of times that immigrants have posted that healthcare is a necessary part of life and that it is the right of everyone to be covered and that America should be ashamed that it does not give this to each and every person in the US.

I believe these two steps are the wobbly toddler steps toward a healthcare system that will cover all Americans and its PR's in the future. Just that the future is not yet here.

mrken30

We still have coal mines and chimneys, don't we? Not sure about cotton mills.

100 years ago it wasn't free. Maybe if it was a charity/church run school it would be free.

scrubbedexpat099

That sounds the least likely outcome.

scrubbedexpat099

Free was the wrong word, community paid in the main is what I meant.

mrken30

I think the same was true with hospitals back then. The poor have less access to medical care now, than they did back then with community funded hospitals.