Originally Posted by Giantaxe

Which is why I am not exactly holding my breath that anything will change.

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl

What makes you think people with good insurance would have to give anything up? As in the UK these people could supplement their healthcare with a private policy. This policy together with their gov. healthcare contributions would be less than what is paid for private healthcare now.

Originally Posted by Steerpike

I don't currently have a choice - I work for company 'x', and company 'x' has a contract with insurance company 'y'. No amount of complaining by me will change my company's relationship with ins.co. 'y'.

If I were self-employed and looking for private insurance, then yes, I'd have a choice - but that's where the biggest problems lie - with private insurance.

Originally Posted by Steerpike

...and I think there is 'some' agreement amongst many that removing the ability to deny coverage based on pre-existing conditions, and removing the distinctions between group and individual coverage, are major steps in the right direction. Would you agree, and if so, how could that be achieved in our current political climate?

Originally Posted by cindyabs

You know, the sad thing is, it hasn't alway been this way. It wasn't when I was growing up. Doctors made house calls, and it was handled as a profession, not strictly as a business.

Originally Posted by AmerLisa

Excuse me? Probably because I filled out the exempt form, and received my medication - either that or the baby bump gave me away.....probably didn't hurt things. And when the card did finally come in the mail, the spelling was very wrong on my last name....

Originally Posted by RoadWarriorFromLP

A co-pay will cause people who can't pay to avoid treatment because they can't afford it.

Originally Posted by Jerseygirl

Actually I seem to remember reading that the majority of people in the UK get free prescriptions...people up to the age of 18 or whilst in full time education, retired, unemployed, people with chronic illnesses, pregnant women and for 12 months after the birth etc. Free or $15 prescriptions is a huge plus for having a NHS type system IMHO. I've lost count of the number of times there's been an article on TV or I have read about seniors having to choose between food and meds...or those that cross the borders to buy cheaper meds.

Originally Posted by Ash UK/US

I have seen this kind of thing too... so sad

Originally Posted by Tracym

OK, it's a competition for ratings then, rather than money.

I would have expected ratings, I meant competition for money/business.

At least over here, I don't think that would be sufficient motivation. Not for government employees anyway.

Originally Posted by Tootsie Frickensprinkles

Yet they are happy to believe they have the best military in the world, which is a fully funded, trained and run GOVERNMENT organisation is it not.

Originally Posted by AmerLisa

But what I find really ironic is the few of you that are American citizens or are married to American citizens, are having a go at the country you've chosen to invest your future in - or the foreseeable one anyway. Instead of coming up with viable solutions, you're sitting back and poking fun.

Originally Posted by Ash UK/US

House burning down? Who do you call? The fire department.
Just been mugged? Who do you call? The police
Need to mail a letter? where do you go? The Post office
Whats that you need a book? I'd recommend you try the library.

All goverment run agencies.

Originally Posted by RoadWarriorFromLP

The problem with this for the US would be that the insurers would not like a system that encourages a lot of opt outs. To push people to choose the optional private plan, insurers would lobby to limit the government portion of the plan and to make it second-rate so that people feel compelled to also buy an extra private plan.

The last thing that you'd want here in the US is a powerful business lobby that is actively fighting to downgrade the services provided by the government. The insurers would pay generously to ensure that the government basics aren't very good.



In part, it's because they've been to the Department of Motor Vehicles and assume that health care would be ten times worse and more painful than what is needed to register your car. Encounters with government bureaucrats in the US can be rather dissatisfying, so I can't fault everyone for having their doubts.

Then, there are those who assume that socialized plans can take only a few forms: pinko-commie-Soviet-style (whatever that means), or (cue music) Canadian. The Canadian system has been subject to a lot of criticism, and in fact, it probably isn't one of the better systems, particularly because Canadian compensation levels have fed a brain drain of talent, both in medicine and otherwise, that has gone to the US. But since Americans tend not to know that there are many ways to skin the health care cat, it didn't occur to most of them that there many, many different ways to run a health care system.

There is also a segment that opposes it on ideological grounds because they like the idea of small government, for its own sake.

Then, there are those who just hate the idea of communism, socialism and all that other pinko stuff. Between the Cold War and imagery of Soviet bread lines, healthcare becomes something that a lot of people will just assume is some conspiracy to destroy their relationship with their doctor and to use medical exams to implant Red chips in their heads. Or something like that.