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We as a country, must change our view of health care. Health Care cannot be a for profit business. It has nothing to do with socialism, or capitalism. That is just cold war marketing.

It does not have to be run by government, but it cannot be a profit making business model.

What we all forget, is that we already spend an astronomical amount of money on health insurance, and still do not cover everyone. How can a "capitalist" tell me that model is working and is "good".

And let us all not loose sight of the fact that instead of preventative medicine, the current system thrives on the "pill popping" cure model. With pills to "fix", from erectile dysfunction to restless leg syndrome, etc.

Lets produce better food (less pesticides). Lets drive smaller cars (less co2). Lets eat less fast food. Lets ...

And last, but not least, lets be less naive. Politicians do not serve the common people, which 85 percent of us are. They will not help you if you do not force them to help you. We must focus on our practical problems, not hypothetical.

The main delima with me is, who is going to control the health care? The government. I don't think so. And if we hand it back to major companies, that just monopolizes it, and we start all over, except in a much worse condition.

Who pays for it dumbass? What the government GIVES, it can take away. GET A JOB DUMBASS!

Survival of the Sickest or the Fittest? To approach health, people use medication to avoid being sad, to feel better about themselves, to avoid bacteria, to stave off viruses. Yes, there's some very real need for healthcare.

Should everyone have it? No.

"Money" is a purely human concept, but it's just one way for us humans - as creatures - to do what nature intends: survival of the fittest.

Why would anyone want to help society become a mass of dumbfounded diseased people? I don't want my money helping people in that way - I'd rather we expand unto the Moon or Mars. Why should I be taxed to help those that cannot help themselves? There's no benefit greater than helping our society become better, and universal health care will help prolong the life & seed of those whom are too uneducated to prolong their life & success without the assistance of others.

Let's do something constructive with our society - we all die, so it doesn't matter how or when. What matters to me is that as a whole, in time, we're evolving our species & race.

It's not about being socialistic in nature, it's just that it would not work. Universal health care would not have a positive affect on the majority of Americans. It would cause the skill level of doctors to dramatically drop, leading to more complications. Also, recipients and patients would need to wait for others to be treated before themselves.

Not sure if many people are aware that our government has already established programs to help those who cannot afford medical expenses. I work in a field which directly relates to the deligation of these ammentities to those who need it. The medical bills are ultimately paid for by the tax payers, yet another out of pocket expense mandated by the government for those who get up and work everyday. It is true these programs help many who truly are struck with circumstantial problems, however, there are also many who use the programs simply as a means of insurance.

1) Yeah, the current system has flaws - all systems do. The evil capitalist oligarchy doesn't need to be overthrown, just reformed. You can do that without socializing the industry.

2) Same as above. Dishonest people will be dishonest whether they are working for a private company or the government, and besides, the government will also be looking to conserve money, the same as insurance companies. Reform the system. Furthermore, the monthly payments you make now are a matter of choice - you can choose to make them or not (although this "choice" is a Hobson's choice) but more importantly, you can choose which company you give your money to. The better companies will get more business, etc.

3) Do you really think that the government will suddenly start using its funds for good instead of evil after you socialize healthcare? Is it magic, or are you thinking that if the system exists, then some good must come of it inevitably? This brings up another point - are you going to trust more of your money to the same government who has us embroiled in a war that many think was based on lies? How many Iraqis has your insurance company killed?!

4) Mm, not so much. French healthcare may be fast, but it's qualitatively inferior to many other countries, and it loses some of its best doctors to other privatized countries because of the low, standardized salaries in France. (Everyone gets paid pretty much the same, even if they're a brilliant brain surgeon or someone who barely passed medical school). Look at Canada and England if you want true examples of socialized health care in all of its glory.

5) The problem with this idea is that the wealthiest few would be the only ones with the option of getting better healthcare. Don't get me wrong - human beings have a right to medical care, and quality care at that, but socialized healthcare wouldn't provide that. It would suck for everyone who couldn't afford to fly elsewhere. And personally, the day when the government begins to regulate what I eat is a sad day indeed - Do you want to be a state-mandated vegan? A state-mandated carnivore? If the people who run government healthcare become convinced of the health benefits of a certain lifestyle, they'll try to put it into law. How free is that?

Private healthcare has its problems, but not the fundamental flaws that are inherent to the socialized system. It needs reform, not to be destroyed.

...and replace them with do nothing gov't employees.

How about its a move toward mismanagement and having my life put at risk by the same people that work at he social security office, IRS, and DMV.

Company sponsored healthcare isn't a conservative issue - its a Democrat requirement that they demand employers provide benefits. I want to pay for it the same way I pay for my own car, home, or life insurance.

When you think of universal healthcare it sounds good. I pay over 900 a month for my family of four, more than my house payment. But if you look at other US socialized programs like Social security or medicare they are broke. I still pay for it out of every check but i will never recieve the benefits. David WAlker is the US Treasury comptroller (HEAD Accountant) youtube his 60 minute interview. Our governments fiscal insanity is gonna send us to bad times, wake up! Don't give them anymore control of your life or MONEY!

Are you crazy? You want to give the most corrupt, lazy, fiscally irresponsible entity on the face of the planet control of your health? If you think your getting screwed with health insurance now, wait until the government gets a hold of it. It won't take long before your taxes are astronomical and your health care is second rate.

Fuck that. The United States is the only country that has it's citizens pay for health care.

The previous poster is dead on correct. And I'll be the majority comes out of my paycheck, since I ponied up and paid for a college education to have a skilled living. Seems if you make over $100k you get taxed to death. Something even Universal Healthcare couldn't cure.

"Neither the constitution nor the founders themselves seem to envision public libraries or schools."

Maybe that's why they're state and local functions, instead of federal. I can't speak to the other 49 states, but the Kansas Constitution *does* deal pretty extensively with education.

So I guess it's ok with you if the government takes away our SOCIALIZED libraries? Our SOCIALIZED public school system? Our SOCIALIZED postal service? Some people just don't have the rights to books, education and mail.

I don't get how people can favor "socializing" anything. Giving government more power on any level is wrong. Have we not learned that every time our government takes control of something it becomes FUBAR. Ask the Canadians how they feel about waiting months to see a specialist. Nearly 6 months in most cases.

Any control given away is less freedom for us. I admit, the health care situation and the people in charge of it (the insurance companies) are in great need of reform. However, socialism is not the answer.

1) Current health care providers actually are known for doing the least for their patients. If their goal is to make money then they will attempt to do so through withholding treatment. With the government running health care people are just treated, the paperwork thing is much less of an issue.

2) Current health care providers will give you the option of a plan, but do not usually end up for paying for most of it. I, for example, was told I was too young for a hearing loss. My doctors beg to differ. Any excuse can and will be used in the current system to withhold coverage.

3) OK, the government does waste a lot of money. This is a given. But does this mean that it can't do something beneficial every once in a while? With a well-made system that takes into account problems of some health care systems then we will be much better off. After all, why spend trillions on a war elsewhere while we could spend money making life better?

and my own, fourth and fifth points:
4) Universal health care systems tend to be more streamlined than our own. This is usually because there are more doctors. If you want an example, look at France - they will have a doctor at YOUR door in thirty minutes. It's a beautiful system - people have a right to be healthy.

5)Health should not be something reserved for the wealthiest few. A healthy America has a better economy because more people are going to work. Preventative care and close watch on the use of preservatives in food would decrease obesity and other risk for chronic illness. Most of all, the richest country in the world would be able to do more for its citizens than kill people in other countries. To talk about a culture of life and then not support high quality of life domestically is absurd.

is population density.
I live in a relatively small town <100k yet i still have 2 hospitals within half an hour away, neither of which I've ever waited for nearly an hour.
If you want instantaneous free health care, you're dreaming.
In the bigger cities, more people have insurance (not a higher percentage per se, but a greater number nonetheless). The more people that are treated and must go through the paperwork first, the longer everything will take.
I had an ER visit about 6 months ago. I am uninsured. It cost me $1400, but i paid it in full. I didn't buy anything but my bare necessities for a month, but I paid it.
When most every hospital will work out a payment plan with the uninsured (in this area its usually only $10 a month), the problem isn't insurance, its the ratio of people to hospitals.

Wow, I've waited for over 12 hours in a US ER. For a broken leg.

Here's a really interest comment from the blog Son of Bill Brasky:

I’m tired of neocons screaming socialism when it comes to Universal Healthcare. It is not. Socialism is when government takes over an industry. That is not what Universal Healthcare is. Under Universal Healthcare we’ll still have private doctors and private hospitals. It’ll just be a new payment system. More than half of our current system is federally funded anyway. Universal Healthcare would provide care for those Americans who need it most and would lower costs to the individuals and employers who currently contribute to health insurance companies. Some estimates show that only HALF of your monthly contributions actually go to Healthcare costs. The other half goes to the middlemen. A streamlined non-profit system would cut these costs tremendously.

If you want to scream socialism.. look at No Child Left Behind. The government having every kid in the country sitting in their classrooms reading the same books at the same time and taking the same tests. That sounds like socialism.

The question is: Can Universal Healthcare happen? My guess is no. Our government is run by money and lobbyists. I’m pretty certain health industry lobbyists will stop at nothing to keep this from ever happening.

I couldn't have said it better myself.

To visit the quoted blog go here:
http://sonofbillbrasky.wordpress.com/200...

80-85% of Americans are already government or privately insured. Universal Health Care is unneccesary bureauocracy aimed at empowering government.

1. The government will be in charge of the program. Governments are not known for doing anything particularly well. Often mistakes in a process go on years without correction, often getting progressively worse until a major overhaul.

2. Goverment will choose what's best for you. I doubt coverage for experimental treatments and other cutting edge things will be covered.

3. The government steals money from itself for pork barrel projects. They will constantly undermine funds used for health care for thinks like bridges to Alaska. In the meantime, the latest and greatest treatments, or those with a higher cost, will be discouraged and kept from the citizens.

The result in my opinion would be a bungled, mismanaged, bloated, and ineffective coverage for citizens in the United States. Some countries have pulled it off, but let's face it, those are pretty well run countries like Britain. Britain and Canada also have the advantage of being relatively small population wise, with dense population centers. Many others have tried and failed miserably.