elprincipe said:
This is a common misconception, especially among underage folks who know little about politics like leo-j. OMGWTFBBQ, the government is paying for it so that means it's FREE!!11!111! Anyone who knows anything will realize that government, being less efficient than the private sector in every single thing it ever has done in its history, will spend more of our money (involuntarily, unlike the current system) on health care than we do now, and the service will be worse. Or we will spend the same amount and the service will be much, much worse. Or we will spend a ton more and the service will be the same. Bottom line, we, the taxpayers, lose. Although I guess leo-j doesn't pay taxes, so no big deal, right? |
You have a very high and mighty view of a healthcare system ranked 37th by the WHO. At least up here in Canada we admit our system isn't perfect.
I agree with you when you say that the private sector is more efficient than the government, but they are also profit driven. Do you know what motivates hospitals up here to help people? The need to help people. What motivates hospitals in the US to help people? How much they can charge. If you can't see how broken the american healthcare system is than you're either wealthy enough or lucky enough to have full medical coverage.
By the way, our health care isn't free either. I pay 108 CAD a month for our basic health coverage. However, it IS universal, meaning that because I can afford to pay that much a month, those people who can't don't have to choose between visiting a doctor and buying food. Do you seriously think its OK that 1/6th of the US population, 50 million people, can't see a doctor without getting charged out the ass? How would you feel if you had to choose between letting your child die and remortgaging your house, or having a finger reattached for $10k? You are right, it isn't free and tax payers will bear the brunt of the cost, but don't you think an extra tax burden accross all 300 million americans is worth those 50 million being able to get healthcare without having to weigh the financial costs?
Who gives a **** if you have the most advanced medical techniques on the planet, if the cost prevents most people from using it? From what I hear, its like pulling teeth to get your HMO's to foot the bill for anything considered even remotely "experimental". Why? Because finding some way to deny you saves them thousands, or maybe hundreds of thousands of dollars, which allows them to give their CEO's million dollar bonuses. Give me a break. The american system might be better for the rich, but its definitely not better overall.
