Should the U.S. have socialized healthcare?

[Disley]

If an accurate survey could be taken, would Canadians with thier socialised healthcare swap it for the American healthcare system?
I doubt it, but there's no monopoly on stupidity.
We in Australia have universal health care for all people living here and we have agreements with other countries with socialised healthcare, the UK for example, where we are treated for free if we have an accident or illness whilst there, and they have the same entitlements here.
To see a doctor for a consultation is $40, the govt then refunds $38, so it costs $2 and you may wait for upto an hour, in the surgery before you get to see the doctor, without an appointment, usually less with one.
Referrals for x-rays happen the same day, usually within 1 hr.
Elective surgery has a waiting list, but as it's all for free, you can't complain too much.
There are flaws in the system, but for the 2.5% of my gross income, it is good value for money, if for example the average pay is $1000 pw, you would pay $25 pw to cover yourself, wife and children till they reach 16 or 18. If it has increased since, I haven't noticed.
Pensioners and unemployed can get the treatment for free and subsidised prescriptions, which is available to families if they spend $2000 in 1 year, but most common medicines are subsidised for everyone at $3.80.
I do know this country would never go back to the dark ages of private healthcare.

[brandon184]

If an accurate survey could be taken, would Canadians with thier socialised healthcare swap it for the American healthcare system?

No, they wouldn't. While there are critics of the system, most regard is as significantly superior to what exists south of the border.

A conservative premier here would like to see a different type of healthcare system here as he sees the current system as "unsustainable", though he views the U.S. system as "unacceptable".

Brandon

[SeanC]

I'm not worried about having to wait an hour or two for an x-ray - they're covered. Even the several hours wait in emergency rooms I can deal with as long as I'm not in danger of dying or having the possibility of permanent problems from my injury.

If the Canadian government does for some reason that better be really good, decide to change to a privatized health care system; you'll see way more people using loopholes to get services covered anyway.

[RayH]

This discussion will probably take a different turn when people in the US see what their health insurance is going to cost next year. The copays are rising and the Rx costs are rising. They are rising far faster than the CPI.

With national health care, people are not forced to accept that as the only level of health care. They may opt to purchase supplemental private health care, if they so please and can afford it. My mother, who is on Medicare, has excellent supplemental...and it costs a bundle.

The problem with no national health care is that people have NO RIGHT TO INSURANCE. Repeat. We have no right to have health insurance. Health insurance companies may exclude who they want, usually the sick. Group coverage (through employers) usually have a no exclusion clause. But once someone goes out on their own, they become uninsurable.

Medicare Part D (Senior Rx coverage) is a mess. It's not a government plan. It's a private insurance plan that seniors are essentially forced to join unless they have declared "equivlent" coverage. If they don't and join Part D later, they will have to pay a 1% per month penalty to join later. If a healthy senior waits 5 years before joining Medicare Part D, they will have to pay 60% more for coverage. So much for support for the fixed income people.

The Bush government made no effort to support the seniors. The bill specifically excludes the government from entering into bulk purchase agreeements with the pharmaceutical companies. Every entity enters into bulk purchase agreements; every insurance company and every other government health agency. The Medicare Part D is a mess because there are no standards for pricing. Seniors, 75% of which do not have access to or understand the internet, have to check pricing through the internet. Even if they check the pricing, there is no guarantee that will be the pricing next month.

How is it the government can find hundreds of billions for war to bring freedom to another country, but can't find any money to sustain freedom and quality of life for its own citizens? Check the cuts in federal subsidy to student loans that are about to come down.