Yes I do.
The insurance system is a big Ponzi scheme. I am thoroughly in favor of socialized medicine. I would happily pay a bit more tax for that, even if it meant that street people and old people I've never met were using my tax dollars while I stay healthy and am not using any of the resources. (I've heard people moan about that, believe it or not. And illegal immigrants! It ain't right, them spongin' off of me like that...)

I should add here that my father is a doctor. He too thinks that the system is severely flawed and needs a massive overhaul, and that part of that should be putting reasonable limits on medical malpractice as his insurance for that is astronomical.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Sun 27 Feb 2011, 13:19, 3 replies, latest was 15 years ago)

The line 'even if it meant' suggests you aren't 100% comfortable with free health care for all.

( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Sun 27 Feb 2011, 13:30, Reply)

Not so much that
as that I don't relish the idea of tax hikes. They already get about a third of my income as it is.

EDIT: Oh, I see what you meant. No, I was echoing the usual dross I hear from the people opposed to universal health care. I personally have no problem with it at all.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Sun 27 Feb 2011, 13:35, Reply)

If anything, taxes would drop as everyone would contribute, but not everyone would be ill
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care_in_the_United_States

The US already spends more on healthcare than other countries that offer citezens socialised healthcare (as a percentage of gdp), so something is going wrong somewhere. To spend more but to support fewer people seems somewhat odd.
( JeffTheDogFucker Can you dig it?, Sun 27 Feb 2011, 13:42, Reply)

Believe me, I know.
There are many things that should be going on that are just common sense smart investments but are stalled by fearmongers. We should have more nuke plants and fewer coal-fired ones, we should have light rail being resurrected instead of continuing to depend on cars, we should have universal health care, we should have better pay for our teachers... but none of that is likely to happen any time soon.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Sun 27 Feb 2011, 14:45, Reply)

talking some yanks
my taxes are less than their insurance fees, and I get better coverage and no paperwork. You would probably save money.
( willenium Fist bump for verification, Sun 27 Feb 2011, 13:33, Reply)

Undoubtedly.
The problem is that this enormous and elaborate structure has been built with insurance companies and the medical system, and they have deep pockets. This means that they can get in there and lobby hard against any change that might impact them- and that's exactly what's been happening. Clinton tried it and was beaten down, Obama is trying it and getting beaten down, and probably so will anyone else who tries it.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Sun 27 Feb 2011, 13:42, Reply)

I am always flabagasted how anyone can protest against nationalised health care.
I can't comprehend the argument against it, let alone the mass protest against it. For all the photos of children with banners saying something like "My grandchildren will still be paying off your debt; no to national health schemes", I can't help but thinking their grandchildren's lives, and children, and their own, will struggle to reach that far.

As much as we all complain about the NHS, and everyone who has dealt with it, knows it has mass problems, I wouldn't give it up for anything. I've been in and out of private _and_ NHS healthcare all my life, and they're both very important, I only gave up Private healthcare when my (and my Dads) monthly bill came up to £600/month for the insurance; _and_ it wouldn't cover any existing conditions. If there wasn't the NHS, I would be so fucked.

I actually have wanted to move to the States, for a year or two, for quite some time, but I simply can't afford it with their healthcare, I need very expensive treatment every couple of months (Remicade/Inflixnab). I should be on double-dose this year (I've become alergic to all alternatives), I'm waiting for the NHS Funding for the whole thing, and there is a very good chance I would get it; but in the States I wouldn't get any treatment at all, as far as I can see.

Have you heard Dan Bull's "America"? www.youtube.com/watch?v=eLc_iNw-6Gw It's quite insightful.
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Sun 27 Feb 2011, 13:47, Reply)

It's all a media campaign, really.
If you look at it logically, socialized medicine is the only rational way to go. The system we have set up here now is asinine.

The objections I tend to hear are from people ranting about big government or them furrinners takin' up all our taxes or some other such drivel that they've been fed by talk radio and FOX news. The conservatives live up to their name by being afraid of any change at all, while the rest of us react with bewilderment.

Unfortunately, as I mentioned the health industry has deep pockets and can finance all sorts of strange things in the media and in legislation. Palin got her jab in with the death panels bit, for instance- absolute horseshit as anyone can see, but there were a lot of idiots who bought it whole.
( The Resident Loon Not a demographic. Do not measure., Sun 27 Feb 2011, 14:40, Reply)

*Googles Death Pannels*
news.yahoo.com/s/politico/20090813/pl_politico/26078

Is she actually mad? I'm not anti-money, or anti captialist in any shape or form. I don't think people with money equate to people who are evil. I'm financially typically middle-class. The thought that she would equate a govermant medical pannel as to a 'death pannel' or being worst than something identical based by a private institution with their only motivation being finance; is disgusting. What a vile women, her child would have had more care under an NHS than a private medical institution, weather she's got a few million in the bank, or a few hundred. She's mad, she really is, so un-in-touch with the general public that it's laughable.

I can understand the anti immigrant stance, but they're forgetting that the NHS isn't 100% free, it's just A&E that is. You can't pull up into the UK with Cancer from a non-EU state and say "I am intitled to free healthcare, give me drugs". They won't let you walk out without treatment for a broken leg, but they won't be any serious aftercare.

I always find it interesting the religous stance that the conservatives have gotten, they're the furvest thing from Jesus's principles that I could imagine.
( G/PP 💩💩💩💩💩&#128, Sun 27 Feb 2011, 15:23, Reply)