The Best Health Care in the World

[Riverwind]

Yesterday they had the summit in Washington, nothing happened, except.

I did hear John Boehner, minority leader in the house state "America has the best health care in the world". If after a year he still believes that then he must be right and we should scrap the whole idea of health reform.

The reason I have changed my mind on this is because I know John Boehner would not lie to the American people and if after a year of studying this problem he as come to the conclusion that there is not a problem with the health care system so who am I to disagree.

Health care in every other first world nation is a right, from cradle to grave the people of those countries are covered but here in the good old US of A health care is a privilege and that's the way it should be. If you don't have health care its your own fault because we have the best health care money can buy, bring your wallet but they don't take American Express. This whole idea that if your so called health care runs out because you got, oh dare I say it, sick and your bills run up into the hundred of thousands and you are force to go bankrupt, this needs to stop, and not be allowed, we must protect big business at all costs, it is only through them that we can get the low paying jobs that they are now handing out.

Furthermore I see the lite, I understand what the republicans are talking about, this is just one more social program that we can not afford. As a matter of fact we should start right now eliminating all social programs that we don't need, programs that burden the American Tax Payer starting with the two biggest, Social Security and Medicare. We must keep it in place for people over 50 but starting now eliminate it from the tax budget, it will be expensive for a few years but once this failed plan goes into effect it will purge its self over time as those on it die off. Next we need to stop funding for schools, if you want an education you should pay for it, its a privilege to go to school, not a right. Funding colleges and university's needs to stop now. I would say the same is true for Fire, Police, Libraries, water districts, waist management, and all the other social programs that we have. The area that must be kept is the Military and prisons, (we are going to need a lot more of them).

Then again I could be wrong as I have been wrong before,

Insurance company's just raised there rates some 39%, they made just over 200 billion last year and GOD we don't want to hurt BUSINESS.

Actually the Democrats will shove through a bill without the republicans, and it will cost the republicans, because if you really believe we have the best health care in the world, you have not been paying attention. If this bill is not passed, the next time it comes up will be by the republicans, that bill will look like the one that there working on now, that will happen when the only people that have health insurance are the people that are rich and or work for the government. Nobody else will be able to afford the BEST HEALTH CARE IN THE WORLD.

River the Humbled

[Paolo]

Yes, it's the best system there is when an office call and 1 prescription are about what the low-income worker takes home in a week. And a visit to a specialist? $1,500 just to go in and talk to him? A month's pay for many? You just can't beat that. Yep, build more prisons.

Although I do know of a case here where a man attacked an on-duty cop in the hopes that he would get put in prison so he could get the heart problems corrected that he couldn't afford. The judge threw it out, and even refused to give him contempt of court. What kind of system do we have where you can't beat up a cop, and then get to play the system for free health care?

[Batman]

I believe that was 200 billion profit last quarter 2009, not for the whole year...

[Paolo]

I read it was just the quarter as well.
Imagine, cut things in half, and $100 billion just isn't enough?

[tugon]

My current health care plan is if I get cancer, I get hospice and I die. If I have a heart attack chew lots of aspirin. Luckily I can afford my diabetic meds so far. Yep a great system.

[transward]

There is no question that the US has the best health care in the world ... for the very rich and the occupationally lucky. Yes, Canadians come from Canada and other socialized medicine countries to the US for health care, at least the rich ones do I don't see any poor Canadians trying to come here for health care. And I know quite a few Americans who have moved to Canada because that was the only way to meet their health needs. Americans pour over the border to buy cheaper Canadian drugs. More and more Americans are going overseas to Thailand or India or several other third world countries for medical tourism because care in America is not financially possible. And those I know (and there are a lot of them) who have gone to Thailand praise the quality of the care and the cleanliness and order of their hospitals. For the non rich the American health care system is worse than many third world countries.

Transward

[Slammr]

I broke my knee while visiting Thailand, and even as a stranger in a strange land, had no problem obtaining excellent care. The hospital was as clean as any in the USA and the cost was minimal.

I'm lucky enough to have health care through my employer, but even through them, Blue Cross/Blue Shield - which I had - is too costly. I had to switch to Kaiser Permanente, where I have to use their doctors, their pharmacy, and their facilities (sounds something like a government plan, doesn't it?)

[Dave]

... I had to switch to Kaiser Permanente, where I have to use their doctors, their pharmacy, and their facilities (sounds something like a government plan, doesn't it?)

Sadly, the BIGGEST REPUBLICAN LIE is that the politicians in the House and Senate do not have to take the cheaper plan like you did. Each suite of FEHB plans contains both PPP and traditional health care providers.

They ahve what they are denying you.
Worse yet, they want your health insurance to be less than what it is as a cost controlling measure.

[JustAGuy]

The USA is a capitalist country, it relays to heavily on money and resources from other countries. When I went to Japan (although expensive but cheaper than the US) it was quite good care in my opinion better than what we have here. Canada, Britain and most other developed countries/nations have free health care.

[Sweetpickle]

Apparently Cuba has better health care than we do.
Somehow that seems funny.

[Jesus]

When I went to Japan (although expensive but cheaper than the US) it was quite good care in my opinion better than what we have here.

One of the times that I was teaching at a Japanese university (and on Japanese national health care), my wife had a medical emergency. She was rushed to the hospital, spent the night in intensive care and three more days in the hospital. The bill was printed out in purple on thermal paper (looking very much like a standard U.S. grocery store receipt) and came to about U.S.$170. Her care was excellent – at least as good as would have been available in the U.S.

[Riverwind]

Yep, I go back to what I said, lets scrap the whole damn thing, starting with the health care congress has.

It looks like the Democrats will pass this bill with a simple majority of 51 votes, the republicans are already bitching about it and saying that it has never been done before. Only part true, never been done before under this administration, under Bush he did the same thing with TAX CUTS to the RICH in 2001.

I noticed no republicans are chiming in on this thread, I guess they watched that conference too.

River

[Batman]

The bill already passed in the Senate. If the House passes the same one it becomes law. What they're talking about is making corrections via another bill at the same time. The corrections bill would be by reconciliation. They already beat the filibuster, they just need the balls to finish the job.

[kristoff]

The bill already passed in the Senate. If the House passes the same one it becomes law. What they're talking about is making corrections via another bill at the same time. The corrections bill would be by reconciliation. They already beat the filibuster, they just need the balls to finish the job.

I would imagine they could find a few sets around here for the taking.

[Paolo]

Health care in other countries isn't "free", per say.
I don't mind paying taxes, IF I get something in return for it.
Around here, I can't even get a road plowed when it snows, hence the need for a gas-sucking high-maintenance 4WD truck.
The roads are a joke, the cops are a joke, the schools suck, and the fire dept. in our area is volunteer only.
This year, though, I get to smirk at the tax issue, at least on the federal level. I got back more than I paid in, because I decided that going to work wasn't worth it anymore. I don't eat much, I don't want for much, so there...