Health Care: The Ticking Time Bomb

Just a quick question... I have debated this with my spouse over and over again... We both agree 100% that healthcare should be a right not a privilege. But my question for fellow healthcare workers is this. Would you be for this plan even if it meant that your pay was cut to say $12/hour? It is my belief that there would be cost cuts to support a plan of this nature and I think that pay would be one of those. Just a little something to ponder....

But even in a UHS those that work and pay contributions (ours are about 7% plus the employer pays about another 7%)
the people who pay are still paying for those who don't ie those who don't work or claim benefits, or work without paying tax and contributions becasue they don't declare the work and work for cash in hand.

There will always be compromises for a UHS and I think a large part of the spending in healthcare in the US goes on hospitals and state of the art technology-which can't be said for here in the UK.

Depends if people want to compromise on access to investigations and treatment, salaries for those who work in healthcare and hospital facilities, cleanliness and age. Of course you may end up with a far better system than ours, but remember, nurses in the US are among the best paid in the world.

Again, you all keep saying Universal Health Care. That isn't what is being proposed. A government option to BUY insurance. There are people out there who cannot get insurance due to preexisting conditions and excesive cost. That is NOT fair. I would not want UHC, I do want everyone who wants insurance the ability to BUY it without fear of not eating.

How many of you went to college on a FEDERAL subsidized student loan? How many GI's in the 50's were able to buy homes because of a government sponsered program that gave them low interest loans. Yes, we have a big government. But that is a fact of life, it isn't going to change. At least with our new administration I don't have the fear that my government is protecting me by torturing others. I am hoping and praying out Americans overseas no longer have the fear of the CIA listening in on their conversations.

Regarding the public plan cost. If all 40 million without health insurance would sign up the policy holder base would be so huge, the cost (and therefore the premiums/copayments) would be much less than today. Also, there would be no profit involved, saving more - and all those collecting medicaid (from state coffers) would be transferred to this public plan. If the quality of health increased in the general population - would more people work? Hopefully someone smarter than me (that includes about anyone) can figure this out.

I cannot get health insurance due to pre existing conditions. The only time that I have ever had adequate healthcare was when I was on disability. I choose to go off of disability and go back to work. I know many people on disability who could work but don't due to the fact that they would lose their health care. Funny some of them are RN's with severe back problems. I would like affordable and available health care. Right now it is neither for me. The key word is affordable. I don't expect free but affordable. Right now health insurance if I could get it would cost one-half of my monthly income before taxes. That's not affordable.

I'm nearly 50 and I've never had a mammogram, I've only had two pap smears, and I have had very few medical screenings that are not related to my current medical issues. I tell my friends, that if I get cancer I'm just going to have to die as I certainly could never afford the chemo, radiation, or surgery. Same goes with a heart attack or stroke. Only the insured or the wealthy can afford medical care in this country. For the rest of us it's unavailable.

Fuzzy