Healthcare is NOT a basic human right.

Nurses Activism

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If one were to read the Constitution one would realize that the Constitution does not grant anyone freedoms, liberties, or rights. The Constitution only protects freedoms, liberties, and rights from transgressions on part of the government. A right is something that is inherent to the individual, comes from that individual, and is maintained by the individual. You are born with such rights like the right to speak freely, the only thing that can be done to that right is to have it infringed. No one can grant a right to another, only limit or impede the exercise of that right.

Healthcare is a human invention that does not exist in the natural environment. Only through the work of others and through the taking of resources from one party and giving to another does healthcare exist. You cannot force someone to give effort and resources to another and call that a right. In the absence of human intervention the individual would live their lives and succumb to the natural forces which would act upon their bodies.

Do I think we should provide preventative care and basic primary care? Sure. Do I think that we can? Maybe. Do I think that healthcare is a basic human right? Absolutely not.

I am not sure what you mean as my point was that Mississippi is the poorest state in the Union. I read something recently that said obesity has had a huge impact on their economy. They are 3rd in the nation. However, I'm sure it is comforting to Mississippians to know that this is not their fault and they are wasting their infinite resources.

Economy of Mississippi statistics - StateMaster.com

Thank you so much. It is my hope that soon this will be shared by all Americans.

It is hard for me to feel sorry for the poor man who sits on his mountain of gold.

If we have universal healthcare then the citizens of your, mine, and every other state will not have the right nor privilege to decide the healthcare that suits each of our needs the best. Thats the thing, the healthcare needs of Mississippi are vastly different from the healthcare needs of Arizona, as they are different from California.

Why can we not allow the citizens of those states to decide what it most appropriate for them?

Specializes in ICU, PACU, OR.

Medical bills. "People often don't realize medical bills tend to be eminently negotiable," Andrew Cohen, a medical debt resolution program manager at The Access Project, told CBS News. The key is to find out the fair price of procedures and medications (Healthcare Blue Book is a good resource) and then meet with your doctor's or hospital's billing department before you have the procedure. Ask about financial assistance programs, offer to pay in cash, and if you don't have health insurance, don't be afraid to ask the hospital to lower its prices. (Cohen suggests starting with "If I pay you 30 percent of this bill right now, will you write off the rest?") If you've already been treated and have received a huge bill, there's still a chance you can negotiate. "Errors are commonplace in hospital bills," writes Jane E. Brody at The New York Times. "A doctor may request a procedure or medication that is subsequently canceled or that the patient refuses, but it still goes on the bill. An entry error may result in a misplaced decimal point or an extra zero or two in the number of treatments, multiplying the cost 10 or 100 times." Take a close look at your bill. Were you over-charged or double-billed an item or procedure? Did your insurance company deny something that they were supposed to cover? Did they charge you for a test or medication that wasn't administered? Just don't bother trying to negotiate your co-payment--you knew about that before you sought medical treatment.

Specializes in Wilderness Medicine, ICU, Adult Ed..

VanLpn wrote, "Me too. It baffles me that people wouldn't want a universal healthcare system. This discussion has also highlighted to me how individualistic the U.S as a whole is with an "every man for himself" kind of philosophy. I am very grateful that Canadians want everyone to have equal access to health care and for no one to go bankrupt over an illness. It's not a perfect system to be sure but I'm glad to have it."

Van, some of us down south do not want universal healthcare because we think that there is a better way to provide care. We do provide healthcare for our poor and unimployed, but we do not do it very well, which is why we are so concerned about our system. You mention that your country's healthcare system is not perfect. Well, neither is ours, which is why so many of us are following this thread. We want the best healthcare system possible, but it is hard to know what that will look like, and, while we agree about wanting everyone cared for, we disagree on how best to do this because we see the problem from different points of view.

As for being individualistic, you are right, individual liberty, responsibility, and effort are traditional U.S. values; which makes us different from other countries. However, I have to comment on your interpretation of individualism as meaning, "every man for himself." Not true. We do tend to be more independant than people in some other places, and we are proud of that, but we also feel strong bonds to our neighbors, communitties, and country. Our sence of communitty includes the duty to help others within those communities, which we do, as I am sure Canadians also do.

I am glad that you are proud of your wonderful country. You have good reason to be proud that you are a Canadian. Our two countries are different. We see many things differently, but people who see things differently can still respect each other, and even be friends. I certainly feel nothing but friendship and respect for our Canadian neighbors. I hope that you do too, but in any case, we send our best wishes to you and your countrymen.

Specializes in ER, ICU, Administration (briefly).

We are not a nation of one document. We also have The Federalist Papers, for instance, and the Declaration of Independence. I could swear I remember something about being endowed by our "creator" with certain inalienable rights, including life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

Specializes in ER, ICU, Administration (briefly).

At least the Canadians HAVE a system, instead of a hodgepodge network of for profit unaccountable and faceless providers.

Our "system" stinks when it comes to chronic care, and the simple fact is that that is our most pressing concern right now.

The Affordable Care Act is a small step, but at least it's a step, towards addressing this great national disgrace.

Specializes in School Nursing.

Realmaninuniform, I SHOUT ditto, ditto, and Amen to ALL you have said sooooooo well!

Specializes in cardiac, ICU, education.
I find it very interesting the number of people here and politicians who say that healthcare should be left up to the individual states. I find that interesting because I live in one of the few states that has tried this.

You like Canada's system, but they leave it up to the provinces to decide HC management. Many of our states have more people in one state than the whole population of Canada, yet we should have one system? Notwithstanding the fact that the Canadian government is no longer prosecuting fee-for-service doctors who have opened their own clinics since the government can no longer take care of people in a timely matter for many of the services. You also pay for HC based on income. I work with two CRNA's from Canada and they came to this country (years ago) for better job opportunities. They believe that many of Canada's policies have created some very dependent citizens who do not need to work because of so many entitlements. I think our country has a bigger problem with entitlement mentality than even places in Europe and if we start giving and giving, no one will be there to make the money to pay for the services.

Have been watching a great BBC/PBS program "Call the Midwive" about young nurse/midwife in 1950's UK. The programme also brings light on the benefits given to all residents of that country by the newly formed NHS, especially as it pertains to women and children.

Am reading some of the posts here and thinking about last nights episode where a young mother to be loses her baby and her life due to Eclampsia.

In the 1950's it seems not much could be done for pre and eclampsia patients, but times have changed. So are we now to say just because a woman or her family cannot afford proper care during pregnancy, birth and after delivery she should just be left on her own?

No wonder the United States despite being the most wealthy and powerful nation on earth as an infant mortality rate behind some third world countries.

And not to be disrespectful at all, but I too am glad that you are Canadian! :) I am also glad that you have noticed one of the aspects of Americans that make me down right proud to stand beside my fellow Americans' and root them on "to be all they can be" while maintaining my own right to do so also.

"be all they can be" you just paraphrased a Canadian Armed Forces recruiting slogan!

Oh, and can any of the Americans explain to me why we have American tourists come north to see Banff, Jasper, Vancouver, Toronto and wind up in our hospitals for conditions that they knew they had? They have no travel insurance, so our systems picks up the cost.

Just in the last year, in one hospital, I know of a detached retina surgery, a full term delivery, and kidney stone surgery. We won't mention the heart, gall bladders, and appis because most people don't plan it.

One American I looked after happily told me that they came north and wanted to use our "free system" because they couldn't afford the surgery due to lack of health insurance! Every nurse that cared from heard the same smug, congratulatory speech.

"be all they can be" you just paraphrased a Canadian Armed Forces recruiting slogan!

Oh, and can any of the Americans explain to me why we have American tourists come north to see Banff, Jasper, Vancouver, Toronto and wind up in our hospitals for conditions that they knew they had? They have no travel insurance, so our systems picks up the cost.

Just in the last year, in one hospital, I know of a detached retina surgery, a full term delivery, and kidney stone surgery. We won't mention the heart, gall bladders, and appis because most people don't plan it.

One American I looked after happily told me that they came north and wanted to use our "free system" because they couldn't afford the surgery due to lack of health insurance! Every nurse that cared from heard the same smug, congratulatory speech.

Hell, I have great insurance and I would go to Canada to receive free medical care. Free is always better than low cost.

Have been watching a great BBC/PBS program "Call the Midwive" about young nurse/midwife in 1950's UK. The programme also brings light on the benefits given to all residents of that country by the newly formed NHS, especially as it pertains to women and children.

Am reading some of the posts here and thinking about last nights episode where a young mother to be loses her baby and her life due to Eclampsia.

In the 1950's it seems not much could be done for pre and eclampsia patients, but times have changed. So are we now to say just because a woman or her family cannot afford proper care during pregnancy, birth and after delivery she should just be left on her own?

No wonder the United States despite being the most wealthy and powerful nation on earth as an infant mortality rate behind some third world countries.

Demographics have a small part to play in infant mortality. You cannot compare a nation a fraction, a very small fraction, the size of the United States with a homogeneous population to a very large heterogeneous population.

My state is very conservative yet we provide for our own. We do provide perinatal care to the poor and even give special care to single mothers with children. It's unbelievable a state can manage it's own care...

Hell, I have great insurance and I would go to Canada to receive free medical care. Free is always better than low cost.

But I thought you said that America provided superior care to our nasty universal system.

Canadians are fed up of paying for healthcare tourists who go home and ignore the bills from our hospitals.

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