Universal Healthcare

Nurses Activism

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  1. Do you think the USA should switch to government run universal healthcare?

    • 129
      Yes. Universal Healthcare is the best solution to the current healthcare problems.
    • 67
      No. Universal healthcare is not the answer as care is poor, and taxes would have to be increased too high.
    • 23
      I have no idea, as I do not have enough information to make that decision.
    • 23
      I think that free market healthcare would be the best solution.

242 members have participated

After posting the piece about Nurses traveling to Germany and reading the feedback. I would like to open up a debate on this BB about "Universal Health Care" or "Single Payor Systems"

In doing this I hope to learn more about each side of the issue. I do not want to turn this into a heated horrific debate that ends in belittling one another as some other charged topics have ended, but a genuine debate about the Pros and Cons of proposed "Universal Health Care or Single Payor systems" I believe we can all agree to debate and we can all learn things we might not otherwise have the time to research.

I am going to begin by placing an article that discusses the cons of Universal Health Care with some statistics, and if anyone is willing please come in and try to debate some of the key points this brings up. With stats not hyped up words or hot air. I am truly interested in seeing the different sides of this issue. This effects us all, and in order to make an informed decision we need to see "all" sides of the issue. Thanks in advance for participating.

Michele

I am going to have to post the article in several pieces because the bulletin board only will allow 3000 characters.So see the next posts.

Specializes in MPCU.
I believe universal healthcare gives people the opportunity to trash their health without reaping consequences. I believe that universal healthcare causes a decrease in the quality of care given. Why is it that people from both canada and the UK come to America for care? It may be more costly but they understand that the quality of care given to a human life is priceless. I understand that it is important to make healthcare affordable but dear God don't give into a socialist mentality; especially when it comes to our health.

People who trash their health already reap state funded benefits. UHC will make no difference for these people.

UHC will give the hard working person with two or three part time jobs a chance at healthcare. It may even provide him with the opportunity to work one full time job, since much of the incentive for hiring only part time workers is to not provide benefits.

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Specializes in Spinal Cord injuries, Emergency+EMS.
I believe universal healthcare gives people the opportunity to trash their health without reaping consequences.

exactly how ?

I believe that universal healthcare causes a decrease in the quality of care given.

your rationale for that statement

one fairly highly specialised question

how many of the regional spinal injuries units in the USA have a lokomat?

Why is it that people from both canada and the UK come to America for care?

this is not routine , it also has to be noted that people come from all over the world to be treated (as paying customers of the NHS) by internationally reknown specialists in the Uk - there are some areas of clinical practice which cannot sustain large numbers of medical specialists ...

It may be more costly but they understand that the quality of care given to a human life is priceless.

yet you choose to deny this to millions of your fellow Americans

I understand that it is important to make healthcare affordable but dear God don't give into a socialist mentality; especially when it comes to our health.

nice to see mcarthyism is alive and well ...

socialism is the control of the means of production by the workers ...

a 'socialist' UHC system would see a single monolithic system with no opt outs and no contractors ... even the NHS does not provide this

why?

- the General Practitioner system is mainly contractorised under the GMS contract and has been since 1948 it's only relatively recently that we've seen directly employed by the NHS GPs and then it's rather limited - usually to areas where no senislbe person would wish to own a business ( as this is what a GMS GP practice is)

- there is a parallel system of private provision for elective surgery, with both self payers /insured and the NHS purchased beds

- PFI funding for hospitals although clinicla staff are employed directly by the NHS

- the use of contractors to waiting list bust or to provide additional services ... the pre-hospital care work i do is as a contractor to an NHS trust

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So, I'm gonna say the bad word, "UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE". Having worked in the ICU for 2 years now, and seeing "SELF-PAY" on 80% of the charts (translation: not going to pay), I'm having a hard time understanding what the difference would be between what we have now and "universal health care." Isn't that what we have? You go to the hopsital, you must be seen. Period, wheather you have money or not. Wheather you are planning on paying or not! What exactly is the difference between that and "free?" Someone please explain it to me.

I feel like vomiting when the politicians get up there are and go on and on about "the raising cost of health care." PLEASE! It is the unfortunate few that are acctually paying that are feeling the "raising cost". If people were actually accountable for their actions and bills, I don't see how the "costs" wouldn't go down. Am I wrong? People just don't get it.

I don't personally want "universal health care". I don't want to give up my health care decisions to the system. I really don't think people understand what they will be giving up...

Please any thoughts?

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Specializes in Education, FP, LNC, Forensics, ED, OB.

Threads merged.

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Specializes in MPCU.
So, I'm gonna say the bad word, "UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE". Having worked in the ICU for 2 years now, and seeing "SELF-PAY" on 80% of the charts (translation: not going to pay), I'm having a hard time understanding what the difference would be between what we have now and "universal health care." Isn't that what we have? You go to the hopsital, you must be seen. Period, wheather you have money or not. Wheather you are planning on paying or not! What exactly is the difference between that and "free?" Someone please explain it to me.

I feel like vomiting when the politicians get up there are and go on and on about "the raising cost of health care." PLEASE! It is the unfortunate few that are acctually paying that are feeling the "raising cost". If people were actually accountable for their actions and bills, I don't see how the "costs" wouldn't go down. Am I wrong? People just don't get it.

I don't personally want "universal health care". I don't want to give up my health care decisions to the system. I really don't think people understand what they will be giving up...

Please any thoughts?

too right. those who take advantage will still take advantage under universal healthcare. those who only see the medical system when they are no longer able to work and go to the ER, will see someone before it becomes emergent and they visit your CCU. that is the advantage to UHC.

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Specializes in OB, HH, ADMIN, IC, ED, QI.
I worked in the UK and learned the hard way that you should not tell the doc that you are only there temporarily. Thay made me pay for services,but the cost was probably about 25% of what it would have cost here. I was hired by a nursing agency,but worked for the NHS and would have been covered,along with my husband from the time I set foot on UK soil,if I had not volunteered that I was only planning to stay for 3 months. Good Luck!

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I am the same age as you are, rntravelor. At least you were given the impression that they wanted you to stay on, in the UK. Here in the USA, there is rampant age discrimination, as health insurers charge so much more for covering those over 55 years of age, and when Medicare is appropriate, they refuse to allow it to be your primary insurer, charging your employer twice as much as before. Bye-bye job!

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