I want to know what nurses think about socialized medicine.

Elkpark,

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My brother is married to an English woman. Her parents live in the UK. Her father developed prostate cancer at age 65, and the NHS allowed him medication for comfort. Period. He died two years later. If he was here in the US, he'd still be with us.

I do feel there is a bit more to this story as I am a UK citizen and worked both in hospital and community for over 16 years and knew many that had prostate cancer and was treated. In fact knew many that had all different types of cancer and was treated and not just palliatively

Yes the UK system has faults but it doesn't help when some countries feel that they have a right to abuse it and come over for 'free' care when really they should pay. I remember seeing a documentary a couple years ago on where foreign patients where approached regarding payments and they admitted they had come for treatment but knew they had no means of paying for it but they couldn't get treatment in their own country or couldn't afford it in their own country.

Most UK workers will pay national insurance and it is usually taken out at source, before you get your pay and then the only time we pay towards care is in England there is a prescription charge, in Scotland and Wales there is no prescription charge. But if you are on benefits or pregnant there is no charge for prescriptions.

http://www.odh.ohio.gov/ASSETS/35FD3...5/wicfacts.PDF

Respect is earned. I don't receive insurance through my employer. You must have missed that part. The bottom line is this. We all pay our own way. You take care of yours, I'll take care of mine. I don't need the government dipping into my paycheck any deeper than they are now. All of the costs for this proposed nonsense are ESTIMATED. The actual cost will be higher, much higher. You think our for-profit system is inefficient? Give it to the government and stand back. Even my left leaning union buddies are starting to balk at El Presidente's proposals. Please, somebody name ONE cost efficient government program. Just one.

New Dem health plan has public option, lower cost
By DAVID ESPO – 13 hours ago
WASHINGTON (AP) — Democrats on a key Senate Committee outlined a revised and far less costly health care plan Wednesday night that includes a government-run insurance option and an annual fee on employers who do not offer coverage to their workers.
The plan carries a 10-year price tag of slightly over $600 billion, and would lead toward an estimated 97 percent of all Americans having coverage, according to the Congressional Budget Office, Sens. Edward M. Kennedy and Chris Dodd said in a letter to other members of the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. The AP obtained a copy.

Elkpark,

You support government efficiency with government documents? Please. Of course government administration is less expensive, they can mandate costs. The government can mandate access. The government can mandate everything.

My brother is married to an English woman. Her parents live in the UK. Her father developed prostate cancer at age 65, and the NHS allowed him medication for comfort. Period. He died two years later. If he was here in the US, he'd still be with us.

There is much talk of the 45-47 million Americans without insurance. What about the rest of us who are satisfied with our coverage? My daughter is 22, a recent college grad. Most of her friends are uninsured, by choice. They could easily pay for it, they choose not to. Foolish? I think so. Should I pay for it? No. They have the means and the choice.

Elkpark,


There is much talk of the 45-47 million Americans without insurance. What about the rest of us who are satisfied with our coverage? My daughter is 22, a recent college grad. Most of her friends are uninsured, by choice. They could easily pay for it, they choose not to. Foolish? I think so. Should I pay for it? No. They have the means and the choice.

Nearly 20 percent of Americans between the ages of 18 and 64 did not have a regular source for health care in 2004 and 2005, a strong indication many Americans may not be receiving needed care, according to a study recently released by the CDC.


"Literature shows having health insurance and a usual source of care are associated with more medical visits, visits when you need them, and possibly better quality of care and better continuity of care," said Amy Bernstein, Sc.D., chief of the CDC's analytic studies branch at the Office of Analysis and Epidemiology and director of the study reported in Health, United States, 2007. (567-page PDF; About PDFs)