Do You Want Universal Healthcare?

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I know this topic has been discussed before on this site..but, I was curious for an updated response. How many of you would be willing to pay more taxes for universal healthcare? I find it egregious that the US has put a cost on maintaining/saving ones life! I traveled to Europe and the thought of them having to bring their checkbook to the hospital aroused literal laughs. It's the same notion that we'd have to whip out our debit card to firefighters before they turned the hoses on our burning homes. It's sad. I think the overall costs of UH would be beneficial...in fact, the raised taxes would still probably be lower than our rising premiums every 2 weeks! Thoughts?

Specializes in Emergency/ Critical Care.
Oh, yes Ma'am, certainly...civility is important.

I thought the issue was your statement regarding Americans being entitled to public education...I refuted that and then you responded with an admonition for civility. Where is the debate?

I've stated my OPINION, we disagree. I will not argue with people whether it be online or in person. What you're intending is, in fact, an argument, not a debate

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I've stated my OPINION, we disagree. I will not argue with people whether it be online or in person. What you're intending is, in fact, an argument, not a debate

Please, porifice the difference for me.

You posited a statement, I responded to it. We disagreed. You decided I was being uncivil because I corrected your casement of a noun. Now you won't play. That solves everything.

Perhaps I have too much time on my hands...

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Specializes in Mursing.

These countries have universal health care (listed from #1-11 in the 2007 United Nations Human Development Index): Iceland, Norway, Australia, Canada, Ireland, Sweden, Switzerland, Japan, Netherlands, France, and Finland.

Is it just a coincidence that these countries have universal health care coverage and are ahead of the United States of America in the Human Development Index?

It's sad that the United States boasts some of the richest and most influential figures in the world, yet continue to be driven by the dollar - at the expense of their own citizens' health.

PS. The USA dropped four spots from the 2006 Human Development Index. Vote Obama? :smokin:

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http://www.liberty-page.com/issues/healthcare/socialized.html#usa

Surgery postponed indefinitely for 1,000 Kelowna patients

- Cathryn Atkinson, April 8, 2008 [Globe and Mail]

Majority of Que. dentists quit health-care system

- March 27, 2008 [CTV.ca]

Why Ontario keeps sending patients south

- Lisa Priest, February 22, 2008 [Globe and Mail]

Will Socialized Health Care in the US Kill Canadians?

- Don Surber, March 3, 2008 [Acton Institute]

Wait times for surgery, medical treatments at all-time high: report

- October 15, 2007 [CBC News (Canada)]

The Ugly Truth About Canadian Health Care

- David Gratzer, Summer 2007 [City Journal]

Cancer patients question why PET scan not covered

- May 28, 2007 [CBC News]

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I have read through most of this thread and I agree with the person who felt it was polar oposite,, here are my thoughts and I am bias as a product of the NHS, a lot in fact, my feeling is that in a perfect world starting from scratch you would have a system which is morph between the NHS and the Finnish system, the NHS care for all on the surface on an equal level but until recently if you worked it was very difficult to access it (madness) and still now General Practitioner work to their own agenda,(although in my Job Occupational Health a few well place threats worked a treat as they arn't actually allowed to do a lot of what they are doing) In Finland Workers get priority, this was due to them having to pay war reperation and realising they could only pay it back if all their workers could work to full capacity, a lot of people fall out of the capitalist society because they are unable to work in the US and therefore pay taxes, same in the Uk but things are improving there, by the way I am not a labourite, I am a true yellow liberal (you've proberably never heard of them in the US, hay most people in the UK haven't) I would also make people pay for missed appointments (something the UK doesn't do, as this will remind people of the priviledge it is to have free health care)

I was once called in for a major incident at work, a busload of American Tourists went off the M2 one man who lost his wife and sister, was in bits because he couldn't find his insurence card (at the time due to the chaos we didn't know they had died), and know amount of reasuranece from us would calm him, because although therotically, the NHS, recoups its cost, hospitals don't have the departments to deal with it and even if he hadn't been insured we where still going to treat them all.

I also worked with American medical students on elecitives and to a man (and women) said yes the US needs this, it brilliant...but not until I've paid my student loans...maybe education first???

Oh and to the person who quoted the conservitive paper of 2001! remember they had tried to undo the NHS for 18 yrs! Labour had only been in for 4 not a long time to undo that much damage

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Oh I read through that and realised I had,t mentioned the elderly or children, and those with diabilities they are a given

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Specializes in Mursing.

In response to Treedoc:

http://www.liberty-page.com/about/main.html

Now, read some reliable sources:

Mitre, J.C. (2006). Nursing in Paris: The perspective of an American nurse. Journal of Emergency Nursing, 32(3), 292-295.

Canadian Medical Association. (2006). CMA's direction on the public-private interface. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 175(9), 1047.

Canadian Medical Association. (2007). America poised on the precipice of health reform. Canadian Medical Association Journal, 177(10), 1170-1.

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In response to Treedoc:

http://www.liberty-page.com/about/main.html

Now, read some reliable sources:

Well, I don't think the journals are any more equitable than the press on this issue...there might be some conflict of interest...

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Specializes in Mursing.
Well, I don't think the journals are any more equitable than the press on this issue...there might be some conflict of interest...

Please consider how the press obtained the information and consider who 'influences' what should be published. The Globe and Mail isn't the most trusted newspaper up here in Canada, eh.

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Please consider how the press obtained the information and consider who 'influences' what should be published. The Globe and Mail isn't the most trusted newspaper up here in Canada, eh.

Information truly is power.

Back to the issue...toss the G&B stuff, what about the other reports? All is not well in the UHC world.

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Specializes in Mursing.
Information truly is power.

Indeed. It can be quite manifested in manipulated ways as well.

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Jeffrey,

You spent half your post arguing half my sentence. Why not go a step further and just take random words from my post and make them say whatever you want?

You have told two people (so far) to leave the country over their opinions that didnt match yours. You should either stay with this "love it or leave it" dictatorship sentiment, or the "it doesnt matter if we agree or disagree" notion. At this rate, i wouldnt be surprised if your next post supported universal health care. That would be nice, because universal health care is a right!:nuke:

I suggested those who want socialized medicine move to a place where there is a system which supports it. I never ever told anyone to leave because their opinions were different from mine. I love the debate. I was probably too aggressive though. I don't intend to attack. But I guess I'm just a spirited debater. As you clearly are! I like it though. Bring it on.

And I did read the posts that I responded to. I don't think I took any quotes out of the contexts within which they were meant. But you see it differently and I apologize if I did take anything you said out of the context in which you meant it. Still, I don't think I did.

I can't agree with you that I have been contradicting myself. I think a more careful reading of my posts will reveal a very consistent ideology. I don't need to reiterate that here. It's all right in the forum for all to scrutinize. I stand behind my comments and will be glad to personally clarify any points which might confuse.

And lastly, I have read many of your posts and I enjoy the heck out of them. I appreciate your thoughts and your insight. I am happy to find nurses with such passion and energy. I'm glad you're here.

I will try to be more sensitive to others with my comments. I get carried away with enthusiasm and often go beyond my points, making statements like "move there." That's not really necessary is it? Of course not. I want to be a productive member of this community.

For anyone else who was offended by my words, I do apologize. Still, I hope I don't need to walk on eggshells around here. I am a nurse who works with nurses and my experience suggests we are a much tougher bunch than the average. Not many thin-skinned nurses on my floor! But I'll be a little more gentle.

Peace, Love, and Understanding

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