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?

There are website with just as many people approving. The difference though is every time the English government considered switching to a different type of healthcare their was overwhelming opposition. Apparently it can't be that flawed...

You know you can't say it isn't flawed . . .there is no perfection on earth.

There are flaws.

As to that NPR story . . . I just got through reading Dr. Randy Pausch's inspirational book . . . .one of the things that stood out for me is his Dad's advice that there is no job beneath you. Randy worked in the strawberries when he was a teen - hated it, came home and said it was "beneath me". Dad gave him heck. Randy was back in the fields the next day. Still hated it but did a good job regardless. He also showed remarkable strength in living his life - something that should have been taught to these women and that 19 year old.

And I agree with Michigan - the argument that buying nutritious food is more expensive has always bothered me. I can buy more nutritious food and not spend $5.00 on a tomato. Also, instead of that little box of Hamburger Helper for $4.00 . . .buy a large bag of either whole wheat pasta or the kind with more fiber, buy some turkey burger, make your own sauce. There is probably 50 cents worth of pasta in that box of HH. Look for things on sale - where I shop there is always something on sale in every category. So if this brand is higher, buy the one on sale.

steph

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Specializes in Advanced Practice, surgery.
There are website with just as many people approving. The difference though is every time the English government considered switching to a different type of healthcare their was overwhelming opposition. Apparently it can't be that flawed...

Off Topic sorry: uh hum British Government if you don't mind, please don't forget Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland in that :coollook: You could get into lots of trouble over here for forgetting the rest of the country :D

On Topic:

I have to be honest there are many faults to our system but I really do believe the benefits outweight the difficulties we expererience. I would much rather have my healthcare in the hands of the department of health that some insurance company or healthcare corporation whose sole aim is to make money.

I am not sure what the perfect system is, there has to be a balance between the two, I know that our main difficulties come from a lack of finance, trying to put business plans together for essential services to be told that of course we understand that this is needed but at the moment there is no money to finance it is a huge frustration of mine.

Having said that it does inspire us to be quite innovative with our resources to provide these services. I tried for 4 years to get a clinic set up which in the end would improve surgical efficiency and it was only after I diverted resources from elsewhere for 6 months and provided the service which generated the data of what we could potentially achieve I got the investment that was needed. Without someone who is innovative and motivated then there is a real risk that improvments in care can get stilted.

I am not sure where the middle ground between the 2 systems are

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You know you can't say it isn't flawed . . .there is no perfection on earth.

That doesn't mean it isn't better.

is his Dad's advice that there is no job beneath you. Randy worked in the

This attitude has to be taught. If it isn't you can't expect someone to have it.

And I agree with Michigan - the argument that buying nutritious food is more expensive has always bothered me. I can buy more nutritious food and not spend $5.00 on a tomato.

Making nutritious food choices also has to be taught. While teaching the adults today would be extremely hard we should be teaching children. Of course, with silly commercials like the drinking a glass of milk a day promotes weight loss and all these silly fad diets, which even nurses participate in how can you expect people to learn.

People have to be taught how to make the right choices and what the right choices are. If they aren't taught you can't hold them responsible for making a bad choice.

What bad choice are those 19 year olds making? They are copying what they see their mother doing...

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

And being 19 years old means being an adult. When I was 19, I made my own food choices and I didn't need my parents to think for me. Adults generally do know what is considered "nutritious" and it's not starchy foods or tons of carbs.

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That doesn't mean it isn't better.

This attitude has to be taught. If it isn't you can't expect someone to have it.

Making nutritious food choices also has to be taught. While teaching the adults today would be extremely hard we should be teaching children. Of course, with silly commercials like the drinking a glass of milk a day promotes weight loss and all these silly fad diets, which even nurses participate in how can you expect people to learn.

People have to be taught how to make the right choices and what the right choices are. If they aren't taught you can't hold them responsible for making a bad choice.

What bad choice are those 19 year olds making? They are copying what they see their mother doing...

No . . sorry . . . adults cannot blame their bad choices on their parents. Nope, no way.

As to teaching . . . I agree and that is why this needs to be done with this at risk group. I have no problem with teaching them.

I'm just saying . .. there is a way.

steph

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Specializes in Critical care, tele, Medical-Surgical.
That doesn't mean that they don't have the option of treatment . . they can go to Urgent Care. The door is not barred.

steph

That is the point!

I stated that they are accompanied to urgent care.

NO ER is required to treat non emergencies.

If people without insurance or money cannot get chemotherapy and other cancer treatment in the ER WHY do hospitals do a desired pregnancy test?

I think it is poor management.

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And being 19 years old means being an adult. When I was 19, I made my own food choices and I didn't need my parents to think for me. Adults generally do know what is considered "nutritious" and it's not starchy foods or tons of carbs.

Which is why more Americans are overweight than not...

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Specializes in Maternal - Child Health.
Nice try. :)

By the way, when I became a vegetarian I knew nothing of healthy food. Now I caould make a mockery of what even you eat. That is not the point. The point is that healthy habits are either taught or you have to learn them. It takes time to learn them and you should be able to realize that.

You made the change by educating yourself. Why do you assume that these people are not capable of doing the same?

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You made the change by educating yourself. Why do you assume that these people are not capable of doing the same?

I know they can. I just think instead of years of trying and failing like I did that we could speed the process up. I also have hypomania to help. In a hypomanic state I can pretty much implement whatever changes I desire/obsess over on impulse and drive through the hard parts like a bulldozer. It's an unfair advantage. The faster they are educated, the faster they change and the faster they contribute to society.

I am not saying start new programs. There must already be programs or resources out there that can do this.

I just think people that can change will change. If they haven't changed something is holding them back. Lack of knowledge, habit, laziness or something. Some of the things we can knock out. If it helps them great, if it turns out to be laziness then we can implement some sort to benefit reduction timetable.

The point is that we can't decide just on a look what is going on with them. I am pretty sure everyone can agree to that.

It doesn't take much effort or time to lend a helping hand or point out a direction. Many people have done this for me. I will always do this for people. I have too. The whole duty to my country thing...

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Specializes in ER/Ortho.

I read the article about the ohio mother and daughter, and it took me a minute to figure out what you were talking about in regards to the picture. Did you read the article????? It clearly states there is NO public transportation where they are. It also says that the ONLY job within walking distance is some sort of factory which is packing up and going themselves so they are not hiring.

I also want to point out that Time magazine did a story just a month or so ago abut this very topic. The price of fresh veggies, fruits and healthy foods has increased dramatically while the cost of high fat, low nutrition food hasn't. There is a higher rate of obesity amoung poor people for this very reason. I live in Dallas, Texas and there is no way I could feed a family on $100 bucks a month. When I go shopping the most expensive part of our food bill is the fresh fruits and veggies. The farmers market in town, and the whole foods is even more expensive. The low fat, lean meats or way more expensive than the fatty ones. And don't even try to eat organic or your spend the full months budget on one day. When your eating poor you buy high fat, high starch foods that can easily feed your family. If I have $3 to feed my kids for the day I am going to choose rice, or pasta or something they could eat several times throughout the day, and maybe get somewhat full. If I brought home 4 Apples and said this is breakfast, lunch and dinner everyone gets one for the day it wouldn't work well.

I have two teenage sons who were looking for their first jobs. I took these kids everywhere, and they also put in online applications. We couldn't figure out why it had been a year and they couldn't get a job. Then our local newpaper and news station did a story about how the immigrants were taking the jobs the teenagers would normal apply for. Then I noticed the low paying, no skills, type jobs were mainly immigrants. 9 times out of 10 if I went into a fast food resturant or retail store that is who helped me. The few places where this was not true had the entire metroplex of young people, and adults with no skills applying for them. My kids finally got jobs, but it took forever.

I am amazed at some of the comments have seen in regards to these people in Ohio. I was truely saddened by CRNA's comments. How old are you?

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Specializes in ICU/Critical Care.

The price of fruits and veggies hasn't soared outrageously. Yes, the prices have gone up but not by much. Everytime I go to the farmer's market there is always a ton of fresh fruit and veggies on sale. I do agree that the obese comments were out of had and shouldn't haven't even been added to this discussion.

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Thank !!!!!!!!

For a second, I was almost convinced that I was out of my mind and that maybe those on the other side of the fence were correct.

I need to recite my 'Do not doubt yourself!" mantra some more. It isn't working.

Thank you CoolPeach. :yeah::yeah::yeah:

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