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?

Regardless of the answer to your question . . .to characterize people who voted for Bush as coolpeach did was simply wrong.

Poor people are not to be condemned. Uneducated people are not to be condemned. People who "fear" God are not to be condemned. Elderly people are old and confused? People who are wealthy are selfish? That is so rude.

We have a local family whose Dad was famous in Hollywood - very wealthy - they give money to Hospice, to our Ambulance, to many other things in our community . . .in fact they made sure the boyfriend of my patient with laryngeal cancer (who died today) got free meals at a local restaurant.

Wealth does not automatically equal greed.

All those generalizations sound bigoted to me.

steph

While we try to avoid stereotypes because they lump in people that don't fit they do sometimes have a basis in truth.

Sometimes things are bigoted and still right...

I can't honestly find something good to say about the people that voted Bush in a second term. Really... Gimme a clue. Throw me a bone...

Who gets fooled twice by the same person? Really now...

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Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.

I can't honestly find something good to say about the people that voted Bush in a second term. Really... Gimme a clue. Throw me a bone...

Who gets fooled twice by the same person? Really now...

So, you're saying that John Kerry was the right person for the job? Really now...

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Are you asking if Kerry would have been better than Bush? Come on. I would be better president than Bush...

Mission Accomplished!!!!!!!!!

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Specializes in L & D; Postpartum.
Are you asking if Kerry would have been better than Bush? Come on. I would be better president than Bush...

Mission Accomplished!!!!!!!!!

No, but I'm assuming you think so. Not a chance. But I'm entitled to my opinion, you're entitled to yours. That is not to say that I don't have some disappointments about the last 4 years, but I could never vote for someone who touted his own military service (questionably laudable ) and then throws his medals away. What a slap in the face of all the military personnel who are keeping us safe, and by the way, making sure you have the right to criticize the President the way you do.

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No, but I'm assuming you think so. Not a chance. But I'm entitled to my opinion, you're entitled to yours. That is not to say that I don't have some disappointments about the last 4 years, but I could never vote for someone who touted his own military service (questionably laudable ) and then throws his medals away. What a slap in the face of all the military personnel who are keeping us safe, and by the way, making sure you have the right to criticize the President the way you do.

My military service ensured my right to ridicule the president who by the way bs'd his way through the guard.

I must go to bed so remember this one thing. I, me, Stanley Williams gave away 4+ years of his life to protect your freedom to like Bush. Bush never did that for anyone. He BS'd his way through the Guard. Kerry served in the military and EARNED the right to throw away his medals. It's not good taste to criticize the conduct of veterans of a military you haven't served in... Just my humble veteran opinion...

As if you have to remind a veteran what a soldier does... Bleh

204th MI Battalion - Intel! The only thing better than a rifle!

Good people sleep peaceably in their beds at night only because rough men stand ready to do violence on their behalf." - George Orwell

You = Good People | Me = That rough man (OK I am not really rough, but an M4 and the know how to use it makes me 'look' rough) - Enough Said

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Specializes in ER/Ortho.

If you read my post I very clearly stated that there were well off people in NY, and California who clearly did the right thing (Notice they are blue states). There are many famous people who came out with their support recently for Obama, and UHC because even though they are rich and famous they want to do the right thing for the country. So I did NOT say "ALL rich people", but those being well off, or vested in big business are one of the groups of people who voted for Bush. I also did not say that ALL elderly are confused. I stated that those who are elderly AND confused voted for BUSH (notice Florida is a red state). In addition if you look at some of our poorest Southern states they are Red states (Strange you say!!!). These people are not vested in Big business, and they are not get the "I am wealthy tax cuts" type people so you must ask them WHY. Most say that it is because "Bush believes in God", "Bush is patriotic", "They like the way he talks" etc. You have to assume that people who base their choice for president on these reasons, and choose a president who actually makes their very dire situation worse must do so for a reason. It is only common sense to conclude that the fact that they are lack an education, and the resources to gather information (internet, books) etc, and possibly even the ability to read said information might play into that reason.

Before you go off and say I am saying all Southern states are poor, uneducated people I am NOT.

For example I live in Dallas, Texas which is a Red State. I believe it is a Red state because we have a mix. There are areas of great wealth where people want those "Wealthy tax cuts", and many people vested in big business. In addition, we have areas where 5th grade drop outs live in rural areas in their home with wheels, and like to handle snakes at church on Sunday. They don't have internet because its Gods work, and would mean they would have to use their beer money for something else. They like Bush cause he sounds cool when he talks, comes from Texas, and loves God. You get the picture.

Then you got the middle class folks who are stuck in the middle yelling WHY!!!!!

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Specializes in ER/Ortho.

Stanley,

I for one want to thank you for your service to our country. I am currently against the war, and feel we are there for all the wrong reasons. At the same time I have the upmost respect, and appreciation for all of you who have put your life on the line to protect my freedoms. I am not sure I would have the courage, and I thank you.

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Stanley,

I for one want to thank you for your service to our country. I am currently against the war, and feel we are there for all the wrong reasons. At the same time I have the upmost respect, and appreciation for all of you who have put your life on the line to protect my freedoms. I am not sure I would have the courage, and I thank you.

Well I never had to put my life on the line per se. I was in that sweet spot between Bush 1 and Bush 2:Return of the Moron.

In any case, don't thank me. It makes me uncomfortable. :imbar If I had to do it again I'd probably not. I'm not exactly the tough guy killer type I think... Nursing fits me so much better.

The arguments about Bush get me so riled up. The fact that people still like him and support him is just ugh... Why do soldiers even fight. We'd be better of with a dictatorship. At least then people would have an excuse for supporting a regime, instead of just choosing to follow the regime on their own. It's high time for some revolution. Obama is just in time I think...

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How hard is it to determine whether or not a company actually physically exists? Not very. No effort was made.

How do you know that no effort is made. And would you prefer that it take months to reimburse legitimate claims due to lengthy validation. Your arguement really has nothing to do with universal health care and the need to have a program that covers the uninsured and regulates the greedy insurance companies that deny based on profit and loss potential insted of allowing the physician and patient to make the decisions. They have no right. We as consumers are stuck in a failed system.

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How about posting a nice graph :D that shows how much in taxes the oil companies paid?

Post the information showing all the tax breaks they are recieving as well. Your republican hero John McCain doesn't think it a good idea to remove their subsidies and tax breaks.

The rich, unfortunately as you may see it, do have the burden of paying higher taxes to help maintain the very merket and country that keeps them rich. Tax breaks for the rich have not worked they didn't work in the 80's and they certainly haven't worked in the last 7 years.

The basic theme of the arguments taking place here is that the rich should not have to pay any additional taxes to support the poor or less fortunate. I disagree and this is why.

I attended public school, joined the military, was sent to the first gulf war, used my GI Bill and many student loans to get my degree, used childcare asssistance while in school and once even required a brief food stamp assistance. I now make over 60k a year, pay my taxes and will for many years, make my student loan payments on time and contribute to the Democratic party to ensure the next degenerate like me has the same chance.

We have to invest in our people and have to be willing to accept that some will abuse that assistance but many others like myself will use it as it is intended and will ultimatley pay back a big return to our overall society. I will pay more taxes than I ever would have otherwise, my children will go to college with much less assitance if any at all, I am a homeowner three times now(also with the VA loan).

Have some compassion for those less fortunate than your self and realize that we are not all playing the game on the same quality of field.

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No, but I'm assuming you think so. Not a chance. But I'm entitled to my opinion, you're entitled to yours. That is not to say that I don't have some disappointments about the last 4 years, but I could never vote for someone who touted his own military service (questionably laudable ) and then throws his medals away. What a slap in the face of all the military personnel who are keeping us safe, and by the way, making sure you have the right to criticize the President the way you do.

He as an american also has the right to protest and discard his medals if he sees fit. You forget the great military record of Mr Bush and all that close combat fighting he did in the Texas air gaurd. When he bothered to show up that is. At very least Kerry was there and volunteered I might add. If he doesn't have the right to protest that war then who does.

You can love the soldier and disagree with the war and the administration that puts him their.

I am a vet and don't feel disrespected. I believe that he exemplified freedom and what it is to be an American andthat he showed great courage and conviction in his willingness to stand up for what he believed.

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it is not the job of law enforcement to check the veracity of each and every claim received by medicare. it is medicare's responsibility. and obviously it is a responsibility the administrators and/or worker bees don't take seriously and don't do very often. if and when fraud is suspected, then law enforcement should become involved. not the other way around.

i strongly suspect that the reason fraud detection and investigation received so little attention is that those responsible for preventing it don't feel the "pinch" of wasted dollars. after all, they can always get more money out of the taxpayers, right? and not be held personally accountable for their negligence. say what you will about private insurance (and many criticisms are justified), but there is no way fraud of this magnitude would go undetected and unpunished in a private system. the subscribers and share-holders would never stand for it. the subscribers and shareholders of medicare (the taxpayers) need to be equally demanding.

$97 million in one small geographic area in one year. imagine the healthcare that could have been provided with those funds alone!

and my point has been that the waste in administrative health care costs for "efficient" private insurance far exceeds the value of "mismanagement. in ffs medicare" we waste far more money in health care with administrative fees than we do in waste fraud and abuse in medicare. imo the administrative fee scam is the biggest example of wfa that can be attacked in this problem. we need to address the biggest elephant in the room of health care finance and that is administrative overhead.

the united states has the most bureaucratic health care system in the world. over 31% of every health care dollar goes to paperwork, overhead, ceo salaries, profits, etc. because the u.s. does not have a unified system that serves everyone, and instead has thousands of different insurance plans, each with its own marketing, paperwork, enrollment, premiums, and rules and regulations, our insurance system is both extremely complex and fragmented.

the medicare program operates with just 3% overhead, compared to 15% to 25% overhead at a typical hmo. provincial single-payer plans in canada have an overhead of about 1%.

it is not necessary to have a huge bureaucracy to decide who gets care and who doesn't when everyone is covered and has the same comprehensive benefits. with a universal health care system we would be able to cut our bureaucratic burden in half and save over $300 billion annually.

at http://www.pnhp.org/facts/singlepayer_faq.php

you may not be willing to believe it but most public servants view their job from an ethical standpoint to spend the taxpayers dollar wisely. (after all public servants are taxpayers also.)

unsourced unattributed information is not always credible.

(i can think of several famous instances of wfa in the private sector that went on for years. enron, subprime mortgage lenders etc. private sector oversight doesn't always hit the mark for protection of shareholder interests.)

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