Is Health Care a Right?

mark_LD_RN · Jan 16, 2003

well sally thats not the picture people try to paint of him. what exactly do you see wrong with then plan ?

and where is is written that it is wrong to make money off a corporation,that is where people loose site of things. hospitals especially fpr profit ones are set up for that to make money,even nonprofit hospitals can not operate continuously deep in the red. as much as people may not like it health care is a buisness. and it will always be so to some degree even if socialized medicine takes over here.

is the problem you have with the plan just because of the messenger?

Flo1216 · Jan 16, 2003

MagRN....I think that is only a small part of the problem.

magRN · Jan 16, 2003

Gosh though...socialized medicine? Good in some ways, but certainly not in others.

But man I agree with the deal about medical care of prisoners...I am aware of several inmates who were dying of CA and had extremely exspensive operations to treat this CA they died in less than 5 months....all to the cost of the tax payer.

Now I way thinking too. Some neighbors of ours are down and out and they were able to get very reasonable medical insurance through the state! Do all states have a program like this? This is in MN.

researchrabbit · Jan 16, 2003

Originally posted by mark_LD_RN
it is not a right.

and i am totally against prisoners having health care, at best they should have minimal care for injuries sustain while in jail, period!

I don't agree. A pregnant prisoner in the county jail began having problems at 8 months and asked for help. None given. They let her deliver a dead baby 16 hours later on her cell floor.

Furball · Jan 16, 2003

Originally posted by researchrabbit
I don't agree. A pregnant prisoner in the county jail began having problems at 8 months and asked for help. None given. They let her deliver a dead baby 16 hours later on her cell floor.

That is horrifying!!!:stone

chrn · Jan 16, 2003

My daughter is losing her medical insurance. She has worked for a county agency (Child and Family services, no less...). They will allow them to pay full premiums to keep it- About $750/month. She will have a baby in May, so going without is not an option. Her husband is losing his job this spring. They have both worked these jobs for many years. These are not uneducated, "drifter", take-advantage people. They are average American citizens, working hard and steady. My dad worked all his life in factories -small job shops (not General Motors). All him and mom have is Medicare. They both have terrible dental problems now. No pension, no money, no insurance. These are all American citizens who have worked and payed taxes their whole lives.

YES, I do believe healthcare is a right of American citizens. The money is there, it is a matter of PRIORITIES. Because the elected officials that represent us don't care about every one of us being dangerously close to catastrophe. Lots of money being spent on war, war on drugs, pushing agendas around the world.

Thats my .02.

OC_An Khe · Jan 16, 2003

After reading this thread, it seems everyone is focusing on individual health care. Whether this is a right or entitlement has not been fully debated in this country and it needs to be.

However Public Health is a responsibility of government at all levels and this has been slowing decreasing for decades due to lack of funding.

Proper sanitation, clean water, health education, communicable disease prevention/ surveilance have all deteriorated. The infrastructure is no longer there. These problems have been considered solved and few pay attention to them.

The question of health care is really one of whose responsibilty it is. Some can only be acomplished if a governmental body takes the resposibility while others require individual responsibility.

Its the distinction between these that has to be resolved.

Q. · Jan 16, 2003

Originally posted by researchrabbit
I don't agree. A pregnant prisoner in the county jail began having problems at 8 months and asked for help. None given. They let her deliver a dead baby 16 hours later on her cell floor.

This may sound harsh, but I've said it numerous times before. Unfortunately, I believe that baby is better off, in a better place. :stone

Q. · Jan 16, 2003

Originally posted by ocankhe
The question of health care is really one of whose responsibilty it is. Some can only be acomplished if a governmental body takes the resposibility while others require individual responsibility.
Its the distinction between these that has to be resolved.

Excellent point.

Sally_ICURN · Jan 16, 2003

Originally posted by mark_LD_RN
what exactly do you see wrong with then plan ?

Read the links that I posted.

and where is is written that it is wrong to make money off a corporation,that is where people loose site of things. hospitals especially fpr profit ones are set up for that to make money,...

I've said this before in another forum and I'll say it again here, I think it's wrong when money that's exchanging hands/pockets is at the expense of human life or the quality thereof. I don't think that healthcare should be "for-profit." Why should anyone profit from my grandfather's fatal stroke or your child's spina bifida?

is the problem you have with the plan just because of the messenger?

Yes, it is in part. I think I made it pretty clear that I don't trust the integrity of any politician who has such close personal financial ties to a corporation that benefits(ed) from people's misfortunes or felonious business practices. Special interest money is what finances campaigns and in politics, a connection between personal involvement in special interest groups and the decision making power of the person with the connection is unethical and very questionable. That's why this type of situation is usually very controversial and labeled a conflict of interest. Those special interest groups expect something for their buck. So I'm skeptical...so what? We all should question the bull that our government gives us as the end all truth.

~Sally

fergus51 · Jan 16, 2003

Originally posted by Sally_ICURN
I love a good book!

I have a question and I'm sure this has been discussed before on this board somewhere, but aren't the nurses in Canada considered government employees? So are the benefits (including retirement)/pay/etc. pretty standardized?

~Sally

No, we aren't government employees directly. We are members of a provincial union and employees of whatever health region we work in (which really is a part of government). That said, our contract is negotiated by our union with a part of the government, and here in my province the last contract was legislated by the government. So, benefits and pay are standard in each province, but vary accross the country.

fergus51 · Jan 16, 2003

Originally posted by Susy K
This may sound harsh, but I've said it numerous times before. Unfortunately, I believe that baby is better off, in a better place. :stone

Speaking as a product of an ex con and a teenager, that baby would have been better off being adopted and raised by a family who could love it. I wouldn't let a dog give birth alone.