Is healthcare a right or privilege?

[Treat et Street]

If it is a right, then we have some work to do. If a privelidge, you get what you can pay for, right? Any thoughts would be appreciated. Thanks.

[tewdles, RN]

hhhmmm

I do not advocate that the USA emulate any other country.

I am not sure what discussions about "failures" of other health systems in other countries has to do with the argument about health care as a right vs. privilege other than to attempt to discourage those who desire to improve a system that needs to be improved.

This is me moving on from what was a weary "discussion" and now is an unpleasant contest.

[MarvinMartian]

hhhmmm

I do not advocate that the USA emulate any other country.

I am not sure what discussions about "failures" of other health systems in other countries has to do with the argument about health care as a right vs. privilege other than to attempt to discourage those who desire to improve a system that needs to be improved.

The 'healthcare is a right' people are almost invariably Obamacare supporters. Without fail...

It's not meant as discouragement but merely pointing out that the exalted plan of universal healthcare is a fail.

It's also a reminder that no government plan can be perfect.

The idea of reform, for this reason, is silly. The idea that we must undertake this reform because healthcare is a right is therefore a non-starter. People want reform so badly that they ignore everything until they get it.

Then we'll want reform of the reform and then some more reform... It'll cost more and more money.

When there was no evidence granted it was grotesqueness and horribleness. Now that we are presenting evidence of the inefficacy of guaranteeing health care for everyone of the failures of the systems our country is attempting to move to it is called discouragement...

I get the feeling that this is not a logical decision but merely something people want because it 'feels good.'

[tewdles, RN]

Bottom line...our current system is unsustainable at a shocking 16% (and rising) of our GDP with too many dying for lack of access.

We can just say no to reform or we can seek to do better.

I am an optimist...I say we can do better. We just have to put fear aside in order to accomplish better.

[HM2VikingRN, RN]

These countries with the exception of the US all treat health care as a right and all achieve better results at lower costs. (Every egregious anecdote published about these other countries can be topped by a failure in our system.)

Better access to physicians/nurses under UHC.

[MarvinMartian]

Commonwealth Fund??? You picked an extremely liberal side as evidence...

My newspaper examples are from in the affected countries from two opposing sources, that agree plus from the mouth of the starter of Canadian socilaized medicine.

Biased, liberal American think tanks aren't going to cut it.

[Rebel Yell]

"I am not sure what discussions about "failures" of other health systems in other countries has to do with the argument about health care as a right vs. privilege other than to attempt to discourage those who desire to improve a system that needs to be improved."

He has the PRIVILEGE of coming into the U.S. to have QUALITY health care. So, you see, health care is a privilege in my eyes, not a right. Unfortunatly, not everyone has that privilege.

[Rebel Yell]

Tweedles, can you provide some references or statistics? "with too many dying for lack of access."

[tewdles, RN]

Tweedles, can you provide some references or statistics? "with too many dying for lack of access."

I blame myself, I cannot get away from this thread.

There is information available in a number of places...this is a good place to start.

http://www.urban.org/publications/411588.html

http://www.childrenshospital.org/newsroom/Site1339/mainpageS1339P1sublevel577.html

[Bella'sMyBaby]

Over 60% of U.S. Bankruptcies are directly related to Medical Debt.

Pathetic...........

[tewdles, RN]

I am a little surprised that there are no comments about the 2 references I provided.

[herring_RN, ASN, BSN]

25 percent higher mortality rate among the uninsured

http://www.urban.org/UploadedPDF/411588_uninsured_dying.pdf

[HM2VikingRN, RN]

pnhp.org

cmwf.org

both have referenced studies re higher mortality/morbidity between the un/underinsured and adequately insured populations.