"Socialized medicine"

Nurses Activism

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I am interested in your opinions about introducing a national healthcare system in the United States. What do you think about introducing free basic packet of healthcare services (e.g. emergency services and annual medical, eye, dental exams)? Do you know anything about national healthcare systems existing in other countries such as Sweden and Germany?

I would also be happy to get some information on this issue from abroad. Grushenka

Specializes in ED, Tele, Psych.

the US system needs a major overhaul. the two-tier system sounds like a good way to go to me as it provides some base level of care to all (and i would even be willing to pay extra in taxes if it were managed well and shielded from predatory lawyers). maintaining a second tier private system maintains the profit motive and will produce more medications and medical interventions that will benefit everyone as well. JMHO

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Specializes in ICU, telemetry, LTAC.

"Did you ever stop to think how much the IRS spends in payroll to it's own employees each year? How much of our taxes would actually be available to the defecit if we were at a flat tax and all those people were not on the government payroll? No, it would not pay the national debt, but it sure would help a LOT. And still there are arguments FOR socialized medicine?"

I have to admit, I am sorta fond of the flat tax idea, but I don't know what army it would take to actually DO this, as you're asking the government to fire a whole messload of government employees, and to spend their money in a more commonsense manner.

-Indy

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Specializes in Medical.
If you choose to buy your own insurance, do you get a tax credit for not being in the socialized program?

All tax payers in Australia (over a threshold income) pay a Medicare levy. People who earn over $50,000 PA pay an additional surcharge equal to 1% of their taxable income unless they have private insurance (for me this works out to be lower than top level insurance with super extras). People who join a private insurance fund after the age of thirty have to pay additional fees on an age-based schedule, an inducement to have young healthy people contribute to the private system.

Just a quick word on choosing your own doctor - as Gwenith said, you can pick your own GP, and you still have full say in any fee-paying medico (eg specialist). Outside my own specialties I have no idea which surgeons etc I want, so I'm happy to go with the doctor on duty, unless a friend or colleague has a suggestion, and then I can just say that I'd prefer X, or would like a second opinion from Y. It doesn't happen often, but it certainly does happen, with no major drama.

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"Did you ever stop to think how much the IRS spends in payroll to it's own employees each year? How much of our taxes would actually be available to the defecit if we were at a flat tax and all those people were not on the government payroll? No, it would not pay the national debt, but it sure would help a LOT. And still there are arguments FOR socialized medicine?"

I have to admit, I am sorta fond of the flat tax idea, but I don't know what army it would take to actually DO this, as you're asking the government to fire a whole messload of government employees, and to spend their money in a more commonsense manner.

-Indy

I am glad that some advocate more efficient tax system. The IRS itself is a complete fraud but doing away with it would be more monumental than what you are suggesting.

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I am NO expert on this issue. But I know that some Americans tend to think of socialized medicine as this practically perfect system. "Everyone gets free health care! We need that here!" But as mentioned in the above post from Australia, in socialized systems you can often have long waiting lists! And only those who can afford to pay privately or have a private health insurance policy can get immediate/prompt care. Does this seem fair? The wealthier get better care than the poor. Hey...this sounds similar to the complaints about our US system of private health care! See...there is no perfect system! Socialized medicine and privatized medicine both have problems.

I used to live near the Canadian border and we sometimes had Canadians come to our US hospitals to pay privately for care because they were on a several year long waiting list for the procedure in Canada.

And Americans seem to complain a lot about taxes... But do you know how high the tax rates are in these "cradle to grave" countries?? Most Americans would probably flip their lids. Socialized health care isn't free...they pay for it through high tax rates.

I personally prefer out US private system.

Anyhow...I better stop writing because this topic can easily head off into political issues....

Socialism leads to what you might have in PRISON NO FREEDOM and your 3 square meals a day.

As an American champion freedom and true principles of freedom as rediscovered by the founding fathers. 2 founders have warned..

Those who give up freedom for a little security deserve neither and will end up with neither. This is not an opinion but rather historical fact that continues to progress even here now in the good ole US of A.

Promised and promoted government security is a myth and will destroy freedoms of our future and has been placing our children into further bondage and un payable debts.

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I think there is a big difference between a socialist/communist dictatorship and a democracy.

Great Britian has socialized medicine controlled by the voters.

Not my first choice but certainly as free as we are in the USA.

Many of us are afraid to change jobs for fear of losing our healthcare.

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I think there is a big difference between a socialist/communist dictatorship and a democracy.

Great Britian has socialized medicine controlled by the voters.

Not my first choice but certainly as free as we are in the USA.

Many of us are afraid to change jobs for fear of losing our healthcare.

I like your signature quote. (I have no idea who Lilian Wald is?) We need a true HEalth promoting system that promotes an ounce of prevention more than it promotes a puond of treatment.

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Lillian Wald was the creator of Public Health nursing:

http://www.jwa.org/exhibits/wov/wald/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lillian_Wald

I read that you are a pre nursing student.

I hope your program includes nursing history including Lillian, Lavinia Dock, and Mary Breckenridge.

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I like your signature quote. (I have no idea who Lilian Wald is?) We need a true HEalth promoting system that promotes an ounce of prevention more than it promotes a puond of treatment.

She founded the school nursing movement and had a very broad view of health. Sorry Space, I responded to something you had already commented on.....

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