Americans - would you support single-payer?

[Allan]

Of those, by the way, single payer is the least invasive because it's just who PAYS for the private sector medical care, whereas your VA healthcare IS SOCIALIZED MEDICINE a la the British NHS, it's nearest "cousin".

This is true. In Canada most doctors are in private practice. They run their clinics, pay their staff etc.

PS: I got nothin but love for the VA, they have saved Karen's life eight times.

View attachment 67484644

 

[EdwinWillers]

It is not about single payer. It is about the layers of parasites between the patient and the actual health care provider.

Americans - would you support single-payer?​

Well, it IS about single payer (the title says so ) - apparently some think single payer the silver-bullet solution to all those layers of parasites between patient and doctor. But understand that much of the "system" as it is now, which is heavily, heavily influenced and regulated by the federal government at virtually every level, is the very system that spawns and breeds all those parasites.

It sucks now, but I can guarantee you if we put the federal government in complete charge and control of healthcare it'll only get worse, far worse.

And fwiw, I was in a "single payer" federal government controlled and regulated healthcare system - in the Navy. And I've seen how the government treats its veterans. Does anyone honestly think the government will treat its citizens any better than it does its veterans?

 

[Lisa]

How ridiculous to hear a VA patient bitch about single payer --- OR socialized medicine for that matter.
Cancel your VA healthcare immediately. Show us the strength of your convictions if you're such a square jawed opponent of "massive government programs".
Of those, by the way, single payer is the least invasive because it's just who PAYS for the private sector medical care, whereas your VA healthcare IS SOCIALIZED MEDICINE a la the British NHS, it's nearest "cousin".

PS: I got nothin but love for the VA, they have saved Karen's life eight times.

View attachment 67484644

Thank you Checkers for saying it better than I could. I hope that you and Mrs Checkers had a great holiday.

 

[Grand Mal]

No. For example if an American needs medical care in Canada they have to pay for it

The hospital near me in BC has a poster at the Emergency reception desk itemizing common medical procedures and the price to people without BC Medical insurance. They'll still provide the service but they'll bill you and, my guess, you have to get reimbursed by your covering insurer.

 

[ttwtt78640]

They are single payer. Which is what the thread is about.

Nope, I’ve quoted the entire OP below:

Just a temperature check on how Americans feel about single-payer universal health care.

 

[Allan]

Americans - would you support single-payer?​

Well, it IS about single payer (the title says so ) - apparently some think single payer the silver-bullet solution to all those layers of parasites between patient and doctor. But understand that much of the "system" as it is now, which is heavily, heavily influenced and regulated by the federal government at virtually every level, is the very system that spawns and breeds all those parasites.

It sucks now, but I can guarantee you if we put the federal government in complete charge and control of healthcare it'll only get worse, far worse.

Doesn't have to be that way. The feds in Canada only fund the system, they don't control care.

 

[Nickyjo]

Just a temperature check on how Americans feel about single-payer universal health care.

Don’t we already have it with the VA and Medicare? We just don’t cover everyone.

 

[Allan]

Don’t we already have it with the VA and Medicare? We just don’t cover everyone.

The question is single payer universal. You don't have that now.

 

[Grand Mal]

How ridiculous to hear a VA patient bitch about single payer --- OR socialized medicine for that matter.
Cancel your VA healthcare immediately. Show us the strength of your convictions if you're such a square jawed opponent of "massive government programs".
Of those, by the way, single payer is the least invasive because it's just who PAYS for the private sector medical care, whereas your VA healthcare IS SOCIALIZED MEDICINE a la the British NHS, it's nearest "cousin".

PS: I got nothin but love for the VA, they have saved Karen's life eight times.

View attachment 67484644

I remember in his campaign John McCain saying that government health care wasn't right for Americans. When the interviewer pointed out that he had been on government health care all his life he played the POW card and said that another government had taken care of his health for a couple years and hadn't done a good job.

 

[craig]

Americans - would you support single-payer?​

Well, it IS about single payer (the title says so ) - apparently some think single payer the silver-bullet solution to all those layers of parasites between patient and doctor. But understand that much of the "system" as it is now, which is heavily, heavily influenced and regulated by the federal government at virtually every level, is the very system that spawns and breeds all those parasites.

It sucks now, but I can guarantee you if we put the federal government in complete charge and control of healthcare it'll only get worse, far worse.

And fwiw, I was in a "single payer" federal government controlled and regulated healthcare system - in the Navy. And I've seen how the government treats its veterans. Does anyone honestly think the government will treat its citizens any better than it does its veterans?

You have it wrong. Who do you think lobbies the government to allow all those layers of parasites. We need a system where the patient pays the healthcare provider directly and the government only subsidizes the patient based on need.

 

[Superfly]

Heck, just credit cards. Sam and Janet max out a Visa and a MasterCard paying for Sam's prostate cancer, Visa and MasterCard don't just swallow the loss. They recover it from everyone else. Bankruptcy is protection from creditors - those creditor's know how much loss to anticipate and everyone else covers it.

Exactly!

 

[cpwill]

Do you mean Canada, say, or New Zealand don't count newborn infant deaths? Or that the cost of health care or presence or absence of medical insurance coverage doesn't affect the care newborns receive?

I mean that different nations track their infant death rates differently, generally leading to a non-apples-to-apples comparison, especially since the variation on who-gets-reported is in the premie population, which makes up a heavily disproportionate portion of infant deaths.

 

[ttwtt78640]

The question is single payer universal. You don't have that now.

The Medicare and VA programs aren’t funded in the same way or provide the same benefits. This is why it’s essential to define the particulars (details?) of what is being discussed.

 

[washunut]

Contributers, no doubt, but other violent countries rank higher. Brasil, for example.
Obesity is an odd one. Is that due to inactivity?

Yes and poor diet.

 

[aociswundumho]

Would it cover non-Americas who get sick in America?

Of course. Universal means universal. The extremely caring politicians who will impose this scheme believe everyone has the right to healthcare.

 

[Grand Mal]

I mean that different nations track their infant death rates differently, generally leading to a non-apples-to-apples comparison, especially since the variation on who-gets-reported is in the premie population, which makes up a heavily disproportionate portion of infant deaths.

I'm guessing that you're guessing.

 

[Nickyjo]

The question is single payer universal. You don't have that now.

It’s not. It probably should be. But I assume the US will continue to move in that direction. That the GOP included “replace” in their critique of the ACA shows that the needle moved on the debate.

 

[Allan]

The Medicare and VA programs aren’t funded in the same way or provide the same benefits. This is why it’s essential to define the particulars (details?) of what is being discussed.

For anyone who wants more details below is a summary of the system in Canada.

The Five Principles of Medicare | School of Health Policy & Management

www.yorku.ca

 

[Grand Mal]

Of course. Universal means universal. The extremely caring politicians who will impose this scheme believe everyone has the right to healthcare.

Bullshit.
We have universal health care where I live and the hospital will bill anyone who isn't covered by the provincial health insurance. And doctors are in private practice- they'll bill the provincial health insurance plan if you're covered by it, otherwise it's up to you. You can be reimbursed by your insurer or you're out-of-pocket.
You're just rabble-rousing.

 

[Allan]

Of course. Universal means universal. The extremely caring politicians who will impose this scheme believe everyone has the right to healthcare.

No.

 

[cpwill]

Maybe another example is more attractive.

Of those I am familiar with, it is perhaps the most. I have been given to understand Switzerland has a not-terribly blended system

, but, none of those nations are the U.S., with the U.S. government, or the U.S. population. A system that works very well for a small, homogenous population that generally eats healthy and exercises, has a relatively efficient and non-bloated/corrupt government, and doesn't get millions of people from mostly poorer nations flooding in both legally and illegally every year..... may work very poorly here.

Are you assuming that most Americans would be against taking health insurance out of corporate hands?

Even among Bernie Sanders supporters, a majority are unwilling to pay additional taxes in order to have single-payer healthcare.

 

[craig]

Doctors and healthcare providers in the US no longer compete because they are all owned by health care insurance monopoles. The market place is not working for health care. How can you compare prices for health care services today?

 

[Callen]

Single payer simply means people pay their health care premiums to the government who acts as the insurer. It is incredibly efficient In that all medical services operate under one set of rules. Doctors and hospitals don't have to spend time figuring out what is and isn't covered. It has nothing to do with the Government managing peoples individual health care........people confuse single payer with universal Healthcare.

 

[EdwinWillers]

Doesn't have to be that way. The feds in Canada only fund the system, they don't control care.

You might be right - but this isn't Canada, and never will be. The people, the culture, the history, and so much more pretty much guarantee the same system won't work similarly here.

Moreover, ratings of healthcare systems are altogether too subjective to be of any concrete value - plus it depends on the system ranking them and what factors they consider for a "good" healthcare system - and both Canada and the US generally fall somewhere in the middle to upper middle of all countries so it's virtually impossible to say this system is "better" than that one and have everyone agree.

 

[Jack Fabulous]

Just a temperature check on how Americans feel about single-payer universal health care.

I've evolved on this over the years and, at least to me, it comes down to a basic flaw in the construct of our current system.

Why in THEE HELL would we demand that businesses which have nothing to do with health care become administrative experts on how to best distribute health care services to their employees?