How do you rate the quality of universal healthcare in your country?

Discussion in 'Politics' started by joepistole, May 11, 2009.

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How satisfied are you with the quality of your universal healthcare?

Poll closed Aug 9, 2009.
  1. Satisfied

    4 vote(s)
    50.0%
  2. Dissatisfied

    2 vote(s)
    25.0%
  3. Other

    2 vote(s)
    25.0%
  1. joepistole Deacon Blues Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    22,910
    We in The United States are just now trying to implement universal healthcare because the cost of healthcare is becoming a huge financial burden on our society and we do not provide univeral coverage to our citizens.

    Now that the issue is being publicly debated, Republicans are claiming that the quality of healthcare in countries with universal healthcare is extremely poor and there are long waits for virtually everything. So my question is for those of you living in countries like Canada. Do you have long waits for medical services? Does the nation endanger your health by postponing critical treatment? How satisfied are you with the quality of your medical care?
     
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  3. superstring01 Moderator

    Messages:
    12,110
    Huh? We are?

    When did this happen.

    Somebody better tell United Health Care of Minnesota, because they keep taking fifty bucks every two weeks outta' my paycheck!!!

    Shit. There isn't even a proposed LAW on the issue. Just more endless debate.

    ~String
     
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  5. Norsefire Salam Shalom Salom Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    11,529
    I object to universal healthcare on ethical grounds: that it is wrong to steal, even if you must provide a "need"

    However, practically speaking even, universal healthcare is inefficient and monopolistic at best.
     
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  7. superstring01 Moderator

    Messages:
    12,110
    Can you put another record on the player. This one you keep playing keeps skipping over the same old and boring lines.

    ~String
     
  8. Norsefire Salam Shalom Salom Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    11,529
    These are the boring lines that are what's important right now.
     
  9. superstring01 Moderator

    Messages:
    12,110
    Then come up with an argument of your own supported by some facts, references and original ideas. While I know I'm demanding the impossible of you, just stun me and give it a try.

    ~String
     
  10. joepistole Deacon Blues Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    22,910
    Perhaps I coveyed the wrong impression. We are having the healthcare reform debate now with the majority favoring universal healthcare. The president wants universal coverage. So it is likely we will have some form ou universal healthcare in the not to distant future.

    But the same old fear mongers are gearing up to scare the hell out of the American people in order to stop universal healthcare. In fact it is the swift boaters act II.

    http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/30676850/

    Leading the opposition to healthcare reform is old Mr. Scott. The former head of a hospital corporation forced to resign and the hospital corporation later plead guilty of defrauding the state and federal government...good spokesman and leader for the healthcare reform opposition I think.

    Scott's ouster as head of the Columbia/HCA health-care company amid a fraud investigation in the 1990s. The firm eventually pleaded guilty to charges that it overbilled state and federal health plans, paying a record $1.7 billion in fines.

    In an ad broadcast in the Washington area and in Scott's home town of Naples, Fla., last week, a group called Health Care for America Now says of Scott: "He and his insurance-company friends make millions from the broken system we have now."

    The group's national campaign manager, Richard Kirsch, said: "Those attacking reform are really looking to protect their own profits, and he's a perfect messenger for that. His history of making a fortune by destroying quality in the health-care system and ripping off the government is a great example of what's really going on."
     
  11. superstring01 Moderator

    Messages:
    12,110
    I'm pretty sure that UHC is just around the corner (a decade or so). While it's not an idea I favor, I think that it's getting to be the lesser of the two evils that potentially exist (i.e. corporately controlled health coverage). I'm not well versed (enough) on the subject to come up with my own brilliant solutions, but even my crazy conservative family is starting to think that it's an idea who's day has come.

    If it's gotta happen, JESUS let it be like France (that's, like, the one thing they do right... well, that and good food and hot men).

    ~String
     
  12. nietzschefan Thread Killer Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    7,721
    In Canada, the tiny parts of UHC that ARE in the hands of private industry are fucking out of control. Drugs are a completely fucking out of control cost because of private industry.

    I hate government in control of things, but I hate insurance companies and Banks in control of things way more. I wish I could just pay the people that do the work directly, make the drugs - directly. I'm am VERY sure it would all be much cheaper. But let's face it, the majority of humanity is too fuckin stupid to save their own pennies for their own doctors bills, they'd rather get a new flatscreen/ipod/cellphone every year than save a dime and this is in the hands of MACRO problem solvers like insurace companies/banks and/or governments.

    One wants to profit from being the middle-man and the other wants to just get elected and in Canada that means not fucking around when it comes to important healthcare.
     
  13. chris4355 Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    1,055
    I dont like the fact that most of my tax money goes to the military while I still have to pay for the doctor.
     
  14. CutsieMarie89 Zen Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    3,485
    So is the quality of healthcare poor or not?
     
  15. joepistole Deacon Blues Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    22,910
    I agree with your family. It's time has come and the reason it has come is because of the abuses of power in Washington. Since there appears to be no way to reign in the power of lobbyists fixing the healthcare markets with government fiat to favor the few at the expense of the many versus freemarkets there can be only one solution, universal healthcare.
     
  16. S.A.M. uniquely dreadful Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    72,825
    Its good if you can afford it, poor if you cannot. Medical insurance is expensive and not standardised. The only good thing about that is that you can walk into any clinic and get treated. The bad thing is that if you cannot afford the treatment, you're screwed.

    Finally, medicines are much cheaper and so are the treatments. Most general medicines cost less than Rs 50, which is about a dollar.
     
  17. joepistole Deacon Blues Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    22,910
    In The United States medicine is incredibly expensive...most expensive in the world and for good reason. The big pharma companies have used governement to restrict domestic markets so they can charge whatever price they want. Additionally, The United States Governement funds much of their research...so it is a very sweet deal for them. They even have The United States Government paying them whatever price they choose to charge for their drugs, by law the federal government is forbiden to allow contract bidding for drug purchases...that is how far these companies have inserted their claws in to the pocketbooks of the taxpayer and drug patient.
     
  18. nietzschefan Thread Killer Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    7,721
    Well Cutsie, it's actually a bit of a roll of the dice and depends on the problem.

    It depends on where you are(rural, urban, etc) and what aisle you. For instance when I had my lung worked on, there happened to be the #1 Lung doctor in all of Canada in the same city and same hospital I was taken to. I probably had as close to 0% chance of death as is possible.

    However, he(or whoever else) didn't give a fuck for stitching me up properly. They used tape and it came open and I have a gaping wound-scar on my back. Luckily I don't give a fuck overly, I'm not a model or if people tell me it's gross I shove it in their face jokingly etc. Otherwise if I wanted to go after that doctor for a fuckup - I'd have no chance there is a team of lawyers to cover their ass. Malpractice suits almost never happen as far as I have heard.

    Shorty has the best doctor I have ever seen. My doctor sucks shit, I can't go to her doctor because she can't take more patients...etcetc. There's a shortage of doctors (many to go to the U.S for slightly better $$$).

    I've heard quality can vary quite a bit in the U.S, particularly depending who your insurance carrier is. It's just different problems. However, anyone with a healthcard in Canada can see the doctor anything there is a problem and I think while that might make doctor's more busy than they should be, they also nip a lot of shit in the bud.

    I dunno
     
  19. joepistole Deacon Blues Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    22,910
    We have more than our share of poor physicians too. They just make more money here than they do in Canada...again because they use government to restrict supply. In the studies I have read, overall quality of healthcare is much better in Canada than in The United States.

    But do you have to wait months and years to see a physician as the fear mongers in The United States are touting? Do you have to wait months and years for a vital operation?
     
  20. chris4355 Registered Senior Member

    Messages:
    1,055
    Thats the thing, its not necessarily good in the US if you can afford it. Because you never know when your doctor is just making extra shit up just to get more money.

    I went to one dentist who said I had 6 cavities, I couldn't believe it, I went to another who said I just had 1. You can't use a business mindset with peoples lives, that's why healthcare needs to be government controlled.
     
  21. nietzschefan Thread Killer Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    7,721
    Shorty has to wait a month sometimes(because her Doctor is good and takes enough time with each patient). Never wait years for essential surgery no. They actually have hip surgeries in Edmonton down to an "outpatient" operation. In and out, the same day.
     
  22. Asguard Kiss my dark side Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    23,049
    australia oviously has UHC. its not perfect by any strech and some areas do have long waits for treatment, but these are in the non emerg areas and a wait is better than NO treatment because of cost. basically when you compare the state of general health to dental in australia which is very similar to the US system of limited public sector and majority private the general HCS is in much better shape.
     
  23. joepistole Deacon Blues Valued Senior Member

    Messages:
    22,910
    You raise a very good point, you never know if the doctor is just drumming up more fees or if you really need treatment. My impression is that if you have insurance or the ability to pay, they really hit you with everything they can bill. If you do not, they don't even want to talk to you. And then they claim malpractice is the reason they charge you for all the unneeded junk....that is a lot of cow poop.
     

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