“It is inexcusable, that not all Americans have healthcare.”
This is a ridiculous statement. First off you are confusing healthcare with health insurance. Some people want or need neither. Some people don’t want to bother with health insurance. Some people are too lazy to bother with health insurance. Many of the people counted as without are without for a couple months between jobs. Medicaid and other saftey nets exist as well.
If you are truly poor & need healthcare you register at a hospital & are seen in the clinics, especially easy if you are illegal. It is not up to the Federal Government to provide health insurance other than an obligation to provide healthcare to veterans. The States have each developed a saftey net and the Feds contribute to it. Medicare is a pyramid scheme we seem to be stuck with but it would be great if we could take steps towards making it solvent.
It is a shame & a pity so many people forget that health care is not a right any more than food, shelter, clothing or a color TV. Charity is a blessing to give & to receive but its not a right.
When we confuse what we would like “Everyone should have medical care” with reality “medical care costs money & someone has to pay. If things are free you use more of them and squander them.” then we distort the economics of the situation.
The person who gets the healthcare should not be insulated from the costs. That takes all financial discipline out of the system and results in inefficiencies and out of control pricing.
I need to correct a few mistakes in your post.
First off, “Medicaid and other safety nets exist” is simply not true. Thanks to Bill Clinton, the only way an adult aged 18-65 can get Medicaid is IF they are on disability. (There are a few states with exceptions, but I’m talking about the majority here.) Disability is insanely hard to get on; I should know, I’ve been trying for more than a decade. I even know a legally-blind person who has been repeatedly turned down, which is insane because that is supposed to automatically qualify you for Medicaid.
Second, where do you get the idea that you just waltz into a hospital and get routine healthcare? If you go to ER, you’re seen by an ER doctor who is only there to stabilize an emergency situation. You’re then released and told to follow up with your regular doctor. ER does NOT provide healthcare for things like diabetes, heart conditions, or even follow-up for someone with strep throat. Without exception, if your problem isn’t an emergency, you’re seen and released. Period. And ER care is NOT free, unless you qualify for 100% assistance—which is rare. You have to fill out forms to apply for financial aid, and the amount you get is proportionate to your financial situation.
And what are these “clinics” of which you speak? I live in a rural area, where there are very few clinics which will even let you walk in the door if you don’t have insurance or pay up-front. One free clinic in this area only serves people from 4 counties; the other charges on a sliding scale. Again, you have to fill out forms to apply for aid.
Furthermore, these clinics don’t cover all services. If you have a melanoma on your face, these clinics won’t remove it for you, because they’re just family practitioners. Got heart failure and need an echocardiogram? You’re out of luck.
Healthcare should be a right. You can’t have life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness if you don’t have life. Pro-life doesn’t just mean the lives of babies, but the lives of all people of all ages.
I’m not saying Obamacare is doing it right—not by a long shot, it’s a disaster. But this country does need to figure out a way to provide all people with the care they need. It’s the Christian thing to do.