[NRA1995]

Chest pains is a different animal than being put on a waiting list for other surgeries; dial 911 and say “chest pains” and response is immediate. How about UK dental care? We’re told it’s so expensive that many people pull their own teeth.

[NCBraveheart]

One of the objections we Americans have is that the idea of “universal health care” will never stay an insurance plan. Inevitably when more and more people flood the system, care will have to be rationed. Already in the state of Massachusetts, which has a state run plan, many doctors cannot provide a plain physical until mid-2009!

From a Libertarian stand point I refuse to allow an bureaucrat to make decisions about whether or not I or my family receive care, from whom or for what. I refuse to give politicians the power of life and death over me.

[hosepipe]

If you think health care is expensive now, just wait until it’s ‘FREE’- PJ O’Rourke

[AppyPappy]

How do you guys handle malpractice suits?

[philsfan24]

IBTZ

[arderkrag]

The problem I have with it is principle-based. No, it it not good, IMO, to borrow any socialist ideas. If people need healthcre, they’ll just have to pay for it themselves.

[mnehring]

Just to put the simple numbers on it, first, the tax rate for anyone in the UK making over 36kUK is 40%. In the US, that person would pay around 25%. Let's just take someone paying 36k (for the sake of argument, I am going to use dollars instead of pounds). In the UK, that person is paying $14K in taxes. In the US that person would pay $9K in taxes. Most insurance programs would cost the average American far less than $5K per year, so the average Briton is overpaying for the service.

Let's look at the service. First, six minutes for an ambulance to arrive is pretty normal here as well and doesn't reflect any major difference, but let's talk about elective surgery (versus emergency). If you needed a hip replacement, how long would it take for you to get an appointment. This is personal for me because my father just had hip replacement surgery last year. He was able to go to the doctor for initial consultation, set up the appointment, and have the surgery all within a week. In Canada for example, the waiting list for hip replacement is six years.

There are also fundamental issues. For example, when you say ‘healthcare’ is a right, why stop there? Why not housing. It isn't fair that some don't have homes while others have homes, should everyone just share home costs? How about a car? How about income?

Now, going back to your friend.. guess what, in the US, if he didn't have insurance, hospitals are still required to take care of him in an emergency, so insured or not insured, he would have been helped- without universal coverage.

This is just one small comment on some of the differences.. I'm sure many others will jump in..

[Tired of Taxes]

Here in the U.S., a call to 911 normally produces an ambulance right away, too.

The question shouldn’t be about why we’re opposed to socialized medicine. The question should be: What exactly do you believe are the advantages of socialized medicine?

Let’s start there.

[50mm]

sniff

[Hoodlum91]

“free healthcare, funded by the taxpayer “

Notice the contradiction?

Your healthcare is NOT free.

[cynicalman]

What about people who cannot obtain insurance because of health reasons. They once may have had it but lost their job and cannot obtain individual coverage.

I am not talking about the cost ( which is another issue) but just be able to obtain it.

I used to think it should all be left to private sector but it has been and there has been no solution to date.

It's great to sit back and say the government should not be in health care when one has insurance or can obtain. And again I am not talking about the cost. What is the solution.

[yoe]

Yes, our Constitution does not provide for this entitlement - the constitution would have to be changed for “universal healthcare”....whatever that means.

[JZelle]

In before the chest pains! Welcome to FR my socialist friend.

[Phantom Lord]

Wow! 6 minutes to get an ambulance at a major airport. I wonder, do they maintain ambulances on site knowing that tens of thousands of people are there at any one time and the likelyhood of several of them needing medical attention is pretty high?

Returning from Jamaica and having a layover in Flordia my wife needed medical attention while we were sitting around between flights and 3 paramedics were on her almost instantly after telling a lady at a ticket counter my wife needed help.

And to make her return flight home more comfortable, and her more accessable to staff in case of an emergency, we were moved to first class, front row.

I don't think an incident at an airport, especially one of the worlds largest is a very good example to use.

How about a 70 year old guy needing a hip replacement in London vs. NYC.

Would you like to take on that comparrison?

[Alberta's Child]

I wonder if your so-called “conservative American tourist” is all that conservative to begin with. At a minimum, he needs a basic education in economics before making a decision on a subject of such enormous proportions based on his own personal experience in a major European airport.

[trane250]

I made use of the UK’s health care system several years ago while visiting London. It was on a Sunday and I was suffering from an infected ingrown toenail. The reception desk at the hotel directed me to a nearby hospital (I forget the name). I waited just 20 minutes to see a physician. The doctor told me that he really should send me to the chiropodist (they don't use the term “podiatrist” in the UK) on Monday, but since I was in such pain, he cut out the nail himself and gave me a prescription for an antibiotic which I took to the hospital pharmacy. There was no charge for anything.

I can see why the people of the UK would never give up their socialized medical scheme.

[evets]

I want a pony.

[poobear]

How special you Socialist Moron! Sign up today and pic a major scab...

Why don’t you tell me how you feel about the UK health care when your child is sick but there is no diagnosis withing several years. Oh, yeah he/she still gets medical attention right?

Let me know when you visit your child’s grave how good you feel then!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Tired of Taxes]

The onus is on you to show how your nation’s healthcare system is better than ours.

Our system is not perfect, but it’s considered the best in the world. There is already some government control of our medical system. Why should we put it completely under government control? What do you believe the benefits would be?

[marinamuffy]

I have always been opposed to government-control healthcare just because the government always makes a mess of anything it tries to "help".

President Reagan said it best: "The nine most terrifying words in the English language are 'I'm from the government and I'm here to help'!"

After reading a few news stories (two I remember specifically out of Canada and Austrialia) about doctors/courts ordering patients killed against the wishes of their families because their case was "hopeless" I am terrified of socialized medicine.

This has a personal connection to me because last fall my cousin had a massive stroke during surgery to remove a tumor behind her eye and the doctors basically said the situation was "hopeless" but her family refused to give up. She began to be responsive two months later and can now speak in sentences, recall information (like phone numbers & song lyrics), sit up on her own, and even stand if holding on to a walker.

I shudder to think of what would have happened had the govenment been in charge of deciding when to give up.