Without this basic item for all the citizens we are not and never will be 'great.' Just a poor excuse of a supposedly developed country.

Yes, we once had the wealth to provide healthcare through employers or personally purchased affordable plans. Not no more.. And instead of having a national healthcare system, we have a for-profit Healthcare Industry.

Hospitals, Doctors, Insurance companies and Pharmaceutical manufacturers are nearly all profit based. With that, we either pay ..or go without. Successful ‘nationalized’ healthcare programs in other nations have been studied, and could/ should be copied. But - they limit what can be charged by Doctors, Hospitals, Drug manufacturers … and have no need for Insurance Companies..

Given the monetary political clout of all those -- the only US healthcare program they allowed to barely slip through was a hybrid of (Republican Governor) Mitt Romeny’s Massachusetts plan... Barack Obama had been elected with a mandate - immediately spending his political capital on getting the Affordable Care Act through a Democratically controlled Congress (politics matters).

The ACA had/ has a ‘Public Option’ that matched that of Medicare, I believe -- once having the details memorized.. now getting rusty In the meantime, it kept alive: the Insurance Industry, Doctors paying back astronomical education loans, For-profit Hospital beds & care, and ‘Big Pharma.’ Realizing ‘this’ was likely the best they could do - each reluctantly signed on, or at least -- did not overtly oppose it…

Ironically, due to the instant campaign against it by their opponents - the most courageous of Democratic House and Senate members lost their bids for re-election -- and President Barack Obama lost Congress… There has never been a Replacement Plan -- only a plan to ‘Repeal.’ Short of being killed by Congress, the Supreme Court, or the current president … it’s been gutted to the fullest extent of their powers..

Yet, it lives! Many states have bought into it using the Federal funds passed on to help them, and millions are currently insured because of it. And - it still has the ability to move toward it’s ultimate goal - Single Payer, Government Sponsored US Healthcare for all citizens. Currently, there is one Presidential Candidate prepared and willing to make it so; the other, has nothing ~

I want universal health care for everyone. I am fortunate enough to have a Cadillac insurance policy along with medicare and I want the same for everyone else.

I spent 5 days in a Hungarian hospital. There were 5 of us in the Room but I felt like I was C very good care. The hospital was built-in the 1930s and the mattress was just a slab of foam and it did not even have a cover on it other than the sheet. None of things affected my recovery. My bill for 5 days was $834.

I haven't been in an American hospital for 48 years. I have visited friends there and see the private rooms, the electric beds, TV's and fancy IV machines and wonder how all that expensive infrastructure would affect the cost of universal healthcare. I also wonder how much of it is really necessary. I'm probably unusual in the fact that I don't mind sharing a room with a stranger but I know many people that would be horrified at that thought.

I also wonder how the employees in insurance companies would fare as far as their jobs are concerned.

My current position is medicare for all who want it and options for supplemental as seniors have now. I think that would be the best transition method to universal health care.

At the same time we should beef up public health departments. Vaccinations should take place in the health department. Health education should be provided by the health department both with websites and public school demonstrations.

Lastly, we don't have enough doctors in America. I ulysse my doctor for semi annual physicals. The rest of the time I go to a PA. That doesn't really bother me but it does tell me that we don't have enough doctors and we need to fix that as soon as possible whatever kind of health care system we have.

As a software developer, I had 10yrs in electronic claims, and 10yrs in electronic benefits -- what a racket.

[en.wikipedia.org]

Given the history, the ACA is a big step forward IMO.

I am a fan (and a big beneficiary) of capitalism, but I will argue that for Health care, it has huge shortcomings (as well as for Education, but that is another 'soapbox' ).

I have never understood the 'logical' connection between having (and losing) a job and having health care benefits.

Imagine you have an 'accident' in which, for example, your arm is broken (ouch). In the ambulance you say "Take me to hospital X, they are having a special on broken arms this quarter" -- doesn't fit the 'capitalism' picture does it. There just are not the breadth of choices (especially for employer-based coverage).

[theatlantic.com]
[en.wikipedia.org]

All the investment in the 'iron lung' saved lives, but it was eliminated in favor of vaccine(s) -- there likely other examples.

[thehill.com]
[ncbi.nlm.nih.gov]
[time.com]