Do you think it is a right for someone to get healthcare and not be bankrupted from it?
It seems to all boil down to whether or not the writer wants to pay for someone else's Healthcare. Funny thing about that though any of us that have insurance are already paying for someone else's Healthcare. The question about paying for a smokers lung transplant etcetera is very relevant there because if you have insurance and it's good insurance you have helped pay for someone's lung transplant who was a smoker. I would really like to live in one of the greatest countries in the world. Our country prints money everyday to fund the military industrial complex. It's about time they started printing some to take care of the citizens.
Every citizen should be taken care of. However, until America joins the rest of the developed world people will continue to suffer and go into incredible debt.
America is the only Developed nation where life expectancy continues to decline despite claims of amazing health care and spending three times more per person than Canada.
No one was more surprised than the Koch brothers who funded a study to back up thier stance against universal healthcare. It was proven that over a ten year period, it would save the country billions and the population would be healthier( as the the other developed nations).
Medicaid, Medicare, veterans affairs are socialist healthcare programs already.
Are you suggesting that anyone who gets health care should be bankrupt, which means they must live on the streets and risk dieing of exposure? Furthermore, often the result of health care is that you need expensive medication for life; if you are bankrupt, you will not be able to buy the meds, which would have additional health ramifications and require additional expensive health care. Your question seems to be based on your selfish desires, instead of compassionate and thinking of the person who needs the health care.
You are very young and not in need of health care, but if you live long enough, you too will need health care. Do you wish to be bankrupt in order to get health care?
To a degree.. I think if my nation ever adopts total or ‘universal healthcare’ for it’s citizens, it will and should be accompanied by a serious, nationwide effort to clean up the nation’s health habits. I also suspect that’s ‘a reason’ numerous industries fear it, it might curtail their predatory marketing of junk food, addictive substances and reckless behavior.
If someone has maintained their health to the best of their ability, they deserve the resources we’d have all paid to assemble. If they’ve shown a reckless disregard for their health, they deserve far less.
... You do realise that's pretty much everyone, right? And what standards would this be measured by, anyway?
@memorylikeasieve Yes, taking care of oneself is ‘everyone’s right.’ Taking care of those who’ve not taken care of themselves is likely another question..
I don’t set ‘those standards,’ but I’m from Oregon, and it/ they/ we/ the legislature/ came up with some good ones ..around a decade ago; it’s time they go national, along with vote by mail ~
I think this is indeed one leg of the stool...we have to not only look at corporations and the health care industry, but individual responsibility as well.
One small thing I noticed a few years ago when I was looking for our company health insurance plan was that premiums for smokers was higher. We decided not to pay it and have the employees pay it instead. It was their choice and we offered other health incentives like gym memberships, stop smoking classes, nutrition counseling, etc. Not all companies do it and perhaps they should.
I think we have to address each person's part in this complicated mess and not just expect to be taken care of when we do nothing to take care of part of it ourselves...and I am not talking about those who have cancer, and other diseases that can't be helped no matter how healthy you try to be.
Healthcare, health insurance and pharmaceuticals have become corrupt, choosing profit over the welbeing of its patients.
The corruption though, begins in our government. With politicians taking “donations” to change the laws in favor of corporations ove their citizens.
Educate, protest and vote to make a change.
Our government belongs to the people, if politicians are working against the people’s interests, the people need to replace them.
Health care costs wouldn't be so bad if we could pay for what something is worth plus a little profit. $400 for a $4 bag of saline is a bit much.
Should a lifelong smoker pay for lung transplants or should the tobacco companies or should the government?
@Hebert54 I am all for helping out those who no fault of their own have found themselves in unhealthy states...but I can also see the anger and resistance to paying for things that others had some say in. Education on healthy eating and other bad habits have not worked...we can't necessarily blame the victims, since it is more complicated than that, with corporations pushing processed foods, sugar, etc. But, at some point, we could include incentives to have people change their own course...it will take time, but to ask those who do everything healthy to pay for those who choose to not by smoking, being obese, etc.has to be considered as well...I so disagree with the president when he said it was an easy fix...it is not...but each of us also has to take some responsibility for our own health...I am not speaking, of course, about or even considering such things as accidents, cancers, and other diseases not able to be controlled no matter what.
I agree that the profit margin made by pharmaceuticals and health care is outrageous...I understand R&D costs, but a lot of that is paid under government research grants etc. So, in effect, we get screwed twice...once by our taxes and once when we purchase these expensive services.
Paying $10 for a pill that cost mere fractions of cents is financial rape.
@thinktwice Everybody period. You get into real trouble when you start deciding who receives benefits and who doesn't. Who decides? One person sitting in a cubicle somewhere? A board of people? It has to be everyone.
@Sticks48 I am not disagreeing with that...it has to be all or nothing...what I am advocating is that once covered, people be incentivised to take steps to improve their own health...we focus so much on fixing things instead of preventing them...I think there is room for all us to take part and again, ALL.
@thinktwice With over 350 million folks, not possible. The info for a healthy diet is and has been there for a long time. Whether it is food or sex or drugs, people will do what gives them temporary happiness or pleasure. That will never change.
@Sticks48 It is possible...for instance, we are charged $50 a month for a smoker to cover them. I charge the employee. They can choose to smoke or not...
@thinktwice Businesses should have never been responsible for healthcare. That is one of the worst ideas in the history of bad ideas.
@Sticks48 Agree...we should have left them as non-profits...