national health care

I am curious why anybody would oppose national health care.

As a nursing student, I am in the hospital on a routine basis, and have a really difficult time knowing the financial debt that people have to deal with once they get discharged. What's worse is when people get turned away due to a lack of sufficient insurance. Why would any person oppose the idea of national health care, especially since we are the only industrialized nation that does not offer this to our citizens? All of the other countries who DO have socialized medicine have been successful with the implementation of the program. What is holding us back? 68% of people filing for bankruptcy due to medical expenses HAVE insurance. Even the middle-class Americans are having financial difficulty! Wake up, America, and support a candidate who WILL give us national health care!

Why would anyone oppose national health care? It all comes down to taxation. The United States' current fiscal policy is broken up in a pie chart method. The major areas are: education, military, and social security, plus numerous other social reform programs. To really believe a current candidate can bring you a health care plan that will justly help all Americans is unattainable. We need to first look at, is health care a privilege or entitlement/ right? We have billion dollar health care insurance agencies who have themselves situated right in the government's pocket. Health care is a service. It is a marketable entity, and it not a right. What happens to other universal health systems globally? They experience a lack in medical equipment advances- we evolve because extensive monies fund new technology. New technology leads to new cures, and furthered human longevity. Canadians comes over the border just to get an MRI in a timely fashion. Universal health care= consumers being treated all equally. There is no triage. You wait. Who is going to pay for this? Other nations pay further taxes than we currently do. If America is taxed further, then the economy will not continue to grow. We will become stagnant. Health care is a privilege. Social Security needs to be on the forefront, more than any other issue. That system is on the verge of going bankrupt in a decade- and we need to protect our older generations.

Supplemental health care assistance makes more sense.We have too many illegals entering our country yearly, that our helping feed into the chaos. Something has to give before health care because a higher priority.
These are not easy issues.

I appreciate the response, Smashlove. I do disagree, however, with health care being a privilege.

How can education be a right, and health care be a privilege? With "No Child Left Behind" George W. Bush made education a right for every American. But in the big scheme of things, which is more important-educational competency or staying alive and functioning without illness?

The obvious answer is that health care is far more important than even education. Now, I'm not arguing that education is not important. It is imperative to developing our nation. However, health care MUST be a top priority on the upcoming candidate's platform.

Also, it is not true that "Canadians come over the border to get an MRI in a timely fashion." I'm sure that some have. However, the FACTS (not "rumors") are that a higher percentage of people are satisfied with the health care they have received in OTHER countries (industrialized) than in THIS country.

Perhaps if we weren't in a major deficit right now, socialized health care would be attainable. Instead of keeping this nation's citizens alive, congress has approved spending of over $699 billion dollars for fighting this war on terror. Granted, that money is spent and gone, but if we get the troops home in a timely manner, and spend money on the citizens that are dying HERE on our soil, instead of paying money to kill other people on THEIR soil, health care is an attainable goal.

I think the only reason people oppose the notion is because they don't believe it. It's not too good to be true, it works in other nations, and it can work here. YES, taxes will go up. But why did we have a tax cut during war anyway?? That was the only time in US history that we got a tax CUT during a war. I am prepared and more than willing to pay more in taxes if it means a free doctor visit whenever I'm ill, and affordable medicine.

The insurance and pharmaceutical industries are both fraudulent, and don't deserve our money any longer. I would prefer LESS money go into the government and in the end, help me when I'm sick, than MORE of my money go to white-collared criminals who take advantage of our nation.

I know that sounds extreme, but it is true. Why should we pay up to $400 for certain precriptions that can be attained for $10 in other countries? Because that $390 difference goes into the elite pockets of the pharm. industries.

Quick example that many might be unaware of--

Rick Perry, Republican Governor of Texas, had his campaign funded for primarily by the pharmaceutical company Merck.

Shortly after being elected governor, Perry made the "Gardasil" vaccine mandatory for all 6th grade girls.

Gardasil is the HPV preventive vaccine that Merck created. It costs $200 per shot, and 3 shots are required to be immune to the virus. That is $600/girl.

So basically, "you scratch my back, I'll scratch yours" philosophy applied. Merck paid to have Perry elected, then Perry makes their vaccine mandatory, and Merck brings in some serious money.

This was wrong on a lot of levels, but I do realize it wasn't my initial point. In conclusion, I am prepared to pay more taxes for better healthcare, because it shouldn't be a privilege, it really should be a right.

If you're willing to socialize education, why not medicine? Your taxes already go toward school....which is more important-reading a book, or living to see tomorrow?

It is nice that you are willing to pay more taxes to receive free health care. I, on the other hand do not see the need for more taxation than there currently is. I am not even going to bother bringing the War into this matter. Freedom is not free. Our lives are dependent first, and foremost, by living in a free nation.
Health care is a large big business infrastructure. It isn't acceptable to make fleeting statements about pharmaceutical companies who do make a huge difference in the creation of vaccines and palliative care. We need the pharmaceutical companies too. They create jobs for Americans. They are doing the necessary research to come up with answers. Having health care in a free format is the only way to increase research, invention, and future endeavors.

Also, More taxation means that you will also be paying for those who do not contribute to our free market as well. For example, legal immigrants- there needs to be reforms for the health care system to receive what it needs. Many of the health conditions are out there due to Americans not taking care of their health. Obesity and many other gluttonous vices play a role in the overpopulated hospitals. We need to start looking more for preventative measures to lessen hospital needs. The elderly are the American's eating up our insurance dollars by constant checkups. We have supplements out there currently. Laws need to be created to urge companies to supplement health care insurance for their workers.

Attacking the homeland security measures is not the answer. Hillary Clinton is out there trying to set up a universal system, however she is not developing anything concrete that will make our economy transition nicely.

Smearing the pharmaceutical companies and government sectors will not lead to a solution. It is about starting with baby steps, rather than a outright revolution.

We had a tax cut that served the public in a beneficial way. We have not had inflationary periods, nor recession in quit in quite some time.