SLUniverse Forums

Surreal Farber

As it currently stands, my tax dollars pay for health care for these folks:

• Anyone employed by the Federal, State, or local government.
• Military personnel and their dependents
• University employees ... as their employer get significant tax breaks
• Uninsured, thru use of emergency rooms, etc.
• Medicaid
• People in jail

Now I don't necessarily have a problem with any of those folks getting health care. But why don't I have it too, as a matter of course.

This is inherently unequal treatment.

Ingrid

That stinks.

If you want to be really frustrated with the healthcare system, come to Canada. You pay (and i mean you really pay) into a system that a. doesn't work and b. where there aren't any doctors to treat you if you get sick.

LeenaSerevi

LOL- sounds just like the NHS.

__________________
It was terribly dangerous to let your thoughts wander when you were in any public place or within range of a telescreen. The smallest thing could give you away. A nervous tic, an unconscious look of anxiety, a habit of muttering to yourself—anything that carried with it the suggestion of abnormality, of having something to hide. In any case, to wear an improper expression on your face ... was itself a punishable offense. There was even a word for it in Newspeak: facecrime ...

Colette Meiji

I wonder how much this has to do with Canada's higher education system.

My cousin who was a good student had trouble getting into a University there, even though his parents have a really good income.

He ended up commuting to the United States for 4 years to get a degree.

He was able to get into Grad School in Canada though - He has a PhD now.

If you don't combine readily accessible College and Medical School with your Socialized Medicine system, its bound to fail.

Surreal Farber

Hmm.... I've got a lot of friends in Canada, but none have described it in these terms.

Ingrid

I think Quebec (where I live) is worse than other provinces for healthcare even though th system is countrywide. Good luck trying to find a doctor here. And god help you if after months of waiting you finally get into a hospital for surgery. That's when you realize you're in a 3rd world country.

Ingrid

Most doctors who graduate end up going to the states where they can make $$$ and don't have to kill themselves working the crazy hours for peanuts they do here.

Siobhan OFlynn

The thing that upsets me the most is that the ONLY group of people in the United States who are guaranteed health care is prison inmates. Every single prison inmate in the United States of America is afforded health care (and pretty good care, I might add, including free pharmaceuticals) regardless of their ability to pay.

In Florida, they're required to pay a $4 co-pay for some encounters, but not all. If they don't have the money, they're cared for anyway. Prescription and over the counter medications are provided free of charge.

__________________

Colette Meiji

Isn't that a self fulfilling prophesy?

If there is a doctor shortage then they are forced to work crazy hours.

Having enough Doctors would be a requirement of any Health Care system.

RandoymRandt

Didn't we have this thread someplace recently, where we got into a really extended debate between the "somewhat socialist" AU system and the US? Was that trouts (edit: I mean gig's) thread? I can't remember. Anyhoo, yeah, come to the AU, its the best system evah. The end.

__________________
...Never Underestimate the Power of Denial...
~Ricky, American Beauty

Surreal Farber

It's a matter of inequality within our system, not a comparison of other systems.

Psyke Phaeton

Providing medical support to smart people increases the chances of rebellion by the masses. However keeping alive those that support the government, or who are too stupid decreases the chance of rebellion.

:tinfoilhat:

__________________

Serenity

Take two (since I deleted my first effort).

The first two on your list are employees of the government. The standard for US healthcare is that it's employeer based and since they work for the government the government gets them health care.

Not rocket science, and it's no 'less' fair then the entire employeer provides system we generally use. If you want that insurance it's not hard to get. You LOVE to talk about how my insurance is SO great. And it's easy to get all you need to is:

• Get certified in teaching (which is getting harder as requirements go up)
• Find a job teaching (which is getting harder as budgets tighten)
• Work 40 hrs/ week in the classroom.
• Work 20 hrs/ week grading papers, calling parents and planning lessons.
• Work 5 hours/ week with clubs, extra currics and chaperoning.
• Spend your summer in continuing education courses to stay certified until you have a master's degree.
• Periodically be called on to walk picket lines for 3 hours in a downpour because your distrcit thinks it's a better use of money to spend a quarter million on a lawyer to union bust than it is to bargain in good faith.

Then as a 'cushy government employee' you can enjoy the same insurance I have. At least until your contract is up and you have to go through it all again.

Serenity

__________________
"I don't care, I'm still free; you can't take the sky from me."

Colette Meiji

Doesn't this post contradict your normal argument?

Since you are trying to say how hard it is for you to get good health care...

So obviously people who don't meet all the criteria wont get as good health care ..

Surreal Farber

Maybe you'd like to make an effort to remember who said what, instead of ascribing whatever it is you're cranky about to whomever is handy.

Thanks so much.

Surreal Farber

Repeated for the reading impaired.

Serenity,

I worked for 10 years in MI, so yeah... my tax dollars helped pay for your insurance.

Why wouldn't it be fair for your tax dollars to help pay for mine?

Serenity

Not at all. Insurance is from your employeer. If you want to work for mine, it's a bit harder then you'd expect.

Serenity

Serenity

Becuase you don't work for the government.

See how simple that is.

Most people get their insurance from the employer.
If you work for the government the government is your employer.
Thus the government provides your insurance.

Or are you saying you don't want to have the government hire people anymore?

We could replace the police, teachers, road crews, etc with neighborhood watches, home schooling and some old guy with a wheelbarrow.

Serenity

Gigs

__________________
-
-
"Green" is half marketing, the other half is self-satisfaction, and the rest is actual environmental benefits

Serenity

Call me a nutter but I'm kind of attached to the concept of a professional fire service.

Serenity

Surreal Farber

Actually, if you work for the government, the people who pay taxes are your employer. Want a pay raises, go to the voters.

I don't see why I should pay for you, a person making a decent income, to have something that I have to pay for myself.

Lucifer Baphomet

Gigs disappears further into the twilight zone methinks.

__________________