Why is the USA the only major western economy that doesn't have universal health care?

[birdie1971]

Why do so many quintessential middle Americans find the idea of a United States style NHS so objectionable?

[shaneystar2]

I know this is an old link but I doubt things have changed much .
http://news.bbc.co.uk.../americas/7420744.stm

One of the richest countries in the world and they can't provide adequate across the board health care for their citizens .
If they didn't poke their noses into other peoples lives and want to dominate the world and wage silly wars then they may have a bit more in the pot to help the poorer members of their society .
Shameful really .
The Me Me Me society at it's best .

[d9f1c7]

Ok if I was hit by a car in Spain and was unconcious wearing only a pair of shorts. What would happen to me........

[Sqad]

df.....you are correct........they would leave you lying in the road in your shorts, to get swept up next morning or more likely to die.

The brain washed of the NHS never cease to amaze me..............

[shaneystar2]

Sqad ...you must have made a packet out of the NHS ..but you denigrate it at every whip and turn .
I'm no way brainwashed by it but it's what we have and we have to make the best of it .
I've lately had experience of both sides ,both private and NHS and I'm so grateful to the NHS .Private healthcare let us down terribly .

[d9f1c7]

care to tell me what actually would happen sqad, rather than having a tantrum.

[Sqad]

shaney....my "packet" as you called it was made out of private practice more than the NHS and believe me the NHS got it's pound of flesh our of me.

You have shaney for many years accused me of denigrating the NHS, but i have noticed that you are silent when i complement it.

We both have differing opinions concerning Health care in other countries and i can live with that.

d9....in answer to your question.....an ambulance would be called, you would be taken to the nearest hospital where you would receive the appropriate medical care.

[shaneystar2]

I've never actually seen you compliment it sqad :)
I've seen you say how it could be improved ,and on that point some of your suggestions make some sort of sense but you mostly seem to dismiss the whole ethos of it .
And ,by the way,I hope you're feeling better .

[Sqad]

shaney........LOL.....I am indeed despite having to have "Spanish Health Care"

[DTCwordfan]

From the Medi systems I have seen, I would put the French and Canadians high up.....no one is perfect and to say the States has no care is not quite true - there is Medicare, though it is fairly lousy. Only saw it when I was assigned by the Green Card folk a Medicare doctor for my health status, unfortunately with the name of Barbara Bush (seriously)....she was pretty awful but one had to pander owing to the application.

With its failings the US A&E rooms are often cluttered with all sorts coming in, cases of which should really be in a doctors surgery. Having said all that, for those with insurance, the care is generally excellent and very timely.....As I said earlier, no one system is perfect and far from it.

[shaneystar2]

Ah, yes, Barbara Bush and her patronising comments on the victims of Hurricane Katrina ."They were underprivileged anyway "
Typical ..let them eat cake.. attitude .

[FredPuli43]

No NHS, but the "Obamacare" they have is a system modelled on the Netherlands health care system viz. compulsory health insurance for all but the insurers to have no power to refuse insurance or offer adverse terms, such as loaded premiums for high risk individuals or limits on payments for treatment. That's the basic idea but whether they,in fact, got a system like the Netherlands', where the universal premium for a complete package is extremely low, is another question.
Medicare , which they already had, provides health care for what we term OAPs.

[FredPuli43]

Canada is mentioned but their system has no private healthcare.You get the national system or nothing, unless you cross the border.

[shaneystar2]

The Netherlands have excellent healthcare .....having experienced it ..twice ...only for being preganant though :)
Nice to see you again fredpuli ..where have you been ?
Do you still have your dog ?
Sorry to digress birdie ..hope you don't mind

[d9f1c7]

.... and I could just walk out after? sqad? without paying? I don't think so.

[Khandro]

Wasn't 'NHS' style health care actually invented in New Zealand?

[DTCwordfan]

It does, shaney, as long as nothing goes wrong - what is the percentage on home births and commune birthing pools 95%? and the Kraamzorg is really brilliant - now if we had that concept over here.......

[shaneystar2]

Had mine in the Ikazia Ziekenhuis in Rotterdam DT .Excellent care .Kraamzorg brilliant . You don't get that sort of maternity care here . But they also make get on with it :)
Great believers in natural and home birth. I still keep in touch with my kraamverzorgster . She now has children of her own .Lovely girl .

[FredPuli43]

shaney, it is indeed I, fredpuli. Moved house and was off the net for ages, such is the poor connection to this farm. Thanks for asking.
Yes, where were we? Dutch healthcare,first class.
France has excellent health care too. When we kept a home there, Mrs Fred was astonished to be sent to a specialist instantly by the doctor, and seen straight away on arrival, over what was, to her way of thinking, a minor matter. They used to have a system whereby you could go to a specialist without being seen by a GP, but they eventually saw the defect in that! But it is not a 'free' service like the NHS. The government pays about three quarters of the cost and citizens take out very cheap universal insurance to pay the rest.

[jomifl]

When you go to the EU you should carry a European health insurance card, then you will get free treatment because the cost will be recharged to the UK. Having had experience of the French health service I would say that it is at least equal to the NHS. As a retired expat living in France (and having registered with the French health service) I had free treatment for an eye tumour and my several train trips to Paris for treatment were reimboursed as was my wifes fare as she accompanied me. All my treatment is now free because I have had cancer.
Sqad knows of what he speaks..believe him.

[New Judge]

But what happens, fred, to the "poor" people who have no funds to insure their quarter?

All these ideas about compulsory insurance for health and pensions are all well and good. However, in the UK there are huge numbers of people who are either intentionally, recklessly or unfortunately potless. None of them will be able to pay premiums for compulsory insurance of any kind. So it will be with the new compulsory pension contribution system (although I thought we already had one – National Insurance).

It is no use introducing new systems which involve compulsory contributions if large numbers of people are to be exempt from making those contributions. The NHS has many faults (not least of which is that it is an “international” health service, not merely a national one). But its principle problem is that, along with many state provided services in the UK, there are far too many people drawing on its facilities who have paid in sod all.