If free health care is possible in other countries..

[Andronex]

Why can't we have it in the USA?

As one example today December 25, after less than 2 years in power and without control of of the lower or upper legislature president Fernando Lugo of Paraguay has completed a process that gives free health care to all. If a poor underdeveloped country can quickly set up such a program why can't we ?

<http://www.prensa-latina.cu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=149239&Itemid=1>

[depakid]

1. It ain't free- just profoundly more effiicient

[datasuspect]

2. it's because the US is not a civilized country

and has no grasp of a simple concept like the "common weal."

[timeforpeace]

16. Got any examples of countries with 330 million peeps that have free health care? Free countries.

[datasuspect]

21. what does your question have to do with my assertion?

[Juche]

27. There are only 3 nations on earth with 330 million people+

The US, China & India. China is trying to establish universal health care systems. I think India is too, but can't find an article on it.

http://www.nytimes.com/2009/01/22/world/asia/22iht-beijing.1.19590543.html

[Hydra]

3. We could do it tomorrow

And we could get everyone housed too. We lack the will to do it.

[Edweird]

4. It's not 'free', but yeah, we are pretty much suckers. And it's going to get worse.

People on the left are inexplicably supporting privatization and cuts in Medicare on a scale that would make Ronald Reagan blow a load in his tighty whiteys. It's incomprehensible.

[truedelphi]

6. Few on DU want to believe that a half billion dolars worth of cuts

Will damage MediCare.

I have no idea of why people want to ignore the reality that over the last fifteen years, many doctors no longer take on new MediCare patients, many doctors who did deal with the elderly went into retirement, partially forced.

Very importantly, the portion of the cuts that relate to the 'in home' support workers will cause more unemployment and push the seniors into elder care nursing homes, which is always much more expensive than having a person in their home with some help provided.

[clear eye]

9. I agree w/ every word you said--pretty good summing up.

And they let some planted rw ranting about death panels stop them from objecting to control of Medicare being moved from Congress to an appointed, unaccountable board made up at least partly of "experts" from the private insurance industry and Big Pharma. That'll really be great for the public Medicare program. :sarcasm:

[treestar]

5. Hard to say

Mostly I think because of our Puritan background and we can't let go of that idea that we can all get rich if we just work hard.

[EVDebs]

7. Free because they value healthcare not warfare. nt

[A HERETIC I AM]

8. It's possible in other countries because they don't spend as much of their GDP

on their military.

If we didn't have over 150 bases around the world and a military that spends money at the rate of more than $1.26 Million per minute , we would be able to afford just about anything we wanted.

[TheWraith]

10. It is NOT FREE. Period.

There is no country in the world which has free healthcare. There are countries where there is national, non-profit healthcare paid for by taxes. Just because your bill is smaller and doesn't come from the hospital does NOT make it free.

[Andronex]

12. Ok, let me rephrase the question.

If publicly financed non profit health care is possible elsewhere, why not here ?

like in...

Asuncion, Dec 25 (Prensa Latina) Free Health Care in Public Health begins today its application in Paraguay after the disposition of Fernando Lugo''s administration.

According to governmental sources from this moment on there won't be duties or payment for diagnosing or hospitalization.

This measure marked the end of a free health care process which began in 2008 first at medical consultation level and later it was extended to other health facilities.

People with low economic incomes will be highly benefited with this initiative, Esperanza Martinez Health Minister said .

more... <http://www.prensa-latina.cu/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=149239&Itemid=1>

[TheWraith]

14. Because we don't have 60 senators in favor of single-payer.

I'm afraid it's that simple. Nothing to do with cost--It is, after all, less of a drain on our economy than what we've got now. But we have an upper chamber which is designed so that 40 Republicans, representing only about a third of the US population, can obstruct anything as long as there's one Democrat to vote with them. And when you add our thoroughly bought off members like Nelson and Lieberman, then the tipping point is entirely in their hands.

[johnaries]

18. Yep. Sad but true. nt

[depakid]

20. This is a particularly impressive aspect of America that boggles the minds of people abroad

Here's a nation that goes on incessantly about the virtues of Democracy- and yet their own federal system (and many state systems) are rather profoundly undemocratic- to the extent that policies that up to 3/4's of the population support have little chance of becoming law (even in the midst of a crisis).

[TheWraith]

23. It's the minority/majority question all over.

If you structure the government to function on 50% plus one, then there's no protection from the sizable minority of people who disagree, maybe strongly, with what you're doing. For instance, 50% plus one was the standard in California and Maine for repealing gay marriage. That same problem applies to ANY group given that you can rally 50% plus one of the population against them. Black people, Jews, the left handed, people who wear ugly clothes. The constitution attempts to provide some basic protected rights and categories, but that doesn't cover nearly everything. So because a slim majority prevailed, gay people can't get married in California or Maine, etcetera.

However, if you structure your government to require a broader mandate, then you're open to the possibility of a smaller minority thwarting the will of the majority. The representatives of one third of the population can stop the other two thirds from governing. That may protect the opinions of that one third, but everyone else gets shafted.

There's no clean or simple answer here.

[mopinko]

24. and this is why it was never on the table.

i gave up trying to point this out here. every time i did, people insisted that no one here thought it was free.

[dipsydoodle]

11. It's not free - paid for by a form of tax

but considered desirable in countries whose governments consider the well being of their populations to be important.

In other words get with the program cos you don't really matter. :sarcasm:

[OHdem10]

13. You pay taxes in other countries to pay for it. Since they do not

see government as the problem, it is accepted and run much
more effeciently. Even Conservatives in other countries
support their National Health Care System.

[LostInAnomie]

15. A lot of reasons.

We've been raised with the idealogy that taxes in any form are akin to rape.

We never had a strong Communist or Socialist movement in the US.

Our government is set up to insure that the richest and most powerful have a more powerful voice than the Average Joe.

There are a lot of idiots in smaller states that are easily misled into voting for Republicans contrary to their own economic interests.

The list could go on and on.

[lib2DaBone]

17. 1% of what we spend on Bombs to kill people ....could fund health Care..

We could have Health Care, Housing, Jobs and a functioning Society.

However, that requires an honest press and an aware society.

Our media is controlled by Clear Channel (a totally right wing media outlet)

The Corporations are "for Profit" bean counters, who control every facet of American life.

It works as long as the system benefits the big Bankers and the people who make the rules.(profits)

If you are talking about pure capitalism and free market.. there is no such animal alive today.

This is government by the special, for the special and for the corrupt.

[Juche]

29. It costs more than that though

Military spending is somewhere from $600-900 billion a year. Health care is $2.5 trillion a year, with about 50-60% coming from public funds.

[Hydra]

31. Health care could cost much less than that, though

Not just in cost cutting, but also in prevention vs. treatment after the fact(which s more profitable, but hardly what we should be shooting for)

I bet we could get it all done for 1/2, or even 1/4 of the 2.5 trillion number.

[Juche]

32. Yeah, it could be done for 20-30% less money

If we had single payer, bulk purchases and comparative effectiveness.

[Hydra]

33. We could do that just by getting the insurance companies out of the way

Imagine how much more we could get it down by making it illegal to have stock in such a system?

[nadinbrzezinski]

19. There is not such a thing as truly free healthcare

it depends on what are your priorities as a nation, but somebody IS paying for those services.

[harun]

22. Because the majority of people in the United States do not support equality of any kind.

[Andronex]

25. It's the lack of political will of our (s)elected officials

Polls have shown that a majority of Americans would support some sort of universal public health program and such a plan could be sold and easily implemented as extending Medicare for all Americans. A forceful progressive leadership would not need an absolute majority in the legislatures if it lays it on the line and put the will of the american people in the balance, those who would oppose such a project would do so at their own political peril.

The real question should be how do we get honest progressive in power when the selection of our "leaders" is rigged ?

[WeDidIt]

26. There's no such thing as "free health care"

Anybody who thinks there is is an idiot.

[Kansas Wyatt]

28. U.S. Department of Defense

Other countries do not outspend the rest of the world on military defense.

[pansypoo53219]

30. BUTBUTBUT TAXES!!

and SOCIALISM! OMG1111!!!!!!!!!! OH NOES!!!!!!!!!!!!11!111!

we are idiots with bootstraps.

[eridani]

34. Public goods aren't free

They are only free at the point of service.