Does any other major country have health coverage linked to employment like the US?

[Mayberry Machiavelli]

I can't think of any offhand, does anyone know examples?

[Vincardog]

1. No every other industrialized country has universal health care. None has the

institutionalized rape that is our "Health Insurance' scam. WTF does anyone have to make billions denying health care to others?

[luckyleftyme2]

2. its called LEGAL black mail

ITS CALLED LEGAL BLACK MAIL-YOU VOTE NO ON UNIVERSAL HEALTH CARE OR WE GIVE U NO CAMPAIGN FUNDS!

[Freddie Stubbs]

8. Which members of Congress have voted no on this?

:shrug:

[luckyleftyme2]

4. CHECK THIS OUT PHYSICIANS FOR A NATIONAL HEALTH -CARE

THIS IS THE LINC:http://www.pnhp.org
also read their press reports

[KT2000]

13. Good link!

I am sending them Michael Moore's letter to the Treasury Secretary.

[DBoon]

3. Even India has universal coverage

so why are our jobs going overseas?

[blondeatlast]

6. That is one of the reasons jobs move overseas. If employers don't have to pay

for employee health care, there's more profit for them.

I would think every major employer would back UH/single payer (many are now).

[TahitiNut]

5. How else could they refuse to employ smokers, overweight people, and seniors?

:eyes:

But most companies LOVE drunkards.

:puke:

[bobbolink]

7. hell, until recently, most voters loved drunkards.

And still love boyfriend killers.

Whaddya gonna do.....

[KT2000]

9. C-Span had a speaker

on Book TV on April 29. Jonathan Cohn wrote a book, "Sick" about the need for universal healthcare.

In his talk he gave the history of medical insurance in this country that is included in the book. I was surprsied by the history - it started with hospitals offering insurance. You may find what you are looking for and more, in his book.

[antigop]

10. Talking Points Memo interviews Jonathan Cohn

http://www.talkingpointsmemo.com/archives/week_2007_04_15.php#013690

[KT2000]

12. Thanks - he has good info

and he delivers it so well.

[dsc]

11. the reason we are different from the rest is the way medical coverage came about in each country

In most of Europe medical coverage came about out of WW2 when the military provided medical care to the populace who were being wounded by air raids and the like. In the US it came about as a cheap fringe benefit to offer employees when employers were banned from offering better wages in the immediate aftermath of WW2. Thus in much of Europe the government was used to being the provider of health care while in the US we became used to employers paying. Until health care costs went up to the stratosphere it wasn't such a problem but now it is.

[iverglas]

14. only supplemental

Canada permits supplemental insurance to cover services not covered by the public plan -- dental, prescription drugs, eyeglasses, elective surgeries (my friend had her bunions done under her employment-based plan; the public plan won't do that because it's regarded as ineffective/unnecessary).

Canada is the only country of the usual sort we're talking about that prohibits private insurance for services covered by the public plan. (The plans are actually provincial, and must meet national standards, and things are getting a wee bit more complicated because of a recent Supreme Court decision about the Quebec plan, but that's the basic principle.)

In the UK, Europe, Australia, etc., individuals can buy private insurance that gets them better service than under the public plan -- essentially, lets them queue-jump. The results tend to be predictable: services in the public system decline. Canadians remain, for the most part, firmly opposed to this option.

[area51]

15. k&r

We need to join the civilized countries & enact single-payer, universal healthcare, instead of rationing healthcare based on personal wealth. I've heard every day at least 50 people die due to lack of medical care.