Haven't been on DU for ages, so apologies if discussed to death already: Health care

[Coventina]

But it's an issue that's been on my mind for awhile.

The way I see it, there are really only two basic approaches to health care

Either you believe

A) People who cannot afford the healthcare they need to live should be allowed to die

or

B) Society has an obligation to ensure that everyone gets access to the healthcare they need to live



Is there something I'm missing?

:shrug:

[polichick]

1. The only thing you're missing is the fact that a lot of politicians are industry whores. nt

[gateley]

3. +1

[Angry Dragon]

2. You are missing nothing

[JuniperLea]

4. Nope, you aren't missing a thing, IMHO

I believe the best measure of a society is how they treat the least fortunate among them. And I'm especially tired of so-called Christians "using the Lord's name in vain" by calling themselves Christians out one side of their mouths and denying the least fortunate among us health care out of the other.

Whatsoever you do for these the lesser of my brothers, you do for me. ~ Jesus

I'm glad we have a foot in the door with healthcare... I think it still needs a lot of work, but Joe B. said it best... This is a big fucking deal!

[Pharaoh]

5. Not for profit

a cooperative and regulate the drug companys!!

[bemildred]

6. Once you accept the idea that "health care" is a for profit businss,

you accept the idea that if you are broke it's OK to not treat you when you are sick. if you have to pay for it, you can be denied it.

[alstephenson]

7. Nope, you didn't miss anything.

I was talking about this with a friend at lunch today. Will things get to the point that people will just coldly step over the sick and the dead on the streets and go their merry way? Is this what the right wing wants? What a sick and depraved country this has become.

[hendo]

8. Ah, but the question always revolves around

elective and/or preventative health care.

[Coventina]

9. Here's my take on preventative care: Once a society decides

that people should NOT die for lack of money, then it becomes pretty clear that preventative care saves money AND lives.

Elective care is a little more tricky. Do "We the People" pay for face lifts? Boob jobs?

That I don't know.

[hendo]

10. I agree with you on preventative care

however, the drug companies are a very big lobby and there is more profit for them in treating a disease as opposed to preventing one.

Some of the big insurance companies are starting to see the value of preventative medicine, so I hope our politicians soon will too.

[eridani]

11. You are wrong about saving money--prevention costs money, but saves lives

A large part of the increasing health care costs that we see in the developed world is precisely due to effective prevention, which enables more people to live to an age where continuing care is of necessity more expensive.

Boob jobs are like iPods, not like fire trucks.