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Originally posted by CamChicks
complete nonsense. Most countries provide health care and none of them have banned smoking or alcohol (most have more relaxed drug laws), or forced people onto treadmills, or told them not to rock climb. And the worst offender at trying to control it's citizens sex life is the USA.
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Have you lived in a country with socialized medicine? For the record I'm an American living in Canada (which as universal health care). Compared to the US, the medical system here sucks. There's a perpetual shortage of nurses and doctors. And the nurses have tendancy to go on strike about once a year. If you go to the emergency room, you'll be lucky to see a doctor in 12 hours (unless you're spurting blood from every orifice). Finding a family doctor (atleast in Montreal) is almost impossible. About a week ago there was story in the newspaper here about a guy who waited over a week to have a broken bone set. In flu season its common for hospitals to turn people away because they don't have enough beds. One of my friends had to wait four months to have some tests done on his urine.
My dog has a knee condition where the kneecap pops out of alignment. Currently it doesn't happen frequently enough to require surgery but I was told that if/when surgery is needed it would take about a week to schedual. A person who needed a similar operation would have to wait probably around 6 months.
Dental and eye care are not covered by the government and the service is as good as in the states so its not a cultural difference.
Quote:
Originally posted by CamChicks
If you don't want to 'pay for other people' because you are gambling on winning the health lottery then fine, that's an arguement (selfish, but valid). However know that you are paying far more in premiums than you would pay in additional taxes, just to line the pockets of insurance companies, who in turn lobby politicans for further financial gain.
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I'm not gambling on winning the health lottery. I'm working to ensure I can afford private insurance. There was about a five year period of my life when I didn't have health insurance. I am athsmatic and during that time I had a few attacks which proved quite costly. However, even then I wasn't a supporter of socialized medicine.
I find it very hard to believe that the government could provide the same quality of service for the same cost (or less) than the current situation. The government is not an efficient organization. Insurance companies have a reason to keep prices low (competition) the government has no such incentive.
Quote:
Originally posted by CamChicks
But I bet if you were farced with the same choice the thread-starter is, you'd change you opinion about the issue.
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So its not about principles its all about the handout?