With South Africa now having legislated universal access to medical services,it leaves the U.S. as the only industrialized country that fails to guarantee its citizens access to medical services. And at the same time while foreign competitors get full medical benefits at 1/3 the cost,US employers are weighed down by ever growing health care expense. To ease their burden,many companies,at least the ones that even offer insurance to their help, are now passing the increase costs to their employees,which means less take home pay or the option of having a cheaper form of insurance.

Story after story is written about how this family or that family have had to sell their house or property,etc. to pay for theirs or their kids operations or medicine. Predictions abound about more and more premium increases coming this year and next. About 40% of all personal bankruptcies in the U.S. are because of unpaid medical bills. At the present time the average household cost for health insurance is 15%.

Should we have universal access to needed medical services in the U.S.?

I have some suggestions on how to do it but will wait for some posts to get going.

-- TomK(mich) (tjk@cac.net), March 10, 2002

Answers

Absolutely not. The Bill of Rights did not list Medical Care as a basic right. Yeah, it a relatively old document, but that nonwithstanding, it is the framework for this Country. Medical Care should not be an absolute right. If it was, every person from the third world would be on a boat headed to the good old USA (As if there are not too many as we speak). Access to emergency medical care is needed, but not full coverage. That's why I work and have a good job. To ditance myself from those who can't pay for it. This is cruel, but better things go to those who can afford it. With free medical care, what is my motivation to work? I can just feed off the government and the rest of the people who work to pay taxes. How do you think that coverage will be payed for? The hard working US taxpayer who does not want to make sure the dregs of society are healthy enough to pro-create.

-- Bill (Bill@bill.com), March 10, 2002.

Bill, were it that simple..........work and have health care. Sorry, my hubby and I have worked all our lives and we have NEVER had health care as good as Medicaid. Go figure.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), March 10, 2002.

Just because a nation has universal health care access, does not mean that it is good care, or even adequate, by our standards.

Right now, emergency rooms cannot refuse treatment to anyone walking in their doors. It appears to me there are still lots of low cost, sliding fee clinics. Every state is the beneficiary of federal medicaid for children and pregnant women. Old folks get their directly from the fed. These programs, while very good programs, are taken advantage of by people from every walk of life. From the drunk looking for a safe bed to crash, to the doctor who wants to pay off the Lotus and the exwife.

What is the high cost of medical care in our country? It is the malpractice insurance. If the professional associations policed their own ranks, there would not be the incompetent doctors out their practicing, moving from town to town, state to state, leaving a trail of bodies behind them. If people took responsibility for their own health and their own health education instead of looking to a doctor as a god, they wouldn't blame the doctors for their health problems. If Americans didn't view every personal setback as an opportunity to squeeze the goose that lays golden eggs, health care would be affordable for every responsible american.

One of the things I have never figured out is the disparity in health care costs in different parts of our nations. For instance, in Montana, Dr. visit, $26, prescription, $13. The same visit in Kansas, $72, same prescription, $36.

No,I don't believe the answer is more governmental interference, more taxes, more paperwork, more graft and corruption. I believe the answer is more personal responsibility on the part of every citizen and visitor to our country for their own health care and that of their families.

-- Laura (Ladybugwrangler@hotmail.com), March 10, 2002.

I am for universal health care if patterned after the Swedish system. Their doctors read like a who is who in the major fields. Go figure ? Lowest pay produces the top doctors. Here in the good ole USA --I could grab the first hundred doctors I find and only 3 of them would know the proper procedure for pulling one's head out of their $#%^.

-- Joel Rosen (JoelnBecky@webtv.net), March 10, 2002.

South Africa probably isn't the best example to hold up. Right now, we have several South Africans who have left their homes and farms to move here because there is no future for them there. The AIDS epidemic is almost too huge for us to even contemplate and with this universal health care, it has almost bankrupt the country. According to our guys, the roads, bridges and other infra structures are falling apart and crime is very high. They all say the same thing--- there was no hope of any future for them there. Our family falls into the cracks of the health care system. We are an upper middle class family. My husabnd suffered a major heart attack a year ago and after paying the claims, our insurance company has found a legal loop hole to cancel our coverage.We had this coverage for 7 years before ever filing a claim. Now, there is not a company in this country who will give my 40 yo husband and family individual health insurance and the company we work for is too small to have a group policy..... he is in good health and we are battling our way out of medical debt but..... all it will take is one emergency.... and we lose it all. It is a racket and I have yt to figure out how to beat it.

-- Tana Mc (mcfarm@totelcsi.net), March 10, 2002.

Man, it just isn't a good idea to get the government involved in anything. When has it ever succeeded in lowering costs? Insurance is definitely a racket, I had it for a total of 18 months of my adult life. No thanks. You are much better off if you can take care of your health prophylactically. I honestly think that if there were some limitations on lawsuits that the price of health care wouldn't be so outrageous. Yes, there are a number of issues, but throwing bureaucrazies at it will NOT make it better. I heard that in Canada there is an insane wait for non emergency (as in life threatening NOW) care.

-- Doreen (bisquit@here.com), March 12, 2002.

"Should we have universal access to needed medical services in the U.S.?"

NO.

Ditto what Laura said.

-- Wendy@GraceAcres (wjl7@hotmail.com), March 12, 2002.

Canada has universal health care and they run to the US when they really need help. In fact they fight over coming to the US for medical care. Universal Medical Care? Give me a break!!!!!

Hi Wendy! Ditto Ditto!!

Little Bit Farm

-- Little bit Farm (littlebit@farm.com), March 12, 2002.

Here are some interesting health care links.

http://www.unitednorthamerica.org/healthcare.htm

http://i2i.org/Publications/IP/HealthCare/is2393.htm

http://www.ruf.rice.edu/~txinsh/concept.html

http://www.google.com/search? q=cache:vQCP68dXsYcC:www.cmwf.org/annreprt/2000/davis_quality_ar_446.p df+quality+medical+care+US+better+than+Canada&hl=en

Little bit Farm

-- Little bit Farm (littlebit@farm.com), March 12, 2002.

Joel: That procedure you refer to is called a RECTAL CRANIONOMY. It is still under development.

-- john (natlivent@pcpros.net), March 12, 2002.

This just in: The aforementioned rectal cranionomy is expected to get FDA approval by the fall of 2004, just in time for the elections. It is rumored that a petition drive will commence soon to have blank, you-fill-in-the-name gift certificates for the new procedure attached to the ballots. Sorry, only one per ballot.

-- john (natlivent@pcpros.net), March 13, 2002.

well I'm back after going through 3 days of being down and out sick,I just did not feel like doing anything.

Americans pay much much more and get much less for their dollars, health wise,than in Germany,France,Japan,Netherlands and Finland. Many countries use insurance,even private insurance,coupled with firm rules that require everyone to contribute. Alot of countries rely on tax-based financing.

I did not use the terms "Universal health insurance" nor did I use "Universal health care", because each refers to only one of several alternatives.More often the above countries their medical services are private.

The following is 10 "guidelines" that would provide adequate and affordable Universal access to medical services,but I think still foster individual freedom.

1. Everyone is covered,and everyone contributes in proportion to their income.

2. Decisions about all matters are open and publicly debated. Accountability for costs,quality and value of providers,suppliers and administrators is public.

3. Contributions do not discriminate by type of illness or ability to pay.

4. Coverage does not discriminate by type of illness or ability to pay.

5. Coverage responds first to medical need and suffering.

6. Nonfinancial barriers by class,language,education and geography are to be minimized.

7. Providers are paid fairly and equitably,

8. Clinical waste is minimized through public health,self- care,prevention,strong primary care, and indentification of innecessary procedures.

9. Financial waste is minimized through simplified administrative arrangements and strong bargining for good value.

10.Choice is maximized in a common playing field where 90-95% of payments go toward necessary and efficent health services.

-- TomK(mich) (tjk@cac.net), March 15, 2002.

I do not believe that the government should be involved in the health care system any more than they are now. Actually, I don't think they should be providing Medicare and Medicaid. They are the reason no one can afford medical care now and all the doctors are living in huge houses with all the appointments of the super rich, because now they are the super rich. This in turn has attracted a bunch of folks that have no real interest in medicine, but only in the money it brings in. The day of the country doctor who actually wept when his patient died are virtually gone. No, I do not have medical insurance.

-- Green (ratdogs10@yahoo.com), March 16, 2002.