What is your opinion on universal healthcare? And do you think universal healthcare is a good idea? Why or why not?

[Lucy68]

Also is universal healthcare good for the economy? And why are some people biased saying universal health care is amazing while others will say the opposite?

[crmoore]

I'm sure a lot of people who know my typical political opinions will be surprised by this, but I think universal healthcare can be a good idea. While there are arguments for the steep costs of medical services here in the US (the money can be spent towards innovation), the detriment that the cost of medical services can be to many people is absolutely horrible.

In my opinion, if we implemented universal healthcare here in America, it'd be horrible because our government is just not competent enough. But in my opinion the response shouldn't be "our government is incompetent, so we can't have universal healthcare," and instead it should be "our government is incompetent so we need to change our government to where it can reasonably provide universal healthcare."

And in response to the people who say it would cost too much, you may be right. It also depends on to what extent people abuse the system for things that don't really need attention. But my response is that our government already spends countless dollars completely unnecessary things. Maybe I'm wrong, but it doesn't seem too implausible that if we cut down on government spending on a plethora of unnecessary things, we can then use that money we saved on universal healthcare (and possibly have some money left over).

[Cubus]

Is universal healthcare good for economy? - undoubtly no, as it means higher state spendings.

Is universal healthcare good for people? - that's disputable.

First of all we have to notice that IT IS NOT FREE. Universal healthcare means you pay higher taxes, because the state has 0 money. It only has money from taxpayers. If the state is to give you something, it has to take something else from you. So even if it looks like it was free, it's not.

Is universal healthcare effective? - no. Countries that have universal healthcare have a lot longer waiting period for surgeries. In USA you can get the surgery i. d. k for cancer the next day. In Europe you can wait a few months for this.

Comparision of waiting periods for public healthcare and private healthcare in Australia

In Norway (who is stereotypically considered to have an excellent healthcare) one of the political parties promised to shorten waiting periods for surgeries - the problem is such big there.

[msc545]

Take money from the military budget and use it for healthcare. 718 billion dollars went to the military last year.

[Cubus]

@msc545 Someone has to keep China in check

[NovaCourier]

Right...

How exactly would my family have afforded the melanoma treatment that my dad had from the NHS if the UK only had a private healthcare system, which would have cost the equivalent of $48,000?

[Cubus]

@NovaCourier I'm pretty sure if you counted how much money goes for this from your taxes then it would be these 48 000 or even more.

[msc545]

The "war" with China is economic - not a shooting war. Our military has not won a war since WWII, and you want to keep giving them most of our money?

[NovaCourier]

Not really, considering that at my income, tax is about 20%. At least this way, the cost is played a tiny bit at a time and it's spread out across the population. While the overall cost might be the same, I can afford to pay a little bit at a time via taxes. I cannot afford to pay 48 grand on the spot.

[NovaCourier]

Ok. Out of interest, I ran some numbers.

On the average UK salary of just over £31,000, a tax rate of 20% and with the NHS making up a little less than 23% of UK spending (remember that this is during covid), I would pay only about £850 per year for medical care that might save my life. I can afford that. I won't need medical treatment all the time of course, but it means I don't have to pay a massive fee all at once when I do need it. It isn't just about the overall cost. It's mainly just about not having to shoulder a massive cost all at once.

In any case, I'd feel a lot more uncomfortable placing my health in the hands of those whose primary goal, is to make profit. I mean, the US pharmaceutical industry spends far more on marketing than it does on research. They don't care about saving lives. They care about profit.

[TacosRAwesome]

We have it here. It's quite decent. It does have its problems such as long queues at clinics and hospitals but overall it's not terrible.

[888theGreat]

What are you taxed?

[TacosRAwesome]

@888theGreat everyone is taxed 10% for national insurance (health and education) and then there are tax brackets over and above. I think the highest bracket is around 35% for earnings over x amount. https://maltasalary.com/

[TacosRAwesome]

cfr.gov.mt/.../Tax-Rates-2022.aspx

[888theGreat]

Malta probably cheaper to live than US

[TacosRAwesome]

@888theGreat it's not the cheapest but probably yes.

[NamerOfStars]

Given how ludicrously expensive it would be here, it simply wouldn't work. Yes, other countries can pull it off, but they're working under different conditions. For the US to adopt government-funded (which is the key issue; it's not "free" if you're paying for it, even indirectly) health care, every other country would have to abandon it. The current Pax Americana is as much economic as it is military, and we're left paying for the innovations and the failed drugs and procedures (FDA approval takes an average of ten years and has a NINETY-EIGHT PERCENT failure rate; the core of why everything is so damned expensive is that you're paying for the failures- or Americans are, anyway). How could THAT aspect be changed, making it an economically viable option here? I don't know. None of the schemes I've heard are likely to work. And that's just the money side. What the government gives, it can take away- as we've seen again and again over the past two years.

That most of the people pushing for this here are the same people who screamed about "the government deciding what I can do with my body" when Roe was overturned makes this depressingly hilarious.

[Chazmatazz269]

Universal healthcare is a superior alternative to our current “system” in the US. I’m in favor of it. But there are other options that are superior, almost anything is superior. We pay more for healthcare in the US than any other country, while the quality and availability of care is deplorable by comparison.
It wouldn’t be difficult to solve though. If we as citizens moved to remove our elected officials’ current system of healthcare, which is an unlimited no-cost system for them mind you, and set up a new system wherein they were only eligible for the same standard of care available to the poorest in need and make them pay out of pocket for everything, the healthcare system would be fixed overnight and it would work for everyone equally.

[Lliam]

I used to strongly support the idea. I don't think anyone in a civilized country should go without food, shelter or medical care.

But I have come to realize that whenever the government pretends to give something away for free, there are conditions. All of a sudden, you are being monitored by the government and it can place conditions on your access. It becomes a means of coercion to limit individual freedom.

There is also the fact that the government doesn't do anything without colluding with giant industries to maximize profit. So free stuff isn't about helping people, it's purely about corruption, profit, kickbacks, etc.

I can't think of a solution. How do we stop corruption and rapacious greed?

[NovaCourier]

As a Brit who owes his life to the NHS, I can attest that Universal healthcare is a good idea, and the way the NHS has been treated for the past 12 years has been a disgrace.

In America, it would have to work somewhat differently to the UK. It has to be tailored to the needs and conditions in the country.

[motownplayer2000]

Not sure. I know what I’m told by Congress the media and conservatives saying that it’s pure evil from hell. However, I hear from my friends and family from overseas that it’s not half that bad at all. So until I actually go overseas and live and have to use that healthcare, I’m not sure what is right and what isn’t. I damn sure don’t take what Americans that lived here and try to explain the bad about it to heart. They don’t know shit either.

[NaultD]

100x better. It's cheaper then our current system. The government already pays 2/3eds of all medical spending because government jobs spend a lot on benefits. So paying a premium for a middle man.

[H8INCHES]

In theory, it is a great idea. But in application, it is horrible. There is never the same quality of care as the US has now. Every issue is budgeted against everyone else. So each individual does not get the best possible care. Health care workers are overworked with no matching compensation.
It's bad enough that things get controlled by insurance companies. Can you imagine how poorly things would be run by the government?

[Th3ft]

It doesn’t really make sense to me. As the world is a big place. Are we Going to have some over world councel on who can get health care when we can’t ever control things like Russia attacking Ukrainian.

[Anonymous]

Ask any doctor and they'll tell you preventative medicine is where it's at. Getting the malady it it's early stages can save not only lives but so much money in the long run.

I personally think we should have a form of baseline socialized medicine. And the level of care would be basic. Anything beyond would require premium care. And that's where health insurance would come in.

[qwert1234]

Depends on how it's implemented.

If it takes you days or weeks to book an appointment - nah.

We also need to consider the quality. If doctors are checking you so just they could lower the queue, then no.

[NathanDavis]

it would be a gigantic mammoth task... to make it all work properly

ain't gonna happen...

[loveslongnails]

It "could be" a great thing, if a system is set up to produce more doctors and nurses, and pay them well. Also, to get the public at large to live healthier. But then, what about the impoverished?

[Levin]

The NHS is dismal and I keep a wide berth unless I am dying.

But the US system is far worse.

[Shamalien]

It’s a nice thought but I’d rather have charity run healthcare for children, lower taxes, and no universal healthcare by government because they piss the money away.

[Plinko]

I don't agree with universal healthcare because I don't agree with Salvery.

[notwoke]

I'll pay for my healthcare and you pay for yours. If we let society be responsible for my health choices I will make poor decisions with societies money

[msc545]

It is an excellent idea. Healthcare access in the US is presently a mess and an embarrassment. It is known as the worst healthcare system in the world at present.

[msc545]

For those that think it's too expensive, take some money away from the military and give it to health care. The US spent 718 BILLION fucking dollars on the military in 2021. Nearly all went to socialism for defense contractors to build shit we don't need, don't want, and doesn't work in most cases.

[Rangers]

Another disastrous, backwards policy that brings suffering and destruction to the country

[WhiteBoyChill]

I think affordable healthcare is better than universal. In England I heard their healthcare is crap and that some people spend forever waiting

[Anonymous]

It ensures everyone gets proper healthcare regardless of their income.

[SmokinAces2000]

It won’t work because people particularly Americans in this sense are selfish

[Nikki1989]

100% support it.

[FilmGuy93]

I support Universal Health Care.

[Guardian45]

Yes, EVERY country should have ut!

[BeMuse]

Bad idea.