Americans think the U.S. health care system is in need of major repairs,

[Superlative]

Poll: The Politics Of Health Care


Two-thirds of Americans say providing health insurance for all is a more serious problem than keeping health care costs down.

Americans think the U.S. health care system is in need of major repairs, according to a CBS News/New York Times poll.

Nine out of 10 say the system needs at least fundamental changes, including 36 percent who favor a complete overhaul.

Although most Americans say they are generally satisfied with the quality of their own health care, including 41 percent who say they are very satisfied, it's a different story when it comes to the cost of care.

Just one in five are very satisfied with what they pay for health care, while a majority (52 percent) are dissatisfied, including a third who are very dissatisfied.

U.S. HEALTH CARE SYSTEM NEEDS…

Minor changes
8%
Fundamental changes
54%
To be completely rebuilt
36%

Americans are even more critical of health care costs in the nation as whole: 59 percent are very dissatisfied with the overall cost of health care in the U.S. and another 22 percent are somewhat dissatisfied.

Most Americans believe government can play a role in fixing the health care system. Two-thirds say the federal government should guarantee that all Americans have health insurance — and a similar number says providing health insurance for all is a more serious problem than keeping health care costs down

Eighty-four percent of Americans favor expanding government programs in order to give health insurance to all uninsured children.

Less than one in three, however, say the government would do a better job than private insurance companies at actually providing medical coverage. Forty-four percent said the government would be worse as a health care provider than private companies.

SHOULD GOVERNMENT GUARANTEE HEALTH INSURANCE FOR ALL?

Yes
64%
No
27%


WHICH IS MORE SERIOUS?

Providing health insurance for all
65%
Keeping health care costs down
31%

More Americans do think the government can do a better job than private companies at helping hold down health care costs.

Health care promises to be a crucial issue in the 2008 presidential campaign. In a CBS News poll conducted last month, health care tied with jobs and the economy as the second-most important issue facing the country, following the war in Iraq. It was even more important to Democratic primary voters, ranking ahead of the economy and jobs.

In the new poll, the public gives the Democrats a big edge over the Republicans on handling health care issues. Asked which party they believe will best improve the health care system, 62 percent said the Democrats, while just 19 percent said the Republicans.

PARTY THAT WOULD IMPROVE HEALTH CARE SYSTEM

Democrats
62%
Republicans
19%

However, none of the top tier of Democratic presidential candidates has yet to gain a significant national edge on the health care issue.

Six in ten Democratic voters expressed confidence in Sen. Hillary Clinton's approach to health care, but more than half of voters nationally said they're uneasy. Voters overall were also more uneasy than confident about both Sen. Barack Obama and former Sen. John Edwards on health care.

But all three Democratic presidential hopefuls rated higher than the current president on the health care issue. Only 17 percent of Americans said they were confident in President Bush's approach to health care, while 77 percent — including about half of Republicans — were uneasy.

Asked to choose which health care topics they'd like to hear the 2008 presidential candidates talk about over the next two years, 34 percent said providing coverage for the uninsured was most important, followed by 28 percent who said reducing health care costs. Eighteen percent said improving the quality of care and a similar number said improving the Medicare prescription drug benefit.

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2007/03/01/opinion/polls/main2528357.shtml

 

[ontheright79]

I just heard on the news that last year America spent 30 billion dollars of free health care for illegals. Thats billion with a b. I have to pay weekly for a policy that isn't really that good in the first place. Free health care to some and over charging others is not the way. The way is affordable health care for all who are legal. This isn't a left right issue, its an American issue that has gotten largely out of control. Should Americans have to give up citizenship and then swim back and enter the country illegally to be treated with respect? Do you feed other kids in the neighborhood before you feed your own? The only way one dollar should be given away is if every single American has the medical attention they need. Thats the problem with health care. No different then the millions we spend on health care for kids in the middle east. We have kids and adults right here that need help too.

 

[Superlative]

the Canadian Health care System seems to be working pretty well for them, It comes out of their taxes, its quite simple, Universal Health Care.

You can walk into any doctor, show your health card and get a diagnosis,(X-RAYS), and in some cases even treatment, you have to pay for Prescriptions, unless it is subsidised by their health insurance (which canadians also have the option of)

If you break your arm at work, you ar covered by your employers Health Insurance (which they have to pay for) and it costs nothing, you just have to fill out forms.
But if you hurt yourself and you are not covered, (Independant Contractor) you have to pay for materials (casts) not services.

Everyone is guaranteed basic healthcare services, of course, they can always pay more for better services, and Doctors

 

[jasendorf]

I just heard on the news that last year America spent 30 billion dollars of free health care for illegals. Thats billion with a b. I have to pay weekly for a policy that isn't really that good in the first place. Free health care to some and over charging others is not the way. The way is affordable health care for all who are legal. This isn't a left right issue, its an American issue that has gotten largely out of control. Should Americans have to give up citizenship and then swim back and enter the country illegally to be treated with respect? Do you feed other kids in the neighborhood before you feed your own? The only way one dollar should be given away is if every single American has the medical attention they need. Thats the problem with health care. No different then the millions we spend on health care for kids in the middle east. We have kids and adults right here that need help too.

I'm with you OTR... let 'em die in the street!

 

[ontheright79]

I did not say let them die in the street. Give me a break. How about this. The next time one of your loved ones needs a doctor why don't you tell them no and go and find an illegal and take them to the doctor instead. Thats all I'm saying.

 

[Superlative]

Universal Health Care shares similarities in ideals with Social Security, and if Social Security is Privatised, which is what the government wants. Then everything will get even shittier.

Social Security and Universal Health care are based on a principal,
The principal that you care about other people, whichis based on the strong assumption that all humans care about each other.

Also considered "Community Responsibility" to take care of people who can't take care of themselves, whether they are old or young.

Other social responsibilities are public schools and daycare, and whomever may be raising children, whether it be mothers, and the idea that they will be supported for doing so.

Its a community responsibility, and the community benefits from it, a community benefits from children being educated and medically looked after, as a society we all benefit from it.

I know everyone hates illegals, and thinks we need to build a moat of fire filled with laser guided aligators along the boarder of mexico, but if they can come here and become “legal” and pay taxes, then they should receive health care.
I do agree that noncontributers (illegals) can become a drain on the system, But if the system is run right, it can produce a surplus, which would take into account Illegal immigrants.

By having privatised systems, the american government works toward a successive removal regarding a sense of community from people, in order to maintain private healthcare and to privatise Social Security,
it is necessary to turn people inward, and keep people caring about Number 1(themselves), in effect, raising a country of selfish greedy people who only care about themselves and their own families, that dont want to have anything to do with anyone else.

Our society perpetuates the idea that other people "are not my problem, let them worry about themselves."

This upbringing of segregation makes it very easy to persuade and control the general public.
Because when everyone is at home alone watching their news on their TV, they cant and wont go out side and see what the rest of the populace is doing and thinking, they cant and don’t have meetings and form groups, using their own thoughts and ideas,

Instead they stay home and believe ones that the government decides for them, and broadcasts via the news.

Its strange to see it burned into childrens young and impressionable minds as ‘consumerism’, raised with the idea of
"Want, Want, Want, Mine, Mine, Mine"

The inherent notion that
"I go to my job and get my money to buy my things for myself."

"I dont want to give anything to anyone else, least of all to help society, how would i benefit from that? it doesnt put food in my mouth."

People are zombies, kids go to the mall and windowshop for something fun to do. Which is fucked up when you think about it.

Social security came out of Social Movements, huge social movements (labour movement etc) and it is all based on the idea of solidarity, mutual aid, and support, which are all normal human feelings.

These have slowly been bled out of our society through consumerist segregation and the idea that other people don’t matter to me.

Universal health care works, and it’s benefitial to society, but in America it would involve a HUGE overhaul of the current system, which im sure a large amount of people, all currently making a large amount of money would vote against, to make sure it never happens.