How much healthcare should the government provide?

[Sidestreamer]

We have Medicare for the elderly, Medicaid for the impoverished...

For everyone else, there's private insurance or no insurance right now, as far as I understand.

A lot of the posters here oppose Obama's idea of creating a public option. Okay... so I thought we should just gauge this and ask how far the government should go?

 

[Sidestreamer]

I'll start with my idea, being one of the many idiot members of the public with only a slight idea of how it all works... being a guy with a permanent health condition, I'd like to be able to land a new job and have health insurance to cover my bills from the get-go rather than facing the choice of either going broke on medical expenses and facing fiscal ruin or keeping the same job for the rest of my life for the sake of health insurance. If private insurers can't cover me, I think the government should be an insurer of last resort, the same way Citizens Property Insurance works in Florida. It should cover until a private provider will accept me and it should cover my pre-existing condition, necessary doctors' visits and emergency visits.

As long as the government can do that, this is what I would seek.

Budget constraints aside, I don't have an issue with further coverage, but since we're running massive deficits as is I don't favor any further coverage.

 

[KittenKoder]

Anyone that can't get insurance can apply and get Medicaid ... seriously, unless you're lazy you're covered.

 

[Dr Grump]

We have Medicare for the elderly, Medicaid for the impoverished...

For everyone else, there's private insurance or no insurance right now, as far as I understand.

A lot of the posters here oppose Obama's idea of creating a public option. Okay... so I thought we should just gauge this and ask how far the government should go?

It might bring insurance down! That said, should a govt be involved in medicine? We have both down here. And while some complain that they are paying for it twice - ie through insurance and tax dollars - public health is not as quick as private. If you want a hip replacement it'll take you between 18 months and two years. With health insurance, a month or two. So while a person who has private health cover is paying for those who don't have it, they do get the better service.....