Thread: Is it really necessary?

you bring up a good point, that your paying for some one elses health services. We have free health service here in Aus as well, and yes we do have a small population in comparison to the US and yes we do have our issues ( but imo it has everything to do with mis management from the last government but that's another story...)

but I actually don't mind paying my taxes to have free health care, I believe in free health care. And if we didn't have free health care, I can almost guareentee we'd still be paying off the bill from family who needed hospital care. I could never understand the thinking that if your really sick of somthing, you'd be in debt forever because of it (well maybe not forever, but you get my point right).

Pay higher taxes? yeah, it's a true one, considering I'm probably paying for a smoker to get lung cancer treatment, but I'm willing to take that to know that those who can't afford it can get the treatment they need.

Its funny how you think that he would have not valued it as much if it was free. Because, well for me, if it cured some one I loved, my god I would have valued it no matter the cost xD

though having said all that, Its my aim to get private insurance once I've saved up enough...because I can afford it and it's takes pressure off the public system.

sorry for the wall of text ^___^;;

& good to hear that your mum is better

well then you don't have to read it... seriouslly? was THAT really necessary? if you have nothing good to say keep it for you...

@Gwenibe: I am pro-health reform as I say. I am not saying it is a bad thing, in the total opposite, I am all for it. But I don't think US really needs it.
Shamefully US culture is not trained to share... it's trained to look for its own self... and the health reform is more for countries like ours who need more sharing to survive.

I understand that your pro health reform (and i'm sorry if I made it seem otherwise ^__^;; ), I guess I was just trying to state of why it's necessary.

Shamefully US culture is not trained to share... it's trained to look for its own self.

maybe the health reform might change it? lol I don't know, can't say I know much about the American thought

I'm not against paying for certain things that most people will need or will benefit from. We (in the U.S.A.) already pay for school, police, and fire departments because they benefit the general population. We already subsidize treatment for people who can't afford to or won't pay their medical bills in the form of getting shafted when we go in for treatment and property taxes (if your town/city has a community hospital) so I just think of healthcare taxes as a pre-payment plan.

My parents went bankrupt trying to pay off my dad's hospital stay ($200k+) for his stroke and physical therapy. That means a mortgage doesn't get paid off, credit cards don't get paid off, and the hospital bill itself doesn't get paid off. And to those who think that they just pulled a parachute cord to get themselves out of debt, they didn't. If a creditor worked with them, they didn't ask for that debt to be forgiven in the bankruptcy filing so they're still paying back some debt. (Apparently, you can be selective about that.) Also, I gave them what was at the time nearly my entire life savings (~$70k which took me years to save) and they still couldn't keep up with payments so don't cry to me about the couple of frappuchinos that you can't buy because your taxes are marginally higher.

People get pissed when they can track where their money goes ("I don't want to pay for medication for someone who doesn't have a job!"), but few people think about the other ways that their money gets diverted (higher bank fees, higher interest rates on credit cards, lower interest rates on savings accounts, higher hospital bills, higher insurance rates, etc.) to pay for the same people without them knowing it. What bothers me is that even if the U.S. eventually moves to truly universal health care, someone will find a way to make even more money out of that situation and we'll end-up paying more in the long-run and it won't necessarily come in the form of higher taxes. Greed sucks.

Originally Posted by lebasiara

Shamefully US culture is not trained to share... it's trained to look for its own self... and the health reform is more for countries like ours who need more sharing to survive.

Which is why our economy had prospered until the housing bubble burst. Sharing the wealth amongst people does not lead to economy growth.

Charon: I am sorry to hear that about your dad. Medical Bills suck. The US has some progrrams to help people with that. I am surprised they didn't offer that for your family and I am sorry about that.
Like you say people is more willing to pay higher rates in credit cards, they are willing to pay more for what they think they need. However when it comes to pay more to help those who really need it they jump and complain and nag nag nag nag nag, etc...
Here in the US people have it too easy to really know the true meaning of caring for one another.
I have come to the conclusion that people who really stuggle in life to get where they are now are more willing to help those who are where they were before. That is, if they don't forget where they come from. I am talking of those people who have really struggle, not of those who weren't popular in high school and were made fun by the popular kids. That's not a true struggle. That's just drama.
I bet that you are pro-reform right? or am I wrong? You know how hard it is to be in debt because of medical bills. You have been there you have done that. If anyone was to be the same position you are on now, (when you get out of this one of course) you are more willing to help that person because you know what it is.
Shamefully, the US people (most of it) is full of themselves and they are not willing to help unconditionally, there has to be a price paid. Greed has made room in them.
I do think the reform is good and necessary. Let me reword: what I meant with my title is: 'Is the US ready for a health reform? and the answer for that is: people is too greedy and selfish to think of others before them. So no, they are not ready.
Once I read from a very wise man: "Whoever loves money never has money enough; whoever loves wealth is never satisfied with his income. This too is meaningless."
I think after this: the more somebody or a country has, the less does for its inhabitants. Sad, but true.
I agree with you: greed sucks...

Ketaro: yeah... and in debt... a lot...
not sharing leads to the growth of some while a lot suffer, and when those "successful" ones are falling down there is no one to pick them up but themselves...
Sharing leads to the growth of the whole because the needs are supplied (for the most part and IF the sharing is fair and square as it is supposed to be) for those who are part of the whole.
I go for sharing... however, US is not ready to share... at least not yet.

Sorry to reply just now, but I had had problems posting on my own journal... SAD!!!