Health Care Reform

[Frodo]

And here are the links to the various plans:

Barack Obama's Plan for a Healthy America.

Ron Wyden's Healthy Americans Act.

Hillary Clinton's American Health Choices Plan.

Physicians for a National Health Program's Single-Payer National Health Insurance Plan.

[Verily]

Single-payer, then Obama's or Wyden's, and not Clinton's sop to insurance companies.

[MasterJedi]

I don't know much about the plans, or the healthcare system or what to change and I don't have time to look at everything right now. I would however like the government to be able to bargain down the price of perscription drugs and for us to be able to important perscription drugs from other countries.

[Nym90]

Single payer.

[War on Want]

Single Payer by far.

[Ebowed]

Single payer

[7,052,770]

single payer (morally right)

[Nutmeg]

Single-payer, but not single-provider.

On that issue, PNHP's Robert LeBow has written possibly the best book - Health Care Meltdown - offering a solution to the current problems.

[NDN]

Other: Compulsory Insurance just like in Switzerland, Germany, etc. Not thrilled with that but it beats socialized medicine (single payer) or the joke of a system we have now.

Other: Romney's Plan - mandate that each state develop their own system to insure every citizen, encouraging the adoption of Massachusetts' successful system.

That would be doable but it sounds awfully complicated. Although it's not like the Democrats 'plans' are any better.

[The Duke]

A hybrid of the Wyden plan and the Romney plan would be ideal.

[TheresNoMoney]

Single-payer is by far the best plan, but not politically feasible in the United States at this time.

[DownWithTheLeft]

There is really nothing I fear than socialized medicine (AKA demotivation of doctors and destruction of health care).

I have, and probably always will support, Tancredo's plan for AHPs.  Under this plan, small business owners and others without insurance can buy insurance in packs to bring down costs.

[7,052,770]

There is really nothing I fear than socialized medicine (AKA demotivation of doctors and destruction of health care).

Oh, so that's why Canada and Western Europe have better health care systems than us (by WHO rankings).

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Other: Romney's Plan - mandate that each state develop their own system to insure every citizen, encouraging the adoption of Massachusetts' successful system.

I strongly challenge the notion that Massachusetts' system is "successful."

[jesmo]

Single-payer is by far the best plan, but not politically feasible in the United States at this time.

I do not care weather it is politically feasible or not, it is important that we have it, even if it means election fraud.

[Daniel Adams]

Other: Romney's Plan - mandate that each state develop their own system to insure every citizen, encouraging the adoption of Massachusetts' successful system.

Funny, I just finished reading an opinion article from the Wall Street Journal that says the exact opposite. In fact, it's Obama and Clinton are basing their own socialistic plans on RomneyCare.

[Jake]

I favor none of them. Building onto of anything we have now, even on top of the ashes, would be a massive failure.

Dismantle the private system we have now. Offer free preventative care (visits, medicine, tests, etc.). Offer government subsidized insurance that covers catastrophic care. Private insurance would be allowed as would private health clinics for those who want to pay extra.

The reason "insurance" is so expensive is that it is insuring against stuff that's almost certain to happen (routine illness, the need for tests, daily medication) instead of actually insuring against car accidents, cancer, organ transplants, etc.

Car insurance doesn't cover oil changes, inspections, and routine mateneince, why should health insurance?

[HardRCafé]

I strongly challenge the notion that Massachusetts' system is "successful."

On the bright side, if it actually were successful, he would be the Republican Presidential nominee after all.  So there is reason to be glad it is not.

[Sbane]

I favor none of them. Building onto of anything we have now, even on top of the ashes, would be a massive failure.

Dismantle the private system we have now. Offer free preventative care (visits, medicine, tests, etc.). Offer government subsidized insurance that covers catastrophic care. Private insurance would be allowed as would private health clinics for those who want to pay extra.

The reason "insurance" is so expensive is that it is insuring against stuff that's almost certain to happen (routine illness, the need for tests, daily medication) instead of actually insuring against car accidents, cancer, organ transplants, etc.

Car insurance doesn't cover oil changes, inspections, and routine mateneince, why should health insurance?

Well said, good universal preventative health care in itself should save the system a countless amount of money. There would be lower emergency care costs and higher productivity.

[DownWithTheLeft]

There is really nothing I fear than socialized medicine (AKA demotivation of doctors and destruction of health care).

Oh, so that's why Canada and Western Europe have better health care systems than us (by WHO rankings).

Which do you put more weight in?  World rankings or where people want to go for there operations?  When was the last time you heard of Americans flying to other countries to get operations?  People come here because we have the best and brightest.  The reason our ranking is not highest is b/c we also have terrible doctors, but the capitalist health care system allows us to have both instead a lot of mediocre doctors or unmotivated doctors without top notch medical advances

[opebo]

Which do you put more weight in?  World rankings or where people want to go for there operations?  When was the last time you heard of Americans flying to other countries to get operations?  People come here because we have the best and brightest.  The reason our ranking is not highest is b/c we also have terrible doctors, but the capitalist health care system allows us to have both instead a lot of mediocre doctors or unmotivated doctors without top notch medical advances

Why on earth would ordinary people who cannot afford access to health care be interested in where the rich fly for their luxury operations?

[Franzl]

Single-payer is by far the best plan, but not politically feasible in the United States at this time.

I do not care weather it is politically feasible or not, it is important that we have it, even if it means election fraud.

Ah, you see, there is a thing we have called democracy, you know, where things are done that represent the will of the people. Ever heard of it?

I support universal health care, but it should not be implemented without popular support.

[Franzl]

There is really nothing I fear than socialized medicine (AKA demotivation of doctors and destruction of health care).

Oh, so that's why Canada and Western Europe have better health care systems than us (by WHO rankings).

Which do you put more weight in?  World rankings or where people want to go for there operations?  When was the last time you heard of Americans flying to other countries to get operations?  People come here because we have the best and brightest.  The reason our ranking is not highest is b/c we also have terrible doctors, but the capitalist health care system allows us to have both instead a lot of mediocre doctors or unmotivated doctors without top notch medical advances

And what purpose does that serve if only few people have access to this wonderful health care?

[True Federalist (진정한 연방 주의자)]

When was the last time you heard of Americans flying to other countries to get operations?

It happens all the time for non-emergency surgical procedures.  It can be a lot cheaper to fly overseas to destinations such as Thailand and get procedures done at hospitals with international accreditation.  There are even some health care plans in the United States that provide incentives to clients to use such alternatives.

[Jake]

When was the last time you heard of Americans flying to other countries to get operations?

On the bus from the Bangkok airport to my hotel I was talking with a guy who had just flown direct from LAX for dental surgery and was flying home the next day.