What are your thoughts on Universal Health Care - Is it a good idea or a bad idea? What would you be willing to sacrifice to have it? Higher taxes? Taxes based on income? Longer wait times? How about for people illegally in the country? Should they be covered as well if they get sick in the US? What about their kids?

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Horrid idea!!!

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To be honest I don't know enough about it to make an educated opinion at this time, but something has to change. As far as the question about people here illegally, they get free health care. I can't tell you the number of times I've taken care of people here illegally, and they don't pay the hospital one red cent. One girl's bill was well into the 6 digit numbers, and the state ate it.

One of my Canadian friends is single, no family and she only pays a few dollars a month in taxes for her health care she told me. I don't know how correct that is though, but I don't think she is a liar.

Something has to be done to make it affordable for everyone. In my perfect world I think people should pay based off their life style choices. You weigh 300+ pounds and have diabetes then you should pay more than someone who exercises or doesn't eat fattening food all the time and is healthier. You smoke or do drugs than you should pay more than those who don't. I don't know how you would factor in the heredity factor though. Once again, that would be in my imaginary world. Maybe people would make a more conscious effort to change their life style habits if they had to pay more because of them.

DH is self employed so we purchase our own health insurance. It was terrible trying to find coverage before my COBRA plan ended due to my PCOS - BCBS denied our request to add me to DH plan (and this was from the mouth of an underwriter) "because of my fertility problems, they did not want to cover me because we MIGHT use IFV and have high order multiples which would be too expensive to care for." Never mind that these imagined children would have to be added to DH plan due to MO law. So, for a while I was in favor of universal coverage. Upon further thought though, I think the government is a highly inefficient provider of services. Way too much bureaucracy would be involved which would make our health care system even more expensive both in terms of cost and wait for services. I think our health care system needs fixed to figure out solutions for the working poor but the Universal Care policies batted around on the campaign trail are hardly the answer.
One thing I had to adjust in my thinking when switching from corporate health care to our own high deductable plan, was how I consumed health care services. So many of our friends (us included in the past) run to the doctor at the first sign of a sniffle when not much can be done for the common cold. I always ask if medication prescribed is really needed and if it is the cheapest solution to the illness. Luckily, our pediatrician is a common sense kind of gal. She did say that she was glad that we were making the choice to have DS at home with me as she called the kids who have to attend daycare their "frequent flyers".
I think our country needs to find a focus on preventative care as our foundation.
Sorry for the long post! I'll step down now...

Although something clearly needs to be done about healthcare in this country, I agree with aliadam - universal healthcare is not the way to go. My mom is from Canada and she still has some relatives up there. Universal healthcare certainly did her (late) aunt and uncle no favors.

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Stephanie
Mom to: Caleb (8/03), Ian (9/05), & Lucas (11/08)

Great idea!!! While I admit that I am not as educated on the subject as I could be, I think it would solve alot of problems in this country!!! I would be willing to pay a bit more in taxes (I would probably save from what I pay in insurance and health care costs). I would also be willing to wait for non-emergency procedures.

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~Happiness is a large family~

I believe we need to make healthcare affordable for everyone, but I don't think universal healthcare is the answer. I think there needs to be more done about the insurance agencies and doctors/clinics that are charging outrageous fees. I do enjoy the freedom to be able to pick and choose which healthcare professionals I see and when I want to see them, and with Universal healthcare those freedoms would be diminished.

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couldn't of said it any better my self.

Again I am not as researched in this as I should be. I have in the past had a group health program where I had to go see only the group health Drs. Put the trade off was the premiums were lower and so much more was covered then the insurance we now have. I knew exactly what to expect. Maternity visits 100% covered, other visits, lab tests, precriptions all small reasonable co-pays. I paid a grand total of $200 to have an emergency c-section.

Insurance played a huge factor in going my choice to return to work after the baby. We could not afford me to be a SAHM and cover the increase in insurance cost. Luckily my DH works for a very family orientated company and they made sure his annual salery increase was enough to cover the premiums.

I don't like going to the Dr or having any test done because every time we get a co-pay and more bills. I see myself not doing all the preventitive care that I should be doing because of the cost.

I wouldn't mind giving up a little bit of my choices in order to not have the worry that if something major was to happen we would be in debt for years.

I do not think that there is one correct system that will be perfect for everyone. I do see though having coverage for everyone as helping a lot more people. I have in the past worked for a goverment health services in processing claims. The numbers that went through my office on a daily basis were astonding. Keep in mind that most claims are now digital and that what I was looking at was just 10% of the whole.
Its a problem that needs to be fixed but a hard one to fix because it is bound to be more restrictive

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Kimberly Proud Mommy to Bethany Rose April 2006

Personally, I believe universal healthcare is a very very bad idea. I do think the healthcare industry in this country needs to be reformed somehow, but not with universal healthcare. Had you asked me 7 years ago I would have said, what a great idea, free healthcare, everyones covered. However, after marrying into the military where we pretty much have socialized healthcare I see the major pitfalls. Having to go to the emergency room and waiting several hours with an infant b/c there are no appointments available, having to wait months to get a procedure done, not having any say what so ever in your doctor (which you think you can handle until you get an absolute idiot like I have now). You can't call your doctor if you have a question, you can leave a message and the nurse might call you back the next week. There have been times when it's taken me 3 months to get a wellbaby appt b/c they only make appointments 30 days in advance and they only allow so many wellbaby appointments a month, once they're filled, that's it. They are starting to refer you to a civilian doctor if they can't get you in but that takes at least 2 weeks to get a referral, then another month to get an appt...and on and on and on. Honestly, think of the absolute worst HMO you've ever been on...it's worse. Don't get me wrong, I'm thankful it's free. That's our mantra when things go sucky..."don't complain, it's free" Well, actually it's not free...we're paying for it in other ways. I just feel like if it's this bad in the military, where it's been done for decades, I can't imagine how the government thinks they can do better. It would be an absolute mess. I feel like there has to be a better way for people to be able to get health coverage. Nobody should have to avoid going to the doctor b/c they're afraid of the bills.

Oh, and as far as illegals being treated...the problem now is that some of the hospitals close to the border are on the verge of closing down b/c they cant afford to stay open. Illegals are coming in, they are required to treat them, but then they don't pay. I don't think people should be turned away b/c of a lack of insurance...that would just be wrong considering how the insurance industry is right now.

There isn't an easy answer...the whole thing is such a mess. I sound like such a downer. sorry

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Jenny, wife to Brad, mommy to two crazy little kids with one on the way!