I was watching Oprah yesterday and she talked about the healthcare debate. Her guests were Michael Moore as well as a spokesperson for Insurance Industry. I thought it was a pretty good debate. Do you think healthcare is a right, or a luxury? Is healthcare an everyone-fend-for-himself issue, or should it be an everyone-helps-each-other kind of thing?

If you view it as a right, do you think everyone should have the same access to the same healthcare, regardless of income or what they do to themselves? For example, should taxpayers foot the bill for a drug addict or someone that eats junk 24/7, never exercises and develops medical conditions as a result?

If you view it as a luxury, what about people who can't afford supplemental insurance (or insurance at all)? What should happen to them when they can't afford to pay their medical bills?

I think most of us agree that something needs to be done with America's healthcare system, the big disagreement seems to be whether to make it socialized or to keep it privatized. What are your thoughts?

__________________
Read my Mommysavers Blog: Forget the Joneses
NEW! Check out the Mommysavers Fan Page on Facebook

We recently lost our insurance and I've really struggled with this especially last night when the baby did a big old face plant at my daughter gymnastics class and bit his bottom lip. Thankfully, he is OK (though I am concerned about infection) but a parent should never be put in the position where their child is hurt and they find themselves worried about an ER visit because this stuff always happens after hours.

There really has to be a better way though it is such a big problem and so many people are involved I don't know if they will ever come up with a system that works.

I was talking to a Canadian woman the other day that was buying a bunch of cigarettes for someone else (she was a non-smoker) and how less expensive the cigarettes are in the US. I laughed and mentioned the health care cost that comes with them (my brother spent about $75,000.00 due to a heart attack a few years back that was attributed to his smoking) and she looked at me and said, "You know what? I never even thought about that (meaning the healthcare price)." I know Canada's system isn't perfect either and that their taxes are a lot more expensive but dang, last night when Logan was hurt, I wish one of the first thoughts that came to my little brain wasn't, "OMG we cannot afford an ER visit right now."

I think it is a right. It is a shame that people abuse their bodies and such, but it is a slippery slope if you start denying people on thngs that could be quite subjective.

__________________
~Happiness is a large family~

I think the whole system and ideas are broken. Socializing it isn't the answer - but staying the same isn't the answer either. I think something needs to be done to lower the actual cost of health care - cut out the insurance giant for one. My old insurance was great -because the State paid for most of it LOL!, but dealing with DH's drives me nuts - they, not the doctor, decides what I can have and do. Stupid!

If we keep the whole insurance idea around, I think routine care - like annual exams - should be no cost, the payments to the doctors coming out of the premiums. Things that reduce poor health - exercise programs, nutrition programs, stop-smoking programs, should come out of those premiums and be inexpensive. I don't have a problem with emergency care - if it were affordable. Too much red tape and crap makes it just insane though.

There really is no easy fix though. It's pretty broken.

__________________

Is there a middle ground between 'right' and ' luxury'? I see it more like a necessity - right along with food, shelter and basic utilities.

And that's health CARE, not health insurance. I would like to see everyone have access to a reasonably priced health system. Whether or not a person choses to spend their money on that service is up to them.

__________________
"I've been rich and I've been poor but independently wealthy is where it is at."

I guess I've kind of thought of it as a right, but the more I think about it the more I think it is a luxury. I've always had it with my job that I have, but I know not all companies can afford to cover their employees. I've known self employed people who will not get coverage because it is so expensive.

I agree with Booker. I think when it got out of hand was when people started getting sue-happy and sueing companies and insurance companies for irresponsible things... like spilling hot coffee on your lap or smoking for 25 years and then sueing for getting cancer. The insurance companies just hiked the prices up so it makes it nearly impossible to have any kind of coverage. I also think it is ridiculous how much doctors charge. Just for a visit it is $100 now.....just walking into the office.. and if, for some reason, you don't make the visit, you are charged anyway for it.

I know a few years ago, doctors here were leaving because of the high malpractice insurance they had to carry, just to practice here. It's just gotten so out of hand what the insurance companies are allowed to get away with what is cover or not covered.

And as far as emergency room visits go, I've had insurance since I started working and will do everything in my power not to have to go to it...and my visits are paid for 100% from insurance. It's just so overpriced and a waste of money and it makes the premiums I do pay go up. I think that emergency rooms should be just for that, emergencies.

__________________

I love Michael Moore. I think it's our right to be healthy and get the health care needed.

__________________

I think health insurance is a necessity and it should be competitively priced. Here in Michigan it is illegal to drive w/o car insurance. Car insurance might be a bit pricey, but pretty much everyone can afford it. Health insurance is such anymore that if you don't have it w/ your job, no one can afford it.

I was just paying some bills. My DH had orthoscopic knee surgery last month, covered by our insurance. I just paid $456.95 for our share of the hospital, $50.22 for one anesthesia bill, 278.83 for the doctor. Those are just co-pays, and we haven't even touched on the medication or physical therapy yet.

I had minor outpatient surgery in my for a uterine tumor, and my co-pays were about $750. We're relatively healthy people, but that's a big hit in a few months for us. DH also needs to have some sinus polyps removed, but that will be another big hit. But, if we wait until the new year, we'll have a new deductible....

__________________

Never thought about it that way before but now that I have, I totally agree!

Seeing as I'm Canadian I have to say its a right. I love our every one helps everyone system. I love you constitution, but it's the one reason I would never move to the States.

I love the health care system here. I've never have had any problems either, but I am a pretty healthy person. I love that if I want to go see my doctor I make an appointment and go, not wonder if I have the money. That if I accidentally chop my finger off I can go to the ER and not expect a big bill to come in the mail. I love that I can get my "womanly" appointments without worrying about paying for it. I just can't imagine worrying whether to go to the hospital and pay for it or keep that money because it's needed for groceries/housing.

I also can't comprehend the amount of money that is spent of insurance premiums. I couldn't live if I had those, I would have money for housing, and maybe some groceries after paying it. Right now I've paid nothing except sales tax to pay for my health care. I don't make enough money and have enough tax credits that I don't pay income tax. I live in an apartment, so no property tax. It's not like Canadians are being taxed through the nose.

To the comment on cigarettes... they're more expensive here, because there's more taxes. More taxes that go towards health care. So even though everyone helps everyone, the person deciding to kill themselves still pays more through all the taxes.