Health Care should be a legal "right"

Total Voters: 904 Yes 42% No 42% Undecided 42% Bam Bam 04/08/08 10:49am Okay this is funny, but, so true! I bought a bird feeder. I hung it on my back porch and filled it with seed. What a beauty of a bird feeder it is, as I filled it lovingly with seed. Within a week we had hundreds of birds taking advantage of the continuous flow of free and easily accessible food. But then the birds started building nests in the boards of the patio, above the table, and next to the barbecue. Then came the poop. It was everywhere: on the patio tile, the chairs, the table ... everywhere! Then some of the birds turned mean. They would dive bomb me and try to peck me even though I had fed them out of my own pocket. And others birds were boisterous and loud. They sat on the feeder and squawked and screamed at all hours of the day and night and demanded that I fill it when it got low on food. After a while, I couldn't even sit on my own back porch anymore. So I took down the bird feeder and in three days the birds were gone. I cleaned up their mess and took down the many nests they had built all over the patio. Soon, the back yard was like it used to be.... quiet, serene and no one demanding their rights to a free meal. Now let's see. Our government gives out free food, subsidized housing, free medical care, and free education and allows anyone born here to be an automatic citizen. Then the illegals came by the tens of thousands. Suddenly our taxes went up to pay for free services; small apartments are housing 5 families; you have to wait 6 hours to be seen by an emergency room doctor; your child's 2nd grade class is behind other schools because over half the class doesn't speak English. Corn Flakes now come in a bilingual box; I have to "press one" to hear my bank talk to me in English, and people waving flags other than "Old Glory" are squawking and screaming in the streets, demanding more rights and free liberties. Just my opinion, but maybe it's time for the government to take down the bird feeder. If you agree, pass it on; if not, continue cleaning up the poop! Ed 04/04/08 8:27am We are all waiting as you are for a new poll. I agree with you that they take to long to change the polls. This one has been dragged out long enough. Bam Bam 04/03/08 6:12pm Yeah, where did everyone go? I think they take too long to initiate new polls. =( Senchas_mor 04/03/08 4:21pm Bam Bam what percentage of welfare recipients are these single mothers? Here it is a very small percentage, but we had a baby bonus and all of a sudden the number of births for younger mothers increased dramatically. I have been a single part time working parent for 15 years. Yes I receive benefits to compliment my wages and returned to university 2 years ago to retrain due to physical restraints. Without that assistance I would have never managed to bring up 3 great young adults that are realising their potential. If only in a perfect world we could teach people that our children learn by our examples. Personally I believe that any welfare reciepient that is physically and mentally capabale should have to go to work part time or study. Or do some volunteer work. Pat 04/03/08 10:34am Are we all ready for a new poll? I know that I am. It seems like it is about talked out. Are we going to have to wait until the poll numbers reach 1,200 or more before it is changed? I hope we don't have to wait that long. I really enjoy these discussions, even if we agree or disagree on something. Where did Fran and Zera go? Come back, ladies. Pat 04/02/08 10:07am Bam Bam, I couldn't have said it better. It's not just one race or nationality. It is all mostly young women that get pregnant by a different man everytime they have sex. It's disgusting. These women don't want to be on birth control. If a young teenage girl, even someone in their early 20's, accidentally gets pregnant once, that's a mistake, there are no more excuses for anymore "accidents." Not counting all the unsafe sex, that means more diseases spread, which causes more money spent. There is so much info for people though, that there shouldn't even be that many "accidents" or diseases.They know that as long as they pop out all these babies, they get a free ride from the government. Which is really our money that should go to people that are hard on their luck and need help for awhile so they can get on their feet. If that 6 month plan would be totally in effect from now own, you watch how fast these "free-ride money babies" stop. And that's what the little babies are. Bam Bam 04/02/08 8:03am Senchas_mor You are absolutely right. We're looking at this from the wrong question. Our health is our right. From that, we should be provided necessary healthcare to maintain that health instead of going to the Dr. when something is wrong. We need to maintain our bodies regularly and catch things early. It's sad most of the people "popping" out babies simply don't want to work and think having kids will get them all the money they need so they can put food in the fridge and probably go out and party. But, these are most likely the kids in trouble in the future, momma is spending all the money the kids need on dope so the kids go out and steal to get what they need. Children are being left behind and uncared for by these lazy bums. I like what Clinton instituted...you only get six months of welfare and your done. You HAVE to go to school and learn to go to work. No more free rides. I beleive this six month deal is still in effect nationwide. Plus, you must sign up for the states looking for work program and see the counselors regularly. But, in any event...you only get six months regardless if you found work or not. Clinton was very successful with that program and remnants of it still exist. And Pat I am proud, no one needs to tell me. I'm proud and I tell other people how to be successful and how to properly utilize the government funding. That is what it's there for, to get a leg up and not this crap you see in every poor neighborhood with women getting pregnant and staying on welfare. What kills me is I've heard these same women say hello to each other when they walk in the DSS offices. They fricking know each other! They all pat themselves on the backs because they think they are so smart getting the funding and of course we are all stupid; when in fact I pity them because they could be so much more in our society if they only had better morals and goals. Their own mother probably taught them this is how life works. So they do it too. It makes me so mad. Amanda 04/01/08 5:09am No offense taken. You're right, you get your care for a small amount. I have seen many different arguments. Doctors need to pay off their college, well vet school is just about as expensive and harder to pay off. Vets don't make tons of money and most do it because they love animals and want to heal them. Paying more does not equal better care. The of course there is the immigrant issue. Sorry but they just are not the cause of health care. Check out what the average cost of having a baby is verses cancer meds and treatment... the cost of the prenatal care and having the baby is nothing compared to that. It has nothing to do with some scrips being around 15 dollars a pill. multiply that times 30. I ask you, what does a immigrant having a baby have to do with pharmaceutical companies charging 15 dollars a pill...and more? Nothing. The bottom line is this is all geared for money making. Senchas_mor 03/31/08 7:24pm Today I read a very scary article on the net about Health Insurance Lotteries, oh my gosh, is this really the situation for so many Americans? I have been sitting here and reading all the posts and doing some homework to educate myself a little better on this subject and it is obvious that in the US health care should be a right. I also have fibromyalgia and cmps and here in Australia I receive a very high level of care and support services and medications are made available to me at a very low cost. Without these medications I would not function at all. So rather than my health care being my right, my health is my right and I live in a society that believes and supports just that. Yes, I have to contribute a small amount, but I am happy to do that if I can receive treatment. I do not mean that where I live is better than the US..I have good friends that live there and have visited and found the people I met to be wonderful warm and aware...please do not take offense..just that a different approach seems to be taken here to some basic human rights... Birth control is possible without contraceptive pills..and I am not talking the Rythmn Method..has anyone ever heard of the Billings Method..if not it should be taught..if practiced strictly..and it does take vigilance to be successful using Billings..then it is a very effective option when used with condoms.. Amanda 03/31/08 7:17pm Or we can talk about the fact that every health class, every DR will tell you no birth control is 100%. Immigrants aren't the issue. The issue is that health care costs are astronomical. Our government can always find other places to put our money..bottom line. They take from programs,SS, Medicaid, etc not add to it. They take what money is there and decrease it. Bottom line, health is a huge industry and so is the pharmaceutical companies as well as insurance. I sold insurance for a while. From the horses mouth this is what insurance is. It is a calculated risk something is not going to happen to you. What the companies do with the money...your money is invest in other business including, you guessed it, pharmaceutical companies. In other words like anything else it is dollars and cents. This has nothing to do with immigrants, although our lovely corps and government would like for us to think that. It is all about big money and more money..patents on drugs so only one company can make it and charge outrageous amounts to the public to have it. In the mean time that money you pay to the insurance company. In their eyes they gave you a policy betting you won't have to use it nearly as much as you will have to pay for it. it is all about money darlings. Why do you think buying your drugs across either border or in Europe is usually cheaper? really think about it. What will our government do..what will they tell you?Why the same thing you read on the side of any herb you get just about it..that the FDA has not tested this product and cannot support the claims. It is a scam to keep the money going to the corps and us dependent on them..so the money keeps rolling in and they get their paychecks. Food For Thought 03/31/08 3:42pm Lets talk about the issue of immigrants or citizens "popping out babies like rabbits", increasing the population and forcing taxpayers to pay for stuff they didn't ask for: Sure...I once heard about a 21 year old who'd just given birth to her FIFTH child. We could say "Where is the birth control?" However, I've also heard of at least 3 college-educated women in their 30s using the pill/condom in tandem every time (also taking the Pill the same time of day, everyday so the hormone dose is consistent) yet they got pregnant anyway. Some online articles in the past have said that if a woman is over 150 lbs, the normal hormone dosage in the Pill may not be "enough" for her body mass. If the woman is in peri-menopause (where her cycle becomes more and more irregular), the hormone doses in the Pill packet may be wrong for her cycle pattern (the woman may find out she's ovulating when her Pill packet has her on placebos). Plus we have a great problem in that some Pharmacists are refusing to fill out and give female customers their prescribed birth control pills (because of the pharmacists religious or moral problem with the Pill). So unfair to the customer paying the pharmacist's salary! If the woman doesn't get her prescription for the Pill, especially on time, she won't be fully protected as she desires and is at greater risk for "popping out more babies like rabbits". Also...If the woman wants her tubes tied (or wants to get the newer Essure fallopian tube "plugs"), some doctors REFUSE to do the service. The doctors all claim then "You're gonna change your mind" ...or another one I heard a doctor had said to a 40 year old woman: "40 years old is TOO YOUNG to decide to tie your tubes." Huh??? Say whaaaat? So with all these problems, how are "at-risk" (or conscientious) women supposed to take care of their right to NOT get pregnant when all these factors get in the way? Pat 03/31/08 2:46pm First of all, Mexicans originally came from Spain, not the Americas. All the way from Canada and above to the end of Mexico was all Native Americans. The Spaniards were the first to start killing off the Native Americans, but Spaniards also started mixing with them and having babies. Just like the French and the most worse of all... the English.South American people were Native to their own continent as mostly jungle people, because that continent's tropical rain forests hadn't started being destroyed yet. Bam Bam, there is nothing wrong with getting help from the government, while trying to better yourself in life. Be proud. I've had to use them in the past, also. What gets me is the fact that now the government is really paying for all these teens and women in their 20's and 30's to keep popping out kids by a different man each time they have sex with them. It's all of us hard-working people that are supporting this crap. One thing I read was how many people die each day because the insurance companies deny medical help or pay for meds that kids and adults need. I read that more people give up and die from whatever was wrong with them, because the SLOW, LONG battle to get something would take too long in court. When I was really sick and had to be in the hospital, I had no insurance. The doctor that made his rounds in the rooms, sat down and talked to me for awhile. He asked me why my health got so bad and I told him that I no longer had insurance and I couldn't afford the doctor bills and the meds. He told me if I didn't mind the drive to get to his office that he would see me and just pay $5.00 or $10.00 a month to pay off the bill. I can pay more than that, but that is what a concerned doctor he is. When I first went to his office, I started not to go in, because he was in a very wealthy area(good thing I didn't let that stop me). They also try to work around that Walmart $4.00 medicine plan for my meds. I also read something on the net that said that this was published in the American Journal of Public Health that said,"millions of veterans and their family members have not been getting the medical care they need." It also said,"People assume that veterans automatically get health care from Veterans Affairs. They don't. Despite their military service, the Bush Administration requires most veterans to pay additional money for insurance in order to get care. But many veterans don't earn enough money to be able to buy health insurance. At the same time, they aren't poor enough under Bush Administration guidelines to get VA care or to qualify for medicaid. Abandoned, these veterans struggle alone to find healthcare. In the insurance marketplace, our veterans remain in harms way...their service and our debt, forgotten." And further down I read "the health insurance company's duty is to its shareholders." I also read down further and they said, "In America, we don't have a health care system; we have an insurance marketplace." Now tell me why other nationalities come before its own. The government, insurance companies, the pharmaceutical companies and the big-time crooked lawyers are in all this together. Amanda 03/28/08 10:52am Bam Bam good luck with the bank...I think they should be held accountable just like any private citizen would be. Let us know what happens! As far as the health care thing I think that the prices need to drop drastically. I heard someone make a comment about the price of education and the Dr.'s have the right to make the money back. One thing to keep in mind; it is almost as expensive to get into veterinarian school as it is regular medical school..chew on that one for a minute. I see it this way; you should not be in the business of healing if your sole motive is to make money..you'll be a crappy doctor. I have been to doctors like that. They are horrible. I feel like I should be one of the corpses the do anatomy on for all of their concern and usually they have no clue what is going on. Bam Bam I had the same sort of thing happen to me many years ago. I went to several Dr's trying to find out what was wrong with me. All of them threw a bottle of antidepressants at me and told me I was stuck in a rut. Turns out I have fibromyalgia. Go figure. No, making loads of money does not mean the doctor is going to care any more about you, your health or doing their job. It only means they can charge whatever they want and you have to pay it. if anything what being able to make a lot off of medicine does is keep the revolving door open to less scrupulous Dr.s. That way they can nail you for three office visits or four instead of one or two. They can give you many more scripts instead of the couple that may actually be what you need. No, I think putting a cap on what they can make is a good idea, that way it weeds out the damn money mongers. After all, if you are really that grateful that doesn't stop you from tipping them now does it? ;) Bam Bam 03/28/08 6:20am Amanda thank you! I agree totally and hopefully the jury will see it the way you do. I even spoke to a judge down here and he said the court in the last case should have abolished the relationship between the bank and the customer, preventing any further damage. Anyway, in Canada they charge gross out taxes on ciggy's and alcohol. For a carton of smokes it's around $88 dollars which in US dollars thanks to Bush would be $90 U.S. Most of which is tax. That's how they pay for the medical care. Having lived in Canada for nearly three years and tasted their medical system I found it to be pretty good, but, some of the Dr's were idiots. I only had one really good Doc; the others were stupid and totally missed a diagnosis. One actually said "you need to get out more" which was her way of saying I was crazy. Other than that, I got to go to the Dr. for free and pay $10 for my prescriptions though. If there was an emergency then you got treated right away, but, as for cancer patients I was lucky to be back in the US because I would have had to wait a few months for a surgery date. That is the part I DONT like. But, perhaps if the US imported a few of their ideas then it would work. I think we should try it and see. But, I also think we should have private physicans avaialble as well...but then greed will set in even further and they will charge even more for accepting private insurance. HEY GET THIS EVERYONE I went to a Ford dealer to buy a Ford Escape Hybrid and they won't even accept ford employee discounts (my dad worked there) for the hybrids AND they are charging $5,000 over MSRP!!!! When is Going Green really Going Greedy??? Lilly 03/27/08 10:03pm I don't know about you, but this idea of socialized health care sound SO GOOD on paper. But, the reality is something else. All the pipe dreams that are being put out there by the presidential canidates are just that, PIPE DREAMS. When everything is said and done for, it's too damn expensive. Not to mention, who is going to pay for this socialized version of charity? Hello we are?! Have you heard of the amount of money that is taken out of the people's paycheck in Europe?! Also,like our deficit isn't big enough already?! You think spending on the war in Iraq is big?! If they impliment this, watch how America will respond, and maybe they will REALLY follow through with impeachment this time. Senchas_mor 03/27/08 9:24pm I don't pretend to understand the health care system and the banking system that exists in the states or the system of government and this may be a little simple, and a somewhat ridiculous question to those that live there...but my question is: If in the US it is your choice to vote, why dont more people register to vote and take an active part in changing what is not working for the country and on a local level in your communities? Amanda 03/27/08 6:26pm Bam Bam I think any bank convicted of that should not be allowed to handle anyones money ever again. I think they should be permanently out of business. Bam Bam 03/27/08 8:06am Your right Amanda; we spend so much money fixing and building other countries, yet we have so many of our own problems that need tending to. By the way, what was your take on the bank question? Forget the credit bureaus, do you think a bank that is convicted of theft and breach of contract should be able to maintain accountability for an account they no longer have on the customers credit bureau? Amanda 03/26/08 1:22pm I think there could be a happy medium if one was wanted here. I do think one thing is to keep our money and resources here at home. We do have the money but we just ship it out like it's just nothing..stupid really. health care should be available for all people who work, regardless of the job they work or how much they make. Bam Bam 03/26/08 6:41am Right on Ed. If a woman were to walk into the hospital late at night for a pregnancy test, and the hospital took her that's their fault. Looks like greed on both sides. The hospital wants the ins. money instead of telling her to come back in the morning or sending her to a free test clinic. There is always going to be someone who wants to beat the system.. always. But, that doesn't mean we can't grow as a society and provide medical care to everyone. I'd rather my taxes go to medical care to keep everyone healthy then bomb cities to keep an oilmans pockets lined with gold. Ed 03/26/08 6:14am This whole issue about health insurance should be plain and simple, but he government and insurance companies make it difficult. Insurance companies like to screw the public and so does the government. They are both working together to screw all of us. I think that each American that has a job should be provided Health, Life, Dental and Vision insurance, and each Hospital, Dental office and eye doctor should except what the insurance is paying them and not OVER CHARGE!!!! We live in a greedy society. That will never change unless some rules are put together and the Insurance and Doctors agree on the charges. As far as illegal aliens---everytime they come in for free services detain them, have the FBI come over and ship them all back. They are destroying our economy and our way of life. The government will not get tough with them because they are afraid they will not get elected to office. I say so what! I would have more respect for them if they had some balls and stood up for this issue and ship them all back! If the Mexican's that are living here legally don't like it they also can go back home! Makes sense to me. Then we would not have our neighborhoods looking like crap because they don't take care of their properties and we would not see 6 or 7 families living in one house. And they are also spitting out babies every 9 months, which we have to take care of. The government federal and state need to work together and get rid of the illegals. We also need the fence put up on the boarder and make it electrified so when they try to climb it or even touch it they get zapped. Alot of you think I am mean and heartless, but I have seen to much to have any pity for these people. I am a US citizen born and raised here and those illegal ****s have more rights then we do and I am tried of paying for the lazy, baby breeding moran's. Eclipsegirl 03/26/08 1:43am People who work pay taxes and pay for their own health ins. but then there's people who wont go look for jobs who get medicaid (which is basically free healthcare) because they have no income and then come to the ER for every little thing. I've seen someone come in for a bug bite which they wasn't allergic to, and a lady who came in the middle of the night just for a pregnancy test when she could have came in during the day and got one for free int he lab, but since she had medicaid she didn't give a flip, she's not paying for it so why would she care? If everyone has free healthcare hospitals would be flooded by people who dont want to wait at the doctors office for hours because there it's alot cheaper. i'm not saying everyone would do this but you have no idea how many people come in with complaints that they need to stay home with just because they have medicaid. and then there's people who fake back pain or toothaches in the er just to get pain pills because their addicted or they sell them on the streets...and they dont work. its so sad that the money i and other hard working citizens pay for taxes goes to these type of people so they can get drugged off their asses or make some money off of dealing pills. and for the illegal aliens...the us spends billions and billions of dollars a year just for free healthcare for them. I do believe that they should have a better life than what they have lived in their country, and they can still have that without free healthcare; thats a choice that they made when they decided to come here. i dont know a solution for all of these and apparently the gov dont eigther. but this abuse of free healthcare has got to stop, it drives me crazy!! Birdie 03/25/08 8:44pm I don't believe that anyone is entitled to anything without working for it. However, the insurance system is not working as it is, and we are not taking care of those who cannot find a way to support themselves. Wether they work 3 jobs or none. Innocent children, those with mental illness, soldiers returning from war, the elderly, the uneducated, single parents, the list goes on. Illegal aliens, should leave and return legally as our family members did. Ellis Island was no picnic and if you didn't have a job, if you were sick, or if you didn't meet many other criteria, you were sent back. I want to know how we can not support those within the country that are here legally, and yet we support those who aren't? Also, if they want medicaide, and food stamps, then they should pay taxes like the rest of us. I know many citizens that have been denied assistance after losing a job and not being able to find another needed temporary help and were denied assistance. How can we help others if we can't help ourselves? Poverty is everywhere in this country. More so now than ever before, and it is only going to get worse. I don't know what the answer is but, I do vote and I pray a lot. Bam Bam 03/25/08 5:55pm The credit buraus told her the bank was their customer and the order from the court had no bearing on what they report because it is supplied by the bank and only the bank can remove it. So, it is well beyone the CB's at this point and is going to trial again for slander. I just want to know if you guys' think it's fair for a bank after being convicted of breach of contract and theft (conversion) to maintain any accountability on the customers credit report given the fact the neither party can fulfill their obligations to one another. Ed 03/25/08 1:37pm Hey Bam Bam. Dealing with the three credit bureau's sometimes is a great pain. I would contact all of them fax or mail copies of what the court decision is along with any paper that states the outcome and have them take off the charge off. You could see if the credit bureaus will change it to say "closed by customer", if they state that on their reports it will not hurt your credit. As far as the Bank goes, I think you should be able to go after them because they are ruining your name and credit with their stunt. Do you mind me asking which bank this is? Years ago I had to file for bankrupcty and one of the credit cards I had that was included belonged to a huge company which also gives insurance, home, care etc. I had my house insurance with them and one day without notice 9 years later decided they would drop me because of the bankruptcy. The law states that after 8 years most debt is taken off your record, which included this one. But they all of a sudden decided to drop me with little notice, but told me that if I paid what I owed on that old credit card I could keep my insurance. I let them have it and then contacted a lawyer. He sent them a letter stating that after 9 years that is not on my record so they cannot hold it against me. They kept giving me a hard time and felt they would screw with me some more so I dropped them after 22 years and went with another company. I could not sue them because it was my word over theirs. If they sent some form of threat like pay this and you can keep you insurance then I could of taken them to the cleaners. I don't know if any of this helped. Just try to work with the Credit Bureaus. To me that is your best bet. Good Luck! Bam Bam 03/25/08 5:54am You know one pill, just one pill that had radiation in it; cost me over six thousand dollars? I mean come on? Now, we've had this technology for over 40 years in this little pill; why is it still so expensive? Radioactive Iodine to destroy thyroid cancer cells; I almost fell over when I got the bill. My insurnace covered all but $1600 of it. The practice pill cost $1500. When I asked why it cost so much; the hospital simply said well we get it from a lab and they have to special deliver it to the hospital. I figured well hell; the cost of gas must be to blame here; he must have had to drive really slow so the pill doesn't blow up. In all seriousness, I think we're due for some government medical cost cutbacks. Radiation has been around for a long time and so has iodine; not to mention why this pill has gone up in price instead of down. Doesn't this come in generic yet? I'm just being facetious about the generic part, but, is this pill so dangerous they pay their employees combat pay to handle it and I'm supposed to ingest it? The cost of medical seems to be rising, I pay through my work over $200 a month just for me and my hubby for insurance. That's almost a semester at college. ALSO DON'T FORGET I NEED YOUR OPINION ON THAT OTHER THING BELOW ABOUT THE BANK. I HOPE TO HEAR EVERYONE'S THOUGHTS ON THAT. Bam Bam 03/23/08 8:40pm It's not me; it's actually my sister. She's written the credit bureaus for over a year since the verdict and now she is suing the bank for slander. The bank reported a zero balance, but, then wrote in her remarks section past due charged off. How can it be zero and still past due? I just can't find anything that say's this bank has the right to maintain accountability to her after the breach of contract. The bank say's they weren't ordered to remove it so they aren't going to. But, what law say's they can report on her without a contract? I can't find it. It looks like this trial is going to come down to what the jury thinks is fair. Which is why I'm asking everyones opinion on this. Should the bank after their conviction report anything on her bureau? They were convicted of theft I don't see how bank employees can be partial. Amanda 03/23/08 2:37pm Bam Bam can you report them to the credit agencies and challenge the mark on your report? use the papers you have to challenge them or whomever it is that this happened too.I would filie a greivance with the better business beuro Bam Bam 03/23/08 7:10am I'll make a confession. I had public assistance at one time; and the government funded my child care, and gave me medical insurance so I could stay healthy and go to college to become a professional. That's tax dollars hard at work. Since then, I like most other folks pay taxes and go to work and pay for healthcare. I think people who have nothing should be lifted up. Yes, there is abuse and there will always will be some jerks out there ripping off the system. But, I think the ones that do utilize the system to it's advantage and become tax payers and sucessful individuals regardless of their career fields makes it worth it. As a result of Bill Clintons policies I am a success story of tax dollars used for this purpose and I am getting ready to put one of my children through college. I couldn't have done that without the help of other people like me now and everyone else who pays taxes. PS. DID ANYONE READ MY QUESTION BELOW? I really need some input on that in anyone cares to chime in on it. Hoppy Easter! Vicky 03/23/08 6:02am I feel that we shouldn't have to go without medical insurance and that we shouldn't have to be denied care or meds because we can't afford it.It is bad enough that alot of people are homelss and on the streets but yet there are abandoned buildings that can be redone and used as a shelter so that atleast everyone has a home. Childcare expenses should also be lowered as there aren't enough funds to help everyone.I also feel that since we have a minimum wage we should have a maximum wage so we can all afford to get our meds atleast without having to choose beteween bills or meds because if one does't get you sick the other will. Bam Bam 03/21/08 5:56pm Technically, there aren't price controls. Insurance companies have agreed limits for different procedures. What isn't covered under insurance is usually paid by the patient. But, with government provided healthcare they would have the same limits as to coverage amounts; but the patient would not have the co-payment. Perhaps if we capped some of these procedures everyone could afford medical care and it wouldn't be necessary at all. I also think that this might weed out certain Dr's who are only in it for the money compared to those who might actually be in it to save or improve the quality of a persons life. Bam Bam 03/21/08 3:53pm I have to ask everyone in here a question. It has nothing to do with this poll and I hope you all don't mind I know this is not the forum but please I need some opinions. Okay, here goes and read all of it before you respond. If a bank was convicted of stealing your car and breaching the contract, do you think the bank should be allowed to continue to report information about that account to the credit bureaus? Bear in mind, the vehicle was charged off before they stole it, yet they are still reporting the charge off against the consumer. Remember a jury found the bank GUILTY OF THEFT AND BREACH. is it fair to continue reporting the charge off even though that is not the ulitmate demise of the account?? I cannot find any laws anywhere that state the bank has any legal right here at all to maintain accountability on this persons old account with them. Can anyone give me some thoughts on this? Again I know this is not the forum but I need your minds on this. Jeff 03/21/08 12:36pm Would you spend tens of thousands of dollars and 8+ years of your life studying to be a doctor if you knew the Government would be putting limits on how much you can make? Would you risk all that time, effort, and money knowing that once you finally become a doctor your income may not be enough to cover your high malpractice Insurance costs and other expenses while giving you enough money to have a decent living? When Government takes over the Health Care industry, they will eventually start putting artificial price controls on everything including doctor and nurse wages. If anyone has studied economics, you know that price controls result in shortages. In this case it's shortages of doctors, nurses, health equipment, medicine, etc. This is what has happened in England with the NHS. This is what is happening in Canada. With more and more people running to the doctor to take advantage of so called "free" health care, costs rise geometrically because there is a much larger demand on health services. Right now about 50% of the population in the US pays about 97% of the entire tax burden. This means that the other 47% who pays little or no taxes will be getting free health care at the expense of the other 53%. This is not only wrong, it encourages abuse. It's human nature to become dependent on something if it's given to you free of charge. People will go to the doctor regardless of whether it's necessary just because it's free. Have you ever gone to dinner with a big group of people knowing that you will be dividing up the bill evenly? It's human nature to order the most expensive thing on the menu if you know it will all be pooled together and divided evenly. This is why the dinner bill is much higher than it would otherwise be if everyone payed for their own meal. This is what Socialism has to offer... much higher costs due to abuse, resulting in less quality services, and long lines to get serious care. Amanda 03/21/08 9:50am I hear you bam bam and ed. It isn't just the taxes at the end of the year we pay, it is the food taxes, the tax at the pump (which is already figured into the cost per gallon of gas) the state taxes if your state has those, the taxes on your car, the taxes on your cell phone, the taxes out of your paycheck, retirement check and even ss check. We pay taxes on clothes and taxes on tires..anything you buy has a tax. Now, where the hell is all that tax money going? who gets it? Why do our schools suck and yet we pay for school taxes. Oh, lets not forget you pay tax when you go out to eat or to see a movie... But yet there is really nothing for the average citizen even though we pay all of these taxes. Bam Bam 03/20/08 3:28pm I don't mind one bit if my taxes or my "sin taxes" go to pay for everyone's including my own healthcare. Those that don't think it should be free, well, were glad you support your fellow Americans (that was a joke in case you don't have a sense of humor). I however, don't mind if I put money into a pot that was for all. If we're all healthy and cared for there is less disease, less time lost at work, our country flourishes in more than just one way. There is much to gain by us taking care of one another instead of just ourselves. Ed 03/20/08 1:37pm Jeff I understand what you are saying. I work two jobs to make ends meet, and heaven help if I get sick or need to go into the hosptial. I have health insurance, but it does not pay enough so I end up with a hefty bill which I will have to put on payments. I add that bill with the other bills I owe, and pay what I can each month. I am so tried of trying to make ends meet that sometimes I want to give up and just tell them to take it all away. I will take my chances living in the streets. Our government and big businesses have done this to us. The ****ing rich get richer and the poor get poorer. The funny thing is that I am considered to be in the middle class bracket. Who made that stupid scale. They keep raising heating, electric and gas how the hell is anyone going to be able to survive. If you get a raise at work it is not enough to help unless you are the special money bracket, then your ok. As far as paying taxes I feel every American that makes less than 100,000.00 a year should not have to pay any. Let the rich folks pay it. They waste their money on their rotten kids and homes all over the world. Hell I just want to keep my little house. The way things are going there will be alot of people moving in with relatives and the houses will be willed to their children, because noone will be able to afford a home on their own. Jeff 03/20/08 11:03am For those of you who are unwilling to pay for your health care costs, who do you suppose should pay for you? The "Government"? Where do you think the Government gets their revenue from? It's not just a percentage of our hard earned money, but it's borrowed money that ends up costing us a fortune every year in Interest alone. The national debt in the US is about 10 trillion dollars... does anyone have any idea where they will get the money to pay for a national health care plan with no competition to keep the costs down? Do you really want to wait 12 or more months for treatment if you have cancer? Do you really want to be denied certain procedures just because the Government decides to cut back on costs and ration low priority care? This is what you get from Socialism. It's "free" if you can get it, and it's mediocre at best. Nothing in this world is more important than our health, yet you are so willing to turn over our existing system to the same Government that is responsible for the rising costs of health care. The same Government that runs the bankrupt Social Security system and medicare system. Canadians and Europeans flock to the US when they need serious medical procedures because there are not enough Government doctors and other medical staff and equipment to take care of people in a timely fashion. We don't live under a Monarch here in the US. Private businesses flourish as long as Government stays the hell out of areas where they do not belong. Just look at public education in the US... it's an utter failure! It costs tax payers about 20,000 per/child each year in California to put a child through the public education system, yet half the kids cannot read and the drop out rate is staggering. This is just another example of the utter failure of socialism. Stop looking to Government for answers... they are the cause of rising costs, not the solution! Pat 03/20/08 10:42am Oh my gosh! There are so many great comments to talk about, but I'm leaving work early and we are closed Good Friday. I will be back Monday. Everyone have a great weekend. Be careful, be safe. Bye. Amanda 03/20/08 8:08am Char, deal with it.You're being a thick headed jackass. Unless you have a job that pays a pretty good income or have two incomes you are NOT going to afford health insurance even if your company offers it. I have worked in plenty of places that had it, but guess what, after taxes on my check, the bills I have to pay I cannot afford the 65.00 or 70.00 extra a week out of my check for the coverage..what go get another job..work two for health insurance..that is crazy. No one should have to do that for a miserable piece of paper that says 'yes You will get your money if you save my life' No one should have to work two jobs just to have something as needful and basic as health care, dental care and vision. You have to be reasonably healthy to work, you have to be able to see most of the times to even do your job and your teeth need to be healthy so you can eat...now what is so outrageous about that? Why should any American work to death just for that? There is no good reason for it. In the mean time we can finance this stupid war, finance the rebuilding of the cities we blow all to hell, finance our big wigs to ride around in the lap of luxury and pay for their kids to go to Ivy league schools...but hell no don't, as a tax payer, expect or ask for your government to have your back so you can live longer, live healthier and continue to support their stupid asses. Don't ask your government to make the insurance companies to give the small employers a big break on health coverage for their employees so you can work for more than a paycheck. Remember the small businesses are people like your veterinarian, the local Chinese or Japanese restraunt or Mexican restraunt you like, a small clothing store or floral shop you get flowers from, hell maybe even your local mechanic or pub you like to visit on occasion..there is an endless list of small businesses that have no access to any kind of health coverage due to costs. If you don't have those people willing to work there you are pretty well screwed as your dog or cat is not going to get treatment, you can get and cook your own dinner and get your own drink ( guess that means you might as well stay home right?) and go pick your own flowers for a funeral or wedding..etc..so don't say go work..there are people working all around you and doing without. Char 03/20/08 12:10am Thomas you dont know squat about me so don't go throwing words around like **** . Iam a cancer patient I know what medical help costs .Nothing come free in this world . Bam Bam 03/19/08 6:51pm Thomas, Go to the Cleveland Clinic in your area; they will treat you and bill you according to your income. You can get healthcare. They can mail the application to you there are no qualifiers either. You pay what you make and you can see your specialists for your heart. They will even cover your surgery if you ever need it. They approve you six months and 12 months at a time depending on your location. Bam Bam 03/19/08 6:47pm Kim right on about lousy treatment! I went to three Dr's and had a physical before accpeting a new job. Get this, turns out I had thyroid cancer!! My thyroid was HUGE and every damn Dr. missed the lump in my throat!! Guess who found it and saved my life??? A Physicians Assistant. My cancer was a very slow growing cancer THANK GOD it was found! Because had it gone on for any longer it would have been far worse. When they found it, it had mutated into three kinds of cancer. Dr's are highly paid and highly impressed with themselves at least the ones were who missed my diagnosis. The workers Dr. actually checked off on my sheet that my thyroid was normal, how he missed the lump was easy...load em' in, load em' out...GET PAID. My surgeon and my new Dr's are very caring specialists...they are true Physicians and work for hospitals that treat patients with no insurance and bill according to what they make. Luckily, I have insurance but there are others that have none and can't even get medication. I walked into WalMart the other day and found an illegal immigrant bathing in the WalMart Bathroom Stall!!! If that were any other indigent person from America we'd have no pity and think they were gross. Why would anyone have pity for Mexicans and not our own countrymen who have fallen on hard times??? Thomas 03/19/08 5:00pm Back on topic... It's really sad. We shell out all of this money on taxes and then when we expect something for it, assholes like Char tell us to get a job. Guess what? I got a job. I pay my taxes. I work my ass off. I get by on the bare essentials. My internet is incorporated with my phone so that makes it easy. I still can't afford healthcare. I'm twenty-seven with a heart condition. I'm working my ass off, and I don't qualify for health insurance in the state of Florida because at fifty cents over minimum wage, I am not eligible. I pay taxes for this and plenty of my money goes to the war in Iraq and baseball stadiums (like New Busch Stadium in St. Louis, which cost Missouri tax-payers 300 million dollars AND they cut the already beleaguered Missouri school budget by nearly thirty percent to do it. They also paid seventy million dollars so that Missouri judges could have private suites in the court houses, also paid for with taxpayer money and school money). But you know what, the crappy healthcare for the poor in this nation isn't really what bugs me so much. It's that fact that the federal government is now talking about taking billions--BILLIONS--of dollars out of education. This is what my tax money is supposed to be for! My state representative told me so! What the **** is this ****??? History will repeat it's self 03/19/08 9:56am How many presidential assassinations have occured and for what reasons.. If this "black man" does win.. what makes you think He'd last till his 100days..Due to the way some people think in this country I have worked in the Health care Field for the last 35 years..and nothing is free, the could, should woulds. Doesnt Matter.. who are you kidding Pat 03/19/08 9:56am Ed, how much do you want to bet that a lot of people will think it is a lie? People that want him in the White House do not care about their nation, they just want a black man for president. Just like that real hateful, hate-filled racist black preacher that was G**d***ing America. Do you think a white man(not even a white preacher) would have gotten by with that? Hell no! He would be crucified!This is so bad, but their will be a lot of people that will still stand behind o'bama. If anyone doesn't like our comments, then by-pass. Ed 03/19/08 5:52am I know this is off the subject, but I wanted to share this information with any American that is thinking of voting for Obama "The Muslum". I found this and wanted to share it with my fellow Americans. Who is Barack Obama? Very interesting and something that should be considered in your choice. If you do not ever forward anything else, please forward this to all your contacts...this is very scary to think of what lies ahead of us here in our own United States...better heed this and pray about it and share it. We checked this out on " snopes.com". It is factual. Check for yourself. Who is Barack Obama? Probable U. S. presidential candidate, Barack Hussein Obama was born in Honolulu, Hawaii, to Barack Hussein Obama, Sr., a black MUSLIM from Nyangoma-Kogel, Kenya and Ann Dunham, a white ATHEIST from Wichita, Kansas. Obama's parents met at the University of Hawaii. When Obama was two years old, his parents divorced. His father returned to Kenya. His mother then married Lolo Soetoro, a RADICAL Muslim from Indonesia. ? When Obama was 6 years old, the family relocated to Indonesia. Obama attended a MUSLIM school in Jakarta. He also spent two years in a Catholic school. Obama takes great care to conceal the fact that he is a Muslim. He is quick to point out that, "He was once a Muslim, but that he also attended Catholic school." Obama's political handlers are attempting to make it appear that that he is not a radical. Obama's Introduction to Islam came via his father, and that this influence was temporary at best. In reality, the senior Obama returned to Kenya soon after the divorce, and never again had any direct influence over his son's education. Lolo Soetoro, the second husband of Obama's mother, Ann Dunham, introduced his stepson to Islam. Obama was enrolled in a Wahabi school in Jakarta. Wahabism is the RADICAL teaching that is followed by the Muslim terrorists who are now waging Jihad against the western world. Since it is politically expedient to be a CHRISTIAN when seeking major public office in the United States,Barack Hussein Obama has joined the United Church of Christ in an attempt to downplay his Muslim background. ALSO, keep in mind that when he was sworn into office he DID NOT use the Holy Bible, but instead the Koran. Barack Hussein Obama will NOT recite the Pledge of Allegiance nor will he show any reverence for our flag. While others place their hands over their hearts, Obama turns his back to the flag and slouches. Let us all remain alert concerning Obama's expected presidential candidacy. The Muslims have said they plan on destroying the US from the inside out, what better way to start than at the highest level - through the President of the United States, one of their own!!!! Please forward to everyone you know. Would you want this man leading our country?... So before voting for this nut job think twice. The highest office in our country should not be held by a Muslum. Char 03/19/08 2:04am Come on people lets get real. No body has to give us anything for free. Put on you'r big boy pants and get a job and go work for it .No one ever said life was going to be easy or free.Get real Kim 03/18/08 11:16pm It really bothers me that our government is spending so much money to kill people in Iraq, but claims it can't afford health care for it's own citizens. I am about as worried about being attacked by terrorists, as I am concerned that a chunk of blue sky will fall out and hit me on the head, but what I am worried about is, what if my kids get sick or hurt and I can't pay the bill. In the past insurance came automatically if you had a job. Now not only to a lot of people not have jobs, but those who do have jobs can loose them if they file a claim on the insurance. I think it is just insane that insurance companies go up on the premiums of businesses that file claims, and fruther i think it is even more insane to fire an employee for getting sick or hurt. As for Illegal immigrants... I think all this talk about the issue is the new racism. These people are Native Americans, where as we are the true immigrants. Our ancestors came from Europe where as theres were already on this contenent. So who is really the alien? Most all Hispanics are nice people. Our media exploits every single thing one of them does wrong to make it seem they are a criminal element, when in fact they are not. I think health care should be free, or at least cheep for all people. I remember when I was 18. I am 47 now. When I got sick I went to a very elderly doctor. He delivered my Dad. In his office he had one nurse. She was old too. I waited about ten minutes usually, then went into the exam room. He just had one. He would ask for my urine which i was supposed to bring with me in a bottle from home. He would sit there with his microscope and some litmus paper, and a specific gravity glass thing, and test my urine himself. Then he would **** my finger and do a RBC count, and other things he could do in his office. ONLY if it was a very complex test did he send it off to a lab. He always asked me not to wear makeup to his office, cause how could he tell I was sick if I covered my face to try to look better. He felt the same way about nail polish. He wanted to see my nail beds. He would examine me completely and give me a diagnosis. There were no expensive tests, and no guessing either. The guy knew his stuff. Then when he was done, he'd write me a script, and I gave that old nurse 20 dollars. My dad told me that during the depression he'd take payments in chickens, and he used to make house calls in a horse and buggy. That old doctor spent every Fridah and Saturday night in the hospital emergency room, sewing up the bar fight victims, and various weekend emergencies. He could handle most anything, and the cost was reasonable. Now days I go to the doctor, and I pay them $150 They spend five minutes and don't get with in six feet of me usually. If I need tests that is another 80 dollars. If I need a shot it is another 50 dollars... and so on. then they write a script. Their office has a dozen nurses, and a four doctors. They have countless exam rooms, and lots of fancy equipment in each one. I understand that they pay malpracitice insurance, and that is why they charge so much... and they run a lot of unnecessary tests to make sure they don't get sued or tick off their insurance companies... I also notice that they live in the country club area. I think Doctors deserve to make a good living, and have a decent office, but there is so much waste in medicine now... and usually after all the expensive tests they still don't know what is wrong. I say lets go back to simpler and better medicine, control the profiteering insurance companies, and drug companies, and force them all to lower their prices. Thomas 03/18/08 5:32pm For those who don't believe healthcare should be a right, I suppose you've never been through a medical crisis. Oh, that's right, you've got so much money that you don't have to worry about it. So, why should people who can't pay even be entitled to healthcare? Never mind all of the millions or billions we spend a year in taxes. If we can't pay, then we should all just die slow deaths. As for illegal immigrants...I'm divided on that. Obviously, yes. They do have a need for it, their have come out of an incredible situation only to enter another one. I hate to say it, but I am somewhat sympathetic to illegal immigrants to some degree (this is just because I have a bit of personal experience with some of them). On the one hand, many of these people find themselves in this situation and a great deal of what happened really isn't their fault. On the other hand, there are plenty who do make a good chunck of money. These people started out with nothing and now they're successful and they're out of their minds with greed. They don't pay taxes and they don't give anything back to the community. These people at least should pay taxes and be considered representatives of their communities. I really don't want to say that there are some people who don't deserve healthcare for any reason, because I don't believe that. By the same token, I do agree with Ed and others to some degree. I just don't lump an entire group of people into one category. Ed 03/18/08 1:39pm I agree that our government sucks the big one! And the people who are running for top office are not worth ****!! Promises, Promises, Lies and more Lies. The government has not worked for us for many, many, many years. Either they are screwing around, getting a payoff from some lobbyist etc, etc. We should get rid of all of them and start over. I am also tried of paying taxes to support other countries when we could be using this money back here at home. Bring back our jobs that we lost to Mexico and India. I was so fed up when I called my credit card company to ask a question and I get someone from India on the line. First of all I can't understand a word that they were saying, Secondly I never got my answer to my question, so I paid off the card and closed the account. We also need to stop buying imports and when you go shopping check your clothes and other items quit buying from a foreign country. It is amazing that most of our products are cheap crap from foreign countries. Our government needs to tariff the **** out of that crap coming in. STOP NAFTA! Close our boarders and become self sufficient again. Our steel mills are gone. Remember the bridge that fell and killed the people not to long ago. They figured out it was the stress marks in the cheap steel beams that were purchased from some crappy foreign country. I blame our government for all of it. None of the people there are worth 2 cents. It is not going to get any better unless we all unify and stop supporting the foreign crap that comes in this country. It is a start. Close our boards and don't be to quick to let anyone in. Protect our country first. I know I am dreaming and the liberals out there are upset with me while driving the crappy toyota's, Honda's and all the other foreign crap. I am not trying to offend any Legal American out there just trying to make you wake up and realize that buying that stuff you are selling out our country. I know the american car companies need to put a tight lease on the unions that make companies pay outrageous salaries to the car makers. We could go on and on with whats wrong in this country and it all stems back to the government. It sucks! Amanda 03/18/08 1:34pm Well this has to be a personal record for me. I actually agree with what Bam-Bam, Pat and Ed as well as others are saying..wow.. Pat 03/18/08 10:54am You know what REALLY pisses me off the most? The fact that no matter what we say in this poll or any other, or even how we vote, we will still be ignored by the government. They talk a pretty talk and make tons of promises, but in the end, it is still the same...lies and empty promises. The Native Americans and the whites and the blacks that have been here the longest DO NOT COUNT. That is why we should all stand together and stand up to a government that will never care about us or our future for that matter and take us serious. Decade after decade it is the same and will get worse. When will we count for something, besides keeping them living in comfort and taking from us and always giving to someone else? Then when they "give", it is not their money out of their pockets, it is money out of our pockets. Our sorry government cares more for the whole world(which is a ruse)than they care for all of us that keep them living high. The government works for us, not the other way around, but we have let them have their way for so long, they are like really badly spoiled kids run amuck. It is time we put our foot down and reined them back in line. I would honestly ask when are WE going to stand together as a whole and not separated into different battling races. That's all government planned also, just to keep Americans fighting each other and fighting other countries while they continually stab US(U.S.)in the back. I am so sick to death of lies, lies and more lies. Aren't You??? Ed 03/18/08 10:43am I totally agree with you Bam Bam!!! Bam Bam 03/18/08 8:55am I think Healthcare should be a basic human right. We pay our taxes and give money to every other country but our own. It's taking Brad Pitt and Angelina Jolie to rebuild New Orleans with President Clinton. We have children in slums that can't even get the immunizations they need or food for their bellies and cities that need rebuilding. Food and Healthcare is a basic human right in my eyes. My religion states that Jesus said to give to those who ask. As for illegal immigrants; I think that's a tough one, thier not asking they are simply taking it and expect that American rights are their's as well simply because they didn't get caught running for the border. If there is indeed a real life threatening emergency then yes provide treatment, then deport their asses. Pat one thing you said though is not correct; just because a child is born here doesn't give the parents the right to live here. The parents don't inherit such rights; however, the child does but that doesnt mean the parents get to stay. Only the child born here is considered a citizen. I'm really ticked off about this immigration crap. Ed 03/18/08 5:36am I do agree that Health Care should be our legal right, but only for LEGAL American citizens, not for illegals. The whole system is screwed up though. First your doctors feel they have gone years and years to school to be able to become a doctor and they want the big, big salaries and then you get the insurance companies that don't pay squat, because they play God and decide if you need this or need that. There needs to be a happy medium. Doctors need to make a decent salary and the insurance companies should pay for everything instead of 50% or 70% of a person's bill, considering we pay all those premiums. They should work with Doctor's and Hospitals to keep the rates low for Legal American citizens. If you are Illegal you should have to pay through the nose, then get on a list which then will be reported to the government. It would make it easier to deport them. I am tired going into a hospital emergency room and seeing it filled with illegal immigrants looking for free medical attention. They are not dumb and they know how to move around the system. They don't have insurance so they cannot go to a doctor's office so they know that most emergency rooms cannot turn them away. In the long run we who have been paying for insurance will have to pay for them in higher premiums. That **** has to stop!!! Azura 03/18/08 2:21am When we were born we inherited the right to Life in human form and all that it necessitates including the responsibility of supporting it. To live one must breathe, have food, fluids, shelter, clothing, health and education. These are Life's needs. To eliminate any one of Life's needs will result in Death. The majority of our global societies work under a manmade system that has placed it's values in material things and judges the value of people by their accumulation or lack of the material things. What man has the right to judge Life or deny it's basic needs for the lack of a material thing? We need to re-evaluate this system that interfers with and opposses Life therefore causing Death for the sake of some thing. It may take some creative thinking to bring about a new way that is life supporting but hey, Life is perpetual creation and besides, what have we got to loose? This old system is killing us! Amanda 03/17/08 8:54pm I look at it this way. What we have going on right now does not work at all. Most people who work can't afford health care. Most small business owners cannot afford to get medical coverage for their employees. I don't think that it is very fair that we in this country fund a lot of things, but basic care for our people isn't one of them. "Vote with tax money" 03/17/08 6:21pm Complete Universal Health Care - or at least a bare minimum 50% cost deferment would be very helpful to citizens since so many people are struggling to pay bills & keep up with ever rising cost of living and spiraling economy. I think every country needs to have some form of universal health care available to offset the cost of living for normal, average citizens. In hindsight....being a Citizen is like being a Member of a big fancy private Club. Citizens pay taxes like Club Members pay Dues, all to offset internal costs of operations. Club members and Citizens are the same in that each have Voting rights to determine how the organization is managed......Logically then, taxes paid to the govt. should be spent the way each individual taxpayer decides (not the govt. committee). When a citizen pays out their annual taxes, I think each individual citizen should be allowed to say "If I'm paying the govt. my hard earned money, and I also believe establishing and maintaining Universal Health Care (or whatever your 'cause' of choice may be) is a priority - then I'd want the "voting right" to demand the govt. to "put my tax money I just paid you towards Universal Heath Care specifically." It might in the long run get the govt. to not spend citizens' taxed dollars in ways they don't want. We're already "voting" with our money when we make mundane goods/service purchases at the stores/businesses we go to - so why not "vote" our tax dollars towards our chosen social causes too? Only makes logical sense, no? Senchas_mor 03/17/08 4:10pm All people should have access to healthcare including immunisations, emergency treatment, outpatients care for those unable to afford private treatment, and in home support, in Australia we have Medicare for those who cannot afford a private provider and subsidised care for acute conditions in our hospitals. Any country that charges people for medical treatment in an emergency room or has a gap program for seniors and others needs a total overhaul..but then in Australia we still have Medicare that does subsidise 85% of the cost for non health care care holders. The other thing we have here is a pharmecutical benefits scheme to make medicines more affordable and we have dental programs for health care card holders. This program has a long waiting list but a person that requires dentures can still get them. I have noticed that this scheme is not in very many parts of the world. Also our benefits in this country are paid to us in full, not in part and not in vouchers, so our health care card holders can manage their own lives. In my opinion a much fairer system. Claire 03/17/08 1:27pm If you want ANYTHING for free then just come to Britain! Over here we a legal obligation to give everything free to any foreign national! You want it, you get it, as long as you are not a British citizen! Jeff 03/17/08 12:36pm I voted no because I don't believe health care is a right any more than free housing or free food is a right. Anything in life with value should be earned. People who expect a service for free are the leeches of this world. A "right" implies something that a person is "due" or "entitled to". Why would someone who has not earned the right to a health care service deserve it? I'm not a doctor, but if I were to go through 8 years of schooling, spend my time and money opening up a clinic, etc., I should have a right to sell my health care services at a price I choose. If my price is too high, people will go elsewhere just like any other type of business. Competition is what keeps prices at a level that people can afford to pay. The reason why the cost of health care and medicine is continually rising is because big apathetic government bureaucracies of the world are getting more and more entrenched in the industry and are therefore killing any competition. With no competition, prices rise through the roof, which translates into higher and higher taxes for those that produce. When Government attempts to put price controls, there are less and less doctors because there is no incentive to work harder for less pay. Turning over the Health Care industry to Government is a recipe for disaster. Pat 03/17/08 9:36am That is a hard yes or no answer. I hate to bring this topic up, but the illegal immigrants are swamping our healthcare and it is hurting the Americans. LEGAL "rights" for ILLEGAL immigrants...something is very wrong with that. All they have to do is sneak a family in when the woman is almost due to have a baby, then when she has the baby, the whole family gets to stay here and get all kinds of help that a lot of Americans are denied. They are bringing in diseases that have been irradicated in our country for many years. What about the American people that are denied help everyday in our nation? Like I said before in another poll a lot of hospitals nationwide are taking emergency rooms out. The insurance companies have the last word on the medical help or medicine that someone needs and gets by with it. The pharmaceutical companies are raising the price of medicines to an outrageous price and getting by with it. They are now slowly putting medicines over the counter, so that insurance companies don't have to pay for them, but for poor and some middle-class American families, it is still not an affordable price. Many Americans are on fixed incomes or have bad sicknesses and can't pay for all or even some of the medicines they need. My mom is a senior citizen that has worked since she was 14 years old and paid her taxes and social security to take care of her now, including other Americans, but now they have the GAP PLAN. When you meet that gap before the end of the year, the money has to come from your fixed income. How horrible is that? Some medicine she can't get during that time, it is so expensive. The cost of living has risen higher than most people's incomes. But it has always been that way. Small businesses can't afford insurance for their employees or the other alternative..close their business down. My brother-in-law pays $600.00 a month for insurance through the company he works for for him, my sister and niece, but still pay a lot of money for co-pays and medicine. They should have small co-pays and not pay for most medicines. I've talked to a lot of people when I'm out and about and everyone...poor and middle-class are practically drowning. For Americans and their families that have been here for generations healthcare should be a legal right, but for all others it shouldn't be a legal right. Even the Native Americans that were here first don't get the healthcare they need.The poor Americans and the middle-class Americans are paying the price in a huge, horrible way to sustain everyone else. This is a tricky poll if you don't look at all areas. Wallander 03/17/08 7:59am Here in EU, many countries have had long-standing traditions for free Health Care systems within their societies. Here in Denmark for example, it was originally created in such a way that it was 100% PUBLIC. But as the yrs went by, this otherwise WONDERFUL system began to meet some BIG challanges, the BIGGEST one being; long waiting lists for vital surgeries! But thanks to a brilliant policy-making, it is now become PARTIALLY private, so that those ppl who can afford the high costs, are able to use such an option, thereby opening A LOT of room for the Public Health Care to get back to its optimal function with shorter waiting lists. But it is still close to 85% public & 15% private. I reckon that in the US, a combo of a public & private HC system could likewise benifit both the wealthy & the lower middle class population someday in the future! But the current HC system in the US is an outright travesty, if you ask me! Thomas 03/16/08 8:19pm I can't believe someone actually voted no. I've got my own quirks with our health care system (including but not limited to the lies and bull**** they feed us), but it is still essential to the very survival of everyone. A doctor shouldn't have the right to deny us the benefit of our basic wellness based on our ability to pay. Anyone who votes no is either a doctor who is only interested in buying the new Rolls for his wife, or some rich asshole who gets bonuses for each dollar the insurance company turns over. No offense to rich people who would actually support the rights of all regardless of the impact on the tax incentives. There aren't many of those but they do exist. Dorothy 03/16/08 5:29pm All necessities to life should be a legal right.