Do you personally think everyone should have the right to free health care?

[lokiju]

Putting politics aside, what is your personal thoughts on if health care should be a right for all Americans at no (direct out of pocket) charge?

I'm hoping everyone can put their political view points aside and just stop for a moment and think about it.


What do you come up with?


I can without a doubt see both sides of the coin personally.


Mods: If this ends up being a flame fest, please feel free to lock.

 

[Syrch]

I say yes, i think lokiju should pay for mine. Bills in the mail!

 

[mugs]

How can you POSSIBLY put politics aside on this issue? You'd have to ignore major issues, like how it is going to be paid for.

 

[spidey07]

Where is the HELL NO! Option?

I have a copy of the constitution right here. Nope, not a right.

 

[daniel1113]

Sure, if it were truly free for everyone. However, since the government has no means of funding anything short of taking property from others, it can't be done without stealing.

So, no.

EDIT: Oh, and health insurance is MUCH different than health care. I think you mean health care, not insurance.

 

[Juno]

only if lokiju pays for our insurance.

 

[JeffreyLebowski]

I would be for it if every American that had a job got free insurance and if they were unemployed or illegal, they would be denied. I don't like free loaders and I will not pay for them. If they want health care, get a job and get it. Don't make me pay for your laziness.

 

[lokiju]

Originally posted by: mugs
How can you POSSIBLY put politics aside on this issue? You'd have to ignore major issues, like how it is going to be paid for.

There is only one way.

By taxes.

 

[torpid]

No, there should be some out of pocket costs for most people (relative to income)

 

[broon]

Yes. Health insurance should be free...it's my right. It's also my right to free gasoline and auto insurance. I should also get my water free because I'd die without it. My electricity/gas should be free to keep me alive in the frigid cold winter months. I probably should get free groceries because I'd die without food.

 

[PrinceofWands]

I don't think any form of insurance should exist, period. I think people should have to pay (a fair and reasonable amount) for any goods or services they receive.

 

[woodie1]

There is no free lunch. List how you will pay for this 'free' health care and I'll vote.

 

[Epic Fail]

I can't get to the free health benefits if I can't get my free car.

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

I don't really understand the question here. Do you mean free healthcare? Free insurance seems rather contradictory to me.

 

[se7en]

Free - NO

Low cost - YES

Prices are getting out of hand and if several political steps are taken we can reduce the burden on the patient without having the govt. finance it. I hate to go in that direction of govt regulating markets and all but obviously we can't handle it on our own without jacking it all up.

 

[daniel1113]

Originally posted by: PrinceofWands
I don't think any form of insurance should exist, period. I think people should have to pay (a fair and reasonable amount) for any goods or services they receive.

That's because the entire point of insurance has been bastardized over the years. Insurance is based on the idea of pooling together financial resources so that people are able to hedge their risk against a large-scale financial loss. The idea, of course, is that most people are unlikely to incur catastrophic health care costs.

 

[lokiju]

Originally posted by: SarcasticDwarf
I don't really understand the question here. Do you mean free healthcare? Free insurance seems rather contradictory to me.

Yes. Free health care, I'll edit.

 

[GoPackGo]

There is no such thing as free health care.

 

[glenn beck]

NO

 

[MrWizzard]

This country NO.

Other countries can pull if off but this country defiantly would cause major problems.

I have seen free healthcare in other countries, while it is nice and all, other parts of the government suffer greatly because of it.

 

[Gooberlx2]

This is an issue I struggle with. My wife has a plethora of health issues, so we're always paying out our asses for medical bills. We get out of debt, have to go to the ER or have some diagnostic work (and we do have coverage), get right back in debt, rinse repeat. It kills us sometimes. So yeah, I would LOVE free health care, but the premise of possibly having to wait in line for months for CT scans or MRIs isn't feasible either.

I was reading about HSA's, and while they sound really nice, because they require the consumer to become cost conscious about their care, which in turn requires doctors to compete on a cost basis for business, I don't think we'd ever be able to acrue enough in the account to ever come ahead with the safety net for which those accounts are intended.

I just don't know. I'd like to see numbers about how much taxes would have to increase to offset the costs. Would it be as much as I already spend on health insurance?

 

[SarcasticDwarf]

I don't think I can agree that healthcare should be free for all Americans because there has to be some limit. Maybe there could be a framework where the most basic of healthcare is free (and say free for all children under 12), but I can't see it working well to say "everyone can have any medical care that they want at any time."

 

[PingSpike]

How could health care possibly be free? Somewhere, it has to get paid for.

While we're giving out mythical free things, I think people should have the right to the following free items:
52" Plasma TVs
Replica 13th century castle
Restored B-52 Bomber
Consumer Grade Star Trek Teleporter
Sex Android
Wands and shit like in Harry Potter

 

[waggy]

no because it is not possible or fair.

 

[FoBoT]

no, only commies want that crap

i have good medical insurance, i don't want to pay more for crappy lines/waiting to see crappy doctors that can't find work at McD's