In a market economy the govt. should not control prices look what happened in California the orginal governor before arnold..HE CAPPED electricity...what HAPPENED"??!?!??! the ELETRIC CO. MOVED OUT!!!!! wierd?

RIGHT WITH YOU BRO! America still is the highest GDP (correct me if im wrong) :P so why do americans love to hate america?

Now another quick example why is gas so high...HMM THE TAX ON THE GAS FRO MTHE GOVT...im sorry guys but gas would be 2 dollars a gallon if govt. would lower tax on it...but see this is b/c govt "controlled" the gas prices through tax. BUT the govt. will come save the day once it is unaffordable..

nothing to do with topic again but still showing you that govt. should not be able to control prices


FAIRNESS = MEDIOCRACY!!!!!

What does population have to do with it? Please explain the relevance of population. Most comparisons are per capita.

And the answer to that was the VHA from the mid-90s to present. I had other points against it in that very same thread. The reason government programs don't work in America is because they are undermined by corporations who actually control Congress. Example: FDA is severely underfunded and blamed for many things. Due to Pharma lobbying, the FDA cannot require "new" drugs to be compared to existing rx. Due to Pharma lobbying, medicare cannot negotiate for prices. This is neither free market nor big government, this is a corporate republic.

Also, government healthcare is usually publically funded, but still privately delivered.

Our healthcare system=substandard, when you consider how much $$$ is being spent.

I don't care what kind of politics you have, it's clear that we are no where near getting the bang for out buck that the rest of the industrialized countries are getting. Something has to give.

Considering the % of my pay that is going to healthcare, STD, and LTD I can't say even a sizable increase in taxes would still leave me with a little more in the pocket.

Don't think of it as socialized, see it more as a really, really large group policy instead. Nothing commie about that...or is it?

Who cares? Maybe the country would be best served to mix some philosphies rather than dogmatic adherance to one.

A "national health care system" COULD work in the USA. There is no doubt about that. Time and time again the USA, with technological and scientific breakthroughs have shown the capability to conquer difficult problems. I believe all can agree with that.

I believe most folks who state that government run health care would fail say that because of the experiences they have had in life dealing with government entities.

Could a state health care system work; Absolutely. BUT.. Dr's would need to work for less. Colleges would need to lower tuitions for obtaining a doctorate, Insurance companies would need to drastically lower liability premiums and the lawyers......oh the lawyers. and political hacks with no-show jobs etc etc. Yes, it could work, but who wants to take on the greed and corruption in order to make it work? Good luck to whoever tries.

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Nothing sticks to teflon

seriously..thats not fair either..so pretty much tell the insurance companys and doctors to take a hit for the good of the country?...hows that fair sounds like you are looking from your point of view...my brother is a doctor im pretty sure he would disagree...If you dont like the healthcare system this country currently has then just move to europe...

75% of people have insurance so majority shouldnt take a hit...the middle man should not be cut out...

people forget ...what we got or get will never be enough so deal with it!

i like how you say "could" a lot in your paragraph...do we wana take that risk?

Partically correct. Why is the cost so high is the real question. Could it be b/c our government passed laws to make a 3rd party pay for it, so that we as individuals cant get tax breaks for our expenditures inside it? that is a huge part of the problem: GOVERNMENT INVOLVEMENT PERIOD.

The medical industry is one of the most heavily regulated industries we got, it is no wonder it costs so much. How come cosmetics and eye procedures have seen stable if not dropping prices, yet the regular stuff keeps going up? Could it be b/c individuals are paying for it themselves?

NCPA | Brief Analysis #572, Update 2006: Why Are Health Costs Rising?

It should be the government that ahs to give. But give up its regs and laws that dont allow us to deal directly with insurance companies and that dont allow us the tax breaks the companies get.

Oh, so you caught that. I bet you would also agree that it could work. It's not impossible, simply unfeasible. Every single entity that touches the treatment, be it the colleges, pharmaceuticals, DRs, hospitals, insurance, EMTs, builders of ambulances and medical technology etc etc would all need to lower their prices and fees for the common good. if not, OK, raise those taxes to pay for it. Then raise the taxes for the government jobs that would be needed to oversee the coverage. I just don't subscribe to the theory that it can't be done; of course it can; it would just be painful as Hell to the middle class.

A question to ponder; is there such a thing as semi socialism?

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Nothing sticks to teflon

i have been getting my dental care abroad for 15 years. The best is in Thailand, where I have been going for the last 6 years. Thailand has a new luxury hospital that caters primarily to Americans. Medical tourism is big business in Thailand; bigger than in the US. If you want top quality, luxury care at a fraction of the US cost, check out Thailand, and throw in a vacation paid for with your savings in the land of smiles and beaches.

i have been getting my dental care abroad for 15 years. The best is in Thailand, where I have been going for the last 6 years. Thailand has a new luxury hospital that caters primarily to Americans. Medical tourism is big business in Thailand; bigger than in the US. If you want top quality, luxury care at a fraction of the US cost, check out Thailand, and throw in a vacation paid for with your savings in the land of smiles and beaches.