OT: Need research help

[kandikaos]

I am writting a paper on why I feel a national healthcare system would be beneficial in the United States. I am looking for oppinions from those of you in countries that offer a national healthcare program to it's citizens.please share some of your positive as well as negative experiences and your personal observations. Any help would be appreciated. I have a little more than 1 week to research this project and I thought this would be a great place to get international feedback. Thank you in advance. Please e-mail your response to me at [email protected]. Thanks! [img]smile.gif[/img]

[Stacey0471]

Just a little ditty, not worth emailing.

Over here, National Insurance contributions are deducted from worker's wages. These contributions go towards state-provided old age pensions, and the upkeep of the National Health Service, in theory.

In practice, the NHS money pays for more pen-pushers, rather than paying for patients treatment or more doctors and nurses. People get fed up with being on a 2 year waiting list for urgent conditions, so end up paying for private treatment. And to top it all, immigrants flood into our country to get preferential treatment, over the people that have funded the scheme through their working lives.

Now if the worker's deductions were used to build up their own personal 'pot' for their pension and/or health treatment, people would get what they deserved/paid for, rather than being forced to pay for every other Tom, Dick or Harry.

Ok, I'll get off my soapbox now. Just my opinion, before I get lynched.

[Stacey0471]

I'm sorry if I offended anyone for being politically 'incorrect'. Replace 'immigrant' with 'bogus asylum seeker, looking to milk our shit system'. I didn't mean people here legitimately. Just those looking for a free ride.

[Stacey0471]

An interesting article from a UK financial website that I frequent;

http://www.fool.co.uk/news/foolseyev...fev031202c.htm

There's links to reports on public attitude there too. You might find it helpful.

[slapusilly]

were you in the corner of hyde park on your soap box?
i HOPE so!!!

LOL

sorry its just whenever i see a brit mention soapbox i think of hyde park!

anyways the closest we could get to good health care on a national basis would be on a scandinavian style deal (look it up i am too lazy!)
only prob is that it is a socialist country.
other than that canada is our only other real working model in the sense of being semi succesful.

[kandikaos]

Stacey and Glitter,thank you for the info,links,etc. This issue can be a hot bed of controversey and as I didnt want to start any arguments here I asked people to email me thoughts,responses,etc. I appreciate your candor and will look at those links stace. I know this is not a black and white issue though so any input helps. Thanks guys!

[kandikaos]

Stacey,as a courtesy,I just wanted to let you know that I am using your comments here as direct quotes in my thesis( didn't think you'd mind. I promise no one will find you and lynch you..hehe) Thank you again!

Donna

[Stacey0471]

You're welcome. No problem at all.

[MISS MAGENTA]

Same here in Spain as STACEY says, with the money is taken from my salary I could have good doctors, but instead I have to wait and wait and going many times to private ones. When u go to the public ones, it seens they are for free at the way they treat us, they forget you pay them, and not for cheap.Is good all of us have Health Insurance, but it should be better...And its funny that people that works for the goverment have private doctors for free, when the public ones are their service...
I don't mind inmigrants,the ones that have to come in poor conditions, but I do, yes about the people never had work in their whole life and get it for free, for people like me that have been working since I was very young.Just an opinion.

[kandikaos]

Magenta,thank you for sharing your story. Even though my paper has been submitted,I still appreciate the information as this is an issue I feel strongly about. There is a bill called HR676 in the United States that if adopted by the U.S. would provide healthcare for all at the employers expense,not the worker. It works like this: " Employers who currently provide coverage for thier employees pay an average of 8.5% of payroll toward health coverage,while many employers cant afford to provide coverage at all. Under this act,all employers will pay a modest 3.3% payroll tax per employee,while illiminating thier payments toward private health plans. The average cost to an employer for an employee arning 35,000 per year will be reduced to 1,555,less than 100 dollars per month."

In theory,this would benefit all. you can read more about this at www.pnhp.org.

Unfortuately I don't see this happening anytime soon. any time the politicians need to cut funds,they take it from the social welfare programs,schools,programs to benefit children etc. as I've stated in my essay " All men are created equal,but not all men have equal opportunity."