Why is the US the ONLY industrialized nation without universal healthcare?
137949
It comes down to GREED! Everyone is out to make money in healthcare. The Bush greed monkeys have the health industry paying them left and right to keep the prices going up and up! Lets get someone in office that will get universal healthcare! Im sure the middle and lower class would approve, but hey the Bushits dont deal with anything but the upper class!
152370
Because the drug and insurance companies are massive funders of the Republican party, who unfortunately control the country right now. When the Clinton administration brought up the idea of free health care, the right wing labelled the idea "communist." One of the reasons we are at a competitive disadvantage trade-wise is that our manufacturers have to pay for their workers' health insurance. They say that $1,500 of the cost of every American car is the cost of health insurance.
470450
Since it is the peoples republic of MA I amsure it is some form of socialism. Socialism never works! The governmen does not pay for anything we do!It is not the governments money... it is ours. Free healthcare is paid for by those who work. It is not free. What makes you think that I should provide you with healthcare? What about housing, shouldn't everyone have a free house? Is it fair that I have two cars and someone doesn't have one. Should I buy them a car too? I ate steak last night, Should I be forced to buy you a steak too, because you are tired of chicken? If I take the risk and build a business by working 80-90 hours a week and hire you to work 30-40 hours a week. You have assumed no risk and only work 30-40 hours a week what the heck makes you think I should give you anything but a paycheck?\n\nNo one owes you squat! If you want health insuance go buy it! I had to cancel mine whan I started my business, now I have a crappy plan that I pay for! I don't expect someone else to pay for it for me! If you need emergency treatment, guess what you go to an emergency room and the tax payers pay for it anyway! \n\nThe government can't run anything efficiently, what makes people like Hitlary think they can do it better?
716775
Yes, it is possible to establish free healthcare in a nation.\n\nAlmost *every* other developed nation On Earth, that is, in Europe, on the Pacific Rim and on the North American continent, almost everyone who *can* afford to do so has done so.\n\nWe haven't.  Why?  Because the Rich Man Says So.  Not much else really....it's just the suits, and they own the media so they get to play an endless mindgame with us all, telling us that if *one more grandma* got her meds paid for it would just *bankrupt* the nation when poorer countries than ourselves *have* national healthcare that covers *everyone*.....\n\nReally.  And some clever folks will piss and moan about "socialism".  Look....socialism is actually *normal* for the rest of the developed world, ok?  It is.  Look at the UK, France, Austrailia.....even Canada, they all have national healthcare, all have it cheaper than we do, and none of them are bankrupt nations.\n\nThen look at Japan.  They definitely are pacifist, and socialist compared to us...and how do we know this? *America* wrote their constitution post-World War II, that's how!  Think about it.\n\nSocialism is normal for the rest of the world.  It isn't a dictatorship like communism, people still own their property, and the rich guys still get theirs, just not *rapaciously so* like here in the USA....\n\nSo yeah, it's *possible* to have free health care in the US....everyone else who can do it is in fact *doing it*.\n\nWill we?  Nope, because our Rich Men have made us all *retarded*.  Really, they call it "special", but when the cameras are turned off, we all know which meaning of "special" they really mean.....\n\nJust saying.  :)
9062
very bad. in fact, it is the worst country for healthcare access out of all industrialized nations. many working poor dont go to doctors because they are too expensive and will only go to emergency rooms in hospitals when a symptom gets very bad.  This is both dangerous and more costly.
281472
Only one thing?  \n\nIn this order:\n\n1.  Universal healthcare.  There is no excuse that one of the wealthiest and most powerful nations in the world can not take care of its own.  As to those who are saying that people are dying in Canada because they can not get an operation - where on earth are you getting your information?  I would much rather have a slow health care system and actually know I'll get treated than have a fast system that I can not afford to utilize when I get sick.  As far as dying goes, I'll betcha more people die in the U.S. because they can not afford treatment than are dying in Canada waiting for treatment.\n\n2.  Raise the minimum wage.  Most people who work minimum wage jobs are trying to support themselves and their families, and that can not be done on 5.15 an hour.  Most people who work minimum wage jobs work two or three jobs just to get by.  I don't understand, as another poster stated, that this would take jobs away from teenagers.  That just doesn't make sense, as teenagers would still be hired by McDonald's, whether they paid 5.15 an hour or 8.00 an hour or 10 cents an hour.  \n\n3.  Release funds for USAID and UNFPA, which supplies contraceptives and education to developing countries.  Because AIDS and unwanted pregnancies are bad.
854901
I think that the answer is socialized healthcare.  Too much money is wasted in the current American healthcare system.  Not only do we pay about twice as much as other western countries, but the quality of care is also inferior.
383935
Because we need it to fund all our new social programs that started since the Civil War.  The New Deal programs during the depression, medicare, medicaid, and a host of other programs.  However, our government is full of crooks and a lot of our money goes to corporate bailouts, tobacco subsidies and other such nonsense. Vote Libertarian!  No income tax.
822583
There's a whole nation to the north of you that has a higher standard of living, its economy is in better shape, the minimum wage is higher, has universal health care instead of a bloated military that spends trillions on weapons that are never used, is not obsessed with imposing one religion or another on its multicultural citizens, is present as peacekeepers in the world's hotspots, has soldiers coming home dead or injured due to American "friendly fire", has marriage for all, and is a parliamentary democracy. It's the second largest nation on the planet, shares the North American continent, and by and large, most of its population has no desire to be American.
1078804
Nothing is free.  Nothing.  And trying to make Healthcare "free" would be catastrophic.  Free Healthcare is not vital...it's not proven to work...and it's not all candy canes and lollipops as you claim it to be.  I know people in countries that have free, universal healthcare.  They don't get near the quality that American's get, and their systems are shakier than John Kerry's political stances.\n\nEDIT:  Please don't run from the facts.  It's not my job to pay for someone else's healthcare.  Nor is it the job of corporations to provide "free" healthcare.
199868
For all the problems that we have with our health care system, I'd never give it up for the non-existent system that the US has.  40+ million Americans have no coverage whatsoever.  O Canadians have no coverage.
28900
Since America is a capitalist country, without universal health care, we invest and develop most of the worlds leading drugs and devices.  I’m a ME medical engineer, I design surgical implants and devices, The field is huge and there is little threat of our jobs getting shipped overseas.  No matter what you chose pay attention to your concept design that it’ll help you in most fields.  Be familiarly with most major CADs because it will switch from company to company.  Good Luck
690566
Many people in the U.S. access health care over the internet.  Most likely not as much in other countries because of the lack of internet resources.
470526
they bottom out the wage base,and greedy AMerican employers make a larger profit because nobody else will work as cheaply. They financially drain free healthcare programs, making it more difficult for Americans to utilize them. They force the US to pay big money to ship them back home when they are caught. There are disease,biological and homeland security risks from coming across the borders un-inspected. They cause stiffer regulations for those people who want to legally migrate.
530757
No.  We should fix our healthcare system and allow our sick poor to be healed or treated in the United States.  Why on earth would Canada ever agree to such a scheme anyway?
631273
I am for neither, I am 45 yrs of age, it seems to me that this Country is in some serious Crap. We/USA are always more concerned with other Countries and their well being. The USA is not taking care of their own people first, as they should be. We have many, many people in our own country that is homeless, going hungry, etc. Yes there are a few programs out there that are trying to help, but come on, all that food and medical that other Countries are getting, why not give it to our country first where it is so desperately needed. Medical in the USA is crazy, I have to work 2 jobs at 32 hours a week for each, yes i am correct here on the hours, i get very little sleep and am getting burned out. just so i can have medical, one medical plan does not cover what i would like it to, so i have to have another medical plan to try and make up for the first one. Now how crazy is that? You asked me whom I am standing up for? believe in? well no one has earned my belief yet. I hope the future changes that.
720719
Free market in health care is just like a free market in anything else.  It just means that the people decide who to buy their services from, and the government doesn't get involved.  \n\nA lot of people think that would be impossible, because health care is now so expensive.  What most people don't understand is that health care is so expensive BECAUSE it is government subsidized.  Any time a product or service gets government subsidies, the prices go through the roof.  In a free market, people would pay for the services they need, or find a charity to help pay, or buy insurance to cover it.  As a result, there would be a lot less careless spending, like using emergency room services to treat a common cold.  No one that pays their own expenses would ever consider throwing money away like that, but under medicare/medicaid, it is a regular occurance.  All those millions wasted on this kind of systematic abuse would be saved for more significant medical care.\n\nThe free market doesn't guarantee everyone a perfect life, but it's always better than the alternatives.