Why wont the us govt do something about the declining health care in america.  Is the FDA being paid off?
457602
If anyone has to go through Parkland Hospital's Emergency Room in Dallas, Tx, they won't say they don't think America has a health care problem.  The line to be triaged is up to two hours long, the wait for prescriptions is over four hours and then patients are often refused the prescription because of one reason or another; patients are often refused treatment for not having the mountain of required proper paperwork and the indigent are treated like sub-humans.\n\nThe reason the govt. won't improve America's health care is because the 30% of insured Americans with great coverages are the same 30% who control the resources of our country, and as you can see, they don't see a problem.
836356
Ok As a canadian we DO NOT HAVE FREE HEALTHCARE!!!!! we have to pay for it through taxes.  With no competition our hospitals can virtually do anything they want.  Wait times are ridiculas, and not enough equipment as in MRI's.\nStates even though patients also look at it as customer service as well, their private sector pays for the equipment, which means more resources, when you tie the hand that can do better than the public sector, you take away the ability to build.\nA lot of canadians want more private industries to provide services, but be paid the same way by O.H.I.P. ( name varies with each province but is our insurance plan)\nAmericans could have the same thing.  Technically we have to pay out of pocket for services like eyecare, chiropraters, dentist are just a few.  Our health care system is one of the biggest eater of public funds.\n\nOur PM has more power than the American President except for veto rights.  It is hard to go after a sitting P.M. where in the states your President can be censured and removed.\n\nIn Canada we are not peaceful as many beleive we are just like americans when it comes to tolerance, and violence per capita.  Remember america has like 330 million people, while Canada has 35 million odds of probability are higher due to population.\n\nAmericans give chances to their people with the free market , here banks damage your credit rating your screwed nobody to turn to, at least american businesses will give you a chance.  Banks here are worse than the states, for no free compitition as in the states .\n\nCanada government and their agencies are like the big brother approach, which is worse than the American big brother approach.\n\nIf Canada was like america when it comes to opportunities and America was more like Canada on equality,  North America would be as strong as gravity.\n\nBut Canada and America are the most wanted locations for immigrants, America above canada.  We have an image but my cousin in Florida who has lived in both countries says in short there is no difference at a citizen level, as in ordinary people everyday life.
912551
Americans are ridiculous about socialised medicine. Instead of putting government money towards a working plan that grants all Americans equal opportunity to be healthy, they shove it all into a big stupid war. In Canada, we are a capitalist country with a socialised medical plan that works well. Studies have actually demonstrated that Canadian medicare is overall more efficient and of a higher quality than American privatised health care. And doctors can manage to pay it off, because in Canada university education sin't as expensive either! i would know, as both my parents are doctors.\n\nEDITED TO ADD: Canada is also a large contributer to medical research. This is usually paid for by research centres and universities and has little to do with the socialized healthcare system.
863347
There is still quite a difference between our two countries, and I'd say vive le difference.  Of course, our good institutions like medicare are being undermined by corporate U.S., and I'm sad to say we have lots of traitors in our government who set their policies in tune with U.S. government.  We lost a lot of our sovereignty when a former conservative PM integrated us a lot into the American economy, and the present conservative government is continuing this path.  For example, we are now becoming associated with deservedly hated American foreign policy and losing our reputation of being fair and peace keepers.
734552
Put your crack pipe down and step way back....they don't have "enough" control.   Universal health care will not work in our capitalistic society...and College will never be free...it is all a business and they are out to make money...yours!!!!
429910
I'm Canadian and let me tell you, free health care is the most important thing to our government and it works wonders. If The united states were to implement a plan like ours it would be the biggest social milestone in US history. But of course you have Bush so i feel sorry for all those people.
209202
Greed, pure and simple. Most major drug companies are located here in the US and are major political contributers. The countries you mentioned all have government health care. The US government fought tooth-and-nail against allowing US citizens to buy drugs from Canada because that would hurt drug companies profits and, in the long run, political contributions.\n\nCongress will never vote for universal health coverage because it hurts their bottom line. It's just as well. Beatle drummer Ringo Starr once commented that “Everything the government touches turns to crap.”
378212
Good Luck, join the crowd of Americans with no insurance. Thank you Mr. Bush! There are state funded insurance you might qualify for, but they are usually closed to new patients. Or you can go to your city public health department, they can help you out.
923899
All these answers are biased to the US approach to health care. If you really want to argue the two sides of this question, you are going to have to do so on the merits of whether the government should provide health care as a "social good" that all citizens deserve, or whether the individual is solely responsible for health care, and "deserves" not to get it if they can't afford it.\n\nPersonally, I would argue that the Government should provide some level of health insurance as a basic "common good". Otherwise, there is a significant bias against the poor, who are often also the ones who cannot afford / do not have employers who provide health care insurance. Also, a group payer (like the government) can have much more influence on how health care is delivered and what the costs will be. Individual payers (like HMOs, for instance) can influence only within a small subsection of the overall country -- and, as has been attested to by many, often influence negatively in terms of treatment options and so on. A broader based payer can also influence a broader base, and can bring some fairness to how treatment options are applied. \n\nHowever, the government is not responsible for every whim of the individual. I don't think the government should pay for all kinds of care, nor do I think that the government has to treat individuals as unable to manage their own health decisions, by regulating alternative health care and the like. So, I think that it should be a combination of individual responsibility with government responsibility, with as much individual choice and as little regulation as possible.
219675
First of all, what info are u getting making u believe the U.S. is faling behind on everything?  Sure we're falling in some categories but at the same time we're leading is many others.  This quesiton is too general.  Be more specific.
362647
Public health system: Americans demand the best and most up to date health care - that costs. We also have a LOT of hypochondriacs that drive up the cost of health care, because they order every concievable test. Americans also are less likely to see a primary care physician regularly.\n\nMore importantly, because most people aren't paying out of pocket for health care, the costs actually go up, because no one shops around. That drives up everyone elses cost, and really screws the poor uninsured bastards.\n\nWorse, since many people don't see a doctor regularly, they instead go to the ER when something goes wrong - which drives up costs since prevention is far cheaper than solving the problem once it's gone to hell.\n\nHowever, the claim that there is no public health system is partially false. Life-threatening treatment will be provided. The indigent's treatment is paid for by the state, as are many children (into the lower-middle class). \n\nAlso, America's economy benefits greatly from the lack of a fully funded health system - the hard part is creating a public health system without hobbling the economy (like a large part of Europe).\n\n2.) Katrina's poor response is a good example of how federalism can backfire. In short, New Orleans is a crappy place to deal with an emergency, the local and state governments historically can't take a crap without going to committee (and overcharging the taxpayers), and the Feds assumed the Locals were going to bear the brunt of the planning. Whoops.
743340
Socialized medicine, like all forms of socialism, has been a world-wide failure. As people throughout the world from the Soviet Union to South America are learning, socialism cannot work. Socialism is fundamentally incompatible with human nature. \n\nHorrible Idea, we do not need another entitlement program in our country.  Would you like to be in a line for a kidney or a liver and never get one?  How about having innovation limited by promoting the status quo and mediocrity?  Don't fall for utopian ideals which are not achievable.\n\n"Throughout the world the story is the same: socialized medicine results in skyrocketing demand for nominally "free" health care, doctors are overburdened, medical services steadily deteriorate, and there are endless waiting lists for health care. In the Soviet Union before the collapse of Communism, anesthetics, painkillers, and most drugs were rationed; 57 percent of hospitals had no hot running water; and it was standard practice to clean needles with steel wool and reuse them.  In New Zealand, which has a population of just 3 million, there is a waiting list of 50,000 for surgery."\n\nMedicare and Medicaid are imposing horrendous costs upon American taxpayers. There is no free lunch. When health care is "free" (i.e., indirectly financed by taxation), there is little incentive for either patients or doctors to minimize costs. Government-guarantee medical services raise prices and costs, result in massive waste, and create a bureaucracy in a futile attempt to control costs. \n\nGovernment should get out of the medical insurance business. We will get far better value for our health care dollars if we spend them directly ourselves. \n\nI surely do not want this to happen here in the USA, and you shouldn't either!!  Please read the links.  Educate yourself and others about the truth!!
991720
Take a look at leader. He leads by example.\n\nPeople are quick to blame the government because of lack of trust in the government and that programs actually work. This is not a Bush issue; this goes back to Clinton and before. \n\nI agree, people who buy SUVs and complain about the price of gas are morons. Actually, anyone who drives and complains about gas prices are hypocrites. We want lower health care costs but our premiums are so high, mainly because insurance is skyrocketing and the cost of medical care is rising; some say because of legal costs but mainly it's the trickle-down effect from spending on research and advancements in medicine. It costs more to be healthy these days. \n\nPlus we're now conditioned to think that a magic pill or some miraculous surgery will cure us or that by the time that we are old, we'll have a solution to whatever our malady is.  I don't know why that is, but i'm sure that's on people's minds.\n\nActually, I don't know if I would say "stupid" as much as I would say "ignorant".
924416
It is difficult to gage what the Dems will do.  They ran the show in Congress for 30 years prior to 1994.  When  Republicans have attempted to address problems with National Heathcare, the Dems have filibustered the bills.  I don't believe enough people are aware that the United States and the States combined Healthcare budgets are a larger amount per capita than many fully socialized Countries.  Many Pharma companies are concerned about the United States seizing control of their pricing authority because several Nations use our pricing in their equation.  Canada pays the average price between the U.S. (highest) and Italy (lowest).  I believe there is a place for the Government to negotiate pricing for those on Public assistance, but I think the real culprits are countries who leverage their prices against us, thus shifting the burden on this country.  (i.e. I need to make 2 cents on a cup of lemonade, Giovanni will only pay 1 cent, so I have to charge Joe 3 cents)    If the U.S. approaches the problem by trying to limit the return on investment to Pharma Co.s, then their stockholders will flee with their money and leave little for investment.  This was the problem during the "Dot Com" boom, where the failure was that the President appointed FEC Chairman didn't investigate these hollow companies, and allowed them to lure away and squander investment dollars.  Many of the scandals we now know of were attempts to keep the investors happy, but it was impossible for real companies to compete with fake ones.  Pharma stocks plummeted, and with a new President's FEC Chairman, many are now going to jail.  If we wrongly target Pharma as the problem, they will be forced to do "creative bookkeeping" just to keep investors interested, just like the real companies all did in the "Dot Com" thing.
36160
Are u kidding.  People in Canada hate their healthcare. Many Canadians come to the US for healthcare.  Soscialized medicine is NOT the answer.
809896
What will it take?\n\nIMO, it'll take getting big business and corporations out of health care!  Their focus is on the bottom line.  They're plenty happy to see us all stick our fingers, tummies, and whatever, and swallow enough pills to choke a horse FOR THE REST OF OUR LIVES, because then they get more money!\n\nMy diabetes educator was at a conference and was seated at a table with several research folks.  She asked them whether a cure was actually close, due to all the reports in the media.  They said, "Nope."\n\nSad but true...
947166
Although I do not know if each individual country in West Africa (Africa is a continent not a country) has government paid health care I will generalize.....\n\nIt resembles the US in that the people who can pay to maintain good health or get medical attention get it and those who can't pay don't get any or get less quality care.