And there in lies your problem. There are two issues. 1. Insurance essentially being tied to employment. 2. Insurance was initially a perk and over the course of time it became an expectation with employment. I don't know the answer. I know what we have not and what is coming isn't the answer, though.
Speaking from working in the healthcare industry, TennCare damn near bankrupted the state. While the concept of healthcare to everyone is a giant leap for the nation, the problem is that there is not a good way to fund it in general.
I think the idea of universal healthcare is a great idea in theory, I really do, I just don't see how it's practical from a dollars and cents standpoint in the US. Maybe Canada, maybe Europe, but not here.
Just my personal thoughts, but I think that if something doesn't change, in the next 10 years we will see long lines to see a doctor and most physicians that will accept the universal coverage will be foreign. I also think you will see some physicians branch out to a fee for services rendered system with no insurance accepted. This is a very likely scenario based on feedback with some of my interactions on the job.
Why? We have a larger population than the areas you listed, and my understanding is the larger the pool the less the cost. As to your reply to my post the answer is unversal healthcare.
bingo. whether it's "slimeball" or not anyone not seeing that this would happen had their head in the sand. i'm also waiting for people to dump thier own insurance and just pay the fine and wait to get sick.
TennCare sucked because it covered predominantly poor, unhealthy people. Put healthy people in the pool and costs are reduced. VG and I have been friends since kindergarten. This isn't the first time we've discussed this.
I don't have a great answer for that. At some point we may just have to accept that not everyone gets to have access to the same healthcare.
I don't see why being poor means your healthcare will cost more. It will drive cost down by forcing people that have taken care of themselves to pay more for worse care.
I just can't bring myself to accept that in the wealthiest nation in the world. I admit that's probably a utopic view, but I just think we are better than that.
we're the wealthiest for a reason. it's really that simple. the countries that have followed the "surely we can afford X, Y, Z, living wage" etc are now near bankruptcy.
Eh. We already sort of have decided certain people "deserve" certain things. Look at the way organs transplant lists are organized. People that aren't going to value the organ aren't getting it. We have a limited supply of organs and tough decisions have to be made. Realistically, there may be limitations in lots of other areas and we may just have to accept it.
You know that those from a lower socio-economic level tend to be more unhealthy. They have more difficulties in school as well. When folks that have neglected their health due to the inability to pay are suddenly given access, they are going to break the system. Small issues that could have been addressed with less expensive prevention/intervention balloon into huge issues that are expensive to address. Those folks made up the largest part of TennCare.
The greatest economic boom in US history is when there were good paying jobs available to a large portion of the population. 60% of the populace was middle class.
Providing access to healthcare isn't going to make people less obese, less likely to smoke, etc. They will still be the most unhealthy. And from what I've seen prevention isn't really a high priority and won't be utilized even if offered. Silent killers like high blood pressure will still be unaddressed. Problems aren't problems until they hurt.
