No I’m not. How can you have quality healthcare if it is not available to you.

And your proposed “fix”(s) would be precisely what?

I can not give you a “precise” answer. I am not familiar enough with the intricacies of their policy to give you a “precise” answer. I can give you some educated guesses based on common sense.

- Change what they have access to under the free system.

- Make people pay a co-pay for some non-emergency care.

- Don’t allow some elective procedures

- Don’t allow some non-essential medications

- Raise taxes

- etc… Any number of other adjustments that could be made.

I’m sure they have experts in their system that could give you more “precise” answers. I can guarantee that whatever the case they will not be changing to a system that looks anything like ours. I’m sure they will do something to fix whatever is broken and they won’t need any magic pixie dust to do it. That little boy in Maryland that died from a brain infection because his mother didn’t have any insurance to take him to the dentist is the one who could have used some of that magic pixie dust.

And your proposed “fix”(s) would be precisely what?

Socialized medicine’s universal fix for budgetary problems seems to be rationing and long waiting lists. If you’ve got some magic pixy dust you’ve been hiding from everyone, now is the time to cut it loose.

You are getting availability and quality mixed up here. Without the presence of a filter to take illegals out of the loop, those who are dependent on government healthcare will be pushed further to the bottom while you only feel minor effects as what you described. There are a few other countries that are using the single-payer model. I suggest you look at all of them.

Both…

If you have health insurance and are used to getting to see your doctor right away for non-emergency care then you are probably going to say quality goes down. Because your doc may not have as much time to spend on just you or you may have to wait a couple more weeks to get in for non-emergency care.

If however you don’t have insurance or you have a chronic condition that is draining your pockets, then your quality of healthcare is going to WAY up…

Honestly there anit too many folks out here in the world that would be willing to trade healthcare as a right for our twisted system of employer “sponsored” insurance company driven healthcare.

What rights do you have here?

As an example you can have a great job at a company thta has an excellent plan. Lets say your company is purchased by another, do they not have the right to switch your coverage from a PPO to an HMO at their discresion?

Even better yet what happens to the American that needs their insurance but wishes to change jobs? You do know their are many folks that are trapped in underpaying jobs because of their health insurance.

Here is my idea. Why dont we have a single payer system in the USA that our oh so generous employers can suppliment by offering up EXTRA coverage as a job perk or benefit.

My feelings are based on where I came from… And based on family and friends that I empathize with. If I didn’t have the means that I do then I have no idea how I would handle the situation I was dealt (autistic kid for those who don’t know).

but I would challenge you to look for any proposal out there regarding our healthcare system that has placed the rejection of certain citizens on the table.

Come on man… People are denied coverage everyday under our current system… We just had the big story over the holidays about the girl who was denied a transplant and died. Stuff like this is happening everyday to a lot of people.

you fail to address or answer the central question here: if free health care is the way to go, then why would folks be willing to still pay out of pocket for healthcare elsewhere?

Because they can!… If I could afford a lamborghini I would get one. But I know that if I hit rock bottom I know I can hop on the bus too… That’s the difference.

I would strongly suggest that you take a much closer look at their health care system before you make that mis-informed leap.

Tell that to the ton of people who have to file bankruptcy every year because of healthcare expenses.

You state that “If you have money of course you can go wherever you want to get healthcare” but you fail to address or answer the central question here: if free health care is the way to go, then why would folks be willing to still pay out of pocket for healthcare elsewhere?

It is obvious from the story that this is not a government policy and never will be

The fact that doctors are even suggesting this and not some crackpots floating the idea from behind the walls of some think tank suggests that at some point government will have to make some hard decisions in the future.

Either way they are light years ahead of us as far as taking care of their citizens.

I would strongly suggest that you take a much closer look at their health care system before you make that mis-informed leap.

And I am not saying that old people not being treated is a run-of-the-mill issue. It is obvious from the story that this is not a government policy and never will be… It is some doctors saying that the system is broken. It needs to be fixed… I’m sure it will be fixed… Either way they are light years ahead of us as far as taking care of their citizens.

The fact that you are portraying the refusal of health care to certain individuals (specifically old people) as a run-in-the mill issue is quite telling–and downright scary!