bottom line is, we don't even need capitalism, or the concept of money anyway....with that said nobody should have to pay for trying to stay healthy/combatting disease. but seeing as how I feel this will NOT happen within my lifetime, if even because we need that gratification of money to do things such as saving lives and serving the greater good etc.

but again money=initiative, without money(initiative) most would revert to what I call "serial laziness" or catatonic living

while this may sound extreme, this is how I truly feel about the nature of our people

i think socializing health care would be a huge weight off of this country's shoulders.
I you hear of so many stories where people who needed the help couldn't get it because they didn't have any money.
like me right now, if i were to have any sort of accident i would be s.o.l. since i have no health insurance. and what insurance company is going to want to insure a 21 year old girl with a predisposition for breast cancer, none of them. or if they do insure me i'd have to pay money out the wazoo just to have anything done. my mother was lucky enough to have a man that had a well paying job when she had all of her procedures done. but i'd be screwed, just like the millions of other people that can't afford health care in this country.
its disgraceful.
i understand that everyone wants their money spent the way they want it spent. i'd pay taxes if i knew it would help people get help when they truly need it. i DO NOT think that is a waste of money.
my money is not more important than a human life.
i am not "above" helping others, which i think that the majority of people that are so against socialized health care only care about their big fat wallets, unless its them that needs medical attention. but of course that's a whole other story now isn't it?

Yeah, was about to post this. I was coming up with 11 trillion with every man, woman and child in America(roughly 300 million) paying $100 a day.

The tax system necessary would be wholly rejected by the US citizens.

365 gabillion!

What's funny is that (only in my experience), people are government single-payer advocates until they find a good job with great benefits. Then they're like why should I have to pay for someone else's healthcare.

I personally have ZERO health insurance. I'm currently working to better myself so that I can have a job that offers good healthcare. I'm paying my way through college with money I saved in advance and partial student loans. I have some current health issues in which I do needs to see a doctor for.... and yet... I don't believe someone else should pay for my healthcare.

The majority of the money (aka "profit") taken in by health care agencies and companies DOES NOT go to the doctors or nurses!

Ask a doctor who graduated from medical school in the last decade how long it took (more likely IF THEY DID) to pay off their school loans.

Most doctors who work in hospitals ARE NOT WEALTHY. Because the money is going to the health conglomerates. I've SEEN their books, I and friends of mine have been in meetings where these companies DO NOT WANT THE DOCTORS TO DO THEIR JOBS!!!! The companies want the profit, they do NOT give a CRAP about healing anyone!

Doctors were going to school and getting licensed WAAAAAAAAYYY before health insurance agencies became so prevalent.

During the Depression, and in hurting economies or poor areas, doctors HAVE BEEN and ARE willing to barter for their fees. At least the ones who WANT to heal the community they are in. The agencies don't care for the people at all, all they want is PROFIT$$$$!!!

Yes, for the first year or two, the system WILL be very busy. But then, we have more than a decade backlog of people (who used to be on welfare, and usually could get medical care for their children) who haven't had ANY medical care.

Please note that "people who go to the doctor when they don't need to" is in itself a treatable medical/psychological condition. Those will be weeded out of the system, or better yet, INTO the system where they can be referred to the services they REALLY need, whether it IS mental health, or to alleviate their loneliness!

The payments into a health plan will APPEAR to be a tax, as it COULD be withheld from a paycheck just like your retirement pay is (again, if YOU CHOOSE to participate!). But then, your taxes should DECREASE!!! Because medicaid, medicare, and other EXISTING health programs will not be required, so you won't have to pay for something you're not going to be using for X year, if ever!

The system is "flooded" right now. People with colds go to the ER because they know they can be seen within a day or two, they can usually get treated for free or very little with patience, and it's one of very few places in their neighborhood where there ARE doctors!

And people "who really need" to see a doctor DO GET TO SEE A DOCTOR! It's called "triage". Every ER does it. The reception nurse in your private doctor's office does it as well when you call with your symptoms.

I have seen a few very small treatment clinics spring up in some homeopathic/naturopathic pharmacies such as Capitol Drug. For a small fee ($25 or so), you can see a doctor and get a prescription or a referral if needed. We need these EVERYWHERE, not just posh neighborhoods.

My bad. I've been ill, and have a hard time counting 0's on my calculator!

Still, $365 Billion isn't something to sneeze at. The government CAN run efficiently, if they are FORCED to by, OH! US! The PEOPLE!

The budget for the VA medical care for this year is "only" $41 billion, and they state that they treat 5.8 million veterans (out of a total of 23.6 million), as well as some non-veterans. The vets treated are not all treated for free. You have to be either injured during service, or VERY poor to qualify for free or reduced cost of treatment. The vets they ARE treating are generally MUCH sicker than the general population, and in ways that the general population isn't, so the example isn't the best, but there it is.

With a FULL public health care system, would we still need a VA health care system? Or could the VA system be folded in, continuing the specific care needed by veterans, but sharing funds? That would be a win/win. The VA does a GREAT deal of research and advanced medical techniques, as well as training future doctors through internships. And with the amount of services that have been cut at the local VA medical centers, there are now many empty buildings that COULD be used for public healthcare facilities, once the laws are changed to allow it. Until then, well, they keep tearing down perfectly good medical buildings that are empty, or being used to film the ubiquitous TV medical dramas.

As was stated here, we CAN get rid of inefficient government employees a LOT more easily than CEOs and their own rules in a private company.

For the most part, when I say "you" I'm referring to the contingent of Americans who oppose healthcare free at the point of delivery, but as you are one of those it applies to you as well.

You talk as though this is a new idea that has just been thought of. You talk as though this hasn't been successfully implemented in the majority of the civilised world. You talk as if it's impossible because no-one has faced the problems it presents.

You talk as if the best reason not to try is the risk that you might fail.

Helping people is not a crime. It isn't weak. It isn't a failing. It's human. It's how we reach each other.