How do you think having Universal Health Care in the US would effect US domestic adoption?

Question

I think that it might give biological families a chance at staying together, and if that fails, then it might give adoptive families the help they need. I am not anti-adoption, but I do want to see the number of domestic infant adoptions decrease; I want to see those that are unnecessary drop to zero.

Having health care paid for isn’t the only hurdle that many young women need to cross in order to keep their child with them, but it is a “biggie”, and one that played a major role in the surrender of my only child, so I believe it is an important issue. As it played out the PAPs paid for the prenatal and hospital bills which I was too embarrassed to ask my parents to pay for because I felt that I was “bad” for getting pregnant and not being financially able to pay for everything upfront. Actually, I probably would have been able to but the adoption facilitator neglected to tell me how to get that help – and yes, I do think that if they claim to be counseling women, they should be including this information.

Wiki gives an interesting overview on universal healthcare worldwide:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Health_care ….and if this is true it looks like the tax payers are funding universal health care (via US war funding) for Iraq and Afghanistan, which is probably right considering we’re over there blowing arms and legs off of children.

I get really tired of people on this board bickering over where someone – a teen mother or an adoptive mother – gets money for assistance in raising a child – a US citizen. I think the tax payers should cough it up either way. Universal health care – should the US government ever deem us worthy – would mean help for all families.

Answer 1

I live in Canada where we do have universal health care, and in all honesty, it's not all it's cracked up to be.

Here, doctors are in short supply, and approx 1/3 of canadians don't have a family physician. Those that do, wait weeks for a 15 min appoint to see an over worked under paid doctor that is often nearing the point of burn out. There is no oppurtunity for a second opinion, and you only get to see a specialist such as a pediatrician or an ob/gyn, if your family doctor thinks you need it.

My sister is a perfect example of the faults in the canadian health system. She was diagnosed with a form of breast cancer, the wait for a masectomy here was ten months, and that was with being on the emergency list at 3 different hospitals. She was told by her doctor that given the wait, she could very well expect that the cancer would have spread and she would be terminal. Wonderful news for a single mom with 3 young children. She opted to go to bangor maine on her dime & was in th operating room in one week.

I think Sweden has the perfect system. There if you are willing to pay 50% you receive the best of both the canadian and american system. It's not a requirement, but by off setting the cost with the goverment you receive short waits and suprior care

Answer 2

I work at a hospital and I can tell you that we have Canadian's that come down here for surgery and pay out of pocket.

The reason's is because it is almost impossible to get appointments and surgery in a reasonable amount of time.

I am 110% for Universal Health Care if and ONLY if every American was offered the SAME coverage as those in congress....including the $5.00 per Rx plan they have.

Answer 3

Medicaid is kinda like what you speak of. All pregnant women who don't make much and have no insurance can now get free prenatal care, free delivery, and free health care for their child.

Answer 4

OMG GREAT Q!!!

I asked this a few months ago... and it got deleted.

*taking a deep breath*

I wrote a blog about his a while ago.... just a sec I have to find it.

1.) Adoptions wont' be leveraged with covering birthing.

2.) Parents with special needs children (who are not eligble) won't be encouraged to place their children to get them the care they need. I've seen posts about older children being placed into foster care 'cause that's the only way to get them care.

3.) Expectant mom can get pre-placement counceling from their OWN provider. Someone not affiliated with an agency at not cost, like agencies offer now.

4.) People may be more willing to step out of their "wish list" accepting children with health probelms that kep them from being "special needs" but require more medical care, like asthma.

5.) The cost of health care effect the amount of child support men pay (or the other way around). If the threat of child support were less, then maybe more men would step up and be more willing to care for their kids.

6.) The cost of adoption would go down. From what I hear (read) the cost of medical care is a HUGE part of the placement fee agencies charge.

7.) There will more likely be a centralized information system, where even if reform doesn't happen as soon as we want, then maybe information can be gathered to better treat adopteed in a closed adoption.

8.) No one can use not having coverage as a reason to let a condition go untreated. Therefore kids who do go without treatment are truely neglected, by the parents choice.

9.) Homes will be less financially strained to the max and driven to bankruptcy. This may reduce aduse even a tiny bit.

I know personaly the devistation medical bills can have on a family. Thank God, we got through our dificulties and became stronger for it, but all to often it tears families apart. I couldn't imagine if we had children at the time.

Although I have FEHB insurance (federal), I hate to think of all the people who are living throught the things I had to live through. Especially th parents.

I don't care how much it will cost me. It's worth it to keep families healthy and together.

Aside from that there will be relief in the costs of other insurances. Take car insurance for example, now we havr to have liablity for property, medical and the whole pain and suffering. Take out the charge for medical and it would reduce insurance costs.

The people who are mostly against UHC are the ones who have no problem getting ins. Let them go uninsured for 1 life changing event and their views will change.

Answer 5

Happymomanna is right and hit the nail on the head. There's not much I can add.

I don't think a lot of people realize how drastically the quality of our health care would go down. There would be no incentive for health care workers to improve their skills.

Universal Health Care would be mediocre at best. Not to mention lose my right to choose.

Answer 6

I don't think it'll have a big impact on adoption.  We already have healthcare for people who can't afford it, called Medicaid.  We already have healthcare for children, called SCHIP.  

For the record, I have no problem with people needing public assistance to get through a rough patch in their lives.  This includes young mothers and their babies.

Answer 7

Yes, great point!!

For working families who make enough to subsist without qualifying for public assistance, health care is a huge problem.  In order to get health care for her asthmatic son, my niece and her husband quit their jobs and went on welfare.  Neither of their employers offered health coverage.

Answer 8

Nothing to do with adoption---Universal Health Care would STINK for everyone and I honestly would rather pay my own way and support Medicaid reform for those who are unable...

The VERY last thing I want is someone else telling me what health care I can access... This is why My Candian Husband and I live in the US.....(I am a US citizen)

His Mother and Father are here via Canada from Austria and we could actually return to the Homeland and live on the property we own there too...But, we don't want to have that health care either--They Pay People to have children in order to Create more Tax Payers to support their Socialized Medical systems....

NO NO NO----I will pick my doctor, purchase my own health insurance and choose how soon and which medical proceedures I want.... The last thing I want is to wait in the ER for 12 hours.....or be told I can't have cancer treatment for 18 months....Icky....

Not to mention I don't want to pay the extra taxes it costs to give everyone LESS in the end....

And.... Canadian Mothers are routinely Lifeflighted to Seattle Hospitals due to NO Room in their own hospitials.... Sure sounds good to me... Where would we go Mexico?

Answer 9

I don't know the answer, but I am pretty sure (how very scientific I know lol) that adoption rates especially infant adoption are lower here in Canada.  Ability to pay for healthcare is not a concern of the mother.  Being able to do the next 30  years you can also get I think (but may be wrong, and may depend province to province) more support and social programs to help you parent.

In my old province of good ole Saskatchewan, they have a multitude of parenting programs to help parents in need of extra support, from supplementary employment programs (to assist off of support) to actually parenting classes such as basic baby care etc.

So I don't know the answer but it is just not an issue here.  Universal health care is embedded in our lives and will not change.