Why doesn't the US have a National Health Service?

Question

Why doesn't The United States of America, supposedly the most advanced and richest country in the world, have a free healthcare service that ensures the well-being of the citizens?

Answer 1

My opinion.. greed. The people don't want to have a FEW more taxes to help people who really need help. It has nothing to do with the fact that it will be govt run and will be screwed up.. It has nothing to do with medical care will be sacrificed.. I live in the US and in the last 5 years I have had some of the worst MD's you could ever have in your life.. some of the most incompetant medical professionals.. they got their license in another country and come here to practice for a tax break.. so thats bull. the US will always have enough MD's.. you may not be able to get the BEST but you know what.. you can't get the BEST now.. their patient load is too full..they won't take new patients.. All this c**p about having to wait 6-8 months for a non emergency procedure.. Try this. If I need to have gall bladder surgery and I don't have insurance TODAY.. I have to pay half down before they will even schedule me so to say that we won't be able to get non emergency services for months.. at least we can get them.. right now, if you have no insurance.. you can't get them unless you pay up front...I know a lady who needs surgery but it's not considered life threatening and they told her they needed her $14,000 up front .. so do I care if I have to pay a few hundred dollars extra in taxes every year. h**l no.. it beats knowing my friend will die because she can't get a simple surgery (that will take less than 30 minutes) because she's not lucky enough to have been born with a silver spoon in her mouth.. People assume EVERYONE can get care if they have to go to the ER to get it.. try it.. The last time I went to an ER a patient came in without insurance and they told her it wasn't life or death and they made her leave.. so that bull c**p doesn't fly with me... I had insurance and they almost didn't see me (and I had a kidney stone) because it wasn't life or death..If everyone can get basic health care then why is my friend gonna die because she can't get surgery.. She could have gotten it treated 5 years ago for $500 IF she had had insurance but now.. it's out of control.  Everybody will thumbs down me but it is pure greed. If the people who don't want to pay for it needed it they would throw a fit if people said to them "sorry I don't want to use my taxes to help you".. they will deny that and it will p**s them off but wait till it hits close to home...

It's sickening that in this great country illegals are better cared for than citizens who work and actually pay taxes.. and it's sad that if you are poor you are looked at like scum and as a burden on society but if your rich.. you are fantastic and a contributing member of society.. What people don't realize is MOST poor people contribute to society ..they just were not lucky enough to be born into wealth

Answer 2

Because we want to be able to get the medical care when we need it instead of waiting for who knows how long-----we want good quality doctors and nurses and a choice who we allow to treat us. We want a say in our own care not federal guidelines that dictate what can and cannot be done----and finally we want good health care for our elderly and the infirm.

Answer 3

Don't need it!  We are already paying for medical expenses for everyone.  How about some tax relief for a change!

Answer 4

The increase in income taxes as a result would be more than the amount of money we'd save on hospital visits (since many of the beneficiaries of such a system are unemployed and do not contribute via taxation).

And the health care we receive will be of lower quality. Plus it would take months, if not years, to get an organ transplant or a major surgery.

The privatized system we have now has its faults, sure, but it is much more efficient and convenient than socialized heath care would be. Just look at the US Postal Service and the DMV: they do the bare minimum and nothing more.

What we need is LESS government spending and LESS government intrusion into our private lives.

Answer 5

the quality of health care will be sacrificed, and it will be far to expensive, and it will cause taxes to increase majorly

Answer 6

to some people it is Dog eat Dog out there~!!!

when i was treated at Veterans Hospital things were pretty bad, and they are not held accountable to anyone, and i have seen some pretty sad things happen to other Vets~!!!

When you go to University Hospitals that run off donations and grants and private and public funding, where there are a lot of students from all over the World, you get excellent care, by my personal experiences~!!!

i survived End Stage Liver Cancer and a Liver Transplant~!!!

Answer 7

We do,,,, if you are sick and need medical attention, and have no money, or health care, you still get it.

No one is denied medical treatment, or left to die in the streets in the USA.

In fact is some cities, a homeless person or illegal alien, with no money, or insurance, will get better treatment then the working man and his PPO insurance.

Why do you think so many illegal aliens are coming to America?

And don't give me this "supposedly the most advanced and richest country in the world", c**p.

There is no doubt the USA "IS" the most advanced and richest country in the world.

Answer 8

Because polticians get money from those who make money in US healthcare.

US healthcare is great, if it is funded.  For those who think that the US has universal health coverage, ti does not.  It has universal emergency treatment only.  It does not deal with preventing illness.

Look at the facts.  

Look at the rates of death for kids (aged under five).  The USA spends more money on healthcare per person than any other country in the world to have one of the highest death rates for kids aged under five in the western world.

And the healthcare system works?

Answer 9

Actually the USA has two national Health Services, fully socialized and mainly government funded.

The first is fully government controlled, using government owned facilities and where the doctors are government employees. Just like the National health in Britain. Apparently the people who use it are very happy with it. It is called the VA. However, it is only available for people in the military and some ex-military people.

The second is a single payer health car system, just like Canada except it is not run as efficiently as the Canadian citizen. It is open to all people legally in the USA provided they have reached 65 years of age. Or if younger, are collecting social security. In the USA, this system is considered so bad that maybe 1% of the people who use it are dissatisfied and would rather be on a private plan. The rest will kill you before quitting the plan.

So to those of you who say that government controlled medical car is bad, you are saying you want to get rid of the VA and Medicare.

Answer 10

Because we don't like fascism here.

Answer 11

Because our system subsidizes the natioanl health system of our neighbors, Canada and Mexico.  If we have a nationalized health system then the thousands and thousands of Canadians and Mexicans that come here for treatment would have to stay home as they would not be eligible and their countries systems would be quickly overwhelmed and bankrupted.

Answer 12

Who says that free healthcare is advanced?

We believe in a completely free market, which means the medical market determines the system.

Also everyone is entitled to medical care, and those who can't afford it still get it.

For all those people who ***** about the possibility of socialized medicine in the US, we already have it and it's not a big deal.

The only real difference is that we have private hospitals that people without insurance cannot be admitted into except in emergencies.