Johnny_Monkey

Is there anyone here who lives in a western country outside the USA who would swap their current health system for a USA style health system?

I wouldn't. And I've paid more in taxes towards the health systems in the countries I've lived in than I can hope to get use in the foreseeable future.

Blue Order

If you can show me a government program that "doesn't work," we can look a little closer at why it doesn't work.

Another tired old canard, often spoken, but never substantiated.

Ideology, not fact.

Do you see other countries scrambling to get rid of their health care systems so they can adopt our "don't get sick" system? Thought not.

You're confusing "political systems" with "economic systems"; "democracy" and "capitalism" are not the same thing. Regardless, the other western democracies are capitalist, with some socialist policies tempering what would otherwise be pure capitalism-- Just as our own economic system has socialist policies tempering what would otherwise be pure capitalism. Of course, we could all jettison universal education, social security, unemployment insurance, and other "undemocratic" programs for a return to a pure capitalist paradise.

"We"? You do realize, don't you, that not every American believes that?

Ah, yes, let's not provide efficient health care. We don't want that. But we will pay for inefficient health care. Because emergency care is the most expensive health care there is. When we send people who can't pay to emergency care, instead of providing them with health care, we're paying for gross health care inefficiencies.

Or do you believe that you're not paying for people like me, who get treated but don't pay?

Even the Republican Governor of California knows better than to stick Californians with the bill for all that "free" emergency care.

So you make all the decisions, and your health insurance company just sends a check? I'm sure every other American with health insurance would like the details so they can sign up, because nobody else has a plan like that.

One man, one vote.

Be sure to send a letter to your elected officials asking them to cut all funding for police departments, fire departments, the court system, national security & the military, road infrastructure, water infrastructure, flood control, food and drug inspection, etc...

Same here.

Machka 

Not me! I figure I've got quite a good deal here in Canada.

See ... I'm a University student who doesn't make much money. Just barely enough to pay tuition and cover some basic expenses. Therefore, I don't pay much in the way of taxes ... and yet I can get many medical procedures (many fairly major ones) all for the low price of a portion of the taxes I'm paying. In addition to that, I get health insurance through my University for about $150 a year which covers most of the rest of the medical procedures like dental and drugs.

I've heard the UK system is quite good too, and I've also heard good things about the Australian system.

DieselDan