Mend Your Diet

Are you happy with the health care system or do you think it should change?

Here are some facts to help you decide, *The United States is the only nation of the Western developed countries to not guarantee its citizens the right to health care. *The World Health Organization's 2000 report finds that even though the United States spends more of its gross domestic product on the health care sector than any other country, its health care system ranks 37 of 191 countries on performance *Canada provides every citizen with health care, yet spends $796 less per person annually than the United States. *Both doctors and patients in Canada benefit from universal health care as they are not restricted by insurance companies that limit patient visits and referrals. *United States has a lower life expectancy rate and a higher mortality rate than Canada, United Kingdom, and Australia (countries that implement universal health care) despite the United States' higher spending on the health care sector. no more space! kenny, you have it reversed. Hillary would mandate people to buy insurance not Obama. Believe it or not, J K, other people work and pay for their insurance as well, but rather not pay hundreds of dollars each month for inadequate health care service. Let's not forget the hardworking people who are denied coverage because of their health or line of work as they considered risks to health insurance companies.

Public Comments

1. honestly i like hillary's plan where you are not forced to take the health insurance whereas obama plan requires everyone to have health insurance but more or less they both are technically same i m yet to hear Mccain's health plan i think our healthcare system needs a change bush hasnt done a good job
2. Yes it should obviously change. I agree that a universal health care plan is definitely in order and I think that Hillary is the only candidate who would make that happen with the most effective and efficient plan.
3. Two of my grandparents died early in life because they couldn't afford good health care. That shouldn't be acceptable in our great nation!! We need a change.
4. Great question! I want universal health care NOW!! We really need it.
5. Universal health care is not the answer. Canada's system does not work either. Canadians still have to pay out of pocket for insurance. Why then are canadians paying to come to the US for health care? Do you want to have to pay more taxes to pay for someone elses health care? I DON"T.
6. I like the health care system because I have a job & pay for it. On the other hand, if you're sick & go to the hospital, you won't be turned away. I've had to take my kids to the emergency room & have had to wait my turn behind the uninsured & illegals.
7. I want us to catch up with the modern world and have universal healthcare. Both Democratic candidates have promised it and said they will subsidize those who can't affrd it. I will vote for whichever Democrat gets the nomination in order to prevent a continuation of Bush's poliies.
8. The health care system in America is ridiculous. It is worse than some third world countries. People have to choose between rent, food, and health insurance. While the rich is getting richer, the poor is getting poorer. The responsibility of a government is to protect its citizens.
9. I dropped my health care plan as the rates kept going up, the deductible was huge and it refused almost everything anyway. I am better off paying out of my pocket for routine and doing my best for home care and alternative treatments. I have friends who have children on their plans and most of their checks are eaten up by the premiums. My boyfriend is Native and he qualifies for free health care - if he would move to a reservation - and in this area none of the reservations represent his tribe - he is just entitled as he has an enrollment card. He had a couple emergency room visits at the local hospital for an accident and a sudden illness and now is facing thousands of dollars in medical bills. Why should he get different care at different facilities? His tribal enrollment should get him the same treatment at any facility in the country. My sister got sucked in to the medication dependency syndrome where she is over prescribed. Some of her meds are for side effects of other ones she takes. Most of her problems can be treated with natural or alternative therapies successfully yet her doctors will not let even try any. The medical, pharmaceutical and insurance industries are seriously broken and tied to some of the problems in Washington. Obama is the one to get a start on fixing them.
10. I believe that the government is NOT responsible for health care. I believe it is the responsibility of the individual. I have health care. I got an education and got a job that offers it. I don't believe that I should have to pay toward those who don't have it. Americans need to take better care of themselves as well. There are too many people who are overweight, unhealthy, and inactive, by choice. MY tax dollars should not be spent to take care of those who refuse to take care of themselves. Call me heartless, I don't care. I have made a good life for myself and there is no reason that others cannot do the same.
11. It is the best system in the world, I am very happy with it. I do not have health insurance by the way, I pay when I see a doctor. If the U.S. adopts a government system our health care will suck just like all the socialist nations. No thank you, I wish the communist who want to devastate our private system would just move to one of the toilet nations that already screwed their system up.
12. You forgot one point. Despite spending more on healthcare, per person, than any other country in the world, the USA has a higher death rate of kids aged under five, than western countries that have universal healthcare. As an outsider in the UK, I see how our system is not perfect and should be better. I thank god that we do not have the US system.
13. Most of what I know about health care in other countries I got from the movie SICKO, and it looks like health care is better in those countries. If you can believe most of what that movie shows, we are being sorely taken advantage of in this country. Someone is getting rich--mainly the insurance and drug companies. And so are the hospitals and MD's. Last year I broke my arm. Even with insurance, it cost me over $2,000. Doctors are not necessarily allowed to treat patients as they would like--they have to get every special procedure okayed through your insurance company before they can do it. My insurance company wouldn't approve an MRI--they said to do a CT scan. Well, I went through a lot of pain and useless physical therapy until they finally approved an MRI which showed that I needed surgery, etc. If the MD had been allowed to do the MRI in the first place, it really would have resulted in less expensive, more efficient care. As long as you don't get sick or hurt, you think your insurance is okay. But what about the woman in SICKO who bought inhalers in Cuba for five cents and they cost over $120 in this country? How can they sell the same inhaler there so cheaply? And it wasn't a generic--it was the same identical inhaler. This country spends so much on Medicare and CHIP already. Children and old people. Well, guess what? Those are the people who get sick most often. Most young adults and middle aged people don't see a doctor very often. Probably if there was an efficient reorganization of health care for all where things were simplified and properly coordinated, we could take care of everyone for what we are paying for those two programs. There would have to be some drastic changes, though--like getting rid of insurance companies and controlling the cost of drugs, etc. by negotiating contracts with the drug companies. Our government would never do it, though, because many of our congressmen are being virtually bought by the insurance and pharmaceutical companies. If you haven't seen SICKO, watch it. You might also be interested to know that Michael Moore, it's producer, has recently endorsed Barack Obama.