http://www.providencejournal.com/br...ations-first-universal-health-care-system.ece If this proves to be effective we could be transitioning to universal health care within the half century.
Yeah and Saskatchewan wasn't Canada. Universal health care in Canada started in a largely unpopulated farming province and sure enough its success triggered other more populated provinces to try it. This is only a starting point but its important for one state to try it. And considering the political tilt of the Northeast, its very conceivable that success would spillover to surrounding states.
Absolutely. There is a lot of fear mongering about "socialized medicine". Having an American example of success in universal health care would undoubtedly spill over to other states.
True. But the idea is that if it works in Vermont at the very least other states will experiment with one as well. It might not take off on a national scale, but if it can at least take off on a regional scale then that'd be a success as well.
For glynch and others that want single payer health care, THIS is how you do it. Step by step, open small doors, show success, hope it expands, etc. It's a much more manageable and effective method than trying to restructure 20% of the economy at once.
I agree. It sounds very interesting. How would this work with the ACA? Are there any major compatibility issues?
My understanding of ACA is that it has an exemption, though I'm not 100% sure it made it into the final bill. Basically, any state that can come up with their own way to achieve various stated objectives (x% coverage, etc) can get a waiver and not participate in ACA. I thought it was something put in to placate conservatives who said there were other ways to accomplish the same goals - if true, then it's funny that none of those conservative states came up with their own plan.
Do you think all of the Vermont conservatives are going to flee the state so that their personal rights will not be infringed? Perhaps they head down to Oklahoma or Mississippi and live free.
Vermont... Yeah, it can work... White alone, not Hispanic or Latino, percent, 2012 94.0% Black or African American alone, percent, 2012 (a) 1.1% Hispanic or Latino, percent, 2012 (b) 1.6% Asian alone, percent, 2012 (a) 1.4% High school graduate or higher, percent of persons age 25+, 2007-2011 91.0%
Universal healthcare is inevitable, and it's going to be paid for with higher taxes on junk food, soft drinks, booze, and cigarettes.
Does Universal Healthcare basically mean everyone has the exact same coverage which is provided by the government?
No. Not even close. Most of the developed world employs universal or single-payer coverage alongside the option for private insurance. In the entirety of Europe, I don't think there's a single country that doesn't have the option for private insurance which provides more or better coverage at a higher price. Conservatives can sleep well at night knowing that even in Norway, rich people get better things than poor people. I get fantastic coverage in Germany, and I just have basic coverage. I pay %15 of my paycheck to health insurance, and my employer makes a contribution as well. Four months ago I broke my ankle. Here's a breakdown of the additional costs I had to pay: -Ambulance: 10 Euros -Surgery the same afternoon to insert a plate and seven screws: no additional cost. -5 days and 6 nights in the hospital, 3 meals/day: 10 Euros per day. -Crutches: 5 euros. - Two weeks of rehab: no additional cost. I could get more at no additional cost if I want. Total additional cost: 75 euros. I stayed in a beautiful hospital with friendly staff and my room had huge windows overlooking the city. (But my roommates snored pretty loudly.) Now, that's with the basic universal coverage. If I pay a bit more for private insurance, I guess I could get extras, but I can't imagine what they are, because I'm very happy with the care I get now. I want to go to the doctor- I just go. I don't have to check to see if the doctor I want takes coverage with my provider. Most times I don't even make an appointment, show up, give them my card, and wait in the waiting room for 30-60 minutes. If I get a referral from my GP first, zero additional cost to see the specialist. If I don't want to bother getting the referral, I just go direct. Then I pay 10 euros to that doctor once per 3 months. After I pay that 10 euros, I can keep going to that doctor as many times as I want that quarter, no additional cost. If I get a muscle spasm in my back, get a referral from my GP, I get massages/physiotherapy- zero additional cost. MRI - zero additional cost. My first year here, I got sick several times. Went straight to the ENT each time, waited in the waiting room, got diagnosed and got cheap drugs. I must have gone to the doctor 8 or 10 times without once putting pen on paper. Show up, give them my card, thank you very much, please wait in the waiting room. Oh, the evils of socialized medicine.
Before. It is a tax, as far as I understand. Comes out of my paycheck every month, along with the various other taxes and my two pension accounts. Taxes are high here.
