In US, only 2 kinds ppl got decent treatment (performance vs price ratio), extremely rich ppl or extremely poor (on paper) ppl. If you are rich, of course you want to live long enough to enjoy the life. And of course, the price is relatively affordable. Look like Magic Johnson, he announced AIDS in earlier 90's, and he's still in better shape than most of ppl. Why? $1000 a pill, $50,000 per session to him is like $2 for us. If you are poor (at least, on paper, per record), the government won't let you die on the street, and willing to pick up all the bills. I don't have a problem for ppl who's really poor, and too old or sick to actually work on themselves. But I do have a problem that many blood suckers simply refuse to work, live on the welfare, or even worse, hidding their cash away and claim they are poor even though they gain $5,000 in cash everyday. To me, that's purely stealing. If you are a hardworking middle class. You pay 40% tax even before you get your check. Then, pay another 6-8% for shopping around. Then, you still won't have health insurance unless you willing to give out another few hundred per month from your own pocket. A simply surgery can make you bankrupt, and you are still "too rich" to claim any welfare... Great system, great standard. No wonder many ppl would rather don't work, rather than get a low, entry level job.
i didnt watch it either but i know US prisoners and prisoners of al queda outside of US soil get A1 health care and services, free.
Shhhhh, loopholes are reserves for the riches and the poors will get some minimum treatment so politicans look good and get elected. The middle class? screw them.
Dear LB, Magic Johnson's treatment? He usually get the same Spitzer treatment for free. That is what got him in trouble... Anyway, I prefer US system because after you factor in our Health Insurance and tax, we are paying about the same as Canada. However, our wait is not as long. My opinion on the national health system is that everyone is going to get screwed while the politician is doing the scewing. Dr. will get less pay and more sick people to see. Health Ins Co will make less money (note, I say less money, not lost money) and charge the one who pay more. (Thank god I am not working for a health ins co.) Sick people will have to wait longer for shorter visit. healthy people will pay more tax for nothing in the future (just look at Soc Secutiry) Hellary or Baroke will get elected and scew everyone (I ahev to give to Bill, only Monica got screwed).
i am but a lowly med student. If you want healthcare, stay away from this Island. Great standard, but too expensive, takes too long, might not even get it in the end just... a complete mess. Whole system needs to be torn down and rebuild. I hear the dutch have a fantastic system set up now, i must go look for a link to it... I was thinking of heading to aussieland or Newzealand anyway, to escape our terrible system and enjoy the weather(re-skincancer) and badminton.
The definition of middle class is blurry, and the gap in btw lower end and higher end is too huge. In my family, I make more than my parents combined, but we are all identified as "middle class". The pain to pay out of pocket cost doing much less damage to me than to my parents. Believe or not, my parents are right on the border line to receive some welfare if they choose to. However, they are "$50 per month too rich" to be qualifed for free services, and they have to pay hundreds if they need to have decent coverage. I was joking to them that, if one of them quit their current min wage job, they are better off. Less work, but actually more coverage, and more savings to them. However, they are the people with pride, and feel sick if just sit in the room all day. On the other side, I know there are ppl who are 20's, speaking perfect english, running and jumping like 3 times better than I do, simply refuse to work, and rely on the benefits... Anyways, enough complain, and I have to deal with what we currently have...
You know me, I have no class at all. Anyway, my parents are the same as yours. There are many people who take advantage of the system and have you and me pay for it. Yes, I have no pitty. I do not pitty the people in New Orland after Katrina. They should know better. If the house is below sea level and your area night get hit by storms, it is just matter of time you get flooded. And people of New Orland decided to re-elect the finger pointing and do nothing mayor again. Why should I feel bad for them making the wrong decisions. Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me. I totally agree with Bush that not to rebuild the flooded area. Why should gov waste the money the rob from me and give it to the people who do not work?
Okay LB. I only jump like 1.3 times better than you, so please be more accurate, ayy? In a conglomerate, complex problem like this, I guess it's about the choices that's available. Public health-care is free but inconvenient, and some private practitioners have "addressed" this here in Vancouver, by opening up a private care. So either wait 1 or 2 hours for a free consultation, or pay $200 Canadian (I hear) for immediate attention at the private facility. Choice is good. Depending on the severity of injury/illness, and available resource, the patient can exercise what will work. -dave
But at least you are willing to pick me up, show me around and play baddy with me until mid-night. I don't mind myself paying a bit extra to get better service. However, there are a lot of ppl (1st generation of immigrants for example) are squeezed from both side. They are "too rich" to receive benefits, but "too poor" to make a decent living. At the end, they are forced to give up the fun and tightening their belt, to save up for a lot of liars and shameless ppl, who are simply have no pride and being lazy (even worse than my nick name indicated... )
The rich ppl have the $$$ (millions of $$$ either to invest in "relationship" or to be dumped into tax) to help out the election. The poors have the head counts (ok, house of 10 kids which nice fed by the government since the 1st second they come to the world). The middle class even having trouble to take 1 hr off to the nearest center to vote, too poor to even support 1 or 2 kids, well screw you...
WAHT?!!? i had a huge reply typed out, and click the reply button instead of quick reply and it took me to a new window. i really dont want to type it out again. to sumamrise. NEWOrlands is taking advantage!? ya, cause they WANTED to get hit by a hurricane. 1. you oversimplfy life. The reasons are many that those people lived in new orleans, and it prob wasnt by choice so its unfair to blame them. you cant expect them to move awy form family firends, children in school, work etc just cause you think its a good idea. IT could be a family home for generations, or they cant afford to go anywhere else, or they have ties to the place. People are complicated and not robots who can just up and leave cause silentheart thinks its a bad idea. Besides, holland is below sea level. you want them to move out? 2.They didnt decide to get hit by a storm, and they didnt decide to get ignored by bush. They have no power here, so dont blame them for anything. 3. "foold me once blahblah " shame on you for constructing something in your head to defend yourself from. 4. How is rebuilding homes and lives a waste of money?! That the whole idea of taxes and social welfare. You all live in the same country, so you help each other out. If you dont like it , move to another country! If your house was destroyed , or you were sick/outa work, the gov would help you too. Dont be so selfish that you dont like it if you cant see the immediate benefit for yourself. Imagine if roles were reversed, and you were homeless, powerless and being ingored, and some new yorker decided he wanted his taxes spent on the army or more warheads or whatever ( which would mean your family going off to fight his war) How would you feel? Would you not burn with shame and anger if you heard him say that helping to rebuild you home , and your kids school , and your wifes workplace (all indirectly though his taxes!) was a waste of time! I dunno about you , but id feel pretty betrayed. they pay their taxes too, and live in the country too. EDIT- i said new yorker cause i got mixed up between silent heart and lazybuddy. opps
Regaring your last statement, if you are Bill and I am Monica, that might be true. However, since I work for insurance company, I think the situation is reversed. The good part is my company's targets are high net worth. So they do not care to pay more for better serveice (just like your former gov of NY). Also, if I have mil of $$$, I will hide them somewhere so I look just like a Joe Blow like you and me. Correct me if I am wrong on this (I am not 100% sure). Stat say in US, top 10% tax payer pays 50% of all the tax. I said, if the accountant does it right, they will pay more like 70% of tax. Or may be the accountant actually did it right. I think I need to hire a really good acocuntant to do my tax.
I am glad that your huge reply did not get posted. I am taken back by this reply as it is. I would like to respond point by point about how I feel about the whole NO situation. 1) People in NO lower 9th ward keep elect the same corrupt official/rep to the same position in city and state gov. You give them power to vote and they wast it. Last gov election for my state, both are corrupt and bad choice. So I decide not to vote because I am screwed either way. 2) So, according to bible, NO must did something wrong so the god decided to punish them? (Sorry, just an insenstive joke) But, I want to point out from your point 1 that they decide to live there for some reason. You ask me if they have tie to the place, I say no, look at how many actually returned? After katrina, many got displaced and they find jobs and place to rebuild their lives and settle down. So yes, they do have a choice. 3) I am not constructing anything. I am just stating my observation that NO mayor reponded badly and just point finger on someone else. Yet he got re-elected again. 4) I am not disbute rebuild home and lives wast of money. However, please put them in the right place and do it right. Just like Brad Pit and other good people who try to help and do it right. I try to make sure my @$$ is covered. I buy insurance and save money to make sure I do not have to be in their situation. My whole argument here is social welfare is not right. You need to help people by educating them and help them work and find job. I like Germany system, if you can not make it or get into univ, you go to tech or skill school to lean something to help you find a job and make a living. I just do not feel it is right for people to claim as victim and wast our resource.
similar to our very rich canadians, they move their assets and citizenship to offshore. They still do live in canada but for only 365/2-1 days to meet the rule. These are the ones who make their riches from canada too and have gotten subsidies and other goodies in their business.
Also, I have to give it to the good Irish people who work hard and build their live. Just like the Irish people who move to US long time ago who work hard and build their lives in their new home in US. I will help people who works hard and try to make their lives better. Not the one has their hand out with a broken record "Can you help me, Sir?"
I just want to add 1 more thing. Look at Bill Cosby, he has the guts to point out the truth to that stop playing a victim, educate yourself. I just want to add, stop pointing finger, look into mirrow and start make a change. I do not agree with Jessy Jackson, Al Shapen, Jeremiah Wright and Also Barack Obama point of view. Stop blaming other people, find a solution!
How do you evaluate how good a healthcare system is? The US is the richest country in the world but why is their healthcare system not as good as it should be? I would think that a country that has a very high life expectancy to healthcare costs ratio must be doing something right. Don't laugh, what about China? I remember there was a Harvard University report on the cost-to-benefits of Chinese vs American heathcare system sometime ago, and China came well way ahead.
as i've said before, china's doctor treats the cause, western doctors treats the pain. One dont want to see u again, the other loves u keep coming back. If u reward $ to doctors by # of visits.
You also have to take into account how hospitals in China admit patients: cash or insurance paper at the counter or no admission . . .
well, capitalism means adoption of western healthcare management style. Even communism is adoptiing a private plus public system. Alberta will be dropping public medicare charges starting next year i think. Let see how it gonna turn out.
