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PB
We agree completely that everyone should pay something. I would want everyone to have a copay when they go to the doc or the hospital so they dont clog the system with pointless visits. That is how it is done in Europe, where you have to pay 15 or 20 dollars for a visit in many countries - not enough to break anyone's bank but enough to make you think about whether you really need to go - and as you say it gives everyone some ownership and responsibility if everyone has to pay at least something. Also, all those copays add up to real money to help pay for it all.
We already have govt. healthcare and it is called Medicare. The problem with it is that it has been starved of money by the Repubs for years. If we are going to have govt. healthcare then we have to do it right and not nickel and dime it to death. Many libs suspect the repubs really want to starve it so that it performs poorly and they can then point and say "See? Govt. health care doesnt work". I would agree that it doesnt work if Republicans are running it. They dont want it to succeed and have no interest in doing it right.
Cam –
I am not going to argue about 47 vs. 60 million. Hell, 47 million is a huge number too. But there are also many many people who are way underinsured. They have insurance - sort of - but not enough to pay for a real catastrophe such as often happens if people get in a car accident or something like that. Also, how many people are stuck in jobs or marriages they dont like because they cant afford to lose their health insurance? This is actually a bigger problem than many realize. How many THINK they have insurance but will be kicked out if they actually get sick and make a major claim? That happens every day. Add all these up and you get more than 60 million, easily.
You are certainly right about European labor markets being more rigid than ours. But there are also aspects of their markets that many people here would very much like to have. To take one example - it is routine in the USA to have only two weeks of vacation a year. In Europe there are very few with less than 4 and many have 6. I know a lot of people here would be happy to be docked two weeks pay a year if they could have two weeks more to, say, go sailing! But you cant do it because if you want a job you have to take one of the ones that are offered and they dont come with a month off.
Dont get me wrong. I dont wish I lived in Europe. I am a happy and proud American. But it is just plain stupid to be so pigheaded and blind we cant see where things can be improved and learn from the examples of others. We ARENT the only country in the world that has good ideas. And when our health care is literally on the same level as COSTA RICA for Gods sake, then that ought to be a signal that we can do better.
I get the feeling many people who run around saying "We're number one" when it comes to health policy never even left the country to actually see that there are some ideas out there we would do well to think about adapting to our own system.
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