We The People - US Healthcare - 01 Sep 08 - Part 1

[Luinwethion1]

I'm sorry about my English but i must to say this:

You know what's funny about almost all problems in the USA? Is that almost 80% of Americans are just blind, they don't (want to) see the huge problems that USA has.

So a television channel from Qatar is the one who goes to listen to all those people in trouble, to give they some hope that someone will take action. In the mean time, FoxNews is saying that Al Jazeera is an anti-american channel.

[Luinwethion1]

@Luinwethion1 have in replacement of has -.-

[cwood4ever]

I was gonna watch this but it was Al Jazeera so I know this is crap.

[1dschamp]

@cwood4ever i guess you can stick with Fox news..............or the bible.

[lndac02]

Funny that the people against universal medical care for all Americans are the same people in favor of supporting wars in faroff countries with American lives and money.Only the greedy and selfish would think the current setup is a good system.The greedy and selfish don't matter or care, they have sold their souls in the pursuit of the free market&the dollar.We saw them in action at Lehman brothers.The greedy and selfish are traitors to America.Time to stop insurance companies runnning medicine

[hadenufnow]

Health Care is NOT a birthright..

This is not the bill...it;s packed with crap...

Kill the 3000 pg Illegal HC TAX & JAIL Trojan Horse Mandate Bill nobody wants..

Kill the BIll...

Vote em out..

nobody wants it..

[seesaw148]

@hadenufnow Change your thinking. Healthcare in Australia is available to all. That's why the US System is flawed because its based on the idea of the individualism and capitalism.

[sandro28grizz]

Why are education and law-enforcement services considered a birthright but healthcare isn't?

[samaeling]

lol illegals... like the americans illegally heading to canada to get health care cuz big strong america can invade 2 countries but not aford health care.

[reggie198324]

We are giving our country away to illegals we are changing our country for immigrants to make them happy and this heathcare will hurt us even more. People take no time to think about what this will do to other familys. The goverment takes to much of my money already and now they want to take even more and give it to others. If you are american and tring to make ends meet thats one thing. but if your an illegal or just lazy and dropped out of highschool then i dont want you getting my money.

[esoteric714]

You're right, what a horrible idea is health care reform!

I mean, lowering everyone's cost, ensuring everyone is covered, alleviating the burden on employers, god forbid we let that happen to Americans!

[mehabox]

I'm sorry to correct you, but isn't the US is an immigrant country? Everybody or their relatives came from somewhere else. Normal immigrants help country and bring cultural diversity. As for welfare.. Yeah, any immigrant should have a job.

[HMSBeagle200]

Thumb up for AlJazeera. In term of quality of journalism, it's rivaled only by BBC and DW-TV and may be channel news Asia.

[BeholdZeus]

Actually, the BBC is a terrible News Service: it has been pathetic when reporting on Iraq, Palestine and Afghanistan. Its internal board contains members of downing street. And, worst of all, it plays to the whims of corporate power and greed.

[wakeupamericans1]

marcs, I'm an American. Ive spent time on both sides of the pond . I can GUARANTEE you that on both sides they sure as hell dont GAF about you nor I. . . screw them illegals, stand watch with a rifle every 20 feet along the border . . locked and loaded. . . and no, not their arrogance. theyre own government

[tracysman2328]

Having millions upon millions of illegal aliens and their exponential rate of multiplication will DOOM any national health care program. It's already devastated our education and employment sectors, and now some idiots think that we should foot the bill for something else we can't afford?

all in the name of cheap labor, might I add...

[wakeupamericans1]

47 million? its that including the 20 m illegals?

[marcsmancrusader]

the 20 m illegals obviously can't afford to provide themselves with healthcare even if it's a one time fee.

That's what makes the united states weak in all aspects except modern warfare.

Goddamn americans, no compassion whatsoever, only thinking about themselves.

"Liberty cannot be achieved without compassion."

The Americans and their arrogance will soon kick them in the arse. Just wait and see

[allgoo19]

wakeupamericans1: "47 millions? its that including the 20 m illegals?.."

They are already paid by the government. Hospitals can't turn away anybody, it's the law.

[Dannyvirk]

America, where they eat the poor.....lol

[gorgnaga]

I just think its absolutely shamefull for a country to not offer its citizens with healthcare. I got friends in Canada who admit, their system is not perfect (no system is perfect) but they always recieve top quality care when needed and don't have to live in fear of losing their house and life savings to pay for medical expenses. There are idiots who say free health care is "communist", but there is nothing worse than getting sick and running out of money to pay for medical expenses.

[brotherbob1978]

@gorgnaga Dear friend, calling free and universal healthcare communist is a way to keep it away from people. And to make it available to only those who can afford it. It is a strategy that has worked excellently for the healthcare industry.

[zennnbuddha]

I don't have health care and I'm living in US. In order to survive I have to stay healthy.

[lndac02]

@zennnbuddha I really feel for you, its a disgrace that the US Government does nothing to help its citizens. it happily hands out billions of dollars of Aid to China, Pakistan and funds wars in the middle east to countries that despise the US. stay healthy or move to Europe

[porkwood]

I have no concerns about health care here in Finland. It ain't perfect but I can get help ANYTIME.Sometimes there is a wait at the health center.But I've never experienced delay at emergency-usually with my kids.Most visits do cost if you have money but that comes after the treatment and I consider it nominal.I've often paid for private doc.Consultancy is affordable. I pay 19%salary tax +3 or 4 %insurance. I'd willingly pay more.If this is socialism I'd take it over ANY alternative.

[MondoBeno]

A lot of emergency-room visits in the US are the result of heart attacks and other cardiovascular problems.

People who can't afford to see a regular doctor go to the ER, where they won't have to pay.

Obesity in America is also part of the problem. Our rates of Type-2 diabetes creates a big clog of emergency-room cases.

[HMSBeagle200]

First act of health reform shut all Mickey-D. The problem of Medicare cost so much are 1)administrative cost, 2) complete lacks of preventive medicine, 3) They let the drugs company charge what ever they want. Comparing an US patient carried into ER after a heart attacks, an UK patient can have preventive care just after blood test shown elevated LDL and Triglyceride or simply obese.

[lndac02]

@porkwood old post, but a good one...bravo

[Mick342]

Altough In fairnes my last coment was in terms of Opperations Etc I don't have cover and get looked Quite frequentley and for free under Our "medical card" syestem. but that still does not excuse the over all shambolloic condition of the sestem over all.

[SPECIALFORCESUK]

In NZ we have had free medical care but also have an option for private elective surgeries. I am trained medically in the Armed forces. There are always risks involved with procedures, If you want to be certain of anything you get different opinions. Lets face it would you buy a car of the advice of one person? OR would you shop around a bit? "Free" Is not free, it comes from your taxes.

[Mick342]

In Ireland Our goverment has started to imply an American System.....In that you have private cover you get looked after first and put up top of waiting lists etc.

Urgency is being replaced with Curencey.

It's not that bad so far but it's getting worse we have by FAR one of the lowest and pooly run Health systems In Europe.

[MondoBeno]

If we have universal free healthcare, there's no guarantee that the doctor will be any good. I've seen doctors under the "free healthcare" programs do a terribe job.

Look at it in the same way as the criminal justice system. If you can't afford a lawyer, you can get a (free) public defender. But there's not a lot he can do, and a lot of Pubic Defenders are shitty lawyers who got D's in law school and can't get hired by any firm.

[alouette888]

That's the way it is in the US, not in many other countries!

[roodingle]

Two illegal Mexican immigrants get in a fight. Both get stabbed, one very seriously. Both get EMT response and are transported to the hospital where they are both treated with the excellent standard of care provided in the US. Both get surgery one is in the OR for 9 hours then intensive care for a week. The cost is probably in the tens of thousand of dollars. Neither one has insurance or has ever contributed to taxes. US citizens are paying for this everyday. No system can take that drain.

[allgoo19]

roodingle: "Two illegal Mexican get in a fight.."

That's nothing compare to just one CEO of insurance company gets paid a year, $3/4 Billion.

Google, "sickforprofit Hemsley"

[planaut]

I think we are a bunch of fleas"Humans" on a carpet"USA". and are about to get Raid(Tm)

it means we'll all be screwed financial,Domestically,Politic­ally,Globally, and anything else you want to add on to this.

and someones walking out with a suitcase of greed.

[planaut]

I was denied a clinic card needed more then 5 pieces of info.look all these foreigners are going by with clinic cards in there hands I'M "SUFFERING" I have to pay NYC 52.00 freaking dollars of which I dont have for a freaking birth certificate so they can look at it and go ahhhmm ok he was born here on such n such date. just want to say I'm a pissed off american and a stage in which i'm fed up with the bureaucracy and bullshit and thats not including the time spent at clinic 3hrs.

[marissacalderon]

They are both the same. Sorry to break it you. Obama is the same as McCain. Obama oppose single payer health care, he opposes immediate removal from the middle east, he voted for the re authorization of the patriot act, FISA, energy bill giving tax breaks to oil companies. He receives more money from exxon mobile than McCain. I don't really see a difference. Except Obama lies more, he lies with his political rhetoric and Americans are eating it up. His actions speak louder than than his words.

[laborgrunt]

Who cares about health care the war in Iraq and a possible war in Iran that will cost us trillions of dollars.

Here are my most important issues:

1) Give me tax cuts and tax credits.

2) We can't have gay marriage.

3) Overturn Roe V. Wade.

4) Build a big wall on the border with Mexico.

5) Stop sex education in our schools.

[marissacalderon]

Vote third party. show the two party corporate scam we aren't going to take their political rhetoric shit anymore.

The poor get medicaid, the elderly get medicare. The people who get fucked are the working middle class Americans. America is supposed to be the best country and our health and our education systems are lower ranking than most other countries. Yet our military is flourishing. What more can you take America? When will you realize that Obama and McCain don't care about you!

[weiwuwei2]

Well said.

[somethingawful01]

Renegen I assume you are referring to the thousands of black votes that were discounted when Bush stole the elections? You're a fool if you think voting will make a change. None of the real candidates (Ron Paul, Kucinic, etc.) will come to power thanks to your corrupt system.

Health insurance doesn't have to mean insurance companies getting rich. It can be done like the Netherlands in which everyone has private, government regulated, healthcare which is universal and is much better than the UK.

[Renegen1]

Yes I have no doubt both 2 elections were stolen. But 47 MILLIONS is a big difference. And I would consider Nader for my 3rd party vote. I'm actually Canadian and sick and tired of the pro business conservatives.

[Renegen1]

47 millions, if only they voted for their interests. I guess they don't care that much for their health.

[mrshutter77]

Good Comment Prisha, I think people in the US are focused on the wrong issues when they only talk about 47 million people being uninsured, tha unfortunately doesn´t solve the problem becuase all they would have to do is pass a law that woudl criminalize people who refuse to purchase deceptive health insurance and force them to purchase it to make insurance comaney´s rich. In the end, care, medical, dental and vision, will be poor and rejected most of the time to help profit insurance companies.

[prisha91755]

I don't want health insurance... I want health care. Why do we have to make health insurance companies rich? Wouldn't it be cheaper if we only had to make doctors rich and not health insurance companies rich too?

[Boricua203813]

Its because were a fucked up country that only cares about special interest and nothing else. Fuck our corrupted system.

@prisha91755

[biantai888]

Please chain part one to part two. If I see part one, part two is not in search results. If I see part two, part one is not in search results! I have to clear cookies just to find the other part.

[gilbertor16]

The Problem is "First Line Coverage" or "Safety Net Coverage" shouldn't exist... everyone needs the same healthcare as we are all the same, HUMAN... if the rich get pissed at this then pay more to improve EVERYONE'S health.

Health falls outside simple supply/demand economios...

"Have to deal with the issue"... they don't have to do shit as you live in a bipartisan democracy... and if I had a a say I would vote Obama but should Al Jazeera be pushing me that way?

[mengwise36]

The rich can't pay shit.  The government should provide universal health care. The government can tax the rich more to pay for it but the rich can not pay for EVERYONE even if they want to.

[sheepthing]

Are you kidding me? Of course they could. The wealthiest 1% owns a ridiculous amount of the wealth here. There is absolutely no doubt they could fund universal health care..

Of course, there's a number of OTHER pieces of the puzzle that have to come into place other than "let's tax the hell out of the rich", but to say that they couldn't is just wrong.

In my opinion, we need start shrinking the defense industry. That means to STOP FUNDING AND PERPETUATING WARS. Food(/healthcare), not bombs.

[mengwise36]

It is called logistics, stupid. If Bill Gates wants to pay for 40 million un-insured at $100 a month, it will cost him 4 Billion a month. Which means he will be broke after abotu 1 year.

The 1% wealthiest is just a statistic figure. It is not a secret organization that can mobilize everyone in that 1%. Only the government can pay for universal health care.

[Omer698]

America's GDP is 13 bloody trillion dollars, I think you can afford health care for 300 million people

[crazycatfguy]

The US has to borrow 3 billion dollars a day to fund unnecessary wars, tax cuts for the rich, and huge corporate welfare. If you want health care apply for a job at a defense contractor.

[mengwise36]

America's GDP is probably 13 bloody trillion dollars. But did you know the national debt is bloody 9.6 trillion dollars?

[gilbertor16]

That's what's implied in my comment...

see definition of 'tax'...

[mengwise36]

What else is "implied" in your comment? The cure for cancer?

It is simply naive to think all people should get the same care. And that the rich should be taxed until everyone gets the same care. While universal health care should provide treatment and prevention for sickness, I for one will be damned if my money if paying for someone's face lift.

[gilbertor16]

you have a shrewd definition of health care if you believe cosmetic surgery fits in what I'm talking about.

Along the lines of your dumbfounded definitions if you believe "universal health care should provide... prevention for sickness" then I guess the government needs to start massive food programs to feed the hungry, athletic programs to avoid CVD, give out condoms in clubs, not allow people to drive... are you for real?

I'm talking human rights and you argue face lifts...

[mengwise36]

I don't know which country you think you live in but in this country the government already does those things: The government has massive food programs to feed the homeless especially during natural disasters. The government already gives out condoms in schools. The government already regulates who should be allowed to drive. Do you live in bubble or something?

It is a human right to have food when hungry. It is not a human right to share desert. Same with health care.