Poor US citizens exchange time for health

[sicktoaster]

Health insurance is an industry that should've been banned a long time ago.

[TheEsotericDesi]

Reminds me of some Third World country...

[TheEsotericDesi]

America squanderd nearly $3 Trillion on Iraq in just 8 years... Nearly $900 billion on the books... rest of the money that vanished in the shadows... Imagine what it could've bought this nation for at least 2-3 generations to come...

[17FieldSt]

Patient non monetary payment for doctor care is not new, when a bushel of corn, apples or a basket of eggs were happily given and accepted for the doctors visit, decades ago. An updated version, properly administrated shown here, is a win-win. This eliminates many medical plagues of today: insurance abuse, kickbacks, drug company intrusion, and all the ills of a pure money for medical care system, that seeks to maximize the money for those positioned between the patient and the doctor.

[koponenii]

Great!

[xxtruthbetoldx]

communism works!!

[Abcflc]

the first world is looking more like the third world and viceversa... so its like a homogenization process... I guess..

[ArtStone]

There is no such thing as"free healthcare" - only differences in how you pay for it.

[LilWyble225]

When it comes to healthcare, I LOVE socialism!!! We as a nation can do better than privatized healthcare. If Canada can do it, why can't the US?

[MrWatchmen759]

i remember when Libya had free health care now is down the hill

[iippo06]

Hard to belive how backwards US is when it comes to healthcare, one of lifes most basic things.

[roseagain2]

@Cage71 We can only afford it if we cut back on foreign aid and policing the world. Foreign aid usually means taking money from poor people in a rich country and giving it to the rich or privledged people in another country.

[roseagain2]

This is another reason why we need Ron Paul in 2012. i can understand why people can be scared of what he is saying at first but if you really watch and listen to an in depth interview of Dr. Paul you will understand how Freedom brings people together.

[kurtilein3]

@roseagain2

Ron Paul would destroy medicare and medicaid and the whole department of health, and undo everything obama did when it comes to healthcare. So your comment, especially under THIS specific video, is total nonsense.

Advanced countries (except for the USA) just provide healthcare to their citizen.

[roseagain2]

@kurtilein3 Obama and any other "establishment" candidate will destroy the middle class and bankrupt this country. Europe is going bankrupt too, in case you haven't heard. Then we will see how great medicare and medicaid are. Once again I beg you to do your research on Dr. Paul. He has been exactly right on the economy, warning us what was going to happen when others were laughing at him. He knows how to make healthcare affordable without bankrupting and stealing from others.

[bdyan1]

@roseagain2 better the country is becoming bankrupt by providing healthcare for her people than going bankrupt by fighting wars

[roseagain2]

@bdyan1 Why not get the best of both? Ron Paul's plan in short is to cut the ourtrageous spending on militarism around the world and STOP the wars, END the corrupt central banking system and return to sound money and a lower cost of living, and FIRST take care of the elderly, children and others who have become dependent on the government AND return our civil liberties by ENDING the Patriot Act. He is the real deal, PLEASE seriously check him out. PEACE!

[antejenn]

@roseagain2 I don't care about "being brought together," I care about a public option. Libertarians are against the public option, as they are for the private sector in all things, including health care. Public option =/= private sector.

[novazee]

Why do people think that they are entitled to "free health care"? Do they expect physicians, doctors and drug producers to work for free? If you are not paying them someone else is paying them. Do you feel "dignified" knowing that someone has to pay for your expenses? The problem with the US health care system is not being inaccessible, the problem is it cost way too much. Giving birth to a child and staying at the hospital for a week should not cost $10,000.

[kurtilein3]

@novazee

Its in the 1948 universal declaration of human rights.

The way its being done is that the government pays for it all. Making it so expensive that people cannot afford it is a human rights violation, because it denies them care. The USA just is a shithole that doesnt care about human rights or its people. In truly civilized countries, giving birth at hospital while staying at the hospital costs NOTHING!!!! Buy one less bomb for every 20 pregnant women, and it all works out.

[Code5601]

and canada already has free healthcare.... and a 50% income tax... and i'm not saying thats a good thing, but quite the oposote

[Code5601]

@Code5601 woops, i meant that having healthcare is goood

[FlowerClown]

Why don't we have single payer? What about a $50,000 bypass, that is a lot of plant watering?



[thisisbunk]

@FlowerClown - there's a diffference between maintenance and insurance.

[Cage71]

Healthcare is not Luxury but a right , when i was born in algeria 40 years ago healthcare was free and still free as well as education graduated from university in algiers and was paid every six month a grant free as well , america can afford to look after its own people so if algeria managed why not america

[angrymonkey123]

@Cage71 It should be a right, but in America, unfortunately, it's not. The government taking care of it's people is not the top priority. They are too busy waging wars and making their pockets fat. Maybe I'm just feeling bitter though. There are countries that have less than America, so why should I complain.

[mtolives]

what a screwed up system.

[LiberaLib]

take a chicken to the doctor!

[raintree27]

thumbs up if you're viewer 303!

[pjt]

I live in Massachusetts and because my income is low I already qualify for free health care. How ever I know a lot of people whom would benefit from a sort of program like this. I am all for it.Its good to see overall community health and service improved like this.

[gshooting]

Would you socialist idiots stop comparing this to free healthcare? None of the people in this video got their healthcare for free. They exchanged their labour into time credits and their time credits into healthcare. That is still the free market. You people are so deluded.

[ShaktipatSeer2]

This system circumvents the whole shitty financial system that we now cannot use because the bankers have screwed it all to hell.. we don't need to work like slaves if we can have a system like this going in all communities.. this is the real anarchistic ideal in action..

[ShaktipatSeer2]

Wow so genius..

[DowJones19]

I can't believe this only has one dislike. How can people think that the world's richest and most powerful country make it's citizens do labor work in order to receive free health care (which is a fundamental right)? Is this True North organization gonna demnad that a handicap on a wheel chair with a high fever to do labor work in order to receive health care? Is it gonna demand someone who's suffering from cancer to do labor work in order to receive chemotherapy? This is absolutely disgusting.

[zwarst]

@DowJones19 We can only hope that one day the court of public opinion votes with their feet to reestablish fundamental rights.

[gshooting]

@zwarst lol re-establish what? There's no right to healthcare in the constitution. Don't be so silly lol

[gshooting]

@DowJones19 Free healthcare is not a right, it's a privilege, don't be so melodramatic.

[DowJones19]

@gshooting If free healthcare is not a right then I guess life and the right to live is also not a right in your book.

[gshooting]

@DowJones19 The US constitution states that every person has a right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Nowhere does it state that every person has a right to infringe on another person's liberty.

[yourvidisbad101]

@DowJones19 Look, how is it fair that someone who doesn't produce for society gets free healthcare while someone who DOES produce, i'm not talking chores here, REAL JOBS, has to finance the person who doesn't work through taxes. The world is already overpopulated, and if someone can't work, and has not worked before thus resulting in their poverty, then what use does humanity really have for them? They are leeches, just sacs of organs which pollute our planet.

[vrendi]

@yourvidisbad101 I work but I cannot afford healthcare. I think this is the story for most people in poverty. And if I pay taxes I WANT it to go toward providing a higher quality of life with education and healthcare rather than going toward furthering our destructive technology and producing a higher quality of DEATH.

[novazee]

@DowJones19 Labor works such as raking leaves and driving the elderly. Wow.. that's absolutely disgusting. 

[surfboardhacker]

Makes me appreciate what we have in Canada a little more!

[thenumber13dotnet]

The true COST of healthcare is NOT what they charge. It could be done for far less if not for greed and turning health into a profit making business rather than classed as a necessity and therefore minimum profit taking allowed. <3

[nadeemstine]

German and their kept bastard minorities don't believe in Universal healthcare. Meanwhile, British and French are fine at North of their border.

[GeekTechMac1]

I live in the US and the NDAA is our new health care :(

[jenantang]

Nice!! Fla needs to adopt this method.

[Osher79]

my parents live in China, they got RMB1000(US $157)/per year from government as medical allowance. If they have to go to hospital, the government pay for 80% of bill, however, you only allowed use some basic medicine, if you are unlucky, like cancer, imported medicine is only way to go, it won't be covered by government, the bill can easily reach US $2000/ per week. People sold their apartment, car and any valuable, in some case, they still couldn't save their loved one. It is shame.

[ionacaddy]

@Osher79 Is it true that in China the people are no longer able to use ancient herbal remedies for medicine to cure their ailments? Or are they forced to use those expensive imported drugs? It seems to me the Chinese have had cures for many diseases from ancient remedies, it's a shame that big pharmaceutical companies have forced laws on to the books that prohibit people from treatments that were common practice before greed took over health care. It is like that here.

[WarrenEdwardBuffet]

@ionacaddy Not true. Chinese hospitals prescribe both traditional and Western medicine. There are also hospitals that only give traditional medicine.

[Osher79]

@ionacaddy People still using ancient herbal remedies to cure disease, but herbal took long time to cure disease and ancient herbals are more like supplement today. modern medicines deliver the result fast and effective for some serious disease. why the imported drugs are so expensive, doctor who sell the prescription medicine to patient got the kickback from drug distributor, so that's why the doctor like to give patient expensive drugs rather than cheap alternative. Sad ah.....

[beachsandinspector]

I live in Australia, and I get free healthcare in the Public health system, I choose who I have for a Doctor in General Practice but may have to share a room in a Public Hospital if I need to have a operation. I do not have to pay as I have a disability and cannot work as a result of the disability.

I do have to pay somthing towards my medications but if I go over what ever the safety net is ($1,500 or so) I get those for free as well.

This is till not as good as some places in Europe tho.

[DowJones19]

@beachsandinspector It's still much better then the joke of a health care system they have in the US and the rest of the world. You should be grateful

[gshooting]

@DowJones19 Yeah, US healthcare is so bad that plenty of people from around the world get treatment they wouldn't be allowed to in their own country. Don't be so ignorant.

[DowJones19]

@gshooting The quality is the best in the world but only to the people who can afford it which makes the accessibility of US healthcare the worst in the developed world and that is what makes it so bad.

[gshooting]

@DowJones19 90% of the people in the US are covered. You have healthcare programs for the elderley and the poor, you have voluntary clinics and you have things like what is shown here. The majority of Americans don't seem to want Obamacare, so a new plan will have to be made, like the plan by Paul Ryan. Healthcare is a service just like any other, it has to be paid for.

[ZingZee123456789]

AlJazeera, thank you for this video. You'd never find a story like this in the mainstream media.

[sambios]

@ZingZee123456789 You must be out of your mind, Al-Israel is another cooperation which servers the interest of Zionist in the Arab World. It was created to cause chaos and destruction in the Middle East.

Search the history of Al-Israel you will be surprised.

[ZingZee123456789]

Wow!!! Sue Lowden's "Chickens for Checkups" healthcare reform proposal wasn't that far out after all!

[poppopscarvinshop]

This is Fantastic!

But, I'll Guarantee The Government Will Fuck This Up!

Bastards!

[nadeemstine]

@poppopscarvinshop Mother fucker German minorities won't allow you to receive free healthcare. But when you sign in for a driving license/ I.D - your organ donation is asked.

[GerrettJihad]

I live in Canada, Free healthcare, I dont know what I would do if I had to pay to go to the hospital, or clinic, or pay for my meds... crazy world.

[evband17]

"A single courageous State may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country..."

-Louis Brandeis, US Supreme Court Justice, 1932

[RayKalmNiam]

I live in Pakistan, and I have free health care xD :)

[Herimia]

@RayKalmNiam still not as good as american health care

[yaplonglong]

@RayKalmNiam - That`s because your country does not squander the money on wars.

[FreestylaBoy]

@RayKalmNiam good for you, anyone should have this. I see it like this: Free healthcare is a right.

[QBisbest]

@RayKalmNiam So does Canadians. :(

[povertyincanada]

@RayKalmNiam Health and education should never be considered a Commodity to sell or buy for money , this is what the west fails to understand , health and Education should be free and available to all , and this is not about communism , money just screws up everything ....

[yourvidisbad101]

Raking leaves? Driving elderly? A DOCTOR'S CHECKUP COSTS FAR MORE THAN ONE EARNS IN RAKING LEAVES! The tax payers would have to fund this! If you truly want them to be "valuable" to society, then they ought to GET A REAL JOB! It's not that hard, unless, of course, you slack off academically like the majority of Americans do. If you get a REAL job, you will have the money to pay for healtchare, you won't need some ridiculous alternate monetary system.

[helioncry]

@yourvidisbad101 "A DOCTOR'S CHECKUP COSTS FAR MORE THAN ONE EARNS IN RAKING LEAVES!" Why? Why is a doctors time worth more than mine? Because I do have a degree. I just don't have a job that goes with it!!!

[CaptainRidley]

@yourvidisbad101 Just because you have health insurance does not mean you are safe.

[DowJones19]

@yourvidisbad101 Your comment is exhibit A of why modern day American conservatives like you are a selfish, compassion-less, and disgusting species. As an American you should be want to see every American no matter what social and economic background receive free proper health care. But you and your fellow conservative consider that a grave sin, while you're perfectly ok spending 100's of billions invading and bombing international countries instead.

[yourvidisbad101]

@DowJones19 You're saying that you want free healthcare for all? Well, in this country, without instituting a socialist (not communist) system, IT IS NEXT TO IMPOSSIBLE! I am politically neither democratic or republic, but economically, a conservative. Where do you think that the money would come from to fund "free healthcare for all?" HIGHER TAXES! How is it fair that the workingman has to fund someone who doesn't produce anything except for "raking leaves" for society? Work and get paid.

[stormdragon42]

@yourvidisbad101 If you think getting a 'real job' is as easy as going to the store and picking up a gallon of milk, you're either very fortunate, or very ignorant. Or very conservative, which falls under the second category.

[gshooting]

@stormdragon42 I guess your very 'conservative' then, because you're an ignorant moron.

[yourvidisbad101]

@stormdragon42 I'm saying that it would have been easy for them had they pursued academics properly. Since currently all their life is centered around is money, keeping their offspring alive, and further reproduction, they ought to have majored in, say, pediatrics in college. That way, THEY would be the doctors, not just simply the leeches of society.