50 Times People Took Screenshots Of The Dumbest Arguments Americans Have Made Against Free Healthcare
In pretty much any other nation on God’s green Earth, healthcare is a straightforward issue. However, in the United States, it’s a topic that divides, fractures, and polarizes the population into warring factions: those for access to free healthcare and those adamantly opposed to it.
Well, here at Bored Panda, we believe that access to free healthcare makes a lot of sense. Meanwhile, the current system is incredibly bureaucratic and wasteful according to the latest stats and ought to be improved. How bad is the situation? Well, around 760 billion dollars go to absolute waste each year. However, some Americans are stubbornly against free healthcare and overhauling the system.
Why? While there are some serious arguments here and there, we decided that it’s time that we took a gander at the most ridiculous reasons that people have said ‘no’ to something that ought to be a basic part of life. Scroll on down and upvote your fave pics. Be sure to let us know what you think the pros and cons of free healthcare are, dear Pandas—we always value a well-argued opinion.
Dr. Andrew Carroll from Arizona, has some experience dealing with healthcare insurance companies and fighting for what's best for his patients. Bored Panda previously wrote about how he broke down in tears when a company refused to provide one of his patients a CT chest scan and contacted him again to go even further in-depth about the system in the US.
This post may include affiliate links.
Apparently Canada’s Healthcare Is Bad
It's A Charity Handout
Won't People Just Hurt Themselves On Purpose?
According to Dr. Carroll, there are clear financial incentives for the companies that provide healthcare insurance to keep the system, with its high administrative costs, as it is. "It will be very difficult to reduce the administrative costs without overhauling the payment system altogether," he explained that even small step-by-step changes would be hard to push through.
Dr. Carroll was very candid about healthcare insurance providers and how it's not in their interest to do what's best for American patients. "Unfortunately, these payers tend not to have altruistic intentions towards their members. They cater to the advantage of the employers paying for the benefits, who want to try and spend the least amount of money they can."
He continued: "Employers that pay for benefits will need to demand more of the companies providing the benefits or patients will need to file class-action lawsuits to demand that benefits due to them are not unduly restricted, as they are today."
An Ambulance Is Not A Taxi
This is technically true. An ambulance is not a taxi to the hospital. However, that has nothing to do with the issue.
What in the god damn f*ck is it then? A weewoo-wagon with flashing lights that drives you around just for fun?
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Um, a "taxi" that comes equipped with paramedics who can keep you from bleeding out and keep you breathing, amongst other kind of important things.
No, it isn't a taxi to the hospital. You take a taxi to the hospital when you are not in imminent danger of serious harm or death. You take an ambulance to the hospital when you start going into labor at 29 weeks... but I guess I should just have waited for a taxi???
I had an ambulance ride in South Africa about 3 years ago. It was a 3 hour journey. Yes, I had out of pocket expense, but is was the equivalent of about $300. Not the end of the world. Overnight hospital stay that included a specialist, a CT scan and general anaesthesia- not a cent. Yes, we have health insurance, but everything is at least covered
Ambulance is more like a taxi WITH a hospital, which is another reason why you should ride one when in medical distress. Sure the paramedics can't do everything, but they can do some first-line stuff, including proper CPR and finding out what kind of care you need.
Taxi driver does not have training to keep me alive en route to hospital.
yes i have called a friend to take me to the hospital with more than a few cracked ribs , because i didnt want to get a huge bill for that under 2 mile ride
Yes - While pregnant, and my BP was 175/120 I refused an ambulance because I would only get 50% coverage for the ride and that 6 blocks would then cost me $3000 out of pocket. When that's two months salary - uh... f**k that. I drove myself to the hospital for the induction of my second child while in a critical medical state. I lived - but... I did almost die right after delivery - hemorrhaging because BP went to 200/135 with full on HELP syndrome. Lost a lot of blood. Actually made a nurse puke - good times...
An Ambulance is an Emergency Vehicle to assess a patient and if necessary transport them to Hospital.
My sister fainted in a mall in New Jersey. They were calling for an ambulance. She insisted no and later explained that she would have to pay a lot of money for the ambulance and on top of that the medical checks on her condition and God forbid they actually fins something wrong. So she just rested and went home
yeah, ambulances should only be used when it's a true emergency and needs the blues and twos going in order to get you there to save your life. Otherwise, take public transport and save the NHS some money.
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In SA we have to pay for ambulance trips unless it is transfer between hospitals. It costs about $700 but you can get ambulance cover either Through ST John ambulance or private health insurance.
I think it's so weird, that you have to think about money in an emergency situation where you need medical help as soon as possible
Load More Replies...When You’d Rather Go Bankrupt Than Go To Another Country For Better Healthcare. Because America
What's Next, Free Medicine?
The US spends huge amounts of money on healthcare, but a whopping quarter of the costs are administrative. This means that customers pay a lot, but far from every penny actually ends up helping them directly. There’s a lot of waste in the system and a lot of fat that needs to be cut.
What’s more, hospitals in the US are consolidated. This means less competition, meaning there’s little to no motivation to actually ensure lower prices for patients. If somebody can charge more and the customer has no other choice, why lower the price? (Well, apart from empathy, I mean?)
It's Cr**py In Canada
But We Can Pick Whatever Doctor Or Healthcare Insurer We Want! We Win
Free Refills On Burns
Despite often boasting about being the bastion of freedom and being the best, the US is woefully struggling along with its healthcare system. The World Health Organization ranks it as the 37th best in the entire world. It doesn’t matter how many amazing doctors and how much cutting-edge tech you have if you can’t help people due to the system in place.
The US spends more of its national income on healthcare than other developed OECD countries and spends more per person than other rich nations. However, this level of spending doesn’t translate to better care.
"There Healthcare Is So Good That They Rely On The Us For Actual Medicines Lol"
Why Use It If You Can't Afford It?
Actually thanks to him we spot the big difference here between America and other country with free healthcare: In America you have to think if you can afford it BEFORE. That's crazy....
Didn't Ask To Be Blind
Even in Australia with universal healthcare you still have to pay for glasses or contacts. My glasses cost $39 and my daughter got 2 pairs for $189. The eye test at optometrists is free though.
Where you live in the US and what type of insurance coverage you have (private vs. public) affect your wait times, too. So you can expect to wait in line to see a doctor even if you think you’re paying top-dollar prices for top-dollar coverage. However, 66 percent of all Americans are afraid that they won’t be able to afford medical care in 2021.
In a couple of earlier interviews, Bored Panda spoke about US healthcare with Tumblr user Avilocirapter (who was paying for a top-tier insurance plan), as well as Dr. Carroll from Arizona (who burst into tears when an insurance company “denied a CT Chest on a young woman with post-Covid syndrome”).
"No, In France, It Costs A Lifetime And A Country Of Taxes." On A Discussion About Ingame Healthcare Costs In Stardew Valley
Lmao What Type Of Healthcare Does Iran Have? They Still Use Voodoo So They Should Shut The Hell Up
"Has Monumentally Contributed More To Mankind Than All Those Noted Combined"
Avilociraptor explained that, in their opinion, the private insurance model destroyed the doctor-patient relationship and reduced the autonomy that both patients and providers had. “Nurses are overworked and underpaid, and yet we demonize them when they strike to provide safer conditions for themselves and their patients.”
The solution? According to Avilociraptor, Americans have to “regularly write” to their government representatives and demand change.
"(Us) Healthcare & Medical Infrastructure Is Truly World Class & We Are Much Better Prepared"
I'm truly stunned by the level of deliberate ignorance and self delusion displayed by these people.
"Being Poor Is A Choice If Everyone Worked We Wouldn't Even Need 'Free' Healthcare"
2nd Amendment vs. Universal Healthcare
Meanwhile, Dr. Carroll previously told us that, in the United States, the insurance company is the payer for a patient’s care, so they’re “heavily involved in the provision of that care.” He said: “Their job is not to pay for healthcare but avoid paying for healthcare. It is a terrible system.”
“Healthcare Is Not A Basic Human Right”
Remind this person of this next time he needs a doctor- it's not a right so he doesn't need to be provided with assistance
“So You’re Saying Their Healthcare Is No Better Than Ours?”
We Have To Fund The Innovation That The Socialist Healthcare Systems Of The World Leach On
Dr. Carroll also opened up about the hardships that healthcare professionals like him face in the line of duty. “We are trained very early, almost like soldiers, to work hard and long hours, deal with extremely stressful conditions, and work through the emotional turmoil of death, debility, and the effect those things have on the patient and their families.”
"Healthcare Is Not A Right, Unless You Feel Like Slavery Is Ok"
Ask Ur Hero How Finland Is Doing During This Wuhan Virus. Their 'Free' Healthcare Is Failing And Bankrupting Their Country
“Still Better Than Places With Free Healthcare”
However, Dr. Carroll can’t imagine doing anything else. Being a doctor, helping people, is his calling. “I love what I do because I could not see myself doing anything else. I’ve wanted to be a doctor since I was 5, since I myself had a major medical issue.”
Healthcare Is Not A Right In 'Merica
Germanys constitution. Part 1-1: Human dignity shall be inviolable. To respect and protect it shall be the duty of all state authority. Part 2-2: Every person shall have the right to free development of his personality insofar as he does not violate the rights of others or offend against the constitutional order or the moral law.
“You Can Get Free Healthcare Right Now Join The Army”
I Should Be Able To Opt Out Of Insurance If I Want... With Universal Healthcare I Lose That Freedom Of Choice
He continued: “I remember the care and compassion my doctors when I was that age showed me, and helped me get through my very tough time. I wanted to do that for others, and so far I think I have done so. Insurance companies make it difficult though, and nearly force cold, inhumane, and compassionless rules on patients when they are most vulnerable.”
"Healthcare Is Not A Basic Right - And I'm Concerned That Anyone's Kids Assume They Have The Right To Demand Someone Else Finance Their Healthcare"
“Avoid Situations In Which You May Need The Hospital”, In A List Of Solutions To Not Pay Healthcare Too Much
Not Sure It Works This Way
Plenty of Americans who are against free healthcare have a mindset that’s full-on ‘the strong survive, the weak perish’ which would be useful in a post-apocalyptic world, not when we’re all supposed to be civilized and aiming for longer, higher-quality living. And it’s a tad ironic that a country that is so full of charitable, warm, friendly people also has to deal with a cold, dehumanizing, penny-pinching healthcare system.
Imagine Having To Wait Months For Healthcare Because You Live Somewhere That Has Government Run Healthcare
That's true. There's not enough doctors for everyone to be seen immediately so if my situation isn't dire I will wait a couple of months for a visit with a specialist. The more serious the condition is, the closer to the beginning of the line you are placed. I see no problem with that, I don't want somebody else to die because I was impatient. And that's for public healthcare. A yearly insurance at a private network of clinics costs about a quarter of a mean monthly salary. Within that you can go to any specialist (except, I think the dentist) and then it's much shorter waiting time.
American Talking About Free Healthcare
"Better Than The Free Healthcare [...] Ours Is Expensive, Not Crap"
!["Better Than The Free Healthcare [...] Ours Is Expensive, Not Crap"](https://static.boredpanda.com/blog/wp-content/uploads/2021/03/605999c6595ce_rupi6xb2j7o61__700.jpg "\"Better Than The Free Healthcare [...] Ours Is Expensive, Not Crap\"")
Healthcare Is Governmental Slavery
“Wealthy Brits Fly To The Us For Critical Care Because We Have The Best Healthcare In The World”
Gimme That Fat TV!
Europeans can get bigger toys if they disregard their own health and education!!! Seriously?
"You’re Welcome American Citizens Literally Pay For The Rest Of The Worlds Healthcare." On A Tweet About Canada
"American citizens literally pay for the rest of the worlds (sic) healthcare" - I don't even know what they're thinking here.
Found On Quora: "Don't Talk About Healthcare, That's Not Sometimes That Defines The Greatness Of A Country"
Since when Is USA the greatest country in the world. Get your facts straight. And if you are too lazy watch the series 'newsroom'. There is a nice rant about wlhow f****d up USA is
"I'll Pay My Healthcare And Others Can Pay Theirs If They Can't That's Unfortunate"
"Healthcare Isn't A Human Right"
Once again it's clear that Americans do not know the Universal declaration of human rights. Even under the Geneva convention wounded prisoners of war have a right to health care.
Free Healthcare Doesn’t Work And It’s A Failing System In Almost Every Country
Free Healthcare Is Why Italy And Spain Have Thousands Dying Everyday From Coronavirus
Wait Until You Find Out Waiting In Line For 11 Hours To Vote Is Absolutely Wonderful Compared To The Amount Of Time People Wait To See A Doctor In Countries With Socialized Healthcare
No It Isn’t, “Free” Healthcare Does Not Get Into The Concept Of A Human Right
Ok. Technically I guess we do via our taxes... but like waaaaaaay less than them!
"Everyone Gets Free Healthcare Because It's A Right. Then Everyone Gets A Free Firearm. Because That's Definitely A Right"
Canada Only Has Free Healthcare Because Of The Us
What did I just read? From what does USA protect Canada. Last time I checked the only neighbours are Greenland and USA.
"My Grandfather Went To France In 1944. Germans In Control And Not Offering Doc Visits. He And Other American Servicemen Liberated The Country" On A Tweet Where An American Man Praises The French Healthcare System
Helped to liberate along with all the other allies, most of whom were in from the start.
Healthcare Shouldn’t Be Free For Everyone
"If You Can't Take Care Of Yourself Than I Shouldn't Be Forced To Pay For Your Healthcare"
I struggled to finish reading all of these because the stupidity just made my brain hurt at this early hour. How about america introduce universal health care but have an opt out option for those who think it's a stupid idea and then charge them when they come running and ask to change their mind and opt in.
While this is a nice revenge strategy, I am not sure this would work... the system depends on as many people paying as possible. So, I think it must be mandatory.
Load More Replies... What I don't get is how these people don't understand that even if they do pay for others' healthcare, it will benefit them, too. If anyone could go to a doctor when first symptoms appear then a lot of expensive treatments could be avoided later. And from what I understand, even the US government does pay for those, if the patient cannot. It's the same way I'm happy to pay for education even though I don't have kids - but I do want the kids who will build our society in a few years to be smart.
It's spite, pure and simple. As long as "THEY" suffer or are doing worse, "I" win. I've tried, many times, to explain that yes your taxes will go up to pay for health care. BUT, you won't have money taken out of your check by insurance companies and you won't have to pay another 3000 out of pocket before your REAL insurance (which isn't great either, and is actively against you in most cases) to kick in. It's insane that people would rather go broke and lose everything than pay into a system that would help everyone. A buddy I used to work with said that the first thing he'd do if he learned he was really sick is GET A DIVORCE so his family didn't lose everything. That he even has to THINK like that is madness.
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Essential oils and stones you put up your hoo-ha (with accompanying scented candle). And genuinely considering drinking or injecting bleach to deal with a pandemic.
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From an economics perspective, there are advantages and disadvantages to both universal government healthcare and free market healthcare. The U.S. system manages to combine the disadvantages of both. At this point, it would be quite difficult to change the system without improving it.
Economically speaking the best thing to do would be for healthcare to be free. Your workforce are more efficient if they aren't sick and the money to pay for the healthcare comes from the same place ie the people who use it. I think that's what people fail to understand, instead of paying private insurance you pay it to the government. In the UK this is called 'National Insurance' and is deducted from wages along with your PAYE Tax. UK went through this change back in the 1940s. Change isn't always easy but it doesn't have to be as hard as they would have you believe..
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The fact that Bernie Sanders is considered "left" in the U.S just shows how clueless they are about the horrors of actual socialism (think Venezuela) or even worse, communism. I don't waste my time arguing about lef/right but a guy like Sanders just asks for the most basic things a first world country should provide for their citizens. The bare minimum.
Actual socialism is found is some of the best countries to live, like Scandinavia or Germany. Your comment just proves how uneducated you are about other countries.
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I know my comment will be lost within this thread. But to fear having to go to hospital because of the enormous bill that you'll face just isn't right.
Medical person here. Let me explain: You need medical care to live. American medical care is excellent. It is not accessible or affordable. Thus, if we have "universal healthcare" funded by taxes, 1. you don't have to pay an HMO out of your paycheck and 2. the insurance pool is, say, 200 million people, which distributes risk far more than a private insurer and 3. hospitals won't have to charge $50 for an aspirin to make up fro the unpaid bills. Anyone see a downside to this? Please explain the downside to me. "Universal healthcare" is a "national insurance pool". It eliminates medical-debt bankruptcy and hardship, leaving our so-called capitalist system in better shape b/c we're all better able to afford groceries, homes, cars, bed sheets, etc., pick your item. And if you want to opt out? Hey, I don't drive, but my taxes still fund roads, and I'm not bitching about it.
What idiots. A comeback to all their arguments about healthcare workers not being paid if it's universal.... uhhhhhh the education system is provided by the government and you still have a choice if you wanna go to a private or public school... and your taxes pay teachers and your taxes also pay for roads to drive on and for your kids to get educated and provide infrastructure to your community..... do these people not realize that lmao honestly this is why i'm annoyed at being an american because theres legit so many idiots saying dumba** s*** like this smh
As an American, I read through this whole article, and understand why everyone hates us... There are some very stupid, corrupted people in America.
I don't hate you - I just don't envy you. Americans are some of the nicest people I've met, you have great architecture, amazing nature and a fun mix of cultures (and foods!) Unfortunately you're being screwed over by the system. And I should know how it feels, I'm Polish :)
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Health care profits for medications and other necessities are out of control --$600 for an epi-pen? Every year, parents need to provide an epi-pen to the school and other programs. R&D costs? We pay for lots of it with our taxes, places like NIH and medical school research centers are government funded. Is anyone proud to live in a country that puts profits before human life? How many people profit from inflated prices vs how many are harmed? Love thy neighbor? Core basic religious value.
Thats a good point and something I don't get. Many US Smericans are SO proud to be one (flags everywhere, pledge of allegiance st school...) but how can they be? What are they so proud of?
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Those Americans shown here are so stupid it hurts my eyes to read. It's like you're trying to show someone drowning how to swim but he's actively defending his right to drown...
I just have to laugh at all the stupid people. The ONLY difference between American healthcare and other countries, is how the patient pays for it. In America, we pay a deductible or co-pay. If more is charged than what insurance will cover, then we pay it out, or pay in one lump sum. In other countries, you might not have to pay a co-pay or deductible, and you might think it's "free".......but in reality, the government charges you throughout your lifetime for it. Higher taxes, higher rates, higher fee's for whatever governing laws they have attached their healthcare costs to. NOTHING IS FREE! ------------>So, what would you rather do........pay for your own healthcare expenses yourself as Americans do, or pay for everybodys healthcare for your entire life, like other countries do - regardless of whether you use it or not?
Americans are going to keep swallowing the myth of their 'superior' healthcare system (that has left 500,000 dead from COVID) until it chokes them. You cannot argue with them about this, as you cannot argue with them about gun control.
The "logic" behind these people just hurts my head. The funniest part is that they don't realize that they are already paying for others healthcare, just at a much higher rate. Their taxes still go to pay other peoples bills, whos rates are inflated due to lack of insurance. And all these idiots are just repeating fallacies and hyperbole without actually understanding American Healthcare. It is not better, the wait times are not better, and we do not have the best doctors. Our healthcare system is set-up the same way everything else in America is, to keep the wealthy, healthy and wealthy, while everyone else gets run over.
Reading posts like this and many others, as a non American it makes you look like the country has fallen apart at the seams.
All those against universal healthcare, how much do you have in savings? Right now. We just went through this ----- you could lose your job tomorrow. Do you have enough money to pay your living expenses and COBRA insurance for a couple months? Or do you decide to skip health insurance. If so, when you get sick should you either pay full price or be denied care. Also, do you know how much your co-pay is for simple procedures? It is easy to preach when you are ignorant.
and the conclusion is : "Life expectancy at birth in the United States declined nearly a year from 2020 to 2021, according to new provisional data from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). That decline – 77.0 to 76.1 years – took U.S. life expectancy at birth to its lowest level since 1996. The 0.9 year drop in life expectancy in 2021, along with a 1.8 year drop in 2020, was the biggest two-year decline in life expectancy since 1921-1923."
Is it tasteless if my response to stupid comments like this is “well, it’s your funeral”?
Honestly, I had to stop reading. The degree of ignorance is mind-blowing. I will happily continue to pay my taxes to ensure everyone where I live - regardless of socioeconomic status - gets the care they need when they need it. Socialism is not a bad thing at all, but it does require the ability to be empathetic. It appears empathy is in short supply for many of these posters.
And they truly don't get that this attitude comes over as the worst kind of selfishness. I know that some of it ignorance, that they've been fed a diet of 'everyone else is a Commie' and pledging allegiance to a flag and a fictitious image of their country since they were old enough to stand up and speak, but some of them are probably not ignorant, they just like it this way.
Unbelievable a LOT of Americans defending their HealthCare would rather pay Tens/Hundreds of Thousands of $ for it than approx $5000 per year on their taxes?! Who do they think pays for the people who can't afford Insurance..That's right..Taxes. Capitalism sure has those people brainwashed!
The underlying theme I got from this article is that many Americans seem just so unwilling to offer any kind of assistance to their fellow citizens.
There is no such thing as "free" healthcare. In the EU and other countries we pay for our healthcare with taxes.
The US do have very good doctors. That is because they can get very reach over there. This is not a testament to good health care if the locals can't afford visit said doctors.
Bold of this whole post to assume people don't mostly use the ER like a walk in clinic or primary care and then never pay the bill anyways.
My Type 1 girlfriend’s insulin prices have shot up from $30 to more than $300 since January. If people are supposed to be supporting free healthcare, make it actually free for those that genuinely need it to live. There’s a reason the man who patented manufactured insulin sold the patent for so cheap... he wanted it to be cheap and accessible to everyone. In recent months, increased taxation has cause her insulin to become very expensive. So as great as free healthcare sounds, I’ll believe it when it happens. Just wanted to share my thoughts, I hope I don’t get downvoted for this.
Holy everything these people are ignorant, selfish and stubborn!
One thing that people seem to forget is that the American system is built to pump money for investors, through private hospitals, insurance system and drug prices. With universal health care, most of the facilities are non-profit, and are owned by cities and communities. As doctor education if free, they are required to work a few years in the public health care, and this way they'll get doctors at low cost. With the drug costs regulated, the whole production is overall many times cheaper for the tax payers.
Let's talk about socialism for a minute. Healthcare insurance being bound to the job for most Americans. Most likely because the big shared (socialism) plan makes it affordable for the employer. At the same time somebody really sick or injured tends to loose their job and thus insurance which turns out great for the insurance company who gets to stop paying (kapitalism).
Point is there is no such thing as "free" health care. Someone has to pay for it and anyone that thinks there is or could be a free health care is the fool.
While this is true, public healthcare is still way better then the US system.
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I could not make it all the way through the list. I was getting too pissed at 6:50 in the morning. I know Universal Healthcare will never happen in my lifetime. There is no excuse for this. America is the worst at keeping the poor poor. Obama tried, but obamacare just had too many problems. Things are only going to get worse as time goes on if we don't start taking care of everyone. If I were able to, I would move my kids and I far away from here. Articles like this hurt my heart because they are true, and there is nothing I can do about it. Just remember, there are still some people in the US that realize how broken the system is, and we have to live with it every day. 😔
Education may help. (Not yours, personally). Several comments have already pointed out that US education standards have also suffered a decline, so maybe taking time to correct these idiot misconceptions when you see them - with facts, verifiable ones, not just sarcasm. If you can get just one person to challenge their beliefs in the lies, change on a wider scale is possible.
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boredpanda, could we have a little balance of perspective please? Some diversity? Some conservative opinion? Stop with the deluge of leftist posts.
Have you ever noticed that as horrible as our medical care is, if people can afford it, they come here. Your BS arguments are BS.
I'm an American ex-pat living in Norway. I'm getting a bit tired of your anti American articles Yes, some Americans are pretty ridiculous but why can you make fun of someone else?? It's getting old when every week there is a new article making fun of Americans
We have to stop calling this socialism. This isn't socialism. Socialism is something different entirely and people are right to be afraid of it. Historically, socialism has always gone really bad, really fast. Nationalized healthcare has proven to be successful and it needs to be framed as what it is.
As something has said Socialism is a broad term. Look at democratic socialism.
Load More Replies... I don't see what your last sentence has to do with the rest of the comment, but in none of the countries you mentioned is it true that everyone pays for healthcare. All of them have maternity leave, during which the new parent is covered by health insurance but doesn't contribute, same for when a person loses their job and collects unemployment. And as I said in another comment, it's still in the interest of the society to pay for that healthcare for everyone.
Load More Replies... I struggled to finish reading all of these because the stupidity just made my brain hurt at this early hour. How about america introduce universal health care but have an opt out option for those who think it's a stupid idea and then charge them when they come running and ask to change their mind and opt in.
While this is a nice revenge strategy, I am not sure this would work... the system depends on as many people paying as possible. So, I think it must be mandatory.
Load More Replies... What I don't get is how these people don't understand that even if they do pay for others' healthcare, it will benefit them, too. If anyone could go to a doctor when first symptoms appear then a lot of expensive treatments could be avoided later. And from what I understand, even the US government does pay for those, if the patient cannot. It's the same way I'm happy to pay for education even though I don't have kids - but I do want the kids who will build our society in a few years to be smart.
It's spite, pure and simple. As long as "THEY" suffer or are doing worse, "I" win. I've tried, many times, to explain that yes your taxes will go up to pay for health care. BUT, you won't have money taken out of your check by insurance companies and you won't have to pay another 3000 out of pocket before your REAL insurance (which isn't great either, and is actively against you in most cases) to kick in. It's insane that people would rather go broke and lose everything than pay into a system that would help everyone. A buddy I used to work with said that the first thing he'd do if he learned he was really sick is GET A DIVORCE so his family didn't lose everything. That he even has to THINK like that is madness.
Load More Replies... Essential oils and stones you put up your hoo-ha (with accompanying scented candle). And genuinely considering drinking or injecting bleach to deal with a pandemic.
Load More Replies... From an economics perspective, there are advantages and disadvantages to both universal government healthcare and free market healthcare. The U.S. system manages to combine the disadvantages of both. At this point, it would be quite difficult to change the system without improving it.
Economically speaking the best thing to do would be for healthcare to be free. Your workforce are more efficient if they aren't sick and the money to pay for the healthcare comes from the same place ie the people who use it. I think that's what people fail to understand, instead of paying private insurance you pay it to the government. In the UK this is called 'National Insurance' and is deducted from wages along with your PAYE Tax. UK went through this change back in the 1940s. Change isn't always easy but it doesn't have to be as hard as they would have you believe..
Load More Replies... The fact that Bernie Sanders is considered "left" in the U.S just shows how clueless they are about the horrors of actual socialism (think Venezuela) or even worse, communism. I don't waste my time arguing about lef/right but a guy like Sanders just asks for the most basic things a first world country should provide for their citizens. The bare minimum.
Actual socialism is found is some of the best countries to live, like Scandinavia or Germany. Your comment just proves how uneducated you are about other countries.
Load More Replies... I know my comment will be lost within this thread. But to fear having to go to hospital because of the enormous bill that you'll face just isn't right.
Medical person here. Let me explain: You need medical care to live. American medical care is excellent. It is not accessible or affordable. Thus, if we have "universal healthcare" funded by taxes, 1. you don't have to pay an HMO out of your paycheck and 2. the insurance pool is, say, 200 million people, which distributes risk far more than a private insurer and 3. hospitals won't have to charge $50 for an aspirin to make up fro the unpaid bills. Anyone see a downside to this? Please explain the downside to me. "Universal healthcare" is a "national insurance pool". It eliminates medical-debt bankruptcy and hardship, leaving our so-called capitalist system in better shape b/c we're all better able to afford groceries, homes, cars, bed sheets, etc., pick your item. And if you want to opt out? Hey, I don't drive, but my taxes still fund roads, and I'm not bitching about it.
What idiots. A comeback to all their arguments about healthcare workers not being paid if it's universal.... uhhhhhh the education system is provided by the government and you still have a choice if you wanna go to a private or public school... and your taxes pay teachers and your taxes also pay for roads to drive on and for your kids to get educated and provide infrastructure to your community..... do these people not realize that lmao honestly this is why i'm annoyed at being an american because theres legit so many idiots saying dumba** s*** like this smh
As an American, I read through this whole article, and understand why everyone hates us... There are some very stupid, corrupted people in America.
I don't hate you - I just don't envy you. Americans are some of the nicest people I've met, you have great architecture, amazing nature and a fun mix of cultures (and foods!) Unfortunately you're being screwed over by the system. And I should know how it feels, I'm Polish :)
Load More Replies... Health care profits for medications and other necessities are out of control --$600 for an epi-pen? Every year, parents need to provide an epi-pen to the school and other programs. R&D costs? We pay for lots of it with our taxes, places like NIH and medical school research centers are government funded. Is anyone proud to live in a country that puts profits before human life? How many people profit from inflated prices vs how many are harmed? Love thy neighbor? Core basic religious value.
Thats a good point and something I don't get. Many US Smericans are SO proud to be one (flags everywhere, pledge of allegiance st school...) but how can they be? What are they so proud of?
Load More Replies... Those Americans shown here are so stupid it hurts my eyes to read. It's like you're trying to show someone drowning how to swim but he's actively defending his right to drown...
I just have to laugh at all the stupid people. The ONLY difference between American healthcare and other countries, is how the patient pays for it. In America, we pay a deductible or co-pay. If more is charged than what insurance will cover, then we pay it out, or pay in one lump sum. In other countries, you might not have to pay a co-pay or deductible, and you might think it's "free".......but in reality, the government charges you throughout your lifetime for it. Higher taxes, higher rates, higher fee's for whatever governing laws they have attached their healthcare costs to. NOTHING IS FREE! ------------>So, what would you rather do........pay for your own healthcare expenses yourself as Americans do, or pay for everybodys healthcare for your entire life, like other countries do - regardless of whether you use it or not?
Americans are going to keep swallowing the myth of their 'superior' healthcare system (that has left 500,000 dead from COVID) until it chokes them. You cannot argue with them about this, as you cannot argue with them about gun control.
The "logic" behind these people just hurts my head. The funniest part is that they don't realize that they are already paying for others healthcare, just at a much higher rate. Their taxes still go to pay other peoples bills, whos rates are inflated due to lack of insurance. And all these idiots are just repeating fallacies and hyperbole without actually understanding American Healthcare. It is not better, the wait times are not better, and we do not have the best doctors. Our healthcare system is set-up the same way everything else in America is, to keep the wealthy, healthy and wealthy, while everyone else gets run over.
Reading posts like this and many others, as a non American it makes you look like the country has fallen apart at the seams.
All those against universal healthcare, how much do you have in savings? Right now. We just went through this ----- you could lose your job tomorrow. Do you have enough money to pay your living expenses and COBRA insurance for a couple months? Or do you decide to skip health insurance. If so, when you get sick should you either pay full price or be denied care. Also, do you know how much your co-pay is for simple procedures? It is easy to preach when you are ignorant.
and the conclusion is : "Life expectancy at birth in the United States declined nearly a year from 2020 to 2021, according to new provisional data from the CDC’s National Center for Health Statistics (NCHS). That decline – 77.0 to 76.1 years – took U.S. life expectancy at birth to its lowest level since 1996. The 0.9 year drop in life expectancy in 2021, along with a 1.8 year drop in 2020, was the biggest two-year decline in life expectancy since 1921-1923."
Is it tasteless if my response to stupid comments like this is “well, it’s your funeral”?
Honestly, I had to stop reading. The degree of ignorance is mind-blowing. I will happily continue to pay my taxes to ensure everyone where I live - regardless of socioeconomic status - gets the care they need when they need it. Socialism is not a bad thing at all, but it does require the ability to be empathetic. It appears empathy is in short supply for many of these posters.
And they truly don't get that this attitude comes over as the worst kind of selfishness. I know that some of it ignorance, that they've been fed a diet of 'everyone else is a Commie' and pledging allegiance to a flag and a fictitious image of their country since they were old enough to stand up and speak, but some of them are probably not ignorant, they just like it this way.
Unbelievable a LOT of Americans defending their HealthCare would rather pay Tens/Hundreds of Thousands of $ for it than approx $5000 per year on their taxes?! Who do they think pays for the people who can't afford Insurance..That's right..Taxes. Capitalism sure has those people brainwashed!
The underlying theme I got from this article is that many Americans seem just so unwilling to offer any kind of assistance to their fellow citizens.
There is no such thing as "free" healthcare. In the EU and other countries we pay for our healthcare with taxes.
The US do have very good doctors. That is because they can get very reach over there. This is not a testament to good health care if the locals can't afford visit said doctors.
Bold of this whole post to assume people don't mostly use the ER like a walk in clinic or primary care and then never pay the bill anyways.
My Type 1 girlfriend’s insulin prices have shot up from $30 to more than $300 since January. If people are supposed to be supporting free healthcare, make it actually free for those that genuinely need it to live. There’s a reason the man who patented manufactured insulin sold the patent for so cheap... he wanted it to be cheap and accessible to everyone. In recent months, increased taxation has cause her insulin to become very expensive. So as great as free healthcare sounds, I’ll believe it when it happens. Just wanted to share my thoughts, I hope I don’t get downvoted for this.
Holy everything these people are ignorant, selfish and stubborn!
One thing that people seem to forget is that the American system is built to pump money for investors, through private hospitals, insurance system and drug prices. With universal health care, most of the facilities are non-profit, and are owned by cities and communities. As doctor education if free, they are required to work a few years in the public health care, and this way they'll get doctors at low cost. With the drug costs regulated, the whole production is overall many times cheaper for the tax payers.
Let's talk about socialism for a minute. Healthcare insurance being bound to the job for most Americans. Most likely because the big shared (socialism) plan makes it affordable for the employer. At the same time somebody really sick or injured tends to loose their job and thus insurance which turns out great for the insurance company who gets to stop paying (kapitalism).
Point is there is no such thing as "free" health care. Someone has to pay for it and anyone that thinks there is or could be a free health care is the fool.
While this is true, public healthcare is still way better then the US system.
Load More Replies... I could not make it all the way through the list. I was getting too pissed at 6:50 in the morning. I know Universal Healthcare will never happen in my lifetime. There is no excuse for this. America is the worst at keeping the poor poor. Obama tried, but obamacare just had too many problems. Things are only going to get worse as time goes on if we don't start taking care of everyone. If I were able to, I would move my kids and I far away from here. Articles like this hurt my heart because they are true, and there is nothing I can do about it. Just remember, there are still some people in the US that realize how broken the system is, and we have to live with it every day. 😔
Education may help. (Not yours, personally). Several comments have already pointed out that US education standards have also suffered a decline, so maybe taking time to correct these idiot misconceptions when you see them - with facts, verifiable ones, not just sarcasm. If you can get just one person to challenge their beliefs in the lies, change on a wider scale is possible.
Load More Replies... boredpanda, could we have a little balance of perspective please? Some diversity? Some conservative opinion? Stop with the deluge of leftist posts.
Have you ever noticed that as horrible as our medical care is, if people can afford it, they come here. Your BS arguments are BS.
I'm an American ex-pat living in Norway. I'm getting a bit tired of your anti American articles Yes, some Americans are pretty ridiculous but why can you make fun of someone else?? It's getting old when every week there is a new article making fun of Americans
We have to stop calling this socialism. This isn't socialism. Socialism is something different entirely and people are right to be afraid of it. Historically, socialism has always gone really bad, really fast. Nationalized healthcare has proven to be successful and it needs to be framed as what it is.
As something has said Socialism is a broad term. Look at democratic socialism.
Load More Replies... I don't see what your last sentence has to do with the rest of the comment, but in none of the countries you mentioned is it true that everyone pays for healthcare. All of them have maternity leave, during which the new parent is covered by health insurance but doesn't contribute, same for when a person loses their job and collects unemployment. And as I said in another comment, it's still in the interest of the society to pay for that healthcare for everyone.
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