Universal healthcare...lets discuss!

245

Comments

  • lukin2006
    lukin2006 Posts: 9,087
    lukin2006 wrote:
    Universal Health Care here in Canada...and under no circumstances would I ever want the US system...at least here we are not to poor to be sick. It does have problems, mostly with elective surgeries, the wait can be a little time depending where you live, but if you're suspected of having something heinous you are usually taken care of promptly. Maybe the other big problem in some areas is finding a family doctor. Overall I'm pleased, I had a back strain a little while back, went to my family doc, had am ex ray, got a script and walked out costing nothing. Can't beat that...

    You could just ice your back and save a lot of people a lot of money. ;)

    What the hell were they xraying a back strain for?

    I'm just messing with ya. But what if you could just go to the drug store and buy the muscle relaxer/pain reliever over the counter? Just ice your back and take the meds when needed. What exactly did the doctor do for you in this case?

    how is my doc to know for sure.... After about 5 weeks, 10 chiropractor sessions and still the same I guess it was time to see the doc...oh by the way I pay taxes, those taxes help health care and guaranteed my family doc probably gets paid less for visit than American docs but has never tried to rush and is always thorough and answers all questions...and he's not paid by the hour.

    Also don't go around giving medical advice...both chiropractor and doc say heat is the best recommended course of action.

    He prescribed muscle relaxants that according to the pharmacist are excellent and usually work...so after 5 weeks trying alternative medicine and a week with my doctors remedy it all cleared up.

    I think that's the problem in America...how many people are not getting checked properly and it could be more serious...
    I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin

    "Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
  • lukin2006
    lukin2006 Posts: 9,087
    I'm not knocking the US system...if it works for you fine...I just like our system better...It does have problems, but for the most part not bad.
    I have certain rules I live by ... My First Rule ... I don't believe anything the government tells me ... George Carlin

    "Life Is What Happens To You When Your Busy Making Other Plans" John Lennon
  • EmBleve wrote:
    Go Beavers wrote:
    I wouldn't mind seeing some references to what you said about illegals.
    I do not know what MayDay is referring to, but I saw something a few months ago that exemplified this point (and I must admit, I was shocked). I live in an area where there is a large population of illegal immigrants for tobacco farms, particularly in the summer time. There is a rural dental clinic on the outskirts of town; they were hanging flyers on stores in town for dental care for $10 a visit (xrays, fillings, cleanings) for 'migrants' (read: illegal immigrants). I was having dental problems at the time, and I called them and was told that I would not be eligible. :shock: True story.


    Wow! :o
  • cincybearcat
    cincybearcat Posts: 16,951
    lukin2006 wrote:
    lukin2006 wrote:
    Universal Health Care here in Canada...and under no circumstances would I ever want the US system...at least here we are not to poor to be sick. It does have problems, mostly with elective surgeries, the wait can be a little time depending where you live, but if you're suspected of having something heinous you are usually taken care of promptly. Maybe the other big problem in some areas is finding a family doctor. Overall I'm pleased, I had a back strain a little while back, went to my family doc, had am ex ray, got a script and walked out costing nothing. Can't beat that...

    You could just ice your back and save a lot of people a lot of money. ;)

    What the hell were they xraying a back strain for?

    I'm just messing with ya. But what if you could just go to the drug store and buy the muscle relaxer/pain reliever over the counter? Just ice your back and take the meds when needed. What exactly did the doctor do for you in this case?

    how is my doc to know for sure.... After about 5 weeks, 10 chiropractor sessions and still the same I guess it was time to see the doc...oh by the way I pay taxes, those taxes help health care and guaranteed my family doc probably gets paid less for visit than American docs but has never tried to rush and is always thorough and answers all questions...and he's not paid by the hour.

    Also don't go around giving medical advice...both chiropractor and doc say heat is the best recommended course of action.

    He prescribed muscle relaxants that according to the pharmacist are excellent and usually work...so after 5 weeks trying alternative medicine and a week with my doctors remedy it all cleared up.

    I think that's the problem in America...how many people are not getting checked properly and it could be more serious...

    Relax, you are going to hurt your back again. I even said I was messing with you. I have no idea what your injury was like or for how long.

    As far as the Ice/heat thing. It's actually a combo of both. Sorry I didn't get into details for you but pretty easy to understand, don't really need a doctor for that either. Cold = relieves the swelling ; Heat = helps begin to relax tissue and increase blood flow. It was just a joke.
    hippiemom = goodness
  • cincybearcat
    cincybearcat Posts: 16,951
    lukin2006 wrote:
    I'm not knocking the US system...if it works for you fine...I just like our system better...It does have problems, but for the most part not bad.

    Well you should knock the US system, it doesn't work as well as it should.

    My bet is the Canadian system should be knocked as well and it is likely not working the way it should...continuous improvement. ;)
    hippiemom = goodness
  • Kel Varnsen
    Kel Varnsen Posts: 1,952
    lukin2006 wrote:
    Universal Health Care here in Canada...and under no circumstances would I ever want the US system...at least here we are not to poor to be sick. It does have problems, mostly with elective surgeries, the wait can be a little time depending where you live, but if you're suspected of having something heinous you are usually taken care of promptly. Maybe the other big problem in some areas is finding a family doctor. Overall I'm pleased, I had a back strain a little while back, went to my family doc, had am ex ray, got a script and walked out costing nothing. Can't beat that...

    When my daughter was born she had what ended up being some relatively minor health issues (at least compared to what other parents might have to go to), but they resulted in us having to take her to her peditrician at least four times within a week of getting out of the hospital. Plus I think it was 2 or 3 trips to children's hospital plus at least a couple of blood tests. It was super stressful, but I can't imagine how much more stressful it would have been knowing that at the end of all we would be expecting a bill for all the work, or even that we would have to deal with a private insurance company to get the costs reimbursed or whatever other red tape they might make you go through.
  • gimmesometruth27
    gimmesometruth27 St. Fuckin Louis Posts: 24,743
    What the hell were they xraying a back strain for?
    just to answer your question, you always x ray a back strain or injury for a few reasons. one, you are looking for any damage to the vertebrae such as an avulsion fracture of a transverse or spinous process. you are also looking for degenerative or arthritic changes to the vertebrae. you are also looking for forward slippage of the vertebrae which is called spondylolysthesis. lastly you are looking for space between the vertebrae, if there is decreased space between the vertebrae you can almost guarantee there is a disc issue like herniation or degeneration. x rays can also tell you if other tests like mri or ct scans are necessary. \

    x rays are a lot more useful than people think and they are very cheep. that is why x rays are the first step in the orthopedic workup...
    "You can tell the greatness of a man by what makes him angry."  - Lincoln

    "Well, you tell him that I don't talk to suckas."
  • cincybearcat
    cincybearcat Posts: 16,951
    What the hell were they xraying a back strain for?
    just to answer your question, you always x ray a back strain or injury for a few reasons. one, you are looking for any damage to the vertebrae such as an avulsion fracture of a transverse or spinous process. you are also looking for degenerative or arthritic changes to the vertebrae. you are also looking for forward slippage of the vertebrae which is called spondylolysthesis. lastly you are looking for space between the vertebrae, if there is decreased space between the vertebrae you can almost guarantee there is a disc issue like herniation or degeneration. x rays can also tell you if other tests like mri or ct scans are necessary. \

    x rays are a lot more useful than people think and they are very cheep. that is why x rays are the first step in the orthopedic workup...

    Again I was messing with him...but I did find this...

    "X-Rays are very good at showing up bony problems; they are good for identifying fractures and dislocations. They are not good at identifying muscles and ligaments as these are not seen on X-ray. X-Rays are also not very good at showing discs, an X-ray will only show the space a disc occupies.Despite this X-Rays are very commonly used for lower back pain investigations."

    ;)
    hippiemom = goodness
  • Go Beavers
    Go Beavers Posts: 9,649
    EmBleve wrote:
    Go Beavers wrote:
    I wouldn't mind seeing some references to what you said about illegals.
    I do not know what MayDay is referring to, but I saw something a few months ago that exemplified this point (and I must admit, I was shocked). I live in an area where there is a large population of illegal immigrants for tobacco farms, particularly in the summer time. There is a rural dental clinic on the outskirts of town; they were hanging flyers on stores in town for dental care for $10 a visit (xrays, fillings, cleanings) for 'migrants' (read: illegal immigrants). I was having dental problems at the time, and I called them and was told that I would not be eligible. :shock: True story.

    I live in a area where there's dental provided at a clinic for low income people in general. Mayday's claim was that there is more of this kind of thing provided for illegals than non-illegals. I just wasn't so sure about that.
  • EmBleve
    EmBleve Posts: 3,019
    Go Beavers wrote:
    I live in a area where there's dental provided at a clinic for low income people in general. Mayday's claim was that there is more of this kind of thing provided for illegals than non-illegals. I just wasn't so sure about that.
    I see. :) My example wasn't for 'low income people in general', though, it was specific. But I would be interested to know also if it is provided more for illegals than for citizens.
  • Go Beavers wrote:
    EmBleve wrote:
    Go Beavers wrote:
    I wouldn't mind seeing some references to what you said about illegals.
    I do not know what MayDay is referring to, but I saw something a few months ago that exemplified this point (and I must admit, I was shocked). I live in an area where there is a large population of illegal immigrants for tobacco farms, particularly in the summer time. There is a rural dental clinic on the outskirts of town; they were hanging flyers on stores in town for dental care for $10 a visit (xrays, fillings, cleanings) for 'migrants' (read: illegal immigrants). I was having dental problems at the time, and I called them and was told that I would not be eligible. :shock: True story.

    I live in a area where there's dental provided at a clinic for low income people in general. Mayday's claim was that there is more of this kind of thing provided for illegals than non-illegals. I just wasn't so sure about that.


    My wife's a nurse. At the county health fair last month, she handed out free toothbrushes n stuff, along w/ flyers (written in Spanish) to hispanics. The flyers told this illegal alien how she can get free dental care for all her children. (She has SIX.) Nobody in the family speaks English. None of them pay taxes. None of them have ever put a dollar into Medicare/Medicaid/Social Security. But they are already eligible for the benefits.

    Cant remember if its M.care or M.aid that covers it, but all 6 of her kids get free cleanings, fillings, etc. Its the same for medical.

    My brother in law is a dentist. He practically loses money doing this, and will not be doing it for long.


    Why?

    Why do I have to pay $700/month for family health insurance, AFTER I pay taxes to support this illegal's six kids?
  • Health Care...

    Well, I'm glad I live in a country where my neighbour won't go bankrupt if he get's sick, and I don't need to worry about medical bills. That basically sums up my thoughts on the matter.
    Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
  • The flyers told this illegal alien how she can get free dental care for all her children. (She has SIX.) Nobody in the family speaks English. None of them pay taxes. None of them have ever put a dollar into Medicare/Medicaid/Social Security. But they are already eligible for the benefits.

    Illegal aliens? They don't pay taxes?

    Assumptions.
  • Health Care...

    Well, I'm glad I live in a country where my neighbour won't go bankrupt if he get's sick, and I don't need to worry about medical bills. That basically sums up my thoughts on the matter.


    He won't go broke because he has his good neighbor to pay for it.
  • Health Care...

    Well, I'm glad I live in a country where my neighbour won't go bankrupt if he get's sick, and I don't need to worry about medical bills. That basically sums up my thoughts on the matter.


    He won't go broke because he has his good neighbor to pay for it.
    I know I couldn't afford to help my neighbour out with a 100k+ heart operation, but it's nice to know everybody's protected equally.

    And anyone I know within the Canadian system, when faced with a serious illness, has received excellent care (from my grandpa's cancer to uncle's bypass).
    Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V
  • Health Care...

    Well, I'm glad I live in a country where my neighbour won't go bankrupt if he get's sick, and I don't need to worry about medical bills. That basically sums up my thoughts on the matter.


    He won't go broke because he has his good neighbor to pay for it.
    I know I couldn't afford to help my neighbour out with a 100k+ heart operation, but it's nice to know everybody's protected equally.

    And anyone I know within the Canadian system, when faced with a serious illness, has received excellent care (from my grandpa's cancer to uncle's bypass).

    I have heard good things about it from Canadians myself.
  • Kel Varnsen
    Kel Varnsen Posts: 1,952
    Health Care...

    Well, I'm glad I live in a country where my neighbour won't go bankrupt if he get's sick, and I don't need to worry about medical bills. That basically sums up my thoughts on the matter.


    He won't go broke because he has his good neighbor to pay for it.

    Which is great because the sick neighboor will be less likely to be walking around with something contagious and spreading it to his friends and neighboors. Plus if the sick guy goes broke he could lose his house and a bunch of forclosures on keeponrockin's street will hurt his property value and bring down the standard of living in his neighboorhood. That plus a ton of other reasons why everyone having easy access to healthcare that they can afford is good for society as a whole.

  • I have heard good things about it from Canadians myself.
    If you have something serious, it's great. For something like MRI's/'non fatal' stuff, the wait times are definitely longer than those in the states. It's not perfect, but it's a good system.
    Believe me, when I was growin up, I thought the worst thing you could turn out to be was normal, So I say freaks in the most complementary way. Here's a song by a fellow freak - E.V

  • I have heard good things about it from Canadians myself.
    If you have something serious, it's great. For something like MRI's/'non fatal' stuff, the wait times are definitely longer than those in the states. It's not perfect, but it's a good system.

    Well, nothing is perfect...
  • Go Beavers
    Go Beavers Posts: 9,649
    Go Beavers wrote:

    I live in a area where there's dental provided at a clinic for low income people in general. Mayday's claim was that there is more of this kind of thing provided for illegals than non-illegals. I just wasn't so sure about that.


    My wife's a nurse. At the county health fair last month, she handed out free toothbrushes n stuff, along w/ flyers (written in Spanish) to hispanics. The flyers told this illegal alien how she can get free dental care for all her children. (She has SIX.) Nobody in the family speaks English. None of them pay taxes. None of them have ever put a dollar into Medicare/Medicaid/Social Security. But they are already eligible for the benefits.

    Cant remember if its M.care or M.aid that covers it, but all 6 of her kids get free cleanings, fillings, etc. Its the same for medical.

    My brother in law is a dentist. He practically loses money doing this, and will not be doing it for long.


    Why?

    Why do I have to pay $700/month for family health insurance, AFTER I pay taxes to support this illegal's six kids?

    More anecdotal stories as evidence, but we'll go with it. It seems like you're not very clear on the differences between Medicare, Medicaid, and Social Security, so you may not want to try and sound like an authority on the subject. The children of illegals are eligible for Medicaid, no the illegal parents. I thinks it's a good idea to cover immigrant children's medical for different reasons, one being that immigrants are the future of the country, and in this case, rotten teeth can lead to a host of medical problems in the future. I think it's better to pay some costs up front for a healthy future rather than a large cost on the back end with many more unhealthy people.

    I don't understand people who promote "shutting the borders down". People who have been here for more than one generation have fewer than two kids typically. As long as we have a consumer oriented economic system, we need growth in the lower age groups to avoid being too 'top heavy' with old people. Immigrants fill this gap.

    "Nobody in the family speaks English" is an interesting statement. My Great Aunt used to talk about her Grandmother speaking French, and of course it's a quaint story about our family history, being that we're white people with no real ethnic connectedness. I guess someone should have told her that she had two years to learn English and ditch the French.