We CAN Afford National Health Care!!!

I see a lot of concern about how Obama will 'never' be able to afford any kind of serious health care reform because all of the money the government is spending on these bailouts.

One very important statistic that rarely gets pointed out suggests otherwise: The US government presently spends more per capita on health care than most, if not all, other countries. For instance, the US government spends 23% more per capita on health care than the Canadian government. See:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_and_American_health_care_systems_compared


This essentially means that we could have a Canadian-style health care system that covers everybody at LESS cost to taxpayers than the current mess of a system that leaves so many uninsured, i.e., NO NEW TAXES would be necessary. This is because, under the current system, a significant percentage of every health care dollar goes to insurance company and other health-industry profits.

Although this is not exactly what Obama is advocating, his plan would be a step in the right direction (and a sharp contrast to that of McCain, who actually proposes to tax healthcare benefits!)

The point is that health care reform need not involve a lot of NEW spending because the government spends so much ALREADY.

And when phase two of this economic disaster rolls around and the health care companies - who invest heavily in the markets to maximize profits - start failing we will all be happy to have the same socialized government health care our elected representatives have.

so many vultures feeding off the little guy's home purchase. these "middle men" and investors buying and selling your contract, servicing your mortgage payment distribution.

All we need to do is eliminate - or at least substantially reduce, as Obama proposes - these "middle men" and we'd all end up paying a lot LESS for health care. This case needs to be more forcefully made.

Which is miles better than what Obama offers.

http://www2.kucinich.us/issues/universalhealth.php

I seriously doubt President Obama would veto it.

We'd have the votes, if Democrats in Congress acted like Democrats.

well, then we can afford anything. (As long as stop the war.) These people who argue against something on cost and are FOR the war are full of nonsense.

The issue has to be framed as a question of PRIORITIES.

Republicans try to make it seem like everything we want to do equals new taxes, but this is really a question of how we spend existing tax revenue.

All the money wasted in Iraq could have paid for everyones' health care well into the next century!

national health care is unaffordable. The lemmings are quick to believe but it's just not true for the reasons that you have stated. There is more detailed and in depth information about this at the Physicians For a National Health Plan website.

http://www.pnhp.org