I think you can also thank the judgicial system that encourages outrageous lawsuits. As long as people think they can cash in for every little medical problem they have, they will continue to drive the prices up.

Jackie, maybe I'm talking without knowing all the facts, but if you want to change our legal system, that's fine, but that comes at just as high a price to a lot of our rights and freedoms. My thinking is that very few of those that are truly frivolous make it very far in the courts.

And warguppy, I'm with you man, but a spineless Democratic party isn't of much use to us either. They're just as beholden to the healthcare and insurance industries as Republicans. Watch what happens if Clinton or Obama takes office, and how very little changes in our out-of-pocket expenses.

i have a friend who's from australia and recently got her u.s. citizenship. she's told me about your health care system and your higher education system.yes very different from here.
i love this country but there is room for improvement in health care.i myself have no idea how they could or would go about it.
i do know that just as pntpnt said neither political party has done anything to change the whole system.
we had 8 years of dems and now 8 years of reps and for me the system of healthcare is still the same.
note i said the whole system.there may have been changes to some parts of it.

Are you all Crazy????????
You mean...you guys think that we (americans) should riot for changes in our healthcare system?????????
No!!!No!!!!No!!!! I will not hear this...
Personally, not only do I adore George and Laura (aka: the W's, and their whiny little bitch daughters) but I also truly love paying my neurologist $400 a visit, to tap my knees and write 60 prescriptions for anything and nothing at the same time...
So to all you rebels out there I say: BAH...BAH...leave my COUNTRY alone...
J'adore America!!!!!!!
Vive le Bush!!!!!!!!!!!
christ I need a nap...
emmie

I DO NOT KNOW WHAT THE SOLUTION IS BUT I DO NOT WANT TO SEE THE U.S.A.HAVE SOCIALIZED MEDICINE.I WORK TO HARD TO HAVE TO GO TO A CLINIC.I PAY TOP DOLLAR FOR MY MED.INSURANCE AND I STILL COME ACROSS INCOMPITANT DR'S CAN YOU IMAGINE IF THEY WERE FREE OR PAY ONE PRICE.THEN WHAT KIND OF MEDICAL CARE WOULD WE RECEIVE.

gotta disagree with you there Spike. Wouldn't the world be a bettre place if none had to suffer or go without? You just happen to be lucky I guess.

Gotta disagree with you there Spike. Wouldn't the world be a better place if none had to suffer or go without? You just happen to be lucky I guess.

HI EMMIE,I DON'T MEAN TO HAVE THE PEOPLE WHO CAN'T AFFORD MED COVERAGE TO DO WITHOUT BUT THERES GOTTA BE A BETTER WAY THEN SOCIALIZED MEDICINE.I AM FAR FROM WEALTHY MYSELF BELEIVE ME IF I WERE I WOULD HELP MORE THE LESS FORTUNATE THAN I ALREADY DO.I DO NOT KNOW THE ANSWER BUT THERES GOT TO BE A REMEDY TO THE PROBLEM OTHER THAN SOCIALIZED MEDICINE

I haven't seen it but how realistic is 'Sicko', Michael Moore's expose of the US health system ??

I GAVE IT THOUGHT HOW ABOUT MEDICAL COVERAGE CAN BE BASED ON A SLIDING SCALE ACCORDING TO WHAT YOU CAN AFFORD.FOR EXAMPLE YOU CAN HAVE A CHOICE OF THE TYPE OF COVERAGE YOU HAVE.BUT ARE NOT TOLD WHAT DR'S TO USE ETC..IF YOUR INCOME IS UNDER THE SCALE AND IF IT'S OVER YOU PAY MORE FOR COVERAGE.BUT THE CHOICE IS YOURS WHAT MED INSURANCE YOU HAVE.IN OTHER WORDS IF YOUR INCOME IS LESS YOU PAY A CERTAIN PRICE FOR THE XYZ INS CO AND IF YOUR INCOME IS MORE YOU PAY A CERTAIN PRICE FOR THE XYZ INS.CO BUT FROM THAT CO YOU RECEIVE THE COVERAGE YOU WANT THE CHOICE IS YOURS

I'm with you spike. There has to be a better solution. Besides look how badly all our other government systems work (like public schools). Would we really want them in charge of our healthcare?

THANKYOU JACKIE.I'M GLAD YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT I MEANT I HAD A HARD TIME EXPLAINING WHAT I MEANT.NO I DO NOT WANT THE GOVERNMENT IN CHARGE OF OUR HEALTH CARE.

I am WIDE open for options to improve our health care system and our health care industry. My question is this, WHY is there a belief that health insurance should be connected to a job or a government? Yes I am aware of independent health coverage so why are americans not looking at that as an option more so? It is too expensive for me to be covered through my husbands job and my husband worked 2 hours to many to be covered by medical assistance and i have been looking into it I will have to pay for the insurance up to 6 months before I get coverage and loss of job wont matter and I would LOVE our government to give me a tax break for paying my premiums (like austrailia). Treat health insurance more like auto insurance. Alot of canadians come to america to get care and they pay cash because they can get immediate help rather than having to be on a list and waiting. We have some of the best dr's here in america and some REALLY poor ones. I am not saying that socialized medicine is bad but I don't think it will work here in america like it does in other countries, it sounds very romantic thinking that our government would take care of me. Our government and my belief is based solely on freedoms and the more the government gets involved the less freedoms we have and the more laws and less choices we are allowed. The expense in health care is from people NOT paying for services just like bankruptcy anyone else seeing their credit card apr's increasing even with good credit? Those who are paying their bills are the ones literally paying for those who don't. same with health care... Please don't confuse these 2 things... everyone in america has ACCESS to health CARE (it can be expensive, yes), but not everyone has access to affordable health COVERAGE. I see these lines blurring and word play by both parties. I do not believe in either party, I believe in my fellow americans... Government is legalized robbery- Benjamin Franklin
I also believe that on this site we will not attack each other for beliefs or opinions and there is a deep respect for one another. I hope everyone holds this true... thanks

Growing up in Germany, we had a socialized health care system and it went bankrupt quickly as less taxes (thanks to the pill in the 70s) came in. Anything government will increase your taxes. You will pay for it one way or another, thats a guarantee. And republican, democrat... it doesn't matter. This country loves its freedom and the lack of government involvement (so do I btw). If they increase the taxes to pay for everyones healthcare, you WILL pay for it out of your paycheck. In addition, a stat MRI as one of my canadian friends has to get takes 4 months, a regular MRI 16 months. There are good AND bad things to every program out there. I agree that insurance is way to expensive and most can't afford it, especially if they get disabled. But thinking that the government should take care of you isn't American, its downright dangerous for your freedom. Now, if you want to have that kind of system, move to a country that has it. But then DON'T complain if you can't be seen by a specialist for at least a year or get that stat MRI for 6 months.

There is a price for everything and paying 45% of your income for taxes (such as Germany) isn't something you'd want to do either.

I don't know what the solution is, but you CAN'T have it both.

I am Canadian and I love being Canadian. I love that anyone can go to a doctor for treatment, regardless of their job status. Yeah, we have to wait in long line ups, but at least we all have the right to be in that line up. Is it the best health care in the world? Nope. Are there problems? Definitely. But when I can't walk or see, I can go to a doctor or an ER, get treatment, and walk out of the hospital without paying for it.

I was diagnosed when I was 19 and had no money. I was a student, living away from home, and renting a movie was too costly an activity. But when I couldn't move my hand, then my leg, then anything else, I got to go to the hospital and have MRI scans. No one ever asked me if I had a job, or if I had money. Good thing - I had nothing.