Universal Health Care

is a Health & Welfare centric issue
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Do you support Universal Health Care? Yes | No

Universal health care guarantees coverage for all citizens and is mandated, funded or facilitated by the government. Every affluent country in the world enjoys universal health coverage except the U.S. which spends twice as much per capita on health care.

Background

  • While the US government provides health insurance for veterans, the elderly, poor and disabled, there has yet to be a system that ensures coverage for every citizen. In the U.S., health insurance is typically provided to workers and their families by their employers. The U.S. government offers a tax reduction to employers offering health benefits in what is referred to as a 'tax expenditure'. The exclusion of employer contributions for medical care amount to the nation's top tax expenditure at $102.3 billion in 2004, which is nearly twice as much as the next highest tax expenditure- mortgage interests.
  • According to the OECD 2003 Health Data report, the United States tops the OECD ranking for overall health care spending at $4900 per capita in 2001, more than twice the OECD average of $2100. Though more than half of the cost is private funding, the U.S. government spends the most out of all OECD countries (except Norway, Luxembourg and Iceland) per capita even though only about 25 percent of the population is insured through public programs compared with 90 per cent in other OECD countries (Source: OECD).
  • There are many different ways to organize universal health systems. A single-payer health care system is typically a government-run organization that collects and pays out all health care costs. Germany has a universal multi-payer system with two main types of health insurance: "Compulsory health insurance" and "Private." The French health care system, rated the best in the world by the World Health Organization, has private and public health care providers and universal access funded by taxes and co-fees.The United States is the only developed nation without a universal health care system.

Debate

  • Proponents of a universal health care system point to the global trend of industrialized countries with providing health care. Administrative costs would be drastically decreased. The U.S. government spends more than all other countries per capita without receiving proportional health benefits and more than 47 million people are uninsured.
  • Opponents cite that income taxes would increase and private insurance companies may be put out of the health care administrative business, a result that would fly in the face of laissez-faire capitalism the US was founded upon.

Country Comparison

Recent Legislation

  • A few states and cities have taken steps to provide health coverage for citizens, such as Minnesota and Massachusetts.The Massachusetts 2006 Health Reform Statute is a law that requires nearly all residents of Massachusetts to purchase health insurance or obtain coverage through State sponsored insurance for those with low incomes. San Francisco is currently phasing in a universal health care program.


Where do the major players stand on this Issue?

Stance Person Profession
Barack Obama (D) 44th President of the United States
Joe Biden (D) 47th Vice President of the United States
Sam Brownback (R) Senator
Hillary Clinton (D) Secretary of State
Chris Dodd (D) Senator
John Edwards (D) Attorney and Former Presidential Candidate
Rudy Giuliani (R) Fmr. NYC Mayor
Mike Gravel Fmr. Alaskan Senator
Mike Huckabee (R) Fmr. Governor & Minister
Duncan Hunter (R) Congressman
Dennis Kucinich (D) Congressman
John McCain (R) Senator & Retired Naval Captain
Ron Paul (R) Congressman and Physician
Bill Richardson (D) Secretary of Commerce designate (Obama Administration)
Mitt Romney (R) CEO & Former Governor
Tom Tancredo (R) U.S. Representative
Tommy Thompson (R) Former Wisconsin governor and Secretary of Health and Human Serivces
John Herman Cox (R) Author & Politician
Matt Miller (D) Author/Radio Host
Fred Thompson (R) Presidential Candidate, Lawyer, Lobbyist, Actor, and Former Senator

Where do the major groups stand on this Issue?

Stance Group
Green
The Constitution Party

Show topics from

Universal Health Care Forum


Topic (jump to last post >>) Last Post Forum Posts
Megan McCain needs to listen to Walter Williams >>
started by jamez-nyc, views since May 3, 2009
shawninMo >>
Updated 51 days, 20 hours, 26 minutes ago
Universal Health Care
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Free Health Care for ALL Americans - NOW!!! ! >>
started by Weather Man, views since Jan 5, 2009
shawninMo >>
Updated 66 days, 21 hours, 32 minutes ago
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Week 1 Discussion: Health Care >>
started by HopeNation, views since Jul 25, 2008
ronaldvandevender >>
Updated 209 days, 22 hours, 24 minutes ago
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Health and Water >>
started by paptimus, views since Nov 24, 2008
ronaldvandevender >>
Updated 221 days, 20 hours, 42 minutes ago
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DMV style health? >>
started by rguyshipe, views since Oct 10, 2007
HelloDollyLlama (I) >>
Updated 359 days, 15 hours, 37 minutes ago
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16