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ORIGINAL: defiantbadgirl

The bill that passed in the house did include something that would benefit all of us, the public option. The senate and the special interests who bought their votes are to blame for killing the public option. Since the public option didn't pass, even with a democratic majority in the house and senate and a democratic president (which was the case at that time), I'm convinced it never will. The US will never have universal health care or even a public option. This gives Americans two options. They can either accept the fact that they will lose their home and life savings if they develop an illness that's expensive to treat or they can legally immigrate to a country with single-payer health care. Private for profit insurance companies can never be trusted. They will find a way to stop paying because they don't care about the health of their clients, they only care about maximum profit.

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ORIGINAL: DomKen

I'm on medicaid and receive very good care that is very expensive ($4500 week). For a while I went to a dialysis center that was also an infusion clinic (i.e. chemo) and most everyone getting chemo was also on medicaid and they were all getting whatever treatment their oncologist prescribed (including sugery, chemo and radiation). When I hear anecdotes of how medicaid and medicare don't work I compare that to my experience and the experience of people I have met face to face.

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ORIGINAL: pahunkboy
One thing about Medicare that some forget- it is not free.  There is a monthly premium- there are co pays- 

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ORIGINAL: claree

Two points.  First, my cousin, who was 46, was on Medicaid a few years ago when she was diagnosed with breast cancer.  She was told that the surgery, chemo, etc. would be too expensive and Medicaid wouldn't pay for it.  She did get some treatment, but not what she would have received if she had had regular private insurance.  She died just before her 48th birthday.

Second, my good good friend lives in England and has psoriasis.  People in the US who have that have a wide range of treatment options available, and it can generally be controlled (I'm sure not for everyone, but the few people I know here who have it have been satisfied with their treatment plans.)

My friend in England has a choice of two medications that are on his National Health plan--and neither of them work for him.  I've talked to him about going back to the doctor, and he's been told that "there's nothing more they can do for him."

In my opinion, putting millions of more people on our existing Medicare/Medicaid system would not result in wonderful treatment for illnesses that are expensive to treat.  I'm not sure that it would even result in adequate care.  But that's just my opinion.

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ORIGINAL: Twoshoes

There is not that much excellent about Canadian Health Care.