There is the percentage of people who don't pay for their medical health insurance benefit at all. I don't, unless you count union dues - which I guess I consider my contribution for health insurance. The MTA Transit Strike was partly about health care - the MTA was threatening to make the union members pay for their health care benefit and they fought to keep it. That was actually one of the major sticking points - along with pension. A lot of union members probably don't pay for health care - it is probably covered, at least in part by their union dues.
Also, the wealthy - people who make over 250,000? They get a tax credit for the health insurance contribution. (I found that out recently. It's one of the things Obama and Hillary's plans want to do away with.)
Imagine not having to pay anything for health care, not taxes, nothing, just a little 20 dollar deductible and get to see a good doctor, get a second or third opinion, and get all your MRI's and tests for free? Some people in the US have that. Why would they want to give it up? And why would they want to be paying taxes on it? A lot of Americans I've talked to, conservatives, have the view that they should not be asked to pay for someone else's health care. Why should I carry the cost? Why should I be burdened by someone who is a drug addict or whatever? They don't understand that the drug addict could come down with an infectious disease that could spread and infect their children, if left untreated.
Then there's the folks who well don't get sick or just get a cold and don't see why they have to pay for health insurance or have it at all. They may have a cheap catastrophic plan - which you can get in some states, not all states. (That's another thing about the US - each state has it's own guidelines on the issue. In Kansas and Colorado - the Blues offer Catastrophic - a fairly cheap plan that covers you in case of emergencies - lots of college students have it. I certainly did. New york however does not have it - I know I tried to get it again when I was unemployed.)
Finally, there's people who have gotten used to a high standard of care - the ability to go to any doctor they want, get any test, and get multiple opinions. They are afraid if we get universial health care - they will lose that standard. That their hospitals won't be as clean, their doctors won't be as attentative or as good, because they won't be paid as much - so less people will want to be doctors. They fear becoming like Canada - most Americans, believe it or not, think that Canada has horrible health care. They don't understand the Canadian system, what they know are the horror stories.
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branchandroot
Americans and Health Care
Date: 2008-02-26 12:31 am (UTC)Also, the wealthy - people who make over 250,000? They get a tax credit for the health insurance contribution. (I found that out recently. It's one of the things Obama and Hillary's plans want to do away with.)
Imagine not having to pay anything for health care, not taxes, nothing, just a little 20 dollar deductible and get to see a good doctor, get a second or third opinion, and get all your MRI's and tests for free?
Some people in the US have that. Why would they want to give it up? And why would they want to be paying taxes on it? A lot of Americans I've talked to, conservatives, have the view that they should not be asked to pay for someone else's health care. Why should I carry the cost? Why should I be burdened by someone who is a drug addict or whatever? They don't understand that the drug addict could come down with an infectious disease that could spread and infect their children, if left untreated.
Then there's the folks who well don't get sick or just get a cold and don't see why they have to pay for health insurance or have it at all. They may have a cheap catastrophic plan - which you can get in some states, not all states. (That's another thing about the US - each state has it's own guidelines on the issue. In Kansas and Colorado - the Blues offer Catastrophic - a fairly cheap plan that covers you in case of emergencies - lots of college students have it. I certainly did. New york however does not have it - I know I tried to get it again when I was unemployed.)
Finally, there's people who have gotten used to a high standard of care - the ability to go to any doctor they want, get any test, and get multiple opinions. They are afraid if we get universial health care - they will lose that standard.
That their hospitals won't be as clean, their doctors won't be as attentative or as good, because they won't be paid as much - so less people will want to be doctors.
They fear becoming like Canada - most Americans, believe it or not, think that Canada has horrible health care. They don't understand the Canadian system, what they know are the horror stories.