# Nationalized health care vs insane end of life medical costs in the US **URL:** \ **Category:** Great Debates\ **Created:** [May 17, 2009, 1:50am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nationalized-health-care-vs-insane-end-of-life-medical-costs-in-the-us/496701 "2009-05-17T01:50:12Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 4\ **Page:** 7
**Author:** ![Broomstick](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/broomstick/32/246_2.png) [@Broomstick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Broomstick)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 7:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nationalized-health-care-vs-insane-end-of-life-medical-costs-in-the-us/496701/121 "2009-05-25T19:45:24Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > **Broomstick** , where you live that you can’t pay cash for a tetanus shot without insurance? Gary, Indiana. I wish to clarify that I did, eventually, get my booster shot but it took me _over a month_ - I even mentioned some of this in prior threads. Partly it was that too many offices are fixed on “show me your insurance card” prior to service, and partly it was offices _insisting_ that I have a complete physical prior to getting a _tetanus shot_ that I needed due to the nature of the employment I have. I could afford a tetanus shot - I could not afford to drop a $150-200 on a physical. Not if I wanted to pay my rent and eat that month. > [@](#): > > And in the rural/suburban area where I live, the county health department provides them for free. I did not need it for free - I was MORE than capable of paying out of pocket. I wasn’t destitute, or even unemployed at the time - I just didn’t get insurance through work and couldn’t afford to pay for a private policy because, due to pre-existing conditions, both my husband and I are essentially priced out of the individual policy market. ---
**Author:** ![WarmNPrickly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/d78d45/32.png) [@WarmNPrickly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WarmNPrickly)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nationalized-health-care-vs-insane-end-of-life-medical-costs-in-the-us/496701/122 "2009-05-25T20:45:09Z")
> [@Starving\_Artist](#): > > … And based upon what I’ve seen, people are relatively happy with the health care their insurance companies provide. … > And now I’m out. I would be interested in what the actual statistics on this were, rather than from what you’ve seen. It contradicts my own experience with United Healthcare. My specific complaints are that I can’t choose any doctor I want, I can’t even be treated at one of the hospitals in town because it is owned by the parent company, the doctor I can see has a month long waiting list, prescriptions are much more expensive than they were on the school based insurance in Oregon, and they require confirmation by the doctors to refill certain prescriptions. Unfortunately, we have no choice in what insurance we get. We must get the company insurance provided. Maybe most people are happy with their company provided insurance. As far as I can tell, everything that was used to scare the public about Universal Healthcare in the early nineties has come true. The only difference is that the people that developed this program weren’t elected. The only way we can hold them accountable is to vote in people willing to change the program through legislation. The worst thing that can happen is that we trade one ineffective bureaucracy for another. ---
**Author:** ![sleestak](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/919ad9/32.png) [@sleestak](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sleestak)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nationalized-health-care-vs-insane-end-of-life-medical-costs-in-the-us/496701/123 "2009-05-25T21:13:50Z")
> [@GIGObuster](#): > > This doesn’t mean much, it requires one to ignore that very strong lobbies will remain to reform or kill any plan adopted. A well funded opposition like that was not available for other entitlement programs. > > But here is also a denial that even Republicans do find that many entitlement programs do work. > > Looking at programs like Social Security I would had thought that the colossal failure of the markets could have told Republicans what a huge bullet they dodged when the Bush private options were proposed but failed in congress. > > The welfare reform from the 90’s showed that entitlement programs can be reformed to make them more effective. Actually it does mean a whole lot. You stated: > [@](#): > > If it does not work, evidence will be produced and the plan will be terminated. This is by taking into account that if it fails the democrats will be blamed and the Republicans will be glad to end it. In any case, it is clear that the plan will only deal with the percentage of people that are not currently insured. So, show me that this can actually happen. The problem with government programs is that, no matter how bad they perform, they do not end because all the politicians won’t piss off the special interests that benefit from whatever program should be cut. As far as Medicare goes, it is going to be broke in the not too distant future. [Link](http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5guhPlfoiIxCQ1Fl7eKBeUvVBT5wAD98CJM0G0). So much for \*that \*reform. Slee ---
**Author:** ![GIGObuster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gigobuster/32/421_2.png) [@GIGObuster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GIGObuster)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2009, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nationalized-health-care-vs-insane-end-of-life-medical-costs-in-the-us/496701/124 "2009-05-25T21:47:19Z")
> [@sleestak](#): > > Actually it does mean a whole lot. You stated: > So, show me that this can actually happen. The problem with government programs is that, no matter how bad they perform, they do not end because all the politicians won’t piss off the special interests that benefit from whatever program should be cut. Are you saying now that democrats will control government forever now? You indeed ignored that the opposition to even a public plan will remain there and remain well funded. > [@](#): > > As far as Medicare goes, it is going to be broke in the not too distant future. [Link](http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5guhPlfoiIxCQ1Fl7eKBeUvVBT5wAD98CJM0G0). So much for \*that \*reform. > > Slee As mentioned before other programs were reformed, once the situation becomes serious, reform will take place. I would prefer the system would be more proactive but it is “who is in charge” the one that will take the blame. Once again I’m not deluded into expecting a permanent democratic majority. But I do hope that even Republicans will see the light and get rid of the idea that it is good to forever keep many people uninsured, under insured, or saddled with onerous premiums when daring to go into business by themselves, or to scare foreign investors from setting shop in the USA because of the health care cost. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/nationalized-health-care-vs-insane-end-of-life-medical-costs-in-the-us/496701.md?page=6)