The problem with healthcare is the same as the problem with car insurance.... When the body man has a virtually unlimited pocket to mine, mine he will....
I agree with you but by the same token I don't see why we couldn't make it a "right" if the majority of the electorate wants that. Some of us are born lucky and have good health, others aren't as lucky. I'm not generally in favour of taxing the rich just because they are rich, but maybe this has to be looked at carefully. Some people are rich partly because they have good health, so maybe those in the top 10% income bracket could share the cost of what it takes to provide health benefits to the destitute. (I know some people have poor health because of their own bad decisions, but we all make bad decisions so perhaps it best to let go of that "witchhunt")
The problem with healthcare is the same as the problem with car insurance.... When the body man has a virtually unlimited pocket to mine, mine he will....
The top 10% already pay a higher amount to account for a variety of shared societal costs like healthcare.
But we are still back at the same question that has been asked....What is 'adequate' and what is 'accessible'?
The knee-jerk reaction is simple, but when you start to split the hairs, it gets much more complex. Example: in terms of access, urban dwellers have better (physical) access to hospitals and specialists, so does that mean that the rural populations have had their rights violated because they do not have the same access?
Would the solution be to build a hospital, with full compliment of 'X' number of specialists every 10 miles and/or have one standard facility for every 'X' amount of people?
Yes, I know, my example is uber-extreme, but this is the can of worms that gets opened when you start to make everything a 'right'.
A great point.
Urban dwelling vs. rural dwelling is mainly a matter of choice. To balance off the disparity rural dwellers generally benefit in that they have better health- on average.
If we want to take this argument to it's extreme, then rights are rights regardless of where you live, how tall you are, whether you are an alcoholic or are in perfect health.
You can see why I am not in support of the 'rights' argument on this issue
If we want to take this argument to it's extreme, then rights are rights regardless of where you live, how tall you are, whether you are an alcoholic or are in perfect health.
You can see why I am not in support of the 'rights' argument on this issue
captain,
2 tax rates (0% under the poverty threshold and 'X'% for everyone else including corporations). No deductions for anyone in any form - everyone pays the true cost.
taxslave,
I don't know what the tax rules are in the US but here if your employer pays your medical premiums that become a taxable benefit to you.
I hear you Cap't. BUT I think this is an area where we have to deal with situations one by one. Maybe the word "right" is wrong (how's that for an oxymoron?) So maybe we shouldn't let semantics blur the subject. Instead of "right" let's say provision. We try to provide for people as far as getting enough to eat- so let's just extend it to health, and if millionaires have to fork out a few more bucks, it's not the end of the world. A person dying is at the end of his/her world. -![]()
I guess this discussion probably belongs in another thread, but regardless of your philosophy and mine and all the discussion, what we should be trying to do if figure out where we want to go with health care and the best way to get there. I have NO problem with everyone having access to healthcare if it's affordable in ANY way.
The top 10% already pay a higher amount to account for a variety of shared societal costs like healthcare.
But we are still back at the same question that has been asked....What is 'adequate' and what is 'accessible'?
The knee-jerk reaction is simple, but when you start to split the hairs, it gets much more complex. Example: in terms of access, urban dwellers have better (physical) access to hospitals and specialists, so does that mean that the rural populations have had their rights violated because they do not have the same access?
Would the solution be to build a hospital, with full compliment of 'X' number of specialists every 10 miles and/or have one standard facility for every 'X' amount of people?
Yes, I know, my example is uber-extreme, but this is the can of worms that gets opened when you start to make everything a 'right'.
A great point.
Your example isn't all that extreme. I've seen it in two locations where I have lived. Both on Vancouver Island. in the North Island there are three communities within about 30 miles of each other with hospitals for a total population of perhaps 12000. Campbell River and Comox valley have been fighting for years over a new hospital to serve the whole central island area as both need new facilities and currently patients are shuffled back and forth depending on where the specialist they need is located. The government wanted to build a big hospital in the sticks about 15 min from both areas to combine services. Neither community is willing to do this so after years of bickering the long suffering taxpayer is building 2 new hospitals. Neither one is in the best of locations from an emergency access perspective.
Bottom line- We simply cannot afford a medical system that is al things to all people in all locations for free. I bet there are lots more situations like this.
Mr. Bertolini, you may have the power to fire your employees and drive the sick into bankruptcy with your limited-benefit plans, but this is still a democracy.
Build it in Campbell River- it's the gateway to the central coast, Gold River, Tahsis and Sayward. With the new highway it's only a hop, skip and a jump for Comox Valley residents.
That still doesn't address the problem that the people in this area have had their 'right' to 'accessible' healthcare violated... Now, I'm also guessing that the local muni taxes will probably rise a bit as a result of the new facilities.. Does this also impact the 'right' to 'affordable' healthcare?
I ask the questions rhetorically, but as you can see, it's a slippery slope when we start to identify this issue as an inalienable right.
Give us the definition of "accessible healthcare"................Comox Valley would be a bad example, actually you can get from C.V. to C.R. faster than from parts of the Lower mainland to Van Gen. or Royal Columbia.
That's exactly what I've asked for, in addition to 'adequate' and 'affordable' healthcare. No one seems to have the answer, but many seem to demand it as a right.
Funny how that works, eh?
You're not going to- someone living at Granville & Hastings is going to have a different definition than someone living in Zeballos. But bottom line is you have to locate them where they are accessible to doctors and nurses.