General Discussion
In reply to the discussion: My experience with Universal health Care [View all]MADem
(135,425 posts)Americans as a group are just not willing to take on the tax burden that Norwegians and other European countries endure to be assured of "universal" care. It is an onerous burden, from the perspective of US taxpayers, and you'll sooner see a pig fly than an agreement that Americans fork over even more to support a health care infrastructure. People who run on reducing the tax burden are popular, because most people think "It will never happen to ME." Until, of course, it does.
This system is a compromise, but it is a compromise that works for most. Not all, but most. I hope that the administration keeps looking for economies to bring costs down further. That, and success stories, will gradually erode resistance to the program from the angry "Mah MONEY" diehards.
People get angry at me (and behave as though I am a "cheerleader" against Universal Health Care) when I tell this simple truth, but that's what it is--a simple truth. Americans as a nation are just not motivated to cough up the same money in taxes that you guys do. Look at Johnny Depp, the wealthy actor who has associated himself with progressive causes on occasion--when Hollande upped the taxes in France, he didn't say "Oh, well, that level of contribution is just part and parcel of being part of this lovely society," he said "Fuck this--I'm leaving! No more of MY money to support this bullshit!" He wouldn't even be "double-taxed" (which is the justification of some for his actions--and that's just not true) as he would get a tax credit in USA for any foreign taxes he paid, but as far as he was concerned "The Taxes Were Too Damned High!"
People are cheap, often as not. The more money people have, too, the more they want to hang on to it. People who make less, who live on less, who don't prioritize the accrual of great big bank accounts, just don't care as much. They see the value of sharing the burden.
I don't expect to see universal health care in my lifetime in USA, to be blunt about it.
As for my family member's care at home, had we not been there for him, the visiting nurse would have been--but the quality of his care would not have been continuous and it wouldn't have been as personal. He would have likely done fine with that level of help, but we didn't want to take the chance and enough of us were retired and able to help, so we did. Also, the fact that we were eager to help with the therapy certainly sped up the process; though I think he would have gotten to the same place eventually all on his own.