Should the US adopt a free healthcare system like Canada? Why or why not?
445316
Definitely not.  Nothing in life is free.  Canada's system is not free.  They pay for it with less than state of the art health care, and with higher taxes.  Let's look at what happens.  In Canada, the state dictates how many doctors there will be based on a budget, that is, how many tax dollars that can be spent on it.  They also dictate how much money the doctor will make on any given operation.  If you need an operation and there is a doctor available, you will get it, but chances are, in Canada you will have to go on a waiting list to get it.  You may well die, or suffer other problems waiting for the doctor.  Also, since the state is in control, and not the market, the doctor may not be the best at what he does.  Now let's look at what happens in the United States of America:  A young medical student happens to have a passion for heart surgery.  He has the talent and the knowledge.  He gets a bunch of student loans, and gets his education complete.  He becomes the very best at this specialty, and subsequently charges a lot for it.  He makes a lot of money doing what he loves, and the public pays it because they want the best heart surgeon available when it comes cutting time.  This kid may have elected to go into computers instead of medicine in Canada, because it pays more.  Also, you don't have to wait for a doctor, because the market balances out the supply of medical care with the demand far more efficiently than any government official could.   Please read Ecconomics In One Lesson by Henry Hazlitt for more insight into supply and demand and the natural, efficient way of regulating ecconomy.  Please also, ask Canadian medical patients who come to America for medical care what they think ?
363120
yes i think it would be a great idea for the goverment to provide us all with health coverage, it would set in place a standard rate of cost for proceedures of all kinds and employ more doctors and more staff at offices and hospitals, medical standards would be set and therefore medical mal-practice would be more governed by the actual courts and dis-allow for frivolous lawsuits. it would also thereby de-organize the pharmacuetical compnanies and how they practice. medicines would be more available at cheaper rates due to more people using the drugs provided by pharmacies.so "yes"
519715
Not a surgeon but if youre having problems it shoudl be FREE shouldn't it? Then again I live in Canada.
1184496
Absolutely not.  Our health care system is a mess, it's true, but I think the best way to fix it is with less government intervention, not more.  You see, as with everything else, you tend to get all the best and most expensive stuff you can when someone else is paying the bill.  Well, if the government is paying the bill, that really means the taxpayers.  It's not fair for healthy people to have their tax burden substantially raised because some others can't or won't take care of themselves.  Which leads to a related point:  If you're paying your own bill, you're more likely to take good care of yourself, so you don't end up paying more than you absolutely have to.
1146922
It's not impossible. Britian does it NOW! What has to happen though is that the free healthcare will come directly from taxes, so our tax rate would jump to about 15-20%. England does that now and it's working fine. I think it definitely CAN be done.
11615
If by "free" you mean socialized health care, then you could start with Canada, France, and Germany amongst the most prominent. It should be noted, however, that there is no such thing as "free" health care. Citizens residing in nations with "free" health care pay more income tax to cover state medical expenses.
919096
Well that certainly is interesting...\n\nAnd while I do support buying U.S. products, if the drug comapnies are going to continue to rape Americans of their money for life-sustaining prescriptions, then going to Canada should be allowed.  If they want business, lower the prices.
936392
I say it should be Free every where..Canada does it for all their citizens so why shouldn't the good old USA be able 2 do it.Or any Country for that matter
1140098
It's not communism, Canada has free health care as well. As I recall the Clintons tried to bring it into the States and it was voted down. We all pay enough taxes that healthcare should be free.
199868
For all the problems that we have with our health care system, I'd never give it up for the non-existent system that the US has.  40+ million Americans have no coverage whatsoever.  O Canadians have no coverage.
704364
Find everything you need at:\nhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_and_American_health_care_systems_compared
1009343
good question.  the answer is quite simple....  the government doesn't see free education (k-college) and free health care as a priority for all of its citizens....\n\nmany first world countries have this!!!\n\nby privatizing health care.....  companies makes zillions of dollars in by charging outrages prices for health care and prescription drugs....  it's the good and bad of a free market.  \n\nit's a shame that a country so rich couldn't provide basic health care to all of her citizens!!!!!
984806
I'm Canadian.  Our taxes are relatively high, but we get a lot for it, including health care.  If we didn't have the health care system we have, my husband and I would be bankrupt right now and he would probably not be alive.  We are not postponing any purchases because of taxes, and we have a very modest income - pensions.  And the only way we will ever have fewer imported goods is if we as consumers become willing to pay more for our goods - goods are produced very cheaply in less fortunate countries than ours by people who have to struggle much more for survival than we do.  I hope my thoughts on this issue help.
379511
I think we're potentially heading in that direction.  I don't believe the US will be totalitarian communist, but economic socialists like the French.  France is basically a Marxist nation in terms of its economic policy.  I already see the US trending in this direction.  When did healthcare become an entitlement?\n\nI suppose I'd probably move to Australia.
713499
The Canadians I know are living in the US but love their health care system so much that whenever they have a baby they go back to Canada for the free maternity care.
335344
Well. From a canadian point of view, I am personally a fan of Public Health care. When working properly, it is fantastic. It's not working well now, but that's beside the point. I am not a big supporter of the American system, however. I went there for a camp last summer, and my brother made friends with a little boy. One day, when they were playing, the top of the tire swing came off and hit the little boy in the head so hard that both of his eyes were looking different ways. His family simply bundled him up and raised his feet up, and refused to take him to the hospital because they couldn't afford it. I don't know what happened to that kid, but I expect he had some serious damage done to his brain. It could have been prevented if his family had been able to pay for a doctor. Hence, I think your system really sucks. No offence intended.
248856
No.  Not if what they are using the hospital for is required treatment.  Too many people will go to emergency rooms for things that aren't really an emergency because they figure they will get free treatment.\n\nA better way would be if there was free and equall health care for everyone.