Quote Originally Posted by szlamany
That's a stupid proposal...

And just as stupid an article about it...

We can never have national health care in the US. The 50 states are too diverse (and also rather autonomous).

Each state needs to deal with their uninsured - that's the bottom line. CT does so through a state run HUSKY program that actually works quite well. CT has the income (taxes) to support this program - thus it works.

I certainly don't want my federal tax dollars going for health coverage in East Oshkosh.

The fed needs to stay out of the funding of health care. Federal reform is fine - let's force the states and insurance co's to do something.

I pray the democrats don't take this as another fake-carrot plank - like Bill/Hillary did in their presidency. That's all they ever talked about - and nothing ever happened.

Our electorate is just so blind and so easily led

But you're OK with your federal tax money paying for bridges to nowhere in Alaska, bombs in Iraq, subsidies for massive corporations, national parks you'll never visit, etc. I don't see how this is any different.

I don't think healthcare should be left up to the states; just look at how they dick around with Medicaid money and how the quality of care you get (or whether you get care at all) depends on what STATE you live in. It's a retarded system and it kills people.

I don't know why people are so afraid of centralized control. It can actually be much more efficient, and I for one am tired of seeing my tax money wasted. The NHS used to be one of the most efficient healthcare systems in the world; it was the envy of the civilized world. Now look at it...a lot of autonomy has been devolved to individual PCTs, or primary care trusts which set their own budgets. It's MADNESS. PCTs are in debt or in danger of going broke while a few have a SURPLUS. The PCT where I live is denying care to some patients because they don't have the money to treat them while operating theaters sit empty and MRI machines sit unused. That is EXACTLY what happens with devolved autonomy in the US healthcare system now and if we got universal coverage it's exactly what would happen in some states; people who depend on the state now for 24-hour care are left to rot in some states. I know someone who has been affected by this and it's BS.

The US is going to have some form of universal healthcare in our lifetimes. We may as well get the best system we can possibly get, and an NHS-style system sure as hell ain't it.