Universal Health Coverage

All right. I misunderstood ur proposition. What ur proposing involves completely free healthcare for people who cannot afford healthcare. That IS socialism, not to mention entirely unfair. The majority of this country can afford healthcare. People work hard, study, go to college, solely for the purpose of making enough money to meet their needs. Why Should those who work hard, have to pay, while those who (generally speaking of course)dont work hard don't have too? What kind of incetive does that leave for people to want to work hard. All that tells people is that if they dont do their share of the work, the government will give them free money. You can argue that its not fair that the people who cant afford healthcare dont get any, but all your plan does is switch the playing field. Instead of it being unfair for the poor, it'll be unfair for those who can afford healthcare. Everyone MUST pay their own way. Let me elaborate on my point about people not taking the initiative to move up. I am from Alabama. My school was across the street from the projects. Ive been all through what was New Orleans. I have seen the definition of poverty. I spent hours repainting, rebuilding, and supplying firewood to houses built in the 20s. I am very familiar with people in these situations. ive made friends with them. Ive slept over at their houses. Ive noticed things about them though. Many of them werent bad off because of crappy luck. They werent bad off because of poor jobs. They were in such a bad position because they didnt know how to spend their money. Families couldnt afford to heat their houses, but they've got go-carts in the front yard. Dad cant bring enough food home, so he grabs his $800 rifle and heads out into the woods. These people dont need our sympathy. They do it to themselves. Their income can provide for healthcare. Its their life-styles that cant. The Biggest problem we face is that people wont pull themselves up by their own bootstraps. EVERYONE has the ability to get a good education. EVERYONE can find someway to finance college. EVERYONE can work hard at their jobs and move up. But they wont. Thats the problem. Now if we choose to give these people money for the insurance or "pay their costs for them". Why would they want to better there financial position? Their wouldnt be much a of a reason too. It all starts with one government give away. First its free healthcare. Next its free transportation money so people can get to work. Than its monthly allowances so they can pay for water, electricity and heating. The more we give freely, the less people are gunna work. You dont have to take my word for it. You can look at Europe, particualrly France. France has univeral healthcare paid for by the government. Its also got monthly allowances to all of its citizens. Its also got an aweful economy because of the 4 hour workday most French workers enjoy. It has a very poor work ethic. The problems are bad enough there that people would rather take to the streets and fight the government for free money rather then go to work and earn it. Free healthcare is harmful. For those people who honestly cant afford healthcare... Here's what I propose. Those who cannot afford healthcare register with the government. This does not count the hundreds of people who claim they cannot, but have a 2006 F150 in the front yard, 8 go-carts, and a gun locker the size of their trailer homes. You will need to bring documented proof, that your income will not meet healthcare costs. After you have registered, you and your immediate family will recieve government issued cards, proving their financial inability to buy insurance. Using that card they can get healthcare at government run clinics and hospitals, for free. The catch is, government run hospitals would suck. They wouldnt have the best doctors. They woulnt have the best equiptment available, healthcare would be slow, and people would be placed on waiting lists. Thats not a punishment. Its just a reality of government run hospitals. With this plan, people who genuinely cannot afford healthcare, can get the basic life-sustaining healthcare they need, but still have some insentive to move up. The people who can, but choose to spend their money somewhere else, can choose to either get healthcare, or a plasma screen TV. They wont get sympathy though. Those who can afford healthcare, will get a better level of healthcare from private companies. Nothing is unfair. No insentive is removed. Everyone gets their needs met.