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I'm British, but moved to California 10 years ago. I have obviously had many conversations with my American colleagues and friends over the years. And I am (st

by ag56 8y ago

I'm British, but moved to California 10 years ago. I have obviously had many conversations with my American colleagues and friends over the years. And I am (still) baffled that the starting viewpoint from the American side is that with single payer health care private insurance would be 'abolished' or otherwise become unavailable and/or illegal. Huh? Of course not. It's simply a base level of care given to everyone. If you have the money and desire then why wouldn't you pay for private insurance, or cash out of pocket for a private hospital? And better yet, that private insurance will become cheaper: it can exclude the rare, chronic and expensive diseases you probably won't get. (As if you ever do, you could rely on the base single payer coverage.)

cylinder 8y ago
The intellectual level of understanding the concepts behind all of this is basically a generation behind the rest of the oecd in America due to lack of experience and lack of curiosity about other countries. This goes both ways. Many people think everything will be free and boundless on single payer and they can keep using fancy sparkling public hospitals and have free specialist Consultation without even a GP referral all they want...
- ykevinator 8y ago
  America has a unique patriotic bias that keeps us from having nice things like health care and safe children.
  - scarface74 8y ago
    It’s not patriotic. There were many people who were against it because it was championed by a “non American Secret Muslim who wanted to impose Sharia law”. If Romney had proposed or Trump they would have been all for it. It’s amazing how many states are passing laws that are pro Medicare expansion now that it doesn’t mean supporting Obama. On top of that, they don’t want “them” to have health insurance. Let’s call “patriotic” what it is - racism.
    - oblongx 8y ago
      Let’s call “patriotic” what it is - racism. Seriously?

by ag56 8y ago

cylinder 8y ago

The intellectual level of understanding the concepts behind all of this is basically a generation behind the rest of the oecd in America due to lack of experience and lack of curiosity about other countries. This goes both ways. Many people think everything will be free and boundless on single payer and they can keep using fancy sparkling public hospitals and have free specialist Consultation without even a GP referral all they want...

ykevinator 8y ago
America has a unique patriotic bias that keeps us from having nice things like health care and safe children.
- scarface74 8y ago
  It’s not patriotic. There were many people who were against it because it was championed by a “non American Secret Muslim who wanted to impose Sharia law”. If Romney had proposed or Trump they would have been all for it. It’s amazing how many states are passing laws that are pro Medicare expansion now that it doesn’t mean supporting Obama. On top of that, they don’t want “them” to have health insurance. Let’s call “patriotic” what it is - racism.
  - oblongx 8y ago
    Let’s call “patriotic” what it is - racism. Seriously?