Healthcare?

I wanted to hear your opinion on this important subject. Should you pay for it by yourself? What should be state run and what should be private? How should it be run? Is it fair that some people have to pay a large amount in taxes if they dont use it? Is it fair that some people cant pay their medical bill and live a normal life at the same time?(the last one might be biased :? )
In short, public or private?
Edit:Oh and how is it in your country and how do you feel about it?

To be honest this was always a really hard one for me. I think it's reasonable , but the only problem I have with it is then I am paying for the constant health issues of the obscenely obese. I can handle treating lung cancer in smokers because it's not just smokers that get cancer when their elderly, other types of cancer are pretty frequent too.

Idk I am fence sitting at this point because some people just can't take fucking care of themselves and I have to pay for it, but at the same time leaving health care with the private sector can fuck over some well off people, even if they DO have insurance. ( I believe the insurance system in the united states is extremely flawed, way, way too corrupt)

Totaly Nationalised. There should be no other option as far as i'm concerned. Obviously this doesn't mean blanket cover though: if you continue to harm yourself for no reason (like mental illness) (and by this i'm talking about smoking, obessity etcetera) then you start having to pay extra. If you want cosmetic medical treatment you would pay for that, but on a state run system with high waiting times and priority to non-vanity ops. Additionally some crimes would include medical compensation in the senetence, like drink driving for example.

The way it is in Scotland is almost like this but without the caveats I mentioned for improvment. Although some services like opticians and dentist have been privatised and the Conservatives are trying to take this even further. In England they have to PAY for their medical prescriptions!

I would obviously like opticians and dentists and other services re-nationalised. And see all point of service charges removed.

edit- fixed epic failure.

We've got the NHS in Scotland. Couldn't ask for better, they've certainly saved my arse without having to shell out money.

Your Scottish!

NHS is the best value for money. French have the best in the world and USA sucks, as always.

I prefer the Japanese style of healthcare, the government pays 1/4th of the total expenses and requires employers to provide healthcare. The unemployed and self-employed pay about $1600 a year for insurance coverage.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dy...9/06/AR2009090601630.html?sid=ST2009102805439

Collectized. Hospitals, Clinics, etc should be owned by the doctors and operate completely on a nonprofit basis. Insurance plans should be consumer cooperatives for the entire community, with the payment based upon there income levels.

As you said you dont have the statistics and I dont have them either, but I would say that the pros of public health care outweigh the cons.(and I really dont think the waiting times are any different) The state does not have to make money off of you. A private doctor does. I've heard about stories from the USA several times about the unfairness of the insurance system. Like if your father/mother have a genetic disease they will not insure you, or the costs are ridiculous.

This seems pretty good to me, but how is that even possible, I've heard the Japanese visit their hospitals/doctors every month. :shock:

they have something like 22 times more hospitals per capita

Healthcare should be nationalized and free to everyone.

well paid for by taxes
everyone just start emulating the French system, it's the best in the world
http://www.businessweek.com/magazine/content/07_28/b4042070.htm

I'm inclined to sit on the public side due to their emphasis on preventive medicine. Plus I hate having to pay large fees for new glasses, how the hell am I supposed function if I can't see?

Because

I AM CANADIAN

I hear CANADA is undergoing a period of sectarian violence, how's that working out for you?

Privatized is the best. Not only is it much faster and higher quality than public health care, it costs much much less overall. Also, the NHS is the 6th biggest organization (might be a little bit outdated) in the World, and the largest in Europe. It is by no means effective, in fact it sucks. Unless your poor, then you get to freeload off the Rich, and what do you care?

Here are the 50 greatest Healthcare systems in the world, America's #37 and Canada is not fairing that much better at #30

[spoiler:1hwt4far]1 France
2 Italy
3 San Marino
4 Andorra
5 Malta
6 Singapore
7 Spain
8 Oman
9 Austria
10 Japan
11 Norway
12 Portugal
13 Monaco
14 Greece
15 Iceland
16 Luxembourg
17 Netherlands
18 United Kingdom
19 Ireland
20 Switzerland
21 Belgium
22 Colombia
23 Sweden
24 Cyprus
25 Germany
26 Saudi Arabia
27 United Arab Emirates
28 Israel
29 Morocco
30 Canada
31 Finland
32 Australia
33 Chile
34 Denmark
35 Dominica
36 Costa Rica
37 United States of America
38 Slovenia
39 Cuba
40 Brunei
41 New Zealand
42 Bahrain
43 Croatia
44 Qatar
45 Kuwait
46 Barbados
47 Thailand
48 Czech Republic
49 Malaysia
50 Poland[/spoiler:1hwt4far]

1. Your colour tags didn't work.
2. The last time I checked no unless sports teams count as sectarian violence.