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Government-Run Health Care?

A conservative group's ad implies Congress is on its way to instituting a British- or Canadian-style health system.

By Lori Robertson and Jess Henig | factcheck.org
May 1, 2009 | Updated: 8:20  p.m. ET May 1, 2009

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  • Posted By: Omaar @ 11/06/2009 9:37:21 PM

    California???s Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, the winner of Tuesday???s special congressional election in California???s 10th District, was sworn in just after noon today by House Speaker Nancy Pelosi.

    The 64-year-old Democrat won the special election against Republican David Harmer with 53% of the vote.

    Garamendi replaces Democrat Ellen Tauscher, who was picked by President Obama to be the State Department???s undersecretary for arms control and international security affairs.

    In a statement released after Garamendi???s victory, Pelosi said, ???John Garamendi has had a long and distinguished career in public service, most recently as lieutenant governor of California, where he has been a powerful advocate for families and hardworking Californians, improving higher education, health care and the environment.???

    Pelosi???s office said there is no set swearing-in date for Bill Owens, the winner of the wild special House election in New York???s 23rd District.

  • Posted By: Omaar @ 08/15/2009 8:44:48 PM

    Medi-Care Government Run health Care [Single Payer Plan]

    VA Hospitals: Single Payer Plan

    DOD:Dept. Of Defense: Single Payer Plan

    CHIP:A Single Payer Plan for Children

    US Senators & Congress: Government Sponsored Health Care

    Indian Health Services: Single Payer Plans

    Medi-Caid: Government Sponsored Health Care

    I guess the Republicans call that [Socialist Medicine]


    Most Industrialized Countries have a Single Payer Health Care System.


    British Health Services is Used by All Briton's Exception [13%] of the British Population

    Most Brits are Happy with their Health Care [Fact]

    France is Rated the #1 Health Care System in the World [Fact]
    _____________________________

  • Posted By: Omaar @ 08/15/2009 8:36:41 PM

    Republican Credo: Fear,Hate,Dread,Doom & Gloom.

    The So Called [Republicans]

    Actually Dixie Crats

    In 8 Years as President, Did Reagan get Rid of Government Run, Single Payer Health Care called...

    [Medi-Care]

    Ans: No

    Did Republican Presidents, Richard Nixon 7 Years, Gerald Ford, 1Yr. Or George H.W.Bush 4 Years Or his son, George W.Bush Jr. 8 Years, Get Rid of Medi-Care, Medi-Caid, Indian Health Services, VA:Hospitals, CHIP: Covering Poor American Children...

    Ans: No

    Did they get Rid of the IRS [No]

    Or the Federal Reserve [No]

    Did they start the Flat Tax [No]

    What do you know, Majority of the USA has been Under Control of Republcans, the Presidency, Congress and Senate and what have they Accomplished ?

    Not a Thing

    Bush Extended Medi-Care [Fact]

    Medi-Care:A Government Run Single Payer Plan and Rural Republicans Think,

    I Mean [Dixie Crats] Think Medi-Caid is something Other than Government Controlled [Jeesh]

  • Posted By: 761647 @ 05/02/2009 3:28:16 PM

    I would love to know who writes this negative stuff about the Health Care in Canada. I have grown up in Ontario and am 63 years old. If I have to go to the Hospital I go now questions asked. Nobody with their hand out looking for money. If I need a specialist there available and you can always get a second opinion on serious health issues. Its one of the best systems in the world. I have heard about all the horrow stories of the US system especially if you are poor. Get with it and stop potecting the Insurance companies who are lining their pockets at the expense of the public.

    • Posted By: jobry0432 @ 05/03/2009 1:59:30 PM

      I agree with you on this one. You always see ads portraying Canadas system as slow and ineffective when a person is met with a serious life threatening illness. In America if you do not carry insurance you will not get the treatment needed to save your life. How is that any better than Canadas system. I think I will personally vote for a system similiar to Canadas version. The chance of the US ever adopting a single payer system is slim to none because the insurance companies and drug companies have hundreds of lobbyistin Washington paying our politicians to kill any bill that has a sinle payer system in it. You gotta love our crooked politicians and lobbyist. The US is so outdated when it comes to healthcare its not even funny. The only people that don't want insurance are the ones who have private insurance or make more money than most people and doesn't want the tax that comes with goverment ran healthcare. I think people need to look at the facts all around a person can DIE if they have a life threatening illness such as kidney failure and need to be hooked on dialysis. That person will not be able to get the treatment they need because they lack insurance. How is that a fair deal?

      • Posted By: bahanson @ 07/20/2009 5:39:22 AM

        It's a fair deal because they got what they paid for. I fail to understand why people can't wrap their minds around this. If you want to help, either donate to a charity or pa a person's balance on their medical bills. This is the American way. Hoping for the government to do it is both lazy and immoral. You're basically voting to donate someone else's money to charity. That is theft. It's no more moral than picking their pocket. If you make it a moral argument, you have to rely on moral relativism to justify it. "This immoral act (theft) is okay becuase this moral act (charity) out weighs it." Such a thought process is the beginning of our end. Before you say, "well if the majority...", that's one of the reasons we have a Constitution; to protect the minority (responsible, hard working, Americans) from the majority(slothful, envious, lazy Americans)

  • Posted By: Mwalimu @ 05/02/2009 10:30:39 AM

    Our current health care system is rationed. The health care you receive depends on how much profit your health insurance company wants to give its stockholders. In addition, you are paying for lobbyists, bribes to Congressmen, not to mention advertising. You get the left-overs.
    This is the reason that universal health care systems are better. WHo conducted an analysis of health care systems. Our dysfunctional non-system is the most expensive in the world. Yet in terms of quality we rank 37. Cuba ranks 39, and Cuba has a lower infant mortality rate. Even the much-maligned British and Canadian system ranked higher than the United States. (France took first place.) These stats do not bode well for the current dysfunctional non-system of health care that we have.
    An article by Jamie Court published in the Los Angeles Times, January 24, points out that we would save a lot of money by allowing everyone to enroll in Medicare. UTLA, the teachers' union for the Los Angeles Unified School District, has pointed out that enrolling teachers in the LAUSD in a universal health care system would save Los Angeles tax payers between $ 100 to 200 million a year. The evidence is overwhelming. We would also save money if we got rid of the expensive health care system that Congress enjoys and enroll our Congressional representatives in Medicare.
    The only obstacle to medical care is the Senate. A number of Senators on both sides of the aisle are nothing more than political whores for insurance companies. If we don't get health care reform as Obama wanted it, we have one recourse. In 2010 we need to get the Whores out of the Senate.

    • Posted By: bahanson @ 07/20/2009 5:54:50 AM

      The reports you cite do rank us lowly, but not based on our quality. America has the best patient satisfaction, the best results in surgery, the highest survival rate for surgery, the shortest wait for surgery, the shortest wait for advanced diagnostics, and our newborn death rate stat is skewed because we try much harder to deliver and maintain premies than any other country. Most extreme cases overseas are usually allowed to miscarry or aborted, and don't count towards infant survival rates. The increase in cost has more to do with the increased access. Our ratios of advancd diagnostic machines, (CAT scans, MRI's, advnced x-ray) are much better than anywhere else. It's easier for us to get non-essential but qulaity of life improving treatments and drugs, driving up the average price. If we regulated access the way other countries do, we would start hating life pretty quickly. That's why it's more expensive, and rightly so.

  • Posted By: Ariel Dark Star @ 07/18/2009 5:32:04 PM

    Does anyone care about people dying of perscription drug overdose, Anna Nicole, Micheal Jackson, our childred....This is the RX Generation and thousands of people are dying from pain killer perscriptions....shouldnt thier be a war on perscription drugs? Marijuana has never killed anyone, and goverment is to stupid to see that or just plain greedy....these perscription drugs need to be controlled befor thousands more die.

  • Posted By: quidam56 @ 07/17/2009 3:19:29 PM

    As a former health care giver, I am shocked and saddened to see what has become of health care in America. $ 1. 4 million is being spent per day in DC by the health care lobbyists so your elected representative is getting taken care of and has quality health care we pay for and can't afford ourselves for our families, I know what is deemed, defended and supported in Tennessee and Virginia as quality health care and clearly profit care comes ahead of patient care. http://www.wisecountyissues.com/?p=62 MRSA ( methicillin resistant staphylococcus aureas ) is infesting our communities because filthy, uncaring hospitals and emergency rooms are breeding them and spreading them into our schools, homes, restaurants. How many more Americans' will be diseased or die while 74 % of Americans' are begging for health care reform ? More people died in America last year from MRSA complications than AIDS. When MRSA and a flu bug start mixing, it won't be pretty and we are being infected by the very health care system we depend on and trust to keep us safe and healthy. If we had "the best health care" in the world then why does RAM ( Remote Area Medical ) come to Wise County, Virginia year after year so people can go to the fairgrounds and stand in a line like cattle in the hot July sun just to see a health care provider ??? America's health care system is a disgraceful sham !

  • Posted By: mcgreen @ 07/09/2009 8:26:06 PM

    I would really hope for a single payer system for standardization and a simple way to dramatically lower cost - that will storing patient data electronically would contribute to saved lives besides cost reduction.

    what is so pathetic is that this dialogues in Congress is about what levels of profit the insurance companies are willing to forgo because we the public have become disgusted.

    For all the people who think are process is the best? you clearly have never been ill enough to need your health care to do its job. It takes great fortitude and patience, rather like chasing a greased pig.

  • Posted By: Omaar @ 06/27/2009 6:59:19 PM

    Government Sponsored Health Care..

    President, Congress, Senate, FBI, CIA,VA, US Military,Medi-Caid, Medi-Care, US Postal Services and All other Government Employees and...

    State Run health Care is Government Health Care Too...

    Governor,State Employees & State Senators & Congressmen and Women are Forms of Government Run Health via the [State]
    -------------------------

    Stop the Fear,Hate,Dread,Doom & Gloom Over

  • Posted By: fjp78 @ 06/24/2009 9:54:39 PM

    I guess this means that the Republicans will give up their own personal government sponsored health care plans now ... right?

  • Posted By: TrueAmerican2010 @ 06/16/2009 10:32:32 PM

    NOBODY speaks of personal responsibility and accountability... the ONLY way to effect meaningful healthcare reform is to get people to STOP SMOKING and to LOSE WEIGHT. Smoking and obesity are the number 1 and 2 costs of healthcare. Flat out do not cover anyone who smokes..... It is their choice ... if they smoke they aren't covered for healthcare.... further do not cover people who are obese... if they want to continue stuffing their faces and not exercise why should anyone else cover their healthcare costs. Healthcare is NOT a constitutional right.... the constitution only gives us the rights to " life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". Wake up Americans ! Quit smoking , eat reasonably, and exercise! BE RESPONSIBLE FOR YOURSELVES.. not something the Democratic Party likes to hear. The Democratic Party is basically buying votes by promising entitlements to their voters.

    • Posted By: I'm all in @ 06/23/2009 4:04:53 PM

      Isn't it the republicans who have blocked legislation to stop tobacco companies from targeting children for addiction. Don't you think it a little hypocritical to blame democrats for what you call one of the top two causes for draining the health care system. Do you really care?

  • Posted By: I'm all in @ 06/23/2009 4:01:30 PM

    Will President Obama get the Health Care Plan he wants? I don't think so. Does that make it a failure? depends on who you ask. even the most critical Republicans admit that something must be done to control health care spending and provide health care for those without it. I'm good with that.

  • Posted By: memo2 @ 05/21/2009 8:45:31 AM

    We all know this can't be fix with magic the problem is most people are no longer believe in our government why because they only looking for your money like a chain of tax, when some one in our government reverse everything was 30 years ago I will be a believer again, obviously this is not the time trust me !.....

  • Posted By: Xavier434 @ 05/19/2009 11:47:34 AM

    The last thing I plan to do is jump to any conclusions. I believe there are lot of really bad ways for the government to step in and try to fix our healthcare through a universal healthcare system. However, I also believe that there are some very efficient ways to run universal healthcare as well. What we know right now is that Obama and Congress are formulating plans to create some form of universal healthcare. We also are being bombarded by the Reps about ways to do it wrong. What we do not know is what the final legislation will look like. I feel that it is only responsible of me as a citizen to not pass judgment until that piece of legislation is both finalized and has some time to mature.

  • Posted By: Take care of our own Proud Canadian @ 05/04/2009 1:29:24 PM

    Please take note that our dear Dr.Chauolli was recently the interest of an enquiry as an elderly patient-client had the bad luck to die in his private clinic waiting room. The Dr. simply asked his receptionist to call 911 to get the body. I am always amazed at how our canadian system is portrayed south of the border but nary a word about the millions without health care in the U.S. , the topping off of medical insurance, the poor dying etc. Give me a break.

  • Posted By: Take care of our own Proud Canadian @ 05/04/2009 1:23:51 PM

    You should perhaps also note that Dr. Chaoulli was recently a subject of an enquiry as a rather elderly client-patient had the audacity to die in his waiting room and the dear doctor simply asked his receptionist to call 911 to take care of the body

  • Posted By: doctoraaron @ 05/04/2009 1:40:33 AM

    In contrast to Rick Scott's self-serving and misleading testimony and advertising, read the moving truthful testimony of Dr. David Himmelstein, a practicing general internist and medical researcher. I will refrain from characterizing his testimony but encourage all to read it and pass it and its message on: http://www.pnhp.org/blog/2009/04/23/david-himmelsteins-testimony/

  • Posted By: Shoholanana @ 05/03/2009 9:55:48 AM

    The Gop hasn't gotten much right in so long.........why would we listen to them now?
    They don't know their *** from a hole in the ground!!!!

  • Posted By: Omaar @ 05/03/2009 1:27:39 AM

    Does it [Surprise] You or anyone not a [Republican] ...Hmm

    There will be a Universal Health Care System and there should be.

    But this Health Care System, will [Not] be Exactly like [Britain's or Canada's] because the Independent Health Insurance's will still Exist, but those who cannot Afford Quality Health Care or those not Sufficiently Insured will Definitely go for this Coverage and Rightly so.

    HMO's PPO's and Various Health Care Providers are Not covering 100% of the cost and the Sick cannot [Pay] these Extremely Large [Charges], without Filing for Bankruptcy, Leaving the Country or Worse Killing themselves...

    Based on [Not] being able to [Pay] the Cost Not Covered by their Health Care Provider and this happens, more [Often] than [Not]

    Bonus: This will Finally Weed out these [Illegal Aliens] Currently Unknown to the System, which will ultimately Drive Down the Cost of Health Care, once the System is implemented.

    Because You'll have to Provide or Produce Proper State, Federal ID and SSN

    Republican Brand: Fear, Hate, Dread, Doom and Gloom.

  • Posted By: Lee Holmes @ 05/02/2009 1:44:09 PM

    Jeez. He also ''flatly rejected'' lobbyists, non-transparancy of spending bills,and promised ''line-by-line--scrutiny of all that Congress considered. We are already witnesses to how well all that turned out. FACTCHECK is jumping the shark here as it is simply too early [as some liberal lawmakers actually do prefer ''single payer'' systems], to discern whether or not there are at least kernels of truth in the ads accuasations,as even FACTCHECK admits, we havent even had the discussion yet in Congress. FACTCHECK would be wise to also run ''revisit'' ads, performed months or even years down the road in order to come back to a position and determine its merit long after the thing has been unveiled and put into practice. It is important to note that what both sides are saying right now are just words.

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