Will we see US universal health care withing the next 50 years?

[Craig3410]

Poll question: Will we see US universal health care withing the next 50 years?

Just wondering, will common sense triumph over money-grabbing, or will the lobbyists win out again?

Here's an old case, but it pretty much sums up perfectly what's wrong with healthcare:

http://www.geocities.com/three_strikes_legal/Moon_doctor_hospital_feuded.htm

http://www.cbsnews.com/stories/2003/05/06/eveningnews/main552636.shtml

Barr says Holtz was part of an "epidemic" of unnecessary open-heart surgeries at the Redding Medical Center.
..
"The entire hospital just rotated around Dr. Moon - just one doctor," says nurse Kim Schlenker. Schlenker says Moon had so many patients lined up he would rush through delicate heart procedures.
..
"The sheer numbers and the devastation to life make this one of the most egregious medical frauds in the history of this country," says lawyer Bob Simpson.

[Nederland]

1. Yes

...but it will not be single payer.

[meganmonkey]

2. I say YES because

if we don't believe it can happen, then it never will :shrug:

[yurbud]

3. if no, we will have descended into corporate feudalism by then

[electron_blue]

4. Oh yeah. It probably won't be pretty, but look at the numbers

Eventually those living at or below poverty level will become the vast majority. The rich don't seem to appreciate that it's to their benefit that the "poor" don't get "too poor" or their own rich lifestyle is threatened.

AT some tipping point it will become inconceivably expensive to treat the sick, wounded or dead than to just give them proper healthcare. And the rich won't be handing it over, I'll bet. The poor will take it by force. My prediction, although I am hoping we get decent leadership who paves the way before it gets that violent.

[twenty2strings]

5. Will we see the United States in 50 years?

Face it. 150 million old tired Americans will have to look out for themselves.

[Redbear]

6. Yes. Many doctors and hospitals already want it

Insurance companies are ripping them off left and right. Plus the insurance bureaucracy is costing much more than can be maintained.

[Coastie for Truth]

7. Yes--

When we have a Democratic President

When we have a Democratic House and Senate

When the Religious LEFT (Yes there is a Religious Left out there) gets organized and vocal like it was in the 1960's and gets behind Universal Health Care.

AND AFTER THE NEXT MAJOR ROUND OF "BIG" BANKRUPTCIES -- LIKE IN THE AUTO INDUSTRY -- as part of the "bail out" (whether government like Chrysler or PennCentral, or private) the white knights on the white horses demand a government takeover of health insurance.

[warrens]

8. Within the next 10

Big business is already quietly demanding it. They can't afford it anymore, and want the government to bail them out.

[no name no slogan]

11. Exactly. When big bidness wants it, we'll get it

Most Republicans also favor some sort of universal healthcare, too. When the Republican politicians catch up with their constituency, watch for things to happen.

[enid602]

9. Yest

Yes, thanks to George W Bush. Kinda hard to say we can't afford coverage when he comitted half a trillion (so far) to an elective, unwinnable war. I have a feeling that any future progressive legislation and trends will owe much to Bush. Hell, he might even be able to bring back communism. Thanks, George.

[melm00se]

10. 50 years?

I don't think it'll be nearly that long...if I were to hang a time frame on it, it will be before we go into the next quarter century, maybe even less than that.

the driver will be more and more boomers retiring and the financial stress that will put them under as well as the personnel strain the healthcare industry will be under. To alleviate the massive upward spiral of health care costs (as demand increases and supply remains the same), the feds will implement a universal healthcare coverage model to better control the administrative costs AND put in place a program to increase the total number of healthcare workers in the USA.