- the UK and the Nordic countries use the “socialist” Beveridge model: the state runs hospitals and other health care providers. Financed by the general budget.
- France (and IIRC Italy) has a semi-Government run, payroll financed single-payer-system.
- the Germanic countries use the original Bismarck model: the “mandatory car insurance” model, with multiple non-government but non-profit payers. (in Germany for example they’re similar to cooperations)

All very different, but they’re all universal…

For more information I recommend watching Sick aroud the World from PBS.

I would consider foul language to fit into the above category not factual comments.

did you have anything factual in your post?

according to you and priviteers, yes, according to the facts, no

and let me ask you something, how long does it take to get an operation here?

in addition, under universal health care you can still purchase private health care.

European countries have individual mandates, and they work fine, but that’s because they place very strict cost controls on insurers for ALL patients.

It’s really not fair to compare our country to other counties with regard to individual mandates.

individual mandates work fine in other countries because corporate interests don’t run the government to the extent they do here.

So the real problem, the primary obstacle to healthcare–and many other things in the U.S.–is taking the corporate power out of our government.

Everything else–like placing “very strict cost controls on insurers” is just chasing windmills.

This avoidance of the real problem has been going on now for well over 40 years. And continued avoidance is not going to come up with a new result.

I feel strongly if you only made one change and made them take on any person regardless of condition, millions of people would have healthcare immediately. There are so many people out there that want it and are not offered it at any price.

There is already a system whereby the sick are moved off the rolls. If a person gets sick, Cobra, if you can afford it is only 18 months then you are out. If you are in a small company in Louisiana 12 months and you are out. Remember both of these scenarios are if you can afford the premiums which they can charge up to 150% of what they pay for you when you work there. This is complete BS. Only very very conservitave savers have money for this. You either go into debt to pay for your Cobra or you spend all your savings like I did. (I was not even sick when I went without a job for a year and a half. It cost me almost $5,000 a year to maintain coverage.)

I think there should be either a program, or a mandate that the insurance companies continue to cover you at a reasonable cost when or if you get sick. The fact that they can drop you after 18 months is truly insane. How many illnesses have a beginning and an end like that?

Remember these companies are in the business of not paying claims. Their profits have gone through the roof in recent years. Of course they are all going to be crying about how they are losing money now that the stock market is down. Well they should have saved some of their 28% profits over the good times of the stock market.

There are no easy answers to this problem, but limiting profits of insurance companies would go a long way to covering more people.

I would consider foul language to fit into the above category not factual comments.