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Congrats on the job. Yeah, I personally think all employers should have to pay for health insurance or we should all get health insurance for free, but that's a whole heated discussionI'm pleasantly surprised to see so many old faces still around, except maybe Generel.
I've been doing pretty good in the past year (yeah, it's been that long), focusing on getting my life in general in order. I teach at Northwest Florida State College now, and I really think they should pay for my health insurance.
How's everyone been? What's the state of NA?
Healthcare cannot (and should not) be free, but for far different reasons than the ones stated above.
Healthcare cannot (and should not) be free, but for far different reasons than the ones stated above.
I knew your tax rates were high, wow!
"Denmark has had the world's highest tax level in 2005 and 2006, at 50.7% and 49.1% respectively. Denmark also held this position 1970-74 and 1993-95.*(1)
Your healthcare providers seem to be more local townships or municipalities, at least they seem to have the most control. It appears that you like your system, because you feel like you have a say in what happens.(2) And with local control, as in individual you would have a larger say than a citizen of USA on a federal healthcare plan. Local is better, but individual control is still best. (IMHO)
In 2002 your country has a 1-2 month average wait time. (2). In US we wait 1 or 2 hours. If we need a procedure, or even when the doctors just think we need a procedure. Even for the most obscure a 2 week wait would end up in litigation if the outcome would have been better if the test would have been sooner. (it's not all good) But an MRI or CAT scan can be done after a phone call to the clinic, you leave the family doctor and drive to the clinic.
Your countrymen believe in economics of scale, "With the tax burden at around half of GDP, a survey July 2008 found that 81% of Danes are of the opinion that the public sector can deliver more service for the same money..." (1) I question and admit I have no answer, will that belief continue as the local control you have, is gradually erased to gain even greater advantages of scale? "i.e. in the number of city court circuits (from 82 to 24), police districts (from 54 to 12)"(1)
What's wrong with everyone paying for themselves? Individual responsibility anyone? Public roads benefit everyone, schools benefit everyone, military, law enforcement, streetlights, sidewalks, courts and republicly elected officials are examples of a legitimate tax burden. Nothing personal but 99.99% of the time, your healthcare is not my problem. If it's a global epidemic, yea spend like hell trying to end it. If your dieing of liver disease, and you drank like a fish I don't want to pay for you. Even better I don't want anyone else to have to make that decision either. Acceptation of the exceptions not withstanding, take care of yourself, and expect others to do the same.
Other details.. USA is not the only country overspending. "Denmark's national debt totals $493bn, more than Norway, but their slightly higher population of 5.5m means that their liabilities per capita is $89,853" (3)" It would seem that even at a 50 percent tax rate (plus a 25% Vat), you still can't tax more than you can spend to the tune of $90,000 per person. (If your interested, it's about $380,000 per person in the US) (4)
The us debt has a lot more to do with other spending than on health care...
Before Bush, we had a surplus.
False. We have not had a surplus for a long, long time.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:US_Federal_Debt_as_Percent_of_GDP_by_President.jpg
Record deficits have become record surpluses. This Administration has have moved the country from a deficit of $290 billion in FY 1992 to an expected surplus of $256 billion in FY 2001. Eight years ago, the Congressional Budget Office projected a $513 billion deficit in FY 2001. Thus, the fiscal picture is now projected to improve by $769 billion in FY 2001 alone.
Ok, I can see where you're coming from. Really the only way I see to fix the problem of surplus vs deficit would be to have everything put onto a separate accounting that shows all spending vs what was taken in.