Originally Posted by greytone

Many of the posts coming from people in Canada since my last post point out the main reason I am opposed to socialized health care. I think it permanently confirms the point of view that health care is a "right" which I think is antethetical to the historical American point of view. This is not bashing; I just think we need to go back to the understanding that the only rights are life, liberty, and the pursuit (not acheivement) of happiness. Anything that is the product of another person's labor can not be someone elses right. That includes food, clothing, shelter, and healthcare. I understand that most people in the world disagree with this and I can respect that. But it frightens me that so many people here a drifting that way. I am still not sure if the end of the cold war meant the Soviet block becoming Westernized or the West becoming Socialized. That may be a little off the point, but it is the biggest reason I am opposed to a national healthcare system. But I am coming to realize that would be a better solutions than expanding medicare to everyone and leaving us private. Because that system with a monopoly payer would collapse.

Originally Posted by jorgelito

(I have split) The main parties appear to be:

1. Doctors/nurses etc - health care providers
2. Patients - consumers

3. Insurance industry
4. Litigation industry

5. Government

The trick is how to distribute money for services and protect patients at the same time at a reasonable cost, maximize prodctivity, efficiency and increase overall health/well-being of a given society.

So, since everyone points the finger at the other: not paid enough, cost too much, insurance too much etc., compromise seems unlikely. But there has to be a way to compromise otherwise it's deadlocked no?