Socialized Medicine

[Explodicle]

Even if insurance was optional, most people would probably still want it because they're risk-averse with their health. In a Bitcoin world with no legal barriers, insurance will be only a tiny bit more expensive than saving anyways. IMHO the main reason we aren't seeing this already is because of Bitcoin exchange rate instability and our immature financial infrastructure.

Awesome insurance rates might turn out to be the "killer app" for Bitcoin.

[Brunic]

A really interesting article about Canada vs USA health care:
http://ayoungmomsmusings.blogspot.ca/2012/07/how-i-lost-my-fear-of-universal-health.html

I swear to never complain against the Canadian health care again. And as much I wanted to moved to USA a couple of years ago, now, it seems like a really unattractive place to live.

[AndrewBUD]

I live in a border city... I can drive to Michigan from Ontario in a matter of minutes.....


We have a very large amount of American's that come over and steal our healthcare.... From walk-in clinics to Emergency rooms... Go in with a Canadian's name and address and you get treated.

If you watch the Michael Moore movie "Sicko" you can see our local taco bell


We don't have the best healthcare in the world but IMO it works....  (my wife had gallstones, it took 3 trips to the emergency room and lots of morphine for anythign to be done)

[Brunic]

I live in a border city... I can drive to Michigan from Ontario in a matter of minutes.....


We have a very large amount of American's that come over and steal our healthcare.... From walk-in clinics to Emergency rooms... Go in with a Canadian's name and address and you get treated.

They complain about taxes and they use the healthcare paid with OUR taxes? Damn Americans, we should build a big wall on the border with armed guards so they stay outside our society...

[AndrewBUD]

bonne idée mon frère français


Good idea my french brother

[Brunic]

Comme on dit chez nous, c'est une TABARNAK! de bonne idée.

Like we say here, it's a [too awesome word to be translated] of a good idea.  

[AndrewBUD]

LoL.... It's a multiuse word....

[myrkul]

I've always loved this joke...

So a guy from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Quebec are all stranded in the desert. Miraculously they stumble upon a magical lamp and a genie appears from it. He explains to the three of them that he will send them all back home on the condition that they each make one wish first. The guy from Saskatchewan agrees to go first. He explains to the genie about how the lack of rain is making the soil unfertile in his province, and with that he is sent back to his home to find the most fertile soil he could ever imagine.

Then the guy from Quebec steps up. He tells the genie that Quebec is loosing it's heritage and unique culture. He says that he wants a bubble put over the entire province so that no one can get in, and no one can get out. In a flash, he is sent back to his home in Quebec and sees that there is in fact a large bubble covering the entire province.

The last of the three, the Albertan, is standing there laughing. The genie looks at him and asks what is so funny.

Still laughing, the Albertan looks up and says, "you know that bubble you just put over Quebec... fill it with water."

[Brunic]

I've always loved this joke...

So a guy from Alberta, Saskatchewan and Quebec are all stranded in the desert. Miraculously they stumble upon a magical lamp and a genie appears from it. He explains to the three of them that he will send them all back home on the condition that they each make one wish first. The guy from Saskatchewan agrees to go first. He explains to the genie about how the lack of rain is making the soil unfertile in his province, and with that he is sent back to his home to find the most fertile soil he could ever imagine.

Then the guy from Quebec steps up. He tells the genie that Quebec is loosing it's heritage and unique culture. He says that he wants a bubble put over the entire province so that no one can get in, and no one can get out. In a flash, he is sent back to his home in Quebec and sees that there is in fact a large bubble covering the entire province.

The last of the three, the Albertan, is standing there laughing. The genie looks at him and asks what is so funny.

Still laughing, the Albertan looks up and says, "you know that bubble you just put over Quebec... fill it with water."

Hahaha nice, didn't knew that one.

We have a tons of jokes about Newfies (from Newfoundland), but not about Albertans. It's not our fault, Alberta was inexistant for centuries until they found oil a couple of years ago. Now, they're slowly becoming our sworn enemies  

[myrkul]

We have a tons of jokes about Newfies...

 

[Brunic]

http://www.newfiejokes.net/   

The Newfie and the Genie


A drunk Newfie was stumbling home one day when he got lost and found himself in the bush. He fell to the ground and noticed a lamp. He picked it up, and rubbed it, and out came a genie.

"You have three wishes, choose them wisely." says the Genie.

The Newfie, looking down at his last, and empty, bottle of beer, smashes it on some rocks and says, "I want a beer that will never run out."

A bottle appears in front of the Newfie. He takes it, looks at it, and downs it. He looks at it again, and to his surprise, it was still full. The Newfie being very content starts walking away.

"Where are you going," asks the Genie, "You still have two wishes left!"

"Well," replies the Newfie, "Give me TWO more of these!"

[TheButterZone]

2 friends for life^?

[Brunic]

Got hit in the eye by the Aurora shooter, now in coma and owe 2 millions $ in health treatments.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/07/24/caleb-medley-health-insurance_n_1699092.html

Let's forget the fact that crazies can buy automatic rifles at the nearest Wal-mart to imitate the Joker. You really agree with the fact that, by some pure bad luck, any young adult of your country can be completely crippled physically and financially for life? Right now, friend of the dude are starting a fund on Internet to help pay the health care bill. You're going to tell me that USA care so little for their citizens that those citizens have to seek international help to be able to survive in their own country?

Something went wrong somewhere.

[TheButterZone]

Ever stop to think that maybe businesses could be competitive and charge fairly if there was actually a free market and not just crony capitalism/socialism in the U.S.?

[myrkul]

Something went wrong somewhere.

No argument there... But I think we might disagree on what and where.

[Brunic]

Ever stop to think that maybe businesses could be competitive and charge fairly if there was actually a free market and not just crony capitalism/socialism in the U.S.?

The problem is that business aim for profit. If, for some reason, a part of the population (like the poorest tier) is not profitable for many reasons, these businesses are certainly not going to offer their services to them.

My belief is that, for that part of the population, the government has the responsibility to take the loss and cover those people. And yeah, you should pay taxes as a citizen to offer that service.

Free market for vital needs suck, because there's always a part of the market where no profit can be made and no business want to go there.

No argument there... But I think we might disagree on what and where.

Yeah probably. I'm an outsider, and there's many informations that I don't have because I don't live in your country. The fact that you live differently, I have no problems with it. It's more that when I was young, I read about USA history, and I always had a great respect for what you accomplished. But right now, it's like looking at somebody for which I have a great respect completely going downhill and destroying itself.

[TheButterZone]

So you plunder private wealth to prop up businesses run by closet assholes who want to rely upon plundered wealth instead of admitting "we're assholes, not charities".

Fuck that tyrannical bullshit.

[myrkul]

No argument there... But I think we might disagree on what and where.

Yeah probably. I'm an outsider, and there's many informations that I don't have because I don't live in your country. The fact that you live differently, I have no problems with it. It's more that when I was young, I read about USA history, and I always had a great respect for what you accomplished. But right now, it's like looking at somebody for which I have a great respect completely going downhill and destroying itself.

Imagine how it would feel if you not just respected that person, but loved them greatly, and knew you could not save them from their addiction? That's how I feel about it. It's really depressing, actually.

The problem is that business aim for profit. If, for some reason, a part of the population (like the poorest tier) is not profitable for many reasons, these businesses are certainly not going to offer their services to them.

Even the poorest person in America (well, excepting the homeless - that's another kettle of fish entirely) has a color television. Even many homeless people have cell phones. One of the best way to get profits is to give as many people as possible what they want, for the lowest price possible. That's Wal-mart's strategy, and it's working fine for them.

Medical care is no different, it can be provided cheaply, and efficiently, by doctors competing to get your business. Heh. I've noticed Walmart is absorbing other services, as well (my local one has a bank, an optometrist's, and a hair stylist in it, not to mention the McDonalds and arcade) Imagine if Walmart opened a medical clinic over by the pharmacy?

[Brunic]

So you plunder private wealth to prop up businesses run by closet assholes who want to rely upon plundered wealth instead of admitting "we're assholes, not charities".

Fuck that tyrannical bullshit.

Yeah, that's it! You understand exactly my point. The only thing different is that your "private wealth", you were able to have it because of the society around you. You couldn't accumulate the same wealth while living in Antarctica, because you don't have the society support around you.

The trick is, if you are able to increase your wealth because of the society, you should give back a little part of it, so another of your citizen have the same chance of increasing his own wealth, and give a back a part of it, etc. You can see the phenomenon with professional sport leagues like the NFL and the NHL. I don't know too much about the NFL, but the NHL, since the last lock-out of 2004-2005, has created a wealth distribution system through the league. And you know what? The league break revenues records year after year since 2005 because the poorest teams can still build a competitive team, that attracts fans, that create new revenues, new wealth and create a nice loop.

Medical care is no different, it can be provided cheaply, and efficiently, by doctors competing to get your business. Heh. I've noticed Walmart is absorbing other services, as well (my local one has a bank, an optometrist's, and a hair stylist in it, not to mention the McDonalds and arcade) Imagine if Walmart opened a medical clinic over by the pharmacy?

It would be nice if it was the situation. But right now, you got millions of people without health insurance, and you NEED to cover them. You're gambling with your human potential for money and political reasons. Insure them, whatever the cost is. You can pay yourself a war in Irak that gives nothing back? I'm pretty sure you can pay for health insurance that certainly gives a return. If the businesses can't fill the hole, the government has to.

Imagine how it would feel if you not just respected that person, but loved them greatly, and knew you could not save them from their addiction? That's how I feel about it. It's really depressing, actually.

Yeah, that's pretty shitty. I hope you guys find a solution. Bitcoin supports you 

[foggyb]

Everyone I have met in europe loves their medical system.

Every child loves their parents.

This is like giving a positive review of a car of which 2% of all sold explode randomly, killing the occupant.