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Should the United States have Universal health care?

Universal health care means the government provides basic health care coverage to all citizens - though exactly what meets the criteria for basic health care is hard to define. Its proponents assert that health care is a right of every citizen, while its opponents suggest that health care is like any other service, and therefore should be privately paid for. Furthermore, they suggest that everyone would benefit from the efficiency that would come with privatization.

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Experts In Politics

Barack Obama United States President

Agree

Universal health care for every single American must not be a question of whether, it must be a question of how. We have the ideas, we have the resources, and we will have universal health care in this country by the end of the next president's first term.

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25 Jan 2007 Source

Hillary Clinton US Secretary of State 2009-, Democrat

Agree

I believe absolutely passionately that we must have universal health care. It is a moral responsibility and a right for our country, and... I have put forth a plan similar to what Senator Edwards had before he left the race that would move us to universal health care.

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31 Jan 2008 Source

Bill Bradley U.S. Senator

Agree

Good health is a blessing, not a guarantee, but good health care is a right and it's up to use to ensure that right for every American.

The Moral Pitch

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28 Sep 2008 Source

Experts In Investing

Donald Trump American Business Magnate

Agree

Our people are our greatest asset. We must take care of our own. We must have universal healthcare.

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02 Jul 2000 Source

Disagree

Experts In Politics

John McCain U.S. Senator, Republican

Disagree

I don’t think that there should be a mandate for every American to have health insurance. I think that one of our goals should be that every American own their own home, but I’m not going to mandate that every American own their own home. I think that every American should have, be available to, an affordable college education. But I’m not going to mandate that every American go to college. I feel the same way about health care.

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31 Oct 2007 Source

Arnold Schwarzenegger Governor of California 2003-2011

Disagree

I must veto SB 840 because I cannot support a government-run health care system. Socialized medicine is not the solution to our state’s health care problems.

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05 Sep 2008 Source

Ron Paul U.S. Politician, Libertarian

Disagree

[E]xcessive regulation, immoral mandates, and short-sighted incentives have created a system where no one is happy, doctors pass quickly from one patient to the next, insurance is expensive to get and difficult to maintain, and politicians place corporate interests ahead of their constituents... Repeal ObamaCare and end its unconstitutional mandate that all Americans must carry only government-approved health insurance or answer to the IRS.

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21 Dec 2011 Source

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0 Points Nashhinton 20 Apr 2013 Stance on Question: Agree

Universal healthcare should be implemented.

0 Points MTC 23 Feb 2013 Stance on Question: Agree

Yes. Everyone should have access to healthcare, not just those who can afford it.

0 Points blacktrance 11 Feb 2011 Stance on Question: Disagree

Health care reform is desirable, but it needs to be made more market-based rather than have increased government involvment.

-1 Point windsong 08 Dec 2011 General Comment

It's not just the poor that are having trouble acquiring healthcare. It is everyone! Poor, middle class, self-employed, small business, and even big companies are passing more and more of the costs on to their employees. The current healthcare system does NOT Work! Period! The private sector of insurance carriers have known for decades people are struggling and cannot afford the skyrocketing costs of insurance premiums yet they continue to increase them! Without government help the private insurances are NOT going to change anything! We already have a universal healthcare system to some extent for millions! REGARDLESS OF RICH OR POOR WE HAVE PUBLIC SCHOOLS, POLICE, FIRE DEPT, WHY NOT HEALTHCARE.

MEDICAID- COVERS MILLIONS
MEDICARE- COVERS MILLIONS
VETERANS- COVERS MILLIONS
GOVERNMENT LEADERS/STATE WORKERS-COVERS THOUSANDS
PRISONS- COVERS THOUSANDS
ALL PAID FOR BY OUR TAX DOLLARS! WHY NOT EXPAND THAT FOR EVERYONE?

1 Point the27th 09 May 2010 Stance on Question: Mostly Disagree

My position is a bit complicated.

Do I support Obama/Pelosi's health bill? No, absolutely not.
Do I think health care needs reform? Yes, and badly.

Essentially, the health care market is broken. Insurance comes with perverse incentives that make health care unnaturally expensive and poor quality. Reforms to bring health care closer to a free market -- mainly, ending the subsidy for health insurance -- would make health care much cheaper and more easily available. With the savings from reform, we could afford to subsidize health care (perhaps in the form of vouchers or health savings accounts) for low-income Americans, and I think we should do so. That's "universal health care" of a sort, but it's definitely not universal health insurance.

0 Points Lulu 06 Sep 2008 Editorial Comment

McCain's opinion on whether US should socialize healthcare seems to refer to idea of making private health cover compulsory rather than whether there should be government-run/funded healthcare.... am i wrong?

Should the United States have Universal health care?

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