The Selfishness of the USA

[stepanstas]

Originally Posted by Outback

You know i just thought of something, and i'd be shocked if i'm the only one who has thought of it as well. Mexico has a great health care system. They get sick, they come to America and get treated for free, then they either get caught and get a free trip back or they stay and get all sorts of tax free jobs. Has anyone tried doing this to Canada? They have free health care too, but do they treat everyone like the US does or do you have to prove something first? How's their economy doing? Maybe we should have a mass immigration to Canada and see how they handle it! OMG it's nearly brilliant!

Hahaha, you're right. I don't know why people keep saying the US has the best health care system. Mexico far exceeds that.

It really makes you wonder why so many people from other countries want USA to have health care so bad. Do they really care about these people so much?

One minor correction point on your thought.
1. Cross the border to the USA
2. Pretend you are still in Mexico
3. Earn money by doing jobs that "Americans don't want to do"
4. Go to the hospital for free
5. Cry about being illegal
6. Rally on USA streets "si se pweda" or whatever ("yes we can" in Spanish)
7. Support a president that will make you legal

HOLY COW. I REALIZED WHILE WRITING POINT NUMBER 6. COULD THAT BE WERE 'YES WE CAN' CAME FROM?

[Outback]

Originally Posted by stepanstas

It really makes you wonder why so many people from other countries want USA to have health care so bad. Do they really care about these people so much?

I assume you mean everyone wants us to have "universal, free, or affordable" health care. Well it's easy for one country to say "You Should Do This!" when they don't have to do anything about it themselves. If one of the ways to pay for this system was to raise the tax on exports from the US i guarantee you the rest of the world would be against it.

[Gotno Gizmo]

Forgive me for reopening this thread slightly out of the previous context, but it is a helath issue, although one that concerns my country and myself.
In previous posts we have argued about if a person should be forced to pay for health insurance.
I have have paid health health insurance along with my employer has also made employer's contributions in the form of compulsory National Insurance Contributions to the UK Government. In my case payments were made over more than 50 years and the total payments over this time must equal many thousands of UK Pounds.
Now I am retired and spending much of my time in the Ukraine it seems I am in danger of being denied Nationa Health Service Care when I request on return to my home land.
I attach an article from a leading British newspaper that will explain:-

British pensioners living abroad for more than half the year are to be denied free Health Service treatment.
Such ex-patriates will now have to pay for NHS care back in Britain no matter how much they have contributed in tax and National Insurance over the years.
The Government move will hit thousands who have retired to the Spanish costas or southern France.
Although ex-patriates stand to lose out, the move is largely a response to abuse of the Health Service by asylum seekers and illegal immigrants.
Thousands of so - called 'health tourists' enjoy free treatment, putting a huge strain on the NHS and making British patients wait for beds.
Ministers have pledged to crack down on this fraud, using a rule made in 1989 that those who have spent three months abroad have to pay for treatment in the UK.
The Department of Health has no figures for the number of people who have been made to pay under this rule - evidence that the legislation has not been enforced.
The period abroad is now being extended to six months - but officials will start to vigorously enforce it and pensioners will have to pay in advance for care. Non-pensioners living abroad will also be denied free NHS care, but the 'disqualifying' period has not yet been set.
An Age Concern spokesman said: "Pensioners are going to be very concerned about this because of the implications it has, particularly for long-term health care or those who have terminal illnesses and need to be near family members back in Britain.
In May, the Centre for Policy Studies revealed that abuse of the NHS by asylum seekers is so widespread it is becoming known as the 'International Health Service'.
The influential think-tank warned that some 'health tourists' have even run up bills for treatment of £50,000 which the taxpayer is left to shoulder.
The total cost of HIV treatment and care in 2001 was £165million but last year it soared to £ 345million. An influx of asylum seekers with HIV is thought to be to blame.
Tory health spokesman Liam Fox said: "There could be no clearer betrayal of hardworking British citizens than to deprive our own pensioners of the use of the NHS to which they have contributed throughout their lives at a time when health tourists and illegal asylum seekers are making use of these very facilities."
Health Minister John Hutton said the Government is using powers brought in by the Tories. Doubling the period to six months strikes 'a much fairer balance', he added.
Health officials said guidelines on NHS charges will be issued this week

Read more: Ex-pat pensioners denied NHS treatment | Mail Online

[Hannia]

GG,

Here in States Medicare (for retirees) only picks up if you live in country. Medicare will pick up out of country, only when traveling and you have medical emergency. Retirees who are ex pats get nothing, not even six months, and we also contribute throughout our working lives.

You can continue collecting your Social Security/ pension as long as you return annually and pay taxes.

Nowadays in order to be an ex pat one has to have quite a stash of cash and then some.

[AkMike]

[QUOTE=Gotno Gizmo;103868]

Now I am retired and spending much of my time in the Ukraine [QUOTE]

What kind of visa do you have to spend more than 90 out of 180 days there at a time???

[Gotno Gizmo]

Originally Posted by Hannia

If you get sick, you're on your own, and will be excluded from any govt medicaid whatsoever. If you can't pay for medical treatment, that is your own problem. If you get so sick that you die, too bad. The world is overpopulated as is.
I think that is only fair.

Looking back through some of the previous posts in this thread I am content that the "Selfishness of the USA" was a truly deserved thread title. Many contributors to this thread have demonstrated my idea about so many Americans, that "as long as I'm doing fine I couldn't give a damn about anyone else"!

Even with your current financial problems, on average, you are still living pretty well compared with most people in the world, including those I walk amongst on the streets of Lugansk. It is an indictment upon your nation, that despite your comparitive wealth, that children who couldn't help being born into a poor family are dependant upon a charitable organisation to ensure that they shall not go hungry.
See the attached website page.
Jeff Bridges to Launch Campaign Against Childhood Hunger in National Press Club Address - Yahoo! News

[Hannia]

GG,

You are quoting me out of context ! I would like to think that this was not deliberate.

Stepan,

I agree that you should not be forced to buy health insurance, however I do think that in not agreeing to do so, you should be made to sign a legal waiver.

If you get sick, you're on your own, and will be excluded from any govt medicaid whatsoever. If you can't pay for medical treatment, that is your own problem. If you get so sick that you die, too bad. The world is overpopulated as is.

I think that is only fair.

= icon for sarcastic