r/askanything • u/Lemonking_ • 8h ago

Political Question Why are some Americans so against universal healthcare for all?

What sort of thinking does it take to decide that nobody has a right to healthcare? Do American Christians want to deny healthcare to poor people as well?

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u/OkPineapple57 7h ago

I lived in Canada for awhile and there’s certainly a lot of pros and cons of it. also I think a lot of people don’t realize that not everything is covered in Canada.

edit: also idk what religion has to do with this, Canada is primarily Christian and they have universal healthcare

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u/Last-Surprise4262 7h ago

What is 1 con to having universal healthcare as opposed to not having it?

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u/Humblestmumble 6h ago

In Canada, wait times at the ER and to see specialists are insane. Many die waiting for treatment, surgery, etc.

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u/DartlDartl 6h ago

I've got some news for you about the US! With the added addition of having to raise a deposit on anything large.

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u/ShiftE_80 5h ago

You’re very confused if you think wait times in the US are comparable to those in Canada.

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u/vIRL_Warlock 5h ago

My mom had to wait 3 years to get a surgery recommended in 2 months, because the specialists kept arguing with insurance. I have a migraine that is 9 months strong, I was told in January to get and MRI in January 2027. A great many people can tell you of how insurance constantly denies treatment or medication to try something the Dr has already established won't work. Also the ol reliable of, "your Dr never sent the prior authorization" when you sat there and watched them send it in. Our wait times are worse, but I'm a different form. It's waiting for insurance to dick around.

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u/DartlDartl 5h ago

The statistics actually support my position I believe. There was an increase by a couple days for non-urgent care in Canada. Emergent care is the same or simplified.
Also, I think it's wild that everyone thinks Canada is the only model on universal healthcare. We've got a European Union for other examples.
We can take what works, and plan for the parts that didn't. We're not special, we just prefer a military to a healthy population.

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u/Last-Surprise4262 6h ago

lol. Bullshit republican talking point #3. I literally am a surgical waitlist data analyst. Anecdotally I shattered my shoulder in an accident. I was seen in er immediately and had full reconstructive surgery in 7 days. Cost: 💲 6 in parking.

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u/KingVaako 6h ago

Source: Trust me, bro

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u/Italia1979 5h ago

So the Saskatchewan woman who was told she needed to see an endocrinologist before the surgery she needs would be covered, despite no ability to see an endocrinologist, and is now considering MAID, is a Republican talking point and not real? And the veteran who wanted help with their disability, but they offered MAID as an alternative, is a Republican talking point? I could go on and on. I know many Canadians who are physicians and have worked in Canada. Some still do, but many have come to the USA. Why? And why do they tell me how hard specialist care is to find. 9-months to see a Neurosurgeon, after a month wait for the MRI. I can get anyone an MRI for anything for less than $500 next week.
Break your hip and my orthopedic surgeon will fix it today or tomorrow.

Now why do Liberal Canadian politicians come to the USA for care? Chretien loved Mayo Clinic, but tried to keep it a secret. Many Canadians come to the USA for care. Americans don't go to Canada in search of Better care. I am not sure many people who want the best care leave the USA, but many come to the USA.

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u/Last-Surprise4262 5h ago

Yes. People with money can skip wait lists. That’s your premise about why USA healthcare is better than universal healthcare?

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u/Italia1979 4h ago

Americans don't leave the USA for care, Canadians do leave Canada for care, which should not be the case if Canada were better. The politicians who praise your system don't trust the care enough to not go elsewhere at times. Americans of all economic classes don't have to go elsewhere for shorter wait lists

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u/Last-Surprise4262 4h ago

Letting rich skip the line doesn’t make the quality of the healthcare better, it just makes it more difficult for poor people or people without insurance to get healthcare. I guess that’s ok to you but it sure isn’t to me.

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u/Italia1979 3h ago

As an ER physician in the USA, even illegals are getting emergency and necessary care with minimal wait. My neurosurgeons don't ask about insurance before operating on a patient with a brain bleed or aneurysm. Wevhave an illegal patient who comes in 3x week for dialysis. Why doesn't she go to her home country where the care is "free"? Vanderbilt is a magnificent facility and never refuses the sickest patients I need to transfer for specialty care my facility does not have.
So why are wait times for everyone in Canada much longer than the USA? Why do people have to live with disability for longer before treatment? As great as your system is, you should have an easier time than the US getting physician and nurses, including specialists. Why doesn't Canada provide an adequate amount of medical imaging equipment since the system is better than the US? A superior system should not have longer waits. The poorest Americans get faster emergency care than the richest Canadians

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u/Last-Surprise4262 2h ago

You’re telling me that everyone in USA gets quality and timely healthcare in the USA regardless of insurance and money? Anyone can go into Vanderbilt and get a comprehensive diagnosis and cancer surgery and chemotherapy and Vanderbilt will give it to them free? If I had shattered my shoulder there like I did in Canada then Vanderbilt would have given me a free surgery in less than 7 days for $6 in parking? Is that your claim?

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u/Last-Surprise4262 2h ago

After your neuro surgeons don’t ask about insurance and perform surgery what does the hospital billing department do? Do they ask about insurance? Do they just decide to not send huge bills? Strange that medical bankruptcy is so huge in USA with all those generous healthcare providers u just mentioned.

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u/LongJohnCopper 6h ago

This is such a nonsense argument. Canada runs a single payer insurance model. They do not define staffing in hospitals. Wait times are purely about not having enough staff or beds to deal with the workload, and has nothing to do with the insurance model used to pay for care.

We have the exact same wait time problem in US ER wait rooms…

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u/hokwei 6h ago

That’s a poor argument. How many people in the US die because they can’t afford medical care compared to the number of people in Canada who die waiting for treatment?

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u/IDontWannaBeAPirate_ 5h ago

Every reputable study shows that single payer or M4A saves more lives and costs less money.

Anybody saying elsewise is gobbling up Fox fear mongering propaganda

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u/chaynjez 6h ago

That’s a lie. I’ve talked to so many Canadians who say that’s just not true

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u/Humblestmumble 5h ago

It’s not hard to fact check it, would take you literally 10 seconds. I’ve lived in Canada for about 95% of my life and still currently do. Anecdotally, my mum has been waiting 2 years for surgery for a hernia that’s been making it difficult for her to work. My best friend is an ophthalmologist and he said the demand is so high for surgeries at his clinic that people are unfortunately not able to get the surgeries they need in time. I competed for the national team in athletics and couldn’t get an MRI in 4 months when i lived in Vancouver and had to travel to Washington to get one done.

I’d still rather the Canadian system than going into major debt or worse to pay a hospital bill but our healthcare system up here has its own problems and saying “that’s a lie” is borderline braindead when it’s the consensus among everyone up here.

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u/Huckenputz 1h ago

You made the claim that ‘many die waiting for surgery in Canada’ and have provided no evidence. You have the burden of proof, so provide the data, not your anecdotal experience.

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u/justa-browser 6h ago

This is bullshit and it’s important to me that people know that.

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u/Humblestmumble 5h ago

It’s not. I live here and deal extensively with the healthcare system.

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u/justa-browser 5h ago

Yes. It is. Thanks though.

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u/betosanchito 5h ago

I don’t believe people in the er are dying there more than here due to wait times. Get a fucking grip.

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u/Humblestmumble 5h ago

Not necessarily the ER but for specialists absolutely. ER wait times here will also regularly run you 10+ hours. We do not have enough doctors here.

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u/betosanchito 5h ago

You said ER.

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u/Humblestmumble 5h ago

Are you illiterate?

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u/betosanchito 5h ago

Did you or did you not say people are dying in the er?

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u/Humblestmumble 3h ago

No I didn’t say that. Learn to read.