I have considered moving to Canada. I heard it is a better country to raise a family and its has many long term opportunites. I will visit it soon and do research. Can you buy guns over there?? I love to have guns.
Everyone has their own opinion. It all depends on personal preference. Canada is generally considered more laid back than the USA. Our greatest asset is our land. 8.3 people/sq mile vs. USA @ 87.4 people/sq mile. You can buy guns, but you need to have a licence and register your firearms. Gun laws are much more strict here than USA.
Just want to comment about the..."not pay a cent"... Universal healthcare is paid for by higher taxes, in some form...(VAT, higher oil/fuel taxes, income taxes etc.)... What is a shame/scam is the fact that the US is spending approximately 16% of GDP on healthcare, and all the "socialist" countries of Europe and Canada is spending below 12%...for covering everybody...
Indeed. Obviously someone has to pay for healthcare. In Canada's case it is the taxpayer. I also believe you are correct in your Europe/Canada vs. USA cost comparison, although I have no clue about exact figures. Think of it like taking some money from the rich in order to pay for healthcare costs for the poor (those who don't pay taxes). I am a fiscal conservative, and abhore big government, but in the case of healthcare I support at least some government involvement. This is because a person who becomes sick or is in pain has no other option but to get treatment. That shouldn't result in them going bankrupt/losing their house (which is essentially like losing their life anyways, so why bother getting treatment?). Again, I'm no socialist by any means, but in the case of a fellow citizens health, if a nation is able to pool their resources so a man can get treatment without ruining his life, I think it is the decent thing to do. That being said, a universal healthcare system is certainly not without its share of problems...
I would just like to comment further on this statement by pointing out the fact that government spends a lot of money on such wasteful programs that if the fat can be trimmed elsewhere, in theory you wouldn't need to raise taxes.
I'd like to know how much money would be raised if all those who are presently uninsured (and presumably not paying any premiums) began paying premiums.
I don't know the answer to your question, but there are studies on what this care costs. In 2008, the estimate for health care provided to the uninsured was about $150 billion. This does not count Medicaid. This study estimated the cost in higher insurance premiums to be a little over $1000/family. http://keepamericaatwork.com/?p=5403 Seneca
Yes. You either put your money into Health Care Company profits or you put it into Government bureaucratic waste.