• Dojan@lemmy.world
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    1 year ago

    It’s the same people that don’t get socialised healthcare. Union fees are like a tax that’s used to pay people to do work for you, in the case of worker unions, people that negotiate working conditions, benefits, and wages, in addition to lawyers that can both offer legal advice and representation should you be in need of it.

    Here in Sweden we have lots of different unions. We have a tenants union that negotiate rent increases, ensure that landlords do their end of the contract, and will help you with legal proceedings should it be required.

    There are also various “customer owned” institutions, like my bank, insurance company, and the grocery store I get most of my groceries from. The goal isn’t necessarily massive profits, but enough to sustain and develop the services, with surplus going back to the owners, that is the customers.

    It just makes sense. We all make use of schools as children, so funding that with taxes makes sense. It ensures everyone gets a good education, and at least one good meal per day. Same thing applies to healthcare.

    • SARGEx117@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      My mother WORKS IN HEALTHCARE as the intermediary for the hospital network and the insurance companies.

      She literally sees the Financials of people every fucking day.

      And still she thinks socialized Healthcare would tank the entire US. I’ve shown charts, studies, anecdotal evidence out the wazoo (which is where anecdotal evidence usually comes from) But no, I can’t possibly be right about this, it would mean someone who got stabbed will have to wait on 600 people with the sniffles to be seen by a doctor in 6 months. Because I guess in socialized medicine, triage doesn’t exist? You can’t logic someone out of a position they didn’t logic themselves into.

      • amio@kbin.social
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        1 year ago

        It’s always hard to get someone to realize a fact that would damage their paycheck.

        • SpaceNoodle@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          I’ve actually talked to some health insurance drones that told me they’d gladly be out of a job due to universal healthcare.

          • amio@kbin.social
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            1 year ago

            Sure. People need to earn a living, after all. I’m talking more about general tendencies (unless you want to be extremely literal about that “always”) in how people take in new information. Messing with ego, preconceptions, tribal status or money are great ways to make that really difficult.

      • Dojan@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        I don’t think the system would change that much, save for insurance companies not having a say in the healthcare a patient receives. It’s ridiculous that insurance companies come before the health of the patient.

        Here in Sweden, if you have the sniffles, you don’t see a doctor. There’s nothing a doctor can do for you. If you get really ill, you go to the ER. Assuming you’re not actively dying, someone who gets stabbed will absolutely go before you. The ER doesn’t operate on a first-come-first-serve basis. If you come to the ER with the sniffles you’ll get to wait for a long-ass time, and at most they’ll send you home with some antipyretics and a suggestion to book a time at a clinic if your problems persist.

        There are obviously issues. Gods do we have issues. In general though, the quality of care here in Sweden is ranked higher than that of the U.S.

        • SARGEx117@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Honestly I don’t see how it could be LOWER. I have a very dim view of the US Healthcare system, particularly where insurance companies are concerned.

          Why do the surgery that only has a 93% chance of success that will give the person use of their legs, that costs $250,000 when a $300 wheelchair will get them from A to B.

          Given that I have had to wait MONTHS for an appointment before, and my primary care Dr I have to schedule 2 months in advance, when people complain that they’ll have to wait longer than a week to see a doctor I wonder who they fucked over to get Healthcare that quickly.

          • Dojan@lemmy.world
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            1 year ago

            Wait times differ greatly depending on where you are and what kind of care you’re seeking. I moved a couple of weeks ago, and decided to try and deal with my hot-flashes issue. Last Tuesday I opened an issue with my clinic, and I got an appointment for Thursday that week. In my old town I had a previously recurrent health issue that had me waiting for four months to see someone.

            Sadly politics plays a part too. In the U.K. for example, if you’re a trans person and you’re seeking medical care your case will bounce around endlessly, and you might not ever see the care you need. Same procedures for cis-people can be organised really fast though. Philosophy tube made a really good video on the issue.

            It’s also not uncommon for clinics to be understaffed, and the workers to be overworked. This obviously can also lead to issues. I’ve a friend whose cousin died because they didn’t recognise his type of cancer quick enough, despite him seeking help for it frequently. They honestly didn’t really look for it until they faked him passing out, prompting them to take him seriously.

      • porkins@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        My problem with paying more taxes so everyone gets healthcare is that I put in the work, so that I get to see premium doctors. The socialized system lowers the incentive for there to be a spectrum of quality care. Instead you get the government standard, which is going to be like the DMV of healthcare. You are getting as good as can be what is offered to all, which is the antithesis of a capitalist system where your benefit from the fruits of your labor with a variety of options. The person on welfare with ten kids and no job shouldn’t get access to the same doctors as me, a working professional who knows not to have kids until I can afford them.

        • SARGEx117@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          What a long winded way to say “I am a piece of shit who likes to see others suffer, because feel I am superior.”

          Either you stand to unfairly gain from the current system, or you’re an idiot who not only listens to companies like Walmart tell you about “welfare queens” but buys it hook line and sinker.

          Or you’re a troll, I guess.

          Because if you think what you pay in premiums is less than what you’d pay with properly managed universal healthcare, you’re simply stupid. Not ignorant, stupid. Unable or unwilling to learn.

          • porkins@sh.itjust.works
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            1 year ago

            Because they have kids when they can’t afford them and I don’t do that. They are a burden on society by making bad decisions. I don’t hate them, but feel that they shouldn’t get handouts for being failures.

            • Swedneck@discuss.tchncs.de
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              1 year ago

              Because they’re miserable egocentrics who would rather accrue wealth than help their fellow man.

              Now, what have poor people done to deserve to suffer?

              • intensely_human@lemm.ee
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                1 year ago

                You seem to be arguing that rich people are bad people and poor people are good people, categorically.

                Did I summarize that right?

        • Dojan@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          My problem with paying more taxes so everyone gets healthcare is that I put in the work, so that I get to see premium doctors.

          The U.S. spends the most on healthcare in the world, yet doesn’t have as good quality of healthcare as most countries with socialised healthcare. I get what you’re saying, and even ignoring the obvious social issues it raises, the system you’re defending just doesn’t work unless you’re obscenely rich.

          If you’re on Lemmy I don’t think you’re obscenely rich.

        • GreyEyedGhost@lemmy.ca
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          1 year ago

          Everyone else is (rightly) shooting on you for hating poor people. And there is some validity to what you’re saying about some portion of the poor adults you’re talking about. So the question you should be looking at is, “How do I get there to be less poor people?” Sure you could suggest a modest proposal, or you could promote ideas to minimize those poor children growing up to be poor adults. So what things make poor kids grow up to be poor adults? Well, the three biggest you’re going to see are lack of education, poor health and nutrition, and poor housing security. If you look at the numbers for anywhere else in the world, you’ll see that unless you’re fabulously wealthy you will generally see better health outcomes from universal healthcare, and it will probably cost you less, too. Properly funding public education is another key factor in making sure those poor kids have every chance to not be poor adults. Whiles you’re at it, keep funding those school lunch programs. Don’t worry, for every dollar spent on those, the economy sees multiple dollars of improvement. Housing can get a bit expensive, and even if you just did those other two, you would be doing a lot to reduce the number of poor kids who grow up to be poor adults. Now, if you were so outrageous as to propose police reforms to the point where the kids are less afraid of the cops than they are of the local gangs, that might be a benefit, too. Granted, none of this is quick or easy.

          When it comes down to it, poor people are always going to cost something to deal with. You can worry about health, education, housing and social assistance, or you can worry about policing, jail, and supports and corrections for children. Neither option is free.