Having read through several of the healthcare debates, I have a serious question with a scenario of a recent friend of mine, for those both for and against socialized (or nationalized or whatever) health care.
Suppose Tom leaves high school and decides to go play baseball at a private university because he has an academic and athletic partial scholarship. Four years later he graduates with honors and has acquired roughly $20K in debt for a 100K education (I'd say thats a good deal). Then he decides to go to medical school and works up $250K in debt. Lets even go so far and say he wants to be a surgeon with 5 years of training where the interest on his loan of which only $100K is in low interest (<3%) and he ends up finishing his training with roughly $310K in debt.
So he decides to be a true doctor and work in a rural setting where docs are needed. In his first year he bills $150K in unpaid medicaid and medicare fees and private insurance. He then does over $300K in indigent (immigrant, uninsured or otherwise) work for which he receives nothing.
Now, he works hard and has billed over $1,000,000 in revenue in his first year. By the time he pays his taxes for his business, his personnel, his malpractice, his rent, office costs, and everything else he makes a grand $150K form which he has to pay a mortgage, taxes, and school loans.
The question I have to those who agree with nationalized healthcare.
Why is it fair that the doctor goes to school and training for 13 years after high school and has to work for the government (that will the only insurance left under ObamaCare)?
Why is it wrong for the doctor to expect payment just like the plumber gets paid when he is called, or the electrician, or better yet your mortgage company?
I want to know why a student feels like its ok not to have health coverage when schools provide options for it (they have too legally at all ages) and then complains about the bills when they get sick?
When did the US people start thinking everything should be free, and if healthcare everywhere else is better, why don't the people who don't want to work or pay their bills or healthcare leave to other countries with free healthcare?
I think docs everywhere, especially the pediatricians who get screwed, should make at least $500K/year. I think the hospitals should be able to deny care to illegal aliens unless they agree to pay something (even if its a quarter). Why not demand responsibility.
Why not let docs set a fee schedule and require insurance to pay for it, or else be unable to cover health?
Why can a doctor not tell a CEO of an insurer that he demands everything he has in order to treat his disease since the insurance companies have been making billions and yet their pay scales have continued to decrease the past 10 years?
I got angry after seeing a 23 year old recent college grad say he shouldn't have to buy health insurance and yet he shouldn't have to pay for healthcare either. Is this really the road the US is headed? The scenario above is an example of a friend of mine who just finished a surgical residency and now works in rural Mississippi.
I want responses both for and against because although I am not and Obama fan, he at least told the companies owing TARP money that they couldn't pay out obscene bonuses.