Do people 'deserve' universal health care?

[icey]

it's always amazed me that the richest most powerful country in the world charges everyone for medical help even those that cant afford it!

I have a significant objection to the government using its power of lethal force to threaten me with imprisonment or death so they can take money I earned and plan to spend on my family for the benefit of others. That should be my decision.

ok, i can appreciate what you're saying but and here's hoping it will never happen, you hit on hard times you have zilch and one of your loved ones or yourself needs treatment? perhaps serious and costly treatment, would you still have the same opinion?
and rather than argue that that would be different because you've previously always worked payed taxes etc therefore you've earned it...imagine you've been brought up in a life/world that never gave you any chance, born disabled or a million other things and you never had chance to earn a living pay taxes etc...then what? would you be less deserving simply because of circumstances? or would you be glad of that ''lethal government''
hell our nhs system may be under funded and might f**k up sometimes but if we didnt have it then my sister would have died when she was 11 and a few other people i know would either be dead or extremely ill (myself included lol) oh and yep my family have always worked and paid their taxes and ni!
im sorry but thats something i think the US does need to seriously think about and update.
at the risk of causing an uproar, im curious and this is a serious questionas i really dont know how the system works, do those who choose to join forces and fight in wars and get injured have to pay for their own medical care?? and please note i say those who CHOSE ...because i will be totally honest in my book it s sooo wrong and unjust if people CHOOSE to physically or mentally endanger themselves for a living and get paid pretty well for doing so get free healthcare in a system that doesnt normally work that way.

[bellelapine]

One of the massive problems that come from programs such as this is that people who are in true need are often the first ones denied such. It goes to those who never attempt to make out a living, who never try to scratch a way out of the gutter simply because they don't make any money nor ever have.
Case in point. My mother had a stroke last year. She has busted her ass for years (as has my father), paid her taxes and I had thought maybe paid her dues. She is disabled on her right side and has numerous other health issues now that prevent her from working. It took A YEAR for them to achieve any help whatsoever. And even then she had to take a psychiatric evaluation, a physical, a second opinion, a physical therapist's opinion, a 'work-ability' evaluation, ect. Now tell me why is it that programs that are put into place to help those in these dire situations get told things like "Oh I'm sorry your husband makes 1200 a month, your income is too high." Yet those who have never contributed a dime to society get handed money and a place to live (my parents were evicted the month after my Mother's stroke) because they opened their legs or because they were born in a bad area?
Why should my taxes go to people who depend on the altruistic beliefs of the populace when I can better put that money to those who get shafted? Or a savings account to prepare for my own illness or disability in the future?
If you're going to have programs to 'save the poor' why not have the programs be spread equally across the people who need it? Not tell them that I'm sorry Divorice your husband of 24 years and we'll talk. Not tell them, I'm sorry you're the wrong colour for assistance (My mom heard that one too).
This is very obviously a touchy subject to me.