"Healthcare system not to be improved in the near future...or ever'

Although I'm an advocate for our president, Barack Obama, I believe that a universal health care plan will not work...or happen in the near future. Although I would love to see restrictions put on medical practitioners, I think there will no compromise between government and the health care system in the end. Canada offers their citizens a universal health care program and the United States does not. Most people claim that they "pay outrageous amounts of taxes" and "that's why we are better off with a free reign." This is not completely true. A single citizen pays 31.6% tax in Canada whereas in the United States we pay about 29.1% in taxes. As a married citizen with two children you will pay approximately 21.5% in taxes and 11.9% here in the United States. In Indiana sales tax is 8%; in Canada the most expensive sales tax region is 15.25% on Prince Edward Island. Sure, this is higher than we currently pay, but are the extra few percentage points worth it?

I hear others discussing how the poor are taking advantage of the middle class for their use of health care assistance programs. Though they are already fortunate to have health care from their parent's place of work or other means, no one considers the other side of the spectrum. For most of my life I have lived without health care and have had to bear the costs of getting any medical attention. Instead of the $20 co-pay that most have, we have to pay the full amount. You're sick and need medication before it's serious? That'll be $100. Medicine? Forget a $10 generic prescription, because now it's $30. Not only do you feel horrible because of the ailment you got from someone, but you are now down $130 because you cannot afford in the first place because of the situation you or your parents are in being in and out of jobs.

This past year I have been to the doctor way too many times to count. I have had these horrific sores growing about my mouth for the past years and it got serious. I saw a couple of specialist doctors, of which the horrible insurance we DID have, rejected to pay. Not only do I now owe over $500 in doctor visits, but I owe another $2,000 for having a fancy camera go down my throat while passed out so that I could get some sweet body shots of my esophagus (usually called a endoscopy). The lady then told me I had to take Aciphex, which is a acid-reflux medicine that costs $200 a month without insurance. Do I suffer or live in debt instead?

A friend of mine was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, which means she is allergic to gluten. She also has allergies to quite a few things and takes various other over-the-counter medicines. Every inhaler she pays for is over $100 a month, and that's not even including any of the allergy medicines or over-the-counter goods.

So, if universal health care is not the answer, what is? Do we set government regulation on practicing doctors or do we let them continue raking in ridiculous amounts of profit in the hands of the underprivileged. Don't even get me started on health care financial assistance... I've applied this year in February and haven't heard anything since.