One of the biggest drains on the NHS and medicaid are teenage pregnancies. It is about time the extremes of sexploitation and religious prudishness backed off. the British and Americans need to adopt a more Dutch approach:

http://www.independent.co.uk/extras/...t-1623828.html

Here are the US statistics:

http://www.teenshelter.org/data.htm

Various estimates put it as high as $50,000,000,000 annually, while the low side estimate is a staggering $25,000,000,000. This does not consider the cost of factors other than direct payments. Education, food subsidies, incarceration, WIC and other programs are not included, nor the costs in time and actual money contributed by charitable organizations. [10] Approximately $5 - $7 billion in state and federal money is spent each year on services related to teen parents.[23] 46% of single mothers receive public assistance. [11] Over 50% of the national AFDC budget is related to adolescent pregnancy. [12] Of 860,016 women receiving AFDC in Ca in 1996, 236,016 gave birth to their first child in their teen years.[24]

See, this is the problem. There is no debate, just yelling back and forth. And I think the issue is far too important to not compromise on. The arugments are getting shrill - this whole trashing of the NHS by people in the US who don't know their a$$ from their elbow with respect to the NHS. I don't know much either, I have to admit. It becomes an exercise in who can bellow the loudest - as it appears to be here, sometimes.

We have seen how bad the English teeth are, which are a product
of the NHS. That scares everyone in the US to death.

http://www.colbertnation.com/the-col...---health-care

I agree with your point that preaching abstenance on one hand while popular culture promotes sex creates a confusing message. Is AFDC part of medicaid though? I didn't think it was. It's an important issue, but a different issue, I thought.

Those people at that town meeting....makes me proud to be an American. Yeah, right.

Thanks so much though... I clearly need to spend more time catching up on my important tv.

"Sometimes the best way to prove American is indivisible is to try to rip it in two. "

And the idea of Paula Abdul as a judge on FOX news' Death panel. LOL.

She qualifies- she's a deadhead!

I really don't know and should find out more. All I know is that sex education lessons in teh US are really tricky. Sex educators ar not allowed to discuss masturbation or the connection between sex and love. They are simply handed literature with anatomical drawings and given the statistics. They promote abstinence without explaining how to abstain. The message is " just say No". By not tackling they are trapping the young in a cycle of poverty and bad health. If they exchange the prudishness and sexploitation with a bit of caring love, then they can save billions in healthcare and welfare handouts.

where ? i havent seen this. "we" havent seen anything unless you provide some backing to these statements.

"I" have seen documentaries of people practically dying on the street because they cant afford health insurance in the US. It scares the living daylights out of british citizens that they might one day endure such an elitist, cruel system.

If you enjoy that kind of satire, you should also check the Daily Show's "coverage" of the health care issue:

(most recent clip first)
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/we...ttens-decision
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tu...white-minority
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/tu...reform-madness
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mo...alther-skelter
http://www.thedailyshow.com/watch/mo...h-panel-debate

I am not sure if this answers it:

And for those interested it is a joint research project from the joint ceter for poverty research Northwestern and... University of Chicago!
Sadly, it was written in 1997 druing Bill Clinton's presidency, I wonder how much money is being spent researching this today?

http://econpapers.repec.org/paper/wopjopovw/48.htm

I'm a fan, but he can get silly at times.

The reason why some people here have bad teeth is because dentists usually opt out of treating NHS patients and go private, although I've seen plenty of rednecks on American 'chat' shows that have mouths like a row of broken headstones.
Also:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/magazine/7633254.stm

Even if you can afford it you sometimes get rejected for pre-existing condition. It is what is happening to me.
I had to create my "own" corporation (and pay $$$ taxes on it) so that as a corporation I can get access to health insurance. It is an absurd loophole but it was the only way I could get insurance believe it or not (just because my daughter was anorexic 2 years ago and even that she is fine now).

it used to be that yiu would look at someone's manicured hand or shoes to see if they were well-heeled, now you look at their teeth.
Perfect white teeth are a real status symbol in the US, so much so that I like crooked teeth, they show a bit of character and someone who is not obsessed with appearance.

Ah yes, the Chicklet effect.



That's something that struck me when I moved out of the US. I always knew that most (dare I say all) on TV, media, etc. had perfect or near-perfect teeth, but I didnt' realize just how pervasive it was until I left.

I much prefer real teeth. Yellow, crooked, human. Gives people character, and a realness you just can't get with the artifically straight, even and white look.

Yeah. They're great until you try eating corn on the cob, or a lamb spiessli.

It often amuses me to see British actors (or other non-US born actors). After they spend a few months in LA their teeth become suddenly perfect.

Interesting how even the Brits on this thread seemingly have no idea about how the NHS is funded. National Insurance is NOT money collected for the NHS. Also not for pensions, social security or whatever. It is simply a tax. The UK Treasury does not earmark any of its tax take for a specific purposes - in fact refuses to on principal to the extent that it has refused to accept cheques made out to the health service or similar as a payment of tax. National Insurance actually exists for two reasons:

1. Payment of national insurance does affect entitlement to pensions and unemployment benefit (not social security) - entitlement, not funding. It does not affect entitlement to health care.

2. (mainly) it allows politicians to pretend the tax rate is lower than it actually is.

On the NHS, despite the propaganda now being spread in the US and years of negative stories in the hatemail and the like, it is actually - still now - pretty efficient by developed world standards. Per capita expenditure on healthcare in the US is $ 4,500 pa (OECD). The UK spend is around $ 1,800 - and for that they have a longer life expectancy . Guess who is second most expensive......

As here or the US, everyone is free to take out any additional insurance or pay privately for any treatment they wish - that freedom isn't removed. Just the "freedom" shared by almost 50m Americans to live without any health cover. But I'd rather avoid that one thanks.