Dec 23, 16 / Cap 22, 00 18:27 UTC

Healthcare  

This discussion (as with probably much of anything in this forum) will have a lot of overlap with Asgardia's economic policies. As such, I'd like to divide this up into multiple stages to accommodate for that.

Initial Stage: Where we are now

As we all know, the entire foundation for how insurance currently works changes based on location. Being that Asgardia is currently an Earth-wide effort and not one within our future location in space, anything done here has to somehow work with each system (assuming one even exists). Then there are the places where healthcare and insurance aren't really available/affordable, in which we should think about charitable options for our citizens until we can establish a solid, unified framework for all Asgardians.

So for the sake of both simplicity and ensuring all of us (regardless of location) can continue to help make our nation become a reality, our first focus should be to donate to something like Doctors Without Borders. Anyone in their deployed locations will have access to the services they are able to provide, which should also help get our name out there.

Stage two: Coordinated branches/embassies/etc with physical locations

Once we have enough infrastructure for a stable, physical presence around the globe, we can look into supplemental policies. The biggest problem with this would be getting providers/pharmacies to accept it, which is why we need regional (based on nation/province) locations to work with each existing system so that we can come up with something that can work within the confines of their location. Ideally, any Asgardian supplemental would be able to provide the same services regardless of location.

By the time we get here, we need to be also thinking about identity theft and how to counter it. Given the amount of infrastructure required to reach this stage, we should already have some way of figuring out where the funding for this would come from. Policies should extend to citizens, their children and partner/fiancee/spouse.

Stage three: Within our own future nation

Once we can reside within our own nation, we can have our own policies. Due to how far in the future this would be, we should only be concerning ourselves with the broad concept for now, which is mainly that all citizens should have coverage in some form or fashion. I have a feeling that by the time we get to this stage, we'll have improved upon any existing systems/concepts to the point that most of what we come up with now would probably be obsolete.

Any policy/system in effect at this point should now also extend to documented immigrants. This particular specification is only because for this to work, they should probably be in our records to begin with.

  Last edited by:  Ami Barrett (Asgardian)  on Dec 23, 16 / Cap 22, 00 18:34 UTC, Total number of edits: 1 time

Dec 24, 16 / Cap 23, 00 00:30 UTC

As of where we sit now, it will be extremely difficult to provide healthcare to Asgardians courtesy of the Asgardian infrastructure. Mainly, because none exists as of yet. As of the immediate, right now. I'd like to say that those Asgardians who are affluent enough to spare some money every month could start paying into a Healthcare insurance fund, but I know it's going to be hard to convince people (many who are struggling with healthcare needs for themselves among other issues) to get on board with donating to a healthcare fund. But I do believe that the perfect nation will have necessities covered under social policy, but amenities under capitalism. So I think taking steps toward breeding a culture of socialistic support for one another would be a great way to start off Asgardia's history in Healthcare policy. Let's get the discussion started, what does everyone else think? Am I with the majority here or am I on the fringe?

  Last edited by:  Benjamin Reed (Asgardian)  on Dec 24, 16 / Cap 23, 00 00:31 UTC, Total number of edits: 1 time

Dec 24, 16 / Cap 23, 00 01:14 UTC

Breed, that actually highlights most of what I already covered in the original post. Your reply (based on the title) seems to be directed at stage one, where I instead suggested an existing charity until we reach stage two, when we would have the needed infrastructure that you mention.

But otherwise, yes - I think most of us (especially the founder, based on his writings) would agree with that philosophy.

Dec 24, 16 / Cap 23, 00 05:09 UTC

@ AmaliaKalio - that was really well thought and laid out. I think you nailed down both the problems and possible solutions quite well. I do, however, disagree with the statement "he biggest problem with this would be getting providers/pharmacies to accept it". I actually believe that in the development of a space based nation, providing we get actual recognition from a higher governing body (UN or even a localized country) in your stage 2, Im of the persuasion that most companies will be open to the idea (whether that translates to backing of any kind or not) simply for the fact of their own benefit. If Asgardia was to open a scientific space station, what industry wouldn't benefit from access to it and it's civilians provided that they have no direct losses in it's creation?

As for healthcare for all (as a social right), I am for it, however, living in a country (Canada) where health care is 'free' I would caution that while noble, committing a huge part of your budget to care for an aging population .... can be limiting. Not too mention unfair if not properly load balanced (for example if everyone works and gets taxed in province then retires to a different province, that province pays out more than it would gain theoretically). And then there's the question of immigration and healthcare access and rights.

I think we're all roughly on the same page though so far, and as long as we can manage health and not just provide healthcare by stage 3, I think we'll be ight. And by the time we get at stage 3, who knows maybe it's one of the ways we're able to positively interlace with nations. Definitely worth the discussion though. Great thread AmaliaKalio!

Jan 5, 17 / Aqu 05, 01 17:24 UTC

We could once embassies are established have a medical station within each embassy. just a thought

Jan 18, 17 / Aqu 18, 01 22:46 UTC

I don't think it's a good idea to worry about this at this point. For the time being, we have to let the current governments organize their own healthcare systems, even if they do it poorly.

We can't solve all the problems in the world.

I think it would be more feasible to provide some sort of online education system than provide healthcare. It's hard to provide infrastructure for people who are scattered across the planet, but some things can be distributed online.

Jan 24, 17 / Aqu 24, 01 16:27 UTC

In the UK, we get healthcare as a basic right. I would want the same for all Asgardians. When Asgardia has the capacity, I would hope it supplements anyone who doesn't live in a nation that provides free healthcare.

Feb 23, 17 / Pis 26, 01 08:21 UTC

I will reply seperately to every stage listed in this post:

Re: First stage: I agree that donations should be made to some international medical organizations such as Doctors without Borders to grant the asgardian citizens the healthcare and insurrance while they are on Earth especially the asgardians living in developing countries. There also exist many hospitals and clinics in many developing countries managed by developed countries according to matual agreements between these countries. Asgardia should made agreements with these international hospitals and clinics in developing countries where thet are providing better medical care than the local ones to provide the healthcare to the asgardian citizens who are residing in their hosting countries according to special conditions. The asgardian citizens living in developed countries may temporarily utilize from the healthcare services provided by their residence countries and Asgardia may assign healthcare agreements with the developed countries in the sake of asgardian citizens staying in them. The asgardian citizens staying in developing countries are now looking to get a healthcare similar to developed countries.

Re: Second stage: Once Asgardia is recognized by UN, it will have embassies and representatives around the world. I think that the supplemental policies can be arranged by the embassies of Asgardia for the asgardian citizens who are living or staying in any hosting country of any asgardian embassy or representative. The healthcare providers to the asgardian citizens should be also asgardians qualified to do so. If no asgardian citizens qualified to provide this medical care in some country, the asgardian citizenship will be granted to qualified doctors, pharmacists and nurses in this country to serve the asgardian citizens there based on an immigration system applied by the asgardian government similar to the Skilled Worker Immigration Program applied by Canada. The funding of this healthcare infrastructure to the asgardians worldwide can be figured out to be deduced from the national income of Asgardia. An asgardian economy must be developed initially based on private companies registered and licensed by Asgardian and the taxes imposed on them.

Re: Third stage: The asgardian policies for the healthcare will be more flexible than any healthcare system on Earth. At the beginning, the healthcare system on Earth will be a reference for the emerging asgardian healthcare system to be initially improved upon to take their postives and to avoid their negatives. Asgardia has to state a sufficient budget for the medical research as like as scientific and technological research. After Asgardia is realized in the space, healthy challenges may appear because of the different circumstances, environments and atmospheres on other planets. The need for the healthcare in the space may be more than on Earth. Thereupon, the health and medical sector should be the only one to be publicized in Asgardia and the workers in that sectors should take significantly high wages to cope with the income of workers of the private sectors.

Mar 25, 17 / Tau 00, 01 04:19 UTC

Once we become separate and independent of earth we should establish universal healthcare

Mar 25, 17 / Tau 00, 01 04:41 UTC

By the time we are seperated from Earth the entire healthcare landscape will of vastly adjusted. A combination of open source initatives and AI improvments will serve to take care of most needs. People will likely be able to dispense their own healthcare. Already google can diagnose more than cancer.

Mar 30, 17 / Tau 05, 01 07:04 UTC

I believe we will become self sufficient alot quicker then that