Should the US have Socialized Medicine?
Many developed countries around the world have socialized medicine – also known as universal healthcare. Rather than paying for health insurance, the government is in charge of all the hospitals. Everyone can get the healthcare that they need, whether they have money or not. Our Canadians neighbors, and British friends are two well-known examples of countries that use this model. Sound perfect, right? Maybe, maybe not. Let’s see some of the pros:
- Access to healthcare isn’t dependent on employment
- Everyone has access to healthcare
- No one is denied medical services due to inability to pay
Now, some of the downsides
- Hospitals and clincs could experience tremendous overbookage – it’s already a royal pain to get an appointment. Imagine how it would be when everyone has access to a doctor without regard to cost
- Huge tax increase – healthcare isn’t free. If we aren’t paying insurance premiums, we’re going to pay for it in taxes. Big time.
I don’t like the idea of health care depending on your employment – why should my job dictate how good my healthcare is? Some jobs just offer terrible insurance plans, so premiums and coverage are absurd. Those who are between jobs or unemployed are even worse off. I shouldn’t have to choose between taking my child to the doctor or paying the electric bill – it just doesn’t seem right.
Taxes – the big problem
If we do move to socialized medicine, it must be paid for somehow. How would you feel about paying significantly more each year in taxes? As awful as this sounds, consider this. The people who stand to benefit most from socialized medicine are those in the lower tax brackets. An increase in taxes likely won’t hit them as hard. Folks in the middle class won’t gain *much* tangible benefit, since most already have health insurance. However, they will be hit with a huge tax burden as a result. The rich will be hit even harder ( though I have trouble feeling too sorry for them ).
What to do?
I don’t think socialized medicine is really a good route for this country to go down. At the same time, I recognize that our healthcare system is broken. Perhaps we need national standards for employer sponsored healthcare programs…. or more consistent state standards. Individual policies need to be more accessible as well. What do you guys think – go socialized or not? Why?
September 11th, 2008 at 8:53 am
You realize that it would actually lower the cost in the US right? That people are paying $14k/year to insure their families on average and with a median salary of $48k that’s about 33%?
http://www.livingalmostlarge.com/2008/09/10/health-care-reform/
I think people think “oh my taxes will go up”. Yes they will but you won’t be paying monthly premiums.
September 11th, 2008 at 8:59 am
Well I’m not convinced that it will lower out of pocket costs across the board. Ultimately the hospitals will need to get (roughly) the same amount of money that they get today. Whether that comes from health insurance premiums and co-pays, or money from the government ( funded through higher taxes ), it still has to come from somewhere.
The question becomes, I guess, will the increase in taxes be *less* than the current health insurance premiums & copays? I’d imagine it would be different for every person/ family… but the bulk of the burden would fall upon taxpayers who actually pay taxes ( i.e. not those who make so little that they pay barely / no taxes at all ). Since I’m in that bracket, I have a feeling that I would take a beating. Plus, with the governement running things….. how inefficient could it get? The US Government isn’t a model of efficiency in most areas.
September 15th, 2008 at 12:36 pm
LAL – I’m having a tough time believing that $14K figure for an “average” family to carry health insurance, unless you’re speaking of only those folks who are carrying individual policies, and who have experienced significant health challenges in the past. There’s a huge range in types of health coverage and, consequently, premiums available to people.
I feel that there are, indeed, some problems with the system as it stands, but I’m not sure that they need a wholesale change to a socialized, single-payer system. I’ve seen some good things done with private/public partnerships to provide health insurance.
The issues of substandard care are actually a totally different question – not tied into the problem of paying for health care. Cheap providers, such as student health services, can provide either very good care or very poor care, depending on the quality and workload of the professionals at that facility. More costly providers, such as private hospitals, do not necessarily provide a higher quality of care. Again, it’s an issue of performance. Some sort of ratings system for providers might be established, which consumers could consult on the web, or through a subsidiary of the BBB.
September 23rd, 2008 at 2:42 pm
The biggest problem with the American health care system is the high cost. If there were a way to reduce the cost of administering health care that would be a place to start and go from there. Universal health care is not the solution, increased taxes and decrease in quality.
September 23rd, 2008 at 8:03 pm
Good point Sean. Is there a valid reason that surgeons make salaries well into the hundreds of thousands of dollars? Does a surgeon perform better because he makes $600k per year, than one who makes $100k per year would?
Maybe we need to take a long, hard look at doctor’s salaries.
June 18th, 2009 at 11:54 am
You are all unbelievable! Socialized medicine. Try checking out other countries and see how they handle. Oh, and don’t go to the normal news media to get the truth – go to other sources. They will tell you that people are dying prematurely because they have to wait so long to get an appt, OR, they are REFUSED the drugs they need to live longer. Are you saying you have more of a right to live than I do? Socialized medicine is an oxymoron. It has everything to do with our US Constitution. TRY READING IT!!! The 5000 Year Leap is a good book to start with. And, don’t give me that crap about times have changed so the constitutional points don’t count. That is just plain OBAMA-like. This president is a Marxist who wants to rule you with a sickle and hammer. You want that just for healthcare? This country is a capitalist country. You change it to anything else and you can kiss everything your own, goodbye! RE-DISTRIBUTE THE WEALTH. I will just take your 52″ TV because I don’t have one and you don’t deserve it. How do you like that? YOU’D BETTER BE AFRAID
*****VERY AFRAID *** OF THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION. They are a REGIME and mark my words, life as you know it is GONE and will suffer worse if you allow government to run anything else that is capitalist and private. Competition is what this country works best on. With ObamaCare, there will be none. Now, figure it out. Even paying out of pocket, will be illegal. READ THE CONSTITUTION and then come back here and tell me you want it or Obama.