Pros and cons of universal health care?

Answer 1

Universal Heath care on the surface sounds like a wonderful idea, however when you look at it more indepth the strength of the idea comes into question.

Current statistics quote that roughly 45 million Americans and without health insurance. This sounds like a large number, but it is a blanket figure that takes into it's total those that do not have insurance in their name, but are covered under the policy of another (children covered by parents, spouses, etc) as well as those that do not wish to carry the coverage. A 21 year old healthy individual that can afford the rare trip to the doctor may wish to not carry coverage, while a 55 year old smoker may find it wise to carry coverage (These are arbitrary).

A "Universal Health Care" program has the possibility of destroying the heath care industry as we know it. Currently through the Medicare/Medicaid system doctors and hospitals have to wait at length to be reimbursed for their services, and at a greatly reduced rate than a cash or covered payer would be charged. Their bills still come to the practice every month, but they have to wait at length to be paid for their services. I could easily predict this becoming worse under a government run health care plan.

Countless thousands of jobs would be lost from the private sector from insurance companies, adding to our current economic downturn. Also, in the end the over-utilization of services (utilization of services for conditions and complaints that do not necessarily need to have medical attention) would add to the over all cost greatly, raising taxes to pay for it.

Universal Health Care may look good on paper, until you read the fine print.

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I believe the above individual gave you a bit of "cons" of Universal Health Care

However, you may want to think about the "Pro" side of Universal Health Care for USA

1) American manufacturers and some other American business have to compete globally. Competitors of American business, like in China for example, do not increase the price of their products because of paying for health insurance for their employees because they do not have to pay for their employees health care insurance. By keeping the price of Chinese products lower, that undercuts American business.

If American business did not have to add to the price of their products because of paying for American Health Insurance for their employees, American business would be more competitive.

If you do not like that, try to avoid buying products that are from countries with Universal Health Care, like China. If you individually have difficulty trying to avoid buying products that are Made In China, you need to voice your opinion to everyone you can and change our American culture.

2) Medicare for all, as the above individual may be referencing, should not be portrayed as bad because it is inconvenient being tied to the government.

a) Ross Perot became a billionaire from American government contracts

b) Lockheed Martin, Boeing, Northrup Grumman, and many other corporations

make billions in profit from American government contracts

c) Most wealthy people worldwide, became wealthy from contracts from the governments of their countries

d) The internet itself would not exist today if not for the American Government

Medicare is better than American insurance companies because medicare does not have shareholders that want dividend-profits and capital gains.

Medicare has lower overhead than every American insurance company.

Medicare would have an indefinite surplus covering every American, if every dollar being spent on all American insurance companies was being put into medicare. Thereby, eliminating some of the inconvenient payment problems cited earlier.

As far as Medicare paying a rate often referred to as "reasonable and customary," one may need to remember that Hospitals and Doctors are NOT willing to post a menu of their prices like every other COMPETITIVE industry in the United States. Also, Hospitals and Doctors are not willing to disclose how often they have dispensed a product or service that resulted in a malpractice death or injury, but it is O.K. for Ford with the Pinto, Explorer, Firestone tires, and Toyota with the Camry, and U.S.Gypsum and Asbestos, etc.

3) Documentaries on what doctors get compensated for in the United Kingdom under Universal Health Care have shown that they still own a Mercedes Benz, they still live in a home that has more than 3,000 square feet, and they live a very high standard of living.

4) We, the USA, are the only country of the 7 biggest economies on earth, that still does not have Universal Health Care.

However, we frequently rank in the 10's, 20's or lower in worldwide ranks for mortality rates, overall health, life expectancy, you name it.

The USA is supposed to have the best health care on earth, however we are not healthier or living longer for it.

5) A constitutional amendment locking away "Medicare-for-all" revenues from getting into the general budget would help stop siphoning we see with social security borrowing.

6) Today, we have health care that is dispensed by some that is not covered by any American Health Insurance Company. It is 100% out of pocket. This would not change under Universal Health Care. If you want plastic surgery or other elective cosmetic enhancements, you can still get that service and product outside of a would-be Universal Health Care system.

Today, we have health insurance companies that will not pay for experimental health care for those who desperately need it as a last hope. You can sometimes get the experimental health care product or service, it would be outside of a would-be Universal Health Care system.

7) The most important reason that I can think of as a "PRO" for Universal Health Care coverage is this.

I would encourage anyone to look up what a petri dish is used for.

Then imagine a petri dish the size large enough to hold 45 million people.

It only takes 1 person of those 45 million people to develop a highly contagious fatal problem that goes untreated because they cannot afford going to a doctor and guess what you get?

You get death that visits the door of every

+ Doctor

+ Hospital

+ Wealthy family

+ Upper middle class family

+ Politician

+ Talking Head in the media

+ ...every human being on earth

The CDC cannot contain a pandemic.

However, regular periodic visits to a Universal Health Care system just might save

the life of every arrogant greedy individual that looks down on everyone else.

8) I could add more but did you read this far?