Why doesn't America get free healthcare?

Answer 1

America doesn't have free healthcare because it is the centre of capitalism where every man fends for himself. It is also in Americas culture to feel that you have to earn "privileges" such as healthcare and a good education. Because of this culture most American citizens, who have the affluence to afford health insurance, feel that citizens without health insurance haven't earned the right to have healthcare because they have not worked hard enough. Though this may be the case for some people, many of the people without health insurance have issues preventing them from having the money to pay for health insurance, these issues can range from someone having a mental illness to some one who has just lost their job.

However, in the UK, with it's NHS, all citizens have the human right to healthcare, Americas beloved president Franklin Roosevelt (a man confined to a wheel chair himself) said himself in 1944 that healthcare was a human right. In the UK, every citizen has access to full healthcare for no personal cost, it doesn't matter if you are an affluent business man or a homeless person living rough on the street - everybody is cared for in times of need.

Many Americans are led to believe, largely thanks to right wing Propaganda news such as Fox and the Republican party, that NHS healthcare is far inferior to Americas health system when this is in fact not the case, healthcare on the NHS is prioritised not by which procedures will cost the most money, therefore making the hospital owners the most profit, but on which procedures are needed most urgently. It is also untrue that NHS doctors are far inferior to private doctors as most private doctors also work part time on the NHS.

In the UK it is still an option to pay for private healthcare, and for a lot less than in America, but most people see no need to pay the extra money for private healthcare when the state controlled NHS is one the best health systems in the world and most probably far superior to Americas draconian system.

The reason for most Americans being against the NHS is that they don't want to pay "extremely high" taxes but they are wrong in thinking this. Basic healthcare in in America costs in excess of $5000 which is too expensive for 50 million Americans where as a low earner in Britain, possibly making a tax contribution of only $3000, would be entitled to better healthcare than the basic American healthcare which would cost $2000 more. The more money you earn, the larger the contribution you make, leading to fairer society as opposed to Americas unequal and third world society where 50 million have no healthcare at all.

To conclude, free healthcare is fairer and better than health insurance but America doesn't want this because of it's history of every man for himself.