Why can't the United States afford universal health-care?

Question

We're the only industialized nation without universal healthcare, yet we are suppose to be the richest nation on earth? Other countries can afford health-care for their citizens, but we susposably cannot. Something sure isn't adding up with those claims. Either we are the richest nation on earth and can afford universal health-care or we do not have it due to too many insurance companies (and others) who fear they'd lose their big profits. Hmm...

Answer 1

It can. It's just the people don't want to pay for it through higher taxes, and perceive that if it is government run then quality will go down. This isn't necesarily so, the NHS in the UK is entirely funded by tax, yet it's one of the best healthcare systems in the world, though it does still have its problems.

Answer 2

First, no country has truly universal health care. To be truly universal then everyone would be taken care of completely without cost. In most countries, the cost is called "rationing." This means, you can have the operation or device you need, but you have to suffer for a few months to a few years while you are on the waiting list.

Second, the US has the best health care in the world. But to get the best, you have to pay for it. That is true with cars, houses, and food as well. If Americans would stop buying fast food, plasma screens, cell phones, and clothes with people's names on it, maybe they could afford a basic health care plan through their work.

As much as I despise most health insurance companies, they at least have to compete against each other in cost and service level. Once you put the government in charge then you lose the incentive to control administrative costs and provide good customer service. Name one service the government provides at a cheaper cost and higher level of service than private companies. Social Security is a very simple system compared to health care and we all know what a mess the government has made of that.

Answer 3

Of course you could afford it and the arguments that you would have to support illegal aliens and that the government would be sued out of existence are utter cr@p. You don't even need to make it available to tourists and other visitors as it is up to them to insure in their own country.
Your problem is that the medical providers and the insurance companies have a much stronger lobby with the government than the people. They finance their election campaigns while you only cause them problems. Simple.
Edit: Rob B below makes a fascinating statement. "If you sacrifice everything ," you can afford a "basic health insurance." Does that mean you are not covered for all the things the wealthy are. Like anything serious or costly?? Says it all doesn't it?

Answer 4

dude, did you get off from your regular diet of CNN and started watching fat man moores garbage? seriously, i have lived in canada for 2 years and they have the WORST health care system in the galaxies....to see a doctor for some god damn cold you have to make appointments and wait few days. the system here is much better because we are the richest country in the world....if you don't like how the American health care system is then all you have to do is get rich and you'll get A one treatment....where as in Canada and other crazy countries....a homeless person and an established person gets the same type of treatment.....i know it all sounds wrong if you work for green peace....but in US there is something you can do about it....in Canada...you are stuck...you gonna have to wait in lines no matter what. universal health plan goes totally against our economy...and since US is the RICHEST country in the world...money talks here for everything including health care...which is how it should be. this is not a god damn communist country where everything has to be 'generalized'...
now i am not totally against universal health system...if the government divides people into separate categories based on how much they pay taxes and how much they make....then that would make a little sense. people who earn more and pay more taxes should have the upper hand. and if you don't like....just get rich...no one is stopping you.

Answer 5

We can. The problem is with all these sue happy people. If the government gave health care to the U.S, instead of suing the hospitals and doctors for malpractice they'd sue the government. That would have the government lose millions upon millions of dollars. The government is good at one thing, and that's taking care of the government. There are more reasons but, in the overall picture, the loss is greater than the gain, so therefore the government wont go through with it.

Answer 6

They can as we are already paying for it! Those who are making MILLIONS in it, usually by denying benefits, have a lot to lose and they do not want to loose their 12 million dollar salaries! They would rather walk over women who are bleeding to death on an Emergency Room floor for 45 minutes, like in California!

Social Security for instance is a Federal program, using peoples contributions, that is administered by Blue Cross / Blue Shield, who skims 25% off the top for operating expenses!

Social Security would be a great program if the government would quit stealing the money and never paying it back, and then cry poverty! They surte don't mind going 4 TRILLION dollars in additional debt for a nonsensical war which makes social programs pale again'st the money being ripped off by those on corporate welfare!

Answer 7

First of all, we don't need Socialized medicine. Only 15% of people don't have (adequate or any) coverage, and only a small percentage of that can't truly afford it. Look at all those supposedly "poor victims" of Hurricane Katrina. These are exactly the people who would whine they can't afford health insurance. However, if you look closely, you will see most of the women have salon hairdos, costing big bucks every month, and elaborate nail jobs. They need to get their priorities straight. I shouldn't have to live with substandard medical care because Loquitia and her three out-of-wedlock babies decides pretty nails are more important than having health insurance.

Secondly, we can't afford it without raising taxes..... again. Already, most people work from January first to about the first week of April, just to pay their taxes. That means, when you get out of bed, and have to dig your car out of the snow to get to work, while it's still bitter cold and dark outside, you spent that day really working for the government. All your money that day went to pay the government. In February, when the wind whips up, and your hands are half frozen, and you're trying to drive home in gridlock traffic due to heavy snow, none of the aggravations of the day resulted in one dime going into your pocket. You're still working for the government. Same for dreary, sleet-rained March. About the second week of April, you can finally crack a slight smile, because, after working over three months for no gain, you can finally put a penny in your pocket and keep it. Congratulations, you just made your first penny!

You really want higher taxes? You want to work all of April for Uncle Sam too?

A report a few years ago by John Stossel highlighted why Socialized medicine is not feasible in the U.S. We are a unique nation. We go to the doctor much more often than any other country, and we take way, way, way more medicine too. We're also the fattest country on earth. Imagine all the people demanding free care to cure their "obesity disease" (oh yeah, people are going to start making ludicrous demands because it's all "free"). In countries that have Socialized medicine, some people are actually sent to mountain resorts because they have asthma, or for a week to a lakeside massage therapy clinic once a year to treat their bad backs. You really think Americans won't go way overboard in demanding these "freebies"?

So, you'll have every fat person demanding quick cures, (maybe a quarter of a million stomach staples every year... imagine the cost!) and everyone with any imagined or exaggerated problem demanding expensive treatment and lots of "free" medication.

Whatever the government estimates the costs to be, it will cost 4-6 times that amount, just like road construction.

This is why we can't afford universal health care (nor need it, nor would find it desirable.... I live the nightmare of Socialized medicine here in Europe; you DON'T want it!!!)

Answer 8

We do not deny anyone health care. We don't have government-run health insurance because it doesn't work.

I'm proud we do things as we do. Other countries should learn from us!

We must be doing something right, because millions of people from all over the world are trying to come here.

Q.E.D.

Answer 9

Many reasons why we don't have universal health care in the US is because too many doctors and insurance companies could not get rich off of the profits of health care and also because we are paying for an overburdened welfare system with our tax dollars.

Answer 10

Because to most people, that's socialized medicine, and something people just won't pay for. Some of the answers you got made a lot of sense. Our welfare departments are already strained to the breaking point with undocumented and illegal aliens using it for free food, housing subsistence, free babies and health care for them after they are born. Why provide more? As to priorities, ask the old codgers buying lotttery tickets and cigarettes what their priorities are. I saw one old woman who had just cashed her social security check, spend $10 on lottery tickets, and almost $10 on cigarettes. Not food or medicine or something she really needed. But she'll be the first to scream if she doesn't get free medical care from the welfare department.