What are the PROS and CONS of a Single Payer Universal Health Care system?

Question

Wouldn't every American be able to go see a doctor when they needed to?
Wouldn't doctors be guaranteed to be paid?
Wouldn't doctors be able to treat everything that's wrong with you and not just what your HMO approves?
Wouldn't it be possible to initiate an incentive program for doctors who actually cure patients or get them to quit smoking, lower their cholesterol, lose weight, etc.?
Would the government tell doctors how many operations they can perform per year as Republicans contest? No.
Would the government tell doctors where they could practice medicine? No.
Would there be a longer wait to see a doctor? No.
Would any more Americans lose their homes because of debt from medical bills? No.
Would taxes be increased? Yes. But it not only means that every other American can see a doctor for free, but YOU can too!
Thoughts?

I've heard that the cost of Universal Health Care for all Americans can be around $80 Billion per year. That could be covered by a tax increase, but the US government spent $92 Billion in 2006 alone on Corporate Welfare. Why not just END Corporate Welfare? If we can take care of the most fortunate in America, why can't we take care of the LEAST fortunate?

Answer 1

Well I live in the UK.

My partner and I are low wage earners so we pay very little tax.

When I am ill or my baby is ill I go to see a doctor. I don't have to worry about finding the cash to pay for the consultation or drugs.

I see a doctor straight away. I do not have to wait and the care I receive is not substandard, neither have I, contrary to what your hysterical US media has been trying to convince you, ever had to "pull my own teeth out" because of a dentist shortage!!

When my baby was born I received excellent care.

I could not afford to pay private medical insurance, co-pays, deductibles and the cost of medicines. So without the NHS I would not be able to access care for myself and my family.

Guess what, I am SOOOOO thankful to the great Welshman, Aneurin Bevan, for setting up the NHS and giving EVERY British person, man woman and child the right to medical care when they need it - as a human right not a luxury commodity.

So those who bleat "But they have Socialised Healthcare in the UK and it doesn't work" can eat their words. I value our National Health Service and would never ever want to live under your American one.

Oh and by the way, in the UK we have private medicine as well so if you have the money you can buy your healthcare from whoever you want and don't have to bother with the NHS.

Answer 2

I really hope universal health care in any forms such as ObamaCare or single payer health care won't be a fat fetched dream. Universal health care is not something new. It has implemented successfully in so many countries in the world. It would be really ridiculous if the United States can't have one and Americans worry about the medical bills when they go to see a doctor. So I am all for ObamaCare. In the meantime, we still need to balance between the pros and cons of single payer health care. There is a complete pros and cons list here. http://www.formosapost.com/pros-and-cons-of-universal-health-care/

But the United States faces a crisis in health care regardless of the fate of the Affordable Care Act. It doesn't have a great start. ObamaCare is a dismal failure on the part of the Obama administration and it shows no signs of improving anytime soon. Meanwhile millions are left wondering about the state of their healthcare, their insurance and just how thy ear supposed to proceed and get coverage for their health care needs.

What is needed is a single payer system much lie they have In Canada and other locations not this abysmal ObamaCare system which is so full of problems that it looks like it will never work as promised. There’s should be comprehensive health insurance built around Medicare and Social security which would eliminate many of the ObamaCare problems.

Answer 3

I think the Universal Health Care is the only way to go in the USA. After seeing the aftermath of Obama Care, it is not as great as it sounded. The number of enrollees have dropped because some people cannot afford it and some are not renewing because their premiums jumped 25 to 50% for 2016. Some did not supply SS# or had proper ID and citizenship paperwork and some did not know they had to pay a monthly premium, so they were dropped. Also the Obama Care regulated free market insurance policies cover less and you pay more out of pocket and co-pays and prescription costs. It is no different than before Obama Care and I believe our Health Care has gone down, I feel like I am a number and a dollar sign at the clinic and by my Doctor. It is a bunch of crap. I like the comments here from the ones who don't have the full facts about Universal Health Care. I looked it up and both Canada and Mexico have Universal Health Care and the consensus is majority of their citizens like the Universal Health Care and they even have the right to purchase free market insurance (that are similar to the USA insurance packages) at a very reasonable premium per month, due to having to be competitive on the free market. And in some countries Universal Health Care is not free, the people who are considered very rich pay a very reasonable premium and they really like it. They like the fact they do not have to pay for doctor visits or hospitalization or prescriptions (nothing out of pocket); they pay for the a very small premium per month and they have really good health care. Their doctors are paid a very fair wage too. Plus the taxes that the taxpayers pay to cover Universal Health Care in these countries is not as much as people in the USA have been lead to believe. The USA is foolish for not moving towards this type of a health care system. As a working class person, I would pay more in taxes a year to cover Universal Health Care, because I know it would be less than what I pay in insurance premiums and health care costs in a years time. It would be worth it for me to switch.

Answer 4

This Site Might Help You.

RE:
What are the PROS and CONS of a Single Payer Universal Health Care system?
Wouldn't every American be able to go see a doctor when they needed to?
Wouldn't doctors be guaranteed to be paid?
Wouldn't doctors be able to treat everything that's wrong with you and not just what your HMO approves?
Wouldn't it be possible to initiate an incentive...

Answer 5

I think the asker and The Wiz have summed it up pretty well on the Pro side of this issue and I have to agree with them. However, there are cons to the issue just like all issues. The cons basically come down to abuse of the system. Abuse and scamming of a government run heath care system would undoubtedly occur just like every other system put in place. However, what would America be like without some current programs we have like Social Security for the elderly, workmen’s compensation for those injured on the job, or aid for dependent children?

When you look at the world and see the countries that have programs like social security, or like aid for dependent children or national healthcare, programs that take care of their people and see the value of human dignity, you see countries like America, England, France, Canada, Germany and Japan. When you look at countries that have none of these types of programs you see many third world countries.

Answer 6

Well, the pro is obvious. Simplicity.

However there are a lot of cons. The biggest is the loss of free market forces in the entire health care industry. Free market forces like competition, price shopping and choice.

We already see that now to a large degree. Currently, when seeking medical care, the average american now asks "Who is paying for it?" rather than "How much will this cost me?" The system has been so corrupted that most Americans expect someone else to pay for their health care, be it government, insurance or employer.

Only when we move more towards free market forces, will medical care improve and prices drop.

The next biggest con is rationing. With someone else paying the bill, there is no incentive not to go to the doctor. Unless the gov't is going to pay oodles and oodles more money, there will be limits on the total amount of health care available. Thus like any limited resource that is thought of as free, it will become in short supply or will result in long waits.

Answer 7

I am all for Single Payer Universal health care...but we need to stress it is not free. We presently pay for our current care, most of us as part of our employer paid fringe benefit package, with some portion coming directly out of our paycheck. The thing about single payer is that the funding now comes from a different source, wither payroll taxes, employer taxes or some combination.

I remain convinced the $ per person will go down because all those presently uninsured will be funded for under this program. Plus we won't see 40% of the premium staying with the insurance carrier.

Answer 8

Some things to consider:
#1. Universal Healthcare is like the government run social security system. Just because you give money to the government doesn't mean they're going to spend it on what they claim to (and they usually don't).
#2. Cheaper prices and better products are created through competition, and when the government takes over an entire business, they don't care to produce the best product, nor do they have anyone to compete against.
#3. Under the current system, the U.S. currently has the highest number of survivors from any type of illness.
#4. Under universal healthcare you may eat healthy and exercise but still have to pay for someone who smokes two packs a day and doesn't take care of himself. Can you imagine how much somebody like that would cost to take care of?

Answer 9

Atlas Shrugged is a book of fiction. It's author, Ayn Rand, spent much of her life speaking out against "socialist" programs as evil government control. In her later years, she accepted both social security AND medicare. So, if you wish to use the author of Atlas Shrugged as your beacon of enlightenment, just remember she apparently rejected her earlier beliefs in the end.

Answer 10

I am proudly a capitalist and, aside from defense, recall no demonstration of efficiency by the government.

Traveling a great deal I have found no evidence of successful single payer health care. A Canadian I met went top private health care in Toledo because of delayed critical need of cardiac surgery and could not survive if waiting there.

Being injured myself in Ireland allowed me to see inadequacy of their system. During my rehabilitation time I learned the dissatisfaction in Ireland of their service. One lady told me of her decision to leave Ireland for good care. Yes, the service is no charge, but my witnessing a death because of no staff emergency response is not of good medical care.

Read the book ATLAS SHRUGGED to glimpse the risk of giving too much control of our lives to our government. In summary, to give nothing will get you nothing. Pay your own way and you will get medical your way.