Socialized
medicine in America worthwhile
Kimberlee
Morrison
There is so much debate about soaring health care prices and the lack of access
to health care programs for the poor. Health care is a basic need. Everyone should
have access to it, similar to the right to equal education opportunities, housing
and other basic needs.
In particular, for a wealthy nation plagued with health care problems from obesity
to heart disease, it is absolutely essential people who cannot afford to pay
for private health care have access to care via some form of government social
program.
Something like this already exists in the United States. It is called Medicaid.
The ones who qualify are below the national poverty line, children and/or senior
citizens.
So what about those falling somewhere in the middle, not below the poverty line,
not a child or senior, but who are nonetheless unable to afford health care through
a private insurance?
According to Physicians for a National Health Program (PNHP), 64 percent of the
United States health care system is currently paid for through federal, state
and property taxes. Implementing a more inclusive system would mean simply expanding
access to all as opposed to only offering government sanctioned health care to
those with low incomes through additional employer and income taxes.
The first reaction for most is to avoid higher taxes at any cost, but avoiding
increased taxes at the expense of health would be silly. The PNHP claims a 7
percent employer tax and a 2 percent income tax could actually replace all out
of pocket health care expenses for both employers and employees. They argue it
would save both groups money.
Critics of a socialized health care system point to the problems in Canada. According
to the Cato Institute, the wait for diagnostic treatments such as an MRI or ultrasound
could “range anywhere from two weeks to 24 weeks,” and meanwhile
patients literally die waiting for approval for treatment or to see a specialist.
The Institute blamed this problem on an overextended system, which compensates
its doctors inadequately, resulting in a “brain-drain.” Physicians
discontinue practicing in Canada and chose instead to practice privately in the
United States.
I contend this problem is not likely to duplicate itself in the United States
for several reasons, the first of which being many physicians already participate
in Medicare and MediCal programs.
Second, if we have all the talent, as the Institute suggests, where would they
go? Many other nations are conducting their own experiments in socialized health
care, so the choices would be slim.
I believe taking the final step to a socialized health care system is essential
to national public health. I also believe those who would choose to operate outside
that system should be allowed to do so and people should have a choice between
a private health plan, if they can afford it, and the national plan. However,
giving everyone access to basic healthcare should always supercede the market
system.
Although the Congressional Budget Office reported only 9 percent, approximately
21 million people, were without health care for an entire year, nearly 50 percent
of those people were earning incomes of less than 200% of what is considered
the national poverty line, were of ages19-24 and were without a high school or
college diploma.
While this impoverished population may qualify for one of the government-funded
healthcare programs, many only give care to the children of families who may
earn above the poverty line, but impoverished nonetheless. Therefore, the parents
go uninsured because of a technicality, and if any medical emergency were to
occur they would be thrust into debt by massive medical bills.
For the system to work there has to be some very careful policy writing and attention
to the special needs of every individual patient. The system cannot be so restrictive
it severely limits patients with Alzheimer’s or cancer from receiving life
saving treatment, or so open that corrupt doctors prescribe unnecessary treatment.
Understandably, there could be some problems, but if legislators look at what
has gone wrong in countries whose national health care systems made serious blunders,
the possibility to devise a useful and ultimately successful program is almost
inevitable.
Kimberlee Morrison is a senior occupational studies major.
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