Is it so bad? We have a hybrid system in most countries. You have UHC with hospitals and you can if you wish and afford it have private insurance too. All this put together is cheaper and more effective than the US system, almost every single statistic shows this.
And it creates a caste type system. Not only that but the private insurance will be more expensive because of government intervention.
The problem with this debate is simple. You have the radical right wingers who hate anything that is remotely connected to anything government unless it is something to do with guns. Because of this the only UHC systems that they want to mention are Canada's and the UK's. Now I dont know much about the Canadian system but I do know that the Uk's has been broken since Maggie Thatcher got her right wing hands on it, but sadly the UK system is STILL cheaper and more effective than the US. But that does not mean that UHC is a failure world wide.... quite on the contrary. Funny how they mention those 2 systems out of 20+ in the western world... Why not mention the Danish or the French? Or the German or Spanish? They are not perfect either, but they still cover all (including visiting Americans) and are cheaper by far than the US system and provide larger and better care.
Cheaper is not better. In health care time to services rendered in vastly more important than cost.
It doesn't matter if its cheaper when your dead from waiting.
UHC systems around the world have one thing in common. Everyone is covered period. If you have cancer, you get treatment. If you have a busted knee then you get treatment. If you have a heart problem then you get treatment. Sure it might take a bit of time, but you do get treatment and it will not cost you your house. At worst you will be required to pay some part of the treatment and if you cant, then you still will get the treatment.
And time is really important when you have cancer. If you wait to long it can become almost untreatable.
What is more important your house or your life?
Now you can make UHC in many different ways.
You can go the Swiss way (thanks to their big Pharma companies..) and go 100% private, but mandatory. The Swiss have UHC, but that is via private insurance coverage that is mandatory. It is also the second most expensive system on the planet after the US. But the point is that everyone is covered. And the Swiss have been thinking of dumping their private system because of the costs, but have been blocked by the big pharma companies lobbying.
Or you can go via a hybrid system where everyone is covered. In most countries that UHC today, you have freedom of choice of doctors (within reason of course), freedom of choice if you want to add to your healthcare coverage via private means. Also you do not want to wait (if there are waiting lists), you can just pay or have your private insurance company pay for treatment at a private hospital. Or you can just decline treatment. The choice is yours.
Or you can go the Cuban way.. 100% government controlled. The kicker here.. even the Cuban system is cheaper and better in many areas..
No matter how cheap they are you have to wait to use service way longer than you do in the U.S.
If I need any surgery I can get it next week after seeing a specialist this week.
You guys have to wait weeks to see some specialist and wait even longer to get surgery.
Personally I like the hybrid way, as it gives far more choice and secures the health of the nation... which is what we are talking about. Cant have people walking around spreading disease because they cant afford simple treatments can we now...
People will do that with or with out UHC.
The reason the price mechanism is broken is because of government intervention.
Like it or not, the US healthcare system is broken. Your insurance costs are insane, your standard of care for what you pay is pathetic and with all that money spent by the US on healthcare, 40+ million American's are officially without healthcare coverage. Sure they can go to the emergency room, but that is just adding to the overall cost and is far far more expensive for society as a whole, and putting a strain on emergency rooms (which dont help since there are fewer and fewer emergency rooms).
That 40 million number is such a joke.
Most of those people can afford insurance they just don't buy it because they think they don't need it.
I think only about 5 million of those people can't actually afford it.
It sucks not being able to get health insurance but you know what it takes thinking to make it in this world.
Stop being an enabler when it comes to people not taking care of themselves.
I am not responsible for anyone else except those I choose to help.
The world can be dangerous and unpredictable we should not be shielding people from their own stupid decisions.