Universal Healthcare?
Should the U.S government provide universal healthcare for all its residents?
YES:
• The number of uninsured citizens has grown to over 45 million
• We can eliminate wasteful inefficiencies such as duplicate paper work, claim approval, insurance submission, etc.
• Medical professionals can concentrate on healing the patient rather than on insurance procedures, malpractice liability, etc.
• Patients with pre-existing conditions can still get health coverage.
• Health care has become increasingly unaffordable for businesses and individuals.
No:
• Patients aren't likely to curb their drug costs and doctor visits if health care is free; thus, total costs will be several times what they are now.
• Government-mandated procedures will likely reduce doctor flexibility and lead to poor patient care.
• Healthy people who take care of themselves will have to pay for the burden of those who smoke, are obese, etc.
• Like social security, any government benefit eventually is taken as a right by the public, meaning that it's politically near impossible to remove or curtail it later on when costs get out of control.
• Patients may be subjected to extremely long waits for treatment.
• Profit motives, competition, and individual ingenuity have always led to greater cost control and effectiveness.
• Government-controlled health care would lead to a decrease in patient flexibility.
• "Free" health care isn't really free since we must pay for it with taxes; expenses for health care would have to be paid for with higher taxes or spending cuts in other areas such as defense, education, etc.