This is the third of a three-part series regarding universal healthcare in America. Each one will look at a different aspect of what to expect.
(RepublicanDaily.org) – In the first installment we examined what coverage could look like in a single-payer healthcare system. The second part looked at the costs associated with a system like Medicare for All.
Trusting Politicians?
It’s hard to argue the health insurance industry as it has evolved in the United States is broken when one considers the cash outlay people have for premiums, co-pays, and deductibles. This can be especially true for those who don’t have employer-paid coverage because, truth be told, the Obamacare exchanges cost a lot of money for surprisingly limited benefits.
One need look no further than the way Washington has handled Medicare, Medicaid, and the Veterans Administration healthcare to see the inherent danger of giving them sole control over one for the general public. But, putting aside the potential exorbitant tax rates and the probable boondoggle that the government will make of administering any plan, accessing doctors could prove to be a major issue.
Success (?) Elsewhere
Under the system currently in place, a 2018 report estimated it would take 20 days to see a primary physician and another 20 days to get an appointment with a specialist. To someone who’s ill or injured that 40 days might seem like an eternity. However, compared to some Socialized systems, it’s not that bad.
A report released in that same year for Canada said it would take patients between 18.4 weeks for Saskatchewan and 45.1 weeks for New Brunswick. In the United Kingdom, the official NHS site, states the subjects of the Crown have the “right” to start non-urgent treatment within 18 weeks after the date of referral to a specialist.
When all factors like time, money, and access are considered in the aggregate, the proposal to make things “better” stands a strong chance of making things worse for everybody. The preamble to the Constitution of the United States says the union was formed in part, “to promote the general Welfare [sic] ” which means for all citizens, not just one segment.
And, here’s the final discussion. Each and every American must decide for themselves whether they think this is a good idea or not, and to vote appropriately. Because the candidate that wins the White House in November will very well set the direction the country will go for a very long time to come.
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