An American Universal Health Care System

Health Care System Needs Reform, Not agiven medication for the rest of your life at a
Government Takeoversubstantial cost savings to the government, and
Believe it or not, America boasts some of theat a high quality of life price to you.
world's best doctors, the most advanced healthSolutions:
care system, and the most technically superiorFixing the current U.S. health care system might
resources in the world, bar none. Those whorequire that we;
travel globally and have gotten sick know that1. Encourage prevention and early diagnosis of
their first choice for treatment would be in thechronic conditions and management.
U.S. Though health care in America is, more2. Completely reform existing government are
expensive than any other country, many of theprograms, including Medicare and Medicaid.
worlds wealthiest come to the U.S for surgical3. Forgive medical school debt for those willing to
procedures and complex care, because it holds apractice primary care in under-served areas.
worldwide reputation for the gold standard in4. Improve access to care, provide small
health care.businesses and the self-employed with tax credits,
To examine the complex health care issue, anot penalties for providing health care.
small research study was conducted from5. Encourage innovation in medical records
randomly selected doctors in a best doctorsmanagement to reduce costs.
database. We ask 50 top doctors, located in6. Require tort reform in medical malpractice
different states and who practice differentjudgments to lower the cost of providing care.
specialty fields, " Is a universal health care plan7. Keep what isn't broken-research shows 80%
good for America?" Forty-eight of these doctorsof Americans are happy with their current
essentially responded that it was a "bad idea" thatinsurance, therefore, why completely dismantle it?
would have negative impacts on the quality of our8. Reimburse physicians for their services.
nation's health care.9. Innovate a system in which Medicare fraud is
Social Engineering Medicinedramatically decreased.
One of the greatest mis-conceptions some peopleDevil In the Details
have relied on with regard to the health careSocialized medicine means:
debate is that, given a universal health care1. Loss of private practice options, reduced pay
system, every person in the U.S. would receivefor physicians, overwhelming numbers of patients,
the highest quality health care - the kind ourand increasing burn-out may reduce the number
nation is renowned for and that we currentlyof doctors pursuing the profession.
receive. However, unlike some public amenities,2. Patient confidentiality will need to be
health care is not a collective public service likecompromised, since centralized health information
police and fire protection services, therefore thewill be maintained by the government and it's
Government cannot provide the same quality ofdatabases.
health care to everyone, because not all3. Healthy people who take care of themselves
physicians are equally good orthopedic surgeons,will pay for the burden of those with unhealthy
internists, neurosurgeons, etc, in the same waylifestyles, such as those who smoke, are obese,
that not all individuals in need of health care areetc.
equally good patients.4. Patients lose the incentive to stay healthy or
As an analogy - stay with me - when you designaren't likely to take efforts to curb their
a software program, there are many elementsprescription drug costs because health care is free
that are coded on the back-end, and used toand the system can easily be abused.
manipulate certain aspects of the software5. The U.S. Government will need to call the shots
program, that your average "John Doe" who usesabout important health decisions dictating what
the software (the end user) does not understandprocedures are best for you, rather than those
or utilize, nor do they care about these elements.decisions being made by your doctor(s), which will
Certain aspects of the program are coded, soresult in poor individualized patient care.
that when one uses that portion of the program,6. Tax rates will rise substantially-universal health
other elements of the program are manipulatedcare is not free since citizens are required to pay
and automatically follow the present or nextfor it in the form of taxes.
command.7. Your freedom of choice will be restricted as to
Likewise, once a universal care plan iswhich doctor is best for you and your family.
implemented in America and its massive8. Like all public programs, government
infrastructure is shaped, private insurancebureaucracy, even in the form of health care,
companies will slowly disappear, and as a result,does not promote healthy competition that
eventually patients will automatically be forced toreduces costs based on demand. What's more,
utilize the government's universal health care plan.accountability is limited to the budgetary
As part of such a system, patients will be knownresources available to police such a system.
as numbers rather than patients, because such a9. Medicare is subsidized by private insurers to the
massive government program would providetune of billions of dollars, therefore if you take
compensation incentive based on care provided,them out of the equation, add a trillion dollars or
patients would become "numbers," rather thanmore to the current trillion dollar-plus cost
"patients." In addition, for cost savings reasons,estimates.
every bit of health information, including your own,10. Currently, the government loses an estimated
will be analyzed, and stored by the Government.$ 30 billion a year due to Medicare fraud.
What are the consequences? If you're a seniorTherefore, what makes anyone think that this
citizen and need a knee replacement at the agesame government will be able to run &
of 70, the government may determine thatoperate a universal health care system that is
you're to old and it's not worth the investmentresistant to fraud and save money while doing
cost, therefore instead of surgery, you may beso?.