Or, why a single-payer universal healthcare system is the best option.
Disclaimer: I have been a bit taken aback at how easily people make themselves into self-appointed gurus on whatever subject they happen to have an interest. I cannot count how many blogs there are (really popular blogs even!) where the blogger gives parenting advice like they are an expert and their oldest child is only 5. Or they only have 1 infant. And people fall all over themselves praising this person and their sage advice. And then there's me over here with kids falling out of my ears with, (excuse me), a shitload of experience on a variety of issues, and I question whether I have any right to share anything at all. Because there are tons of moms with way more kids than I have, or moms of older kids, who are way more qualified to give advice, and who am I to share anything at all?
But you know what? No more. Life is passing me by and I have opinions-- oh do I have opinions! And I have learned things and know...stuff....and....stuff like that. Look, I may never be the funniest or most eloquent or intelligent person in the room, but I can express myself, dammit. Call it the narcissistic American spirit or whatever you want, but I'm joining this crazy train.
So without further delay, here is my numbered list of why a single-payer universal healthcare system would solve the healthcare problems in our country:
1. Free market principles should not be applied to healthcare because healthcare has an inelastic demand curve. People will give everything they have to save or protect their loved ones, until they are left with nothing. That is what we are currently seeing happen. There is no competition when you are talking about people's lives.
2. That being said, the government CAN set and limit costs. The federal government would have even more bargaining power. This is likely why health care costs in other countries are so much cheaper (see video below for more of an explanation).
2. In the U.S. we are choking our businesses by making healthcare primarily an employer problem.
3. On top of employer-based health insurance crippling small businesses, it also forces severely-ill people to continue working so they can keep their healthcare. Or refuse to transfer to a better job because they will lose their healthcare. This is wrong.
4. As much as free-market proponents like to praise their own ability to charitably give, the reality is that a true free market has no provision for the poor and, let's be real, given the current cost of health care, would charity really go very far? Would depending on other people's charity be enough for you to sleep at night if your loved one's life was on the line? Many of these folks calling for no government intervention simply have not been in a position where they have lost everything due to health care costs (bless them). They tend to believe that those who are poor must be poor out of their own fault, they must not work hard enough. The poor are vilified and segregated and literally left to die. Therefore, a free-market healthcare system is un-Christian, at best.
5. Many of the "long wait" stories are scare tactics. It is already the norm to wait 3-6 months to see many specialists, and it has been that way for decades. I am not opposed to offering the rich an option to pay more and get faster care. But let's make sure everyone gets fair care.
This is also why the current ACA will fail. It only comes halfway to being what we need- universal health care.
Here is a good video on the subject-
I don't totally disagree with everything you said, but you have one huge fact wrong. The poor in America already have health care (Medicaid, and in my state, AHCCCS). So, the poor will continue to get their healthcare no matter what. It's the middle class that is now losing ground and will continue to get screwed. It's the small business owners and middle America (not the poor, and not the uber-rich) who are suffering and will continue to suffer as Obamacare does its damage. A real tragedy for the middle class. But I'm pretty sure that was the plan, to collapse our system and kill full-time jobs and small businesses, in order to push single payer on everyone. That was the goal of the left all along. It's working and we will all pay the price for that, on so many levels.
ReplyDeleteActually, Leila, Medicaid is categorical and large swaths of the poor are not eligible. In our state, Medicaid is really only accessible to pregnant women, children, and seniors past a certain age. That is great, but not enough. For example, I qualify for Medicaid when pregnant, but not 6 weeks after giving birth. We cannot afford to put me on any other insurance. So when I'm not pregnant, I'm not on any health insurance; however, with the expanded Medicaid that is now part of the ACA, I will qualify even when I'm not pregnant. So even though we are under certain income parameters (our children qualify, thankfully), they do not allow me on under the current guidelines.
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