The Pros and Cons of Medicaid For All

The quest for universal healthcare coverage.

According to WHO, universal health care is a situation in which every citizen can receive health services without incurring financial hardship.

It’s important to first lay out the main objectives for Universal Healthcare. Can we all agree that the following are a must for implementing Universal Health Care?

A strong, efficient, well-run health system;

A system for financing health services;

Access to essential medicines and technologies;

A sufficient capacity of well-trained, motivated health workers.

Pros of Universal Health Care

Benefits Businesses

As of 2011, about 59.5% of Americans were enjoying health insurance through their employer in the private sector. The high cost that is associated with paying employee’s health insurance put U.S private businesses in competitive disadvantage in the international marketplace. Hence with universal healthcare, private businesses can free up the fund use for health insurance for investment in other areas of their business. This could reduce employer labor cost by more than 12%.

Boost Economy

Without a doubt, people work more when they live healthier lives which allow them to contribute as much they can to the nation’s economy. Universal healthcare will raise the standard of living of every individual in the society which will lead to more economic productivity.

Equal Access To Health Care

The main advantage of this type of health care is it gives people that can’t afford health care the services they need. This health care system allows basic health care services for all citizens and it doesn’t discriminate against anyone. It helps those that aren’t employed or have other difficulties get healthcare when they need it the most.
This is perhaps the greatest advantage of universal health care, every member of the society that practice this type of health plan can be able to access health care no matter his social status. Since no single human life is greater to another, the poor can be able to receive exactly the type of health care that could only be afforded by rich man under normal circumstances.

Improve Public Health

The entire population spreads around the cost of the health care so everyone can at least get the basic care that they need.
This type of health care will help to improve the health of general population, since every member of the society has an equal access to medical health care. Hence, it will lead to reduction in the amount of illness suffered by general population; create healthier people and increased productivity.
Citizens can get free treatments for basic conditions without the fear of not being able to afford them. This can help reduce the spread of infectious diseases and other common health problems that people may ignore if they can’t afford health care.

Less Paperworks

It’s easier with universal health care to have everyone under one system. Doctors can concentrate on patients and not problems with insurance and other factors.
With universal health care in place, doctors and other health care professionals can finally concentrate on treating the patient without worrying themselves with paperworks about the patients’ insurance and other necessary paperworks.

Stop Medical Bankruptcies

Universal health care can put an end to medical bankruptcies. In 2007, about 62% of all United States bankruptcies in one or another were related to medical expenses even for those with health insurance. With universal health care, medical bankruptcy will be a thing of the past leading to a healthier and richer nation.

Encourage Entrepreneurship

Universal health care will encourage entrepreneurship according to the projection made by Kauffman-RAND Institute for Entrepreneurship Public Policy. Most individuals stay away from starting their own business due to fear of losing health care insurance they are enjoying from their current employer. With universal health care in place, self-employment in United State could increase by 2 to 3.5%.

End Healthcare Lobbying; Funds that Don’t Actually Help Consumers

2017 Lobby Money Spent

On behalf of profitable insurance companies: $78,756,512

On behalf of Pharmaceuticals/Health Products: $144,778,982

Cons of Universal Health Care

Long Wait Time

This type of health care system often results in long wait times for patients and not everyone may receive the type of care that they need. Since this type of system is run by the government there can be a lot of red tape and bureaucracy that can result in poor care especially if the country is already poor and doesn’t have a lot of revenues to spend on the care of its citizens.

Doctor Salaries

The universal health care will reduce the amount of money doctors can make thereby reducing the attraction in the practice. This could create shortage of doctors in the long-run.Those with higher incomes may complain that their money is going to pay for the health care of other citizens when it should be going to pay for their own health care.

Medical Abuse Leads to Rationing

People may abuse the system and seek care for conditions which don’t require a visit to the hospital and these people can tax the system and cause unnecessary burdens on the system.
Adopting universal health care in United States could lead to rationing of medical services as seen in countries like New Zealand, Australia, France, Canada, United Kingdom and Taiwan. These countries that practice universal health care ration health care services through methods such as budgeting, controlled distribution, service restriction and price setting.

There Is No Free Lunch

Universal health care is not really free since government will need to generate fund to support the program. Hence, it could lead to an increase in taxes. This is shown in UK and other European countries where universal health care is being practiced with taxes increasing year over year.

Lack of External (cash) Motivation

Universal health care eliminates the free market for health care where prices may be lower.
Some might see less incentive to create better medications or pursue better medical services.
The universal health care will reduce the amount of money doctors can make thereby could reduce the attraction in the practice for the sake of salary. This could create shortage of doctors in the long-run.

Takes Time to Get There

Universal health care often has a lot of rules and regulations that people have to follow and there is going to be lots of learning curves or probably trials and errors or even some technical difficulties just like when Obamacare first launched.

Increase Government Debt

This is probably the biggest argument against universal health care. Implementing a single payer health care system causes an increase in taxes as the system needs to be paid for. The overall costs if the system can be draining on a country and causes large debts.
The existing U.S government health care programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and the Children’s Health Insurance Program is already putting a huge strain on public budget. Adding a universal healthcare program to these would amount to enormous growth in government spending and debt.
Governments aren’t that great at running large systems and the fact that the government runs health care can lead to a lot of problems. To run the health care system there may need to be cuts made in other areas of the government which weaken those areas to compensate for the need of the health care system.

There will always be a debate over the advantages and disadvantages of universal health care. Like all systems, there’s going to be a lot of debates over the problems and the benefits. But different countries have different situations so if the pros outweigh the cons, going with universal healthcare would be the best approach.

Universal Healthcare Will Eventually Happen

Even though shifting from the existing healthcare system to the single payer healthcare system is not easy; it is the only long-term solution available in providing the equal healthcare for every people regardless the age, income, or gender. A single payer healthcare system which covers all the Americans will result in a huge reduction of administration expenses. The money that they have paid will all be allocated for the disease prevention and health care instead of debt collection and paper pushing. Many Americans feel trapped in their current jobs due to the reduced cost of the health insurance provided. The single payer health care allows people to be free to be more productive without worrying about healthcare insurance.

Americans are in fact aware that the existing healthcare system is not properly working. But, it may take a long time for them to understand that the fundamental problems lie in the system, since the US remains the only industrialized country in the earth planet in which the citizens does not have guaranteed to equal health care.

The Pros and Cons of Medicaid For All

The quest for universal healthcare coverage.