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sethnintendo said: Okay then let us talk about USA healthcare system since it is still "private". I can't even afford to go to the doctors if I get sick or injured. Oh and I don't even have a doctor considering I haven't been to one in years. Also, the healthcare plans that my contract company offers are a joke. Why would I pay 35+ a week coming out of my paycheck for such a shitty plan? |
Judging by the conversations we've been having for years on this board, I don't think HS much likes the USA's system either, like me. While it may be "private" there are many, many issues with it:
- Your employers get tax breaks for providing health insurance. This means that your health insurance is often tied to your job. Lose your job, lose your health care. End this tax incentive, and your employer can just give you the money directly, for you to buy your own insurance with.
- Due to the fact that most insurance comes from employers, the cost of health insurance increases, as employers can afford to pay more than employees.
- Hospitals are forced to pay for those who cannot afford to buy health insurance/pay for their care. While this seems ethical, it causes the hospitals to drive up the cost of everybody else's care, which puts more people into the "cannot afford" bracket.
- Government intervention in the market drives up the lower price bracket. Hospitals and health insurance don't need to lower their prices to cater for the poorest, because the Government will pay for it, anyway. It's effectively the same problem as employer-provided health care.
- No competition between state borders. If you were able to buy your insurance from anywhere in the country, you could probably find a better deal.
- Too much legislation in favour of the catch-all insurance model. Insurance companies are expected to pay for absolutely all aspects of health coverage. The latest thing that they've got to start providing for is contraception. Small issues and procedures cost firms disproportionately more than larger ones (for example, people demand more and more antibiotics if they're covered by their program... very few people are going to demand open-heart surgery unless it's absolutely necessary, no matter how free it is). A far superior solution would be to have insurance for the incredibly rare, incredibly expensive things, and a savings account for all the minor stuff. Legislation in the USA makes this much more costly, and difficult, to do, however.
