According to Frontline's Sick Around the World, Universal Healthcare can be instituted in a couple of ways.
Like Japan, the social insurance model insures every person.The funds come from businesses, where citizens most commonly apply for insurance. In Japan’s health care, the government dictates every single possible procedure, every treatment, and every little stitch to a tee; a doctor stitches up a wound, costs such-and-such fixed amount. The "down with big government" ideal gets in the way with this healthcare model. If the government gains power enough to dictate how much medical procedures cost, then the government essentially inherits the power to control every life - literally, life - of its citizens. More power equals bigger government. Not to mention that doctors’ incomes are capped as well, thus dictating how much people earn; hence the American ideal “freedom in medical care not free medical care.”
Not only does Japan's health insurance model restrict the private sector, stunts the laws of supply and demand that essentially control medicine, and inhibits proper competition in the medical field, but it also cannot sustain itself financially. "All the hospitals in Japan are bankrupt," one Japanese doctor states.
Great Britain possesses the socialized medicine model. Basically, the wealthy pay higher tax rates than Average-Joe so as to supply the funds to insure every Average-Joe in the country. According to the film, Average-Joe pays how much? Verbatim: "none." The “taxed enough already” American ideal conflicts with this system. As the Beatles song “Taxman” suitably states:
"Let me tell you how it will be;
There's one for you, nineteen for me.
'Cause I’m the taxman,
Yeah, I’m the taxman.
Should five per cent appear too small,Ironically, Hasrrison wrote this song criticizing excessive taxes in Great Britain. Typically, Americans dread paying taxes, and honestly, who wants to pay more? Not if your life depended on it, not if your neighbor's life depended on it; and their neighbor's life, and their neighbor's, and their's, and....
Be thankful I don't take it all.
'Cause I’m the taxman,
Yeah, I’m the taxman."
American ideals frustrate any attempts to institutionalize Universal healthcare in the United States. Universal healthcare simply does not work in America. Despite the unavoidable flaws to our healthcare system, it reigns one of the most efficient, and innovative systems in the world of healthcare. In fact, Profesor Uwe Reinhardt praises America's innovative healthcare system. "We look to other countries' attempts of a Universal healthcare. We learn from their failures and emulate their successes. ... But not the United States. It's a system that just...just happens. It can't be copied."
References:
- Harrison, George. "Taxman." Rec. 21 June 1966. Revolver. The Beatles. George Martin, 1966. CD.
- Palfreman, Jon, prod. "Sick Around the World." Sick Around the World. PBS. Boston, Massachusetts, 15 Apr. 2008. Television.
4 comments:
I liked it. Well put, and once again- you are a very good writer, Amy.
With all other arguments aside, the American Experiment was: Can Man Rule Himself? The answer from our founders: Yes.
Can Man Rule Himself? There are those in this country who don't believe so. There is also a growing number of those in this country who think that we can...
It's a good rule of thumb. Leaving political parties out of the picture when trying to figure out your position on something ask yourself- is this action or proposed law allowing me to govern myself? You'd be surprised where your answer may lead you. Do it!
not all taxes are bad some are just horribly setup such as alabama.
And some people have bad grammar.
Great writing Amy! Keep it up! I got this quote the other day and thought how much it applied to the concept of socialized health care:
"The (individual) growth required by the gospel occurs only in a culture of individual effort and responsibility. It cannot occur in a culture of dependency. Whatever causes us to be dependent on someone else for decisions or resources we could provide for ourselves weakens us spiritually and retards our growth toward what the gospel plan intends us to be." Elder Dallin H. Oaks
I like the question Melanie poses. What a good rule of thumb!
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