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The following Viewpoint
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Anonymous
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Jun 17, 2024 at 03:48 (UTC)
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5 Arguments, 0 Evaluations
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The following Arguments
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Implementing a universal healthcare system would require massive government spending, increasing the national debt and potentially leading to higher taxes. The U.S. cannot afford such a costly program. A 2022 study by the Mercatus Center estimated the cost at $32.6 trillion over 10 years.
The claim that Medicare for All (M4A) is prohibitively expensive is a myth. Consider these two scenarios:
- For those with employer-sponsored insurance: The funds that employers currently allocate for healthcare coverage would be redirected to individuals. These individuals would pay a portion of this amount as healthcare tax. (Many overlook that the new healthcare tax would replace the existing employer contributions for healthcare coverage.)
- For those currently uninsured: Due to economies of scale and reduced administrative costs, M4A can save a significant amount of money. This savings would be more than sufficient to cover uninsured individuals, potentially preventing tens of thousands of deaths each year.
On this note, the US currently spends roughly twice as much per capita on healthcare as any other developed country. We can achieve a lot with this substantial expenditure without needing to increase it.
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Increases wait times for current services
Under M4A, the influx of new patients into the healthcare system could overwhelm providers, resulting in longer wait times for appointments, surgeries, and procedures. Countries with universal healthcare, like Canada, have experienced issues with wait times for some procedures.
Even if wait times increase, it is immoral to deny healthcare to millions of people to maintain quicker access for the insured. Saving lives and ensuring everyone has access to care outweighs the potential inconvenience of longer waits. On this note, longer wait times often occur for non-life-threatening treatments.
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If the income of doctors is set by the government and fixed, they won’t be motivated to provide quality healthcare
Doctors and specialists might lose the financial incentive to provide high-quality care if their earnings are capped under a government-run system. This could result in lower motivation, decreased innovation, and a drop in the quality of care and innovation in the healthcare sector.
Performance-based incentives, such as star ratings or other appropriate methods, could be used to adjust doctors' payments based on patient outcomes. These measures help ensure that healthcare providers stay motivated to maintain high standards of care.
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The government may exploit the power it gains by negotiating excessively low healthcare prices
M4A would give the government significant power to negotiate healthcare prices, which could lead to price controls that hurt healthcare providers and drug manufacturers.
Democratic processes can act as a check on government overreach in healthcare pricing. If an administration abuses its power in ways that harm healthcare services, it would face political repercussions and could be voted out by the electorate.
When healthcare is guaranteed, people may become less responsible for their own health, adopting unhealthy lifestyles or neglecting preventive measures, knowing that treatment will always be available.
Even with free healthcare, the physical suffering caused by illnesses and diseases will still motivate people to take care of their health. The desire to avoid pain and discomfort remains a strong deterrent to neglecting one’s health.
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