Opponents argue the government is not equipped to handle health care reform.
National health care reform has been a hot topic of debate since it was introduced in 2009. Proponents of national health insurance argue that everyone should have the right to be insured, and that health care disproportionately favors the wealthy. Opponents of national health insurance say that it is not a "free" consitutional right.
Government Inefficiencies
The government hasn't proven capable of running a large-scale operation like national health insurance. The private sector is led by experienced business people who know successfully run companies and programs. The government, on the other hand, does not operate as efficiently as corporations. Private sector employees also have more incentives to perform well, due to the greater number of promotions, bonuses and overtime opportunities available.
Cost
National health insurance is expensive, and, to pay for it, the government will have to raise taxes or cut spending in other areas like defense, education and medical research. From an economic standpoint, when people get insured for free, demand goes up. When the demand for health care rises, this drives the price of health care higher, according to Businessweek.com. Ultimately, it's taxpayers who foot the bill for the potentially massive health care expenses. Also, healthy people who take care of themselves will have to pay for those people who live unhealthy lifestyles, such as smokers and the obese, because the costs are spread evenly among everyone. Therefore, you can lead a healthy lifestyle and end up paying just as much as those who choose not to take care of their health and take advantage of the system.
Patient Issues
In order to control costs, the government will need to implement controls that limit patient options. For example, certain elective procedures, such as plastic surgery, likely will not be allowed as part of national health insurance. This means that the government will have to put certain controls in place that may decrease a patient's flexibility in their insurance options, explains BalancedPolitics.org. Patients in Britain and Canada have experienced increased waiting times with their national health care. In these countries, the government decides who gets treated first, meaning you can wait months to get treated for certain conditions. For example, according to the Balanced Politics website, the universal system in Canada makes patients wait more than six months for a routine pap smear.
Burden on Health Care Providers
Health care providers will be burdened with an increase in paperwork and government regulations. This could lead to decreased profits and, ultimately, decreased demand for careers in the health field, according to Businessweek.com. Many government job salaries are federally mandated, meaning that the earning potential for doctors and other health care providers may decrease, explains the Balanced Politics website. This could be detrimental to recruiting top talent into science-based careers such as medicine.
Tags: health care, health insurance, government will, national health insurance, will have, according Businessweek, Balanced Politics