Health Coverage

Paper Summary:

In this article, the writer notes that unlike a government-operated, tax-funded healthcare system - the type of system, generally referred to as national healthcare, currently operating in Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand and elsewhere, the majority of healthcare funding in the U.S. comes from the private sector. The writer maintains that with respect to these private funds, health insurance has replaced out-of-pocket consumer spending as the major source of payment. The writer relates that many critics of the American system point out that there are too many uninsured Americans, that there is too much money being spent and that many employees receive restricted coverage. The writer argues that the real problem is that healthcare institutions do not operate as true businesses and the solution is to fix this problem rather than to rely on unproven government intervention.

From the Paper:

"Advocates of national healthcare argue that it would reduce costs by: eliminating unnecessary, duplicative paperwork; adopting mechanisms to stretch healthcare dollars such as bulk purchasing of medications; and implementing measures to control future healthcare costs such as negotiating fair fees with doctors and budgets with hospitals. But, some economists put the cost of national healthcare reform at $339 billion per year in additional taxes. A look at a proposed legislation by Representative Marty Russo and Senator Paul Wellstone to establish national healthcare reveals a huge tax outlay for American taxpayers. Their plan requires employers and the self-employed to pay a tax equal to 7.5 percent of wages. The top individual tax rate would rise from thirty-one to thirty-eight percent. corporate income taxes would increase from thirty-four to thirty-eight percent. And, Social Security benefits would be taxed at eighty-five percent rather than the current fifty percent."

Sample of Sources Used:

• "Financing National Health Insurance." (2003, February 4). Available: http://www.pnhp.org/nhibill/nhi_financing.html (Accessed 16 Feb. 2007).
• "Health Care Policy Issues. Sept. 2004. Available: http://www.newsbatch.com/healthcare.htm (Accessed 16 Feb. 2007).
• Mullen, Patrick. (2006, May). "They wrote the Book on Fixing the System". Managed Care. Retrieved from Web site: http://www.managedcaremag.com/archives/0605/0605.qna_porterteisberg.html (Accessed 16 Feb. 2007).
• "Ralph Nader Calls for Universal Health Care Program." (2000, October 13). Available: http://www.greeninformation.com/NADEERHEALTHCARE.htm (Accessed 16 Feb. 2007).
• Tanner, Michael. "Health Care Reform: The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly." Cato Policy Analysis No. 184. Available: http://www.cato.org/pubs/pas/pa184.html (Accessed 16 Feb. 2007).

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