Socialization of America's Healthcare

Paper Summary:

This paper explains that, currently, the majority of Americans has health insurance through their employer or through government funded programs such as Medicare, Medicaid and the Veteran's Administration; however, 16% of the population being uninsured, such as the unemployed, the underemployed and workers with preexisting medical conditions, will receive medical treatment only if their life is immediately at risk. The author points out that Medicaid and Medicare, a partial federal and state paid program, similar to socialized systems in other countries, suffer from a physician payment hierarchy, which creates a longer waiting times and lesser access to care for patients under Medicaid, and abuse on the part of patients and that the paradox with HMOs is the less healthcare they provided the more money the HMO stands to gain. The paper concludes that a fully socialized healthcare system to grant healthcare access to every citizen and to reign in the rising costs is ultimately the answer to all the problems facing the U.S. medical industry.

From the Paper:

"Attempts to establish fully socialized healthcare within the United States have been occurring for nearly a century. From Theodore Roosevelt to Bill Clinton, every time politicians have believed they were on the brink of passing such legislation, their efforts were thwarted by either opposing partisan groups or other lobbyists. Additionally, other simultaneously occurring geopolitical issues have often acted to stymie the passing of such laws. Today, the current state of exponentially escalating U.S. medical costs, which has left over 40 million lower income citizens without affordable access to healthcare, has acted to renew fervor on this debate."

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