Healthcare For All: Five Reasons Government Controlled Medicine Would Be Bad
August 27, 2008 / 10:53 pm • By Dr. Melissa ClouthierAs I watch Dennis Kucinich jump around the stage and scream for “health care for all!” and then claim that his views are mainstream while Bill O’Reilly listens amused, I wonder just how mainstream universal, aka government controlled, health care actually is to average Americans. Good look finding hard data. Government controlled health care sounds good in theory, but it’s terrible in reality. How do we know? Let me count the ways:
1. People would lose jobs. The very people who would stand to benefit from health care would be in trouble, because what’s the plan to pay for these grandiose policies? Small businesses will pay. And how will they offset those costs? Hire less people. The people who need jobs will lose jobs.
2. It would be outrageously expensive. Beyond the cost to employers, there will be costs to American taxpayers. Someone is paying for this mess. A good analysis is here.
3. It would create more government bureaucracy. Can anyone argue that the government makes anything better? Just think IRS. Now imagine a bureaucrat deciding your health care coverage. It should send shivers down your spine.
4. Patient care suffers. Ultimately, this is about what is best for patients, right? One only has to look to countries doing what universal health care types desire to see that between waiting for procedures, being lied to about care choices, etc., government controlled health care is bad for your health.
5. Government involvement stifles innovation. America leads the world in cutting-edge technology and patient care. The innovation draws patients in dire straits who benefit from socialized medicine world powerhouses–Canadians, Britons, French, etc. Still, they come to America to get prompt, excellent, cutting-edge treatment. Will the government improve upon the efforts of the private sector where the innovation happens. Doubtful.
