In the give and take of politics, the Democratic debaters emphasize the “give”—the “take” not so much.
To get to universal healthcare, what would you have to give up?
- Your employer-provided, tax-free medical insurance—right away for Bernie’s plan, in a few years for the others
- Prompt surgery for agonizing pain—read how “Amy” suffered for years while being treated with highly addictive, ineffective pain meds, until she got relief from surgery in a “highly underground” private clinic in another Canadian city
- Direct access to a specialist—in Bernie’s model Canada, you have to get a referral from a primary “provider” within the System
- Your private doctor—all doctors will have to satisfy the Plan and constantly worry about “not abusing the system” or causing “disparities” by putting YOUR needs first
- Your privacy—the System needs all your records to control costs and treatments
- Innovations—who will invest in R&D when price controls make it impossible to cover costs?
- Your disposable income—an average Canadian family that earned $83,105 in 2016 paid $35,283 (42.5%) in taxes
- Private options—affordable, catastrophes-only insurance; direct primary care; health-sharing ministries; health savings accounts; private payment for the care of YOUR choice
Remember, “universal” means the same, centrally planned treatment for everyone. It is “free” like a freeway—a controlled-access road. You can only get on at the entry ramp, and off at the exit—if you can get to it in a traffic snarl. With single payer, they block the other roads.
For more information, see “Why Not a Private Option?” AAPS News, August 2019.
