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Universal health care

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Universal health care is a health care system in which all residents of a geographic or political entity have their health care paid for, regardless of medical condition or financial status.[1] Universal health care systems vary in what services are covered completely, covered partially, or not covered at all.

Funding of universal health care systems

Most European systems are financed through a mix of public and private contributions.[2] The majority of universal health care systems are funded primarily by tax revenue (e.g. Portugal[2]). Some nations, such as Germany and France, employ a multi-payer system in which health care is funded by private and public contributions.[3] Japan also employs a multi-payer system.[4]

"Single-payer" describes a type of financing system in which a single entity, typically a government-run organization, acts as the administrator (or "payer") to collect all health care fees, and pay out all health care costs.[5] Some advocates of universal health care assert that single-payer systems save money that could be used directly towards health care by reducing administrative waste.[5] Denmark, Sweden, and Canada are some of the countries that employ single-payer financing of health care.[4]

Countries with universal health care

Argentina[6], Australia[3][6], Austria[3], Belgium[3], Canada[3], Cuba[3], Denmark[3], Finland[3], France[3][6], Germany[3], Greece[6][7], Ireland[8], Israel[9], Italy[6][10], Japan[3], The Netherlands[3], New Zealand[3], Norway[3], Portugal[2], Russia[6], Saudi Arabia[6], Seychelles[11], South Korea[6] Spain[3], Sri Lanka[12], Sweden[3], The Republic of China (Taiwan)[3], and The United Kingdom[3][6] are among many countries that have various types of universal health care systems.

Mexico[6], South Africa[3][6], and Thailand[13] are among those nations attempting to implement universal health care systems.

In the United States, certain publicly-funded health care programs help to provide for the elderly, disabled, and the poor[14] and federal law ensures public access to emergency services regardless of ability to pay[15]; however, a system of universal health care has not been implemented. Massachusetts is attempting to implement a near-universal health care system by mandating that residents purchase health insurance by July 1, 2007.[16] On Monday, August 28th, 2006, the California State Assembly passed a bill which would provide for Single-payer form of Universal Health Care for all California citizens. [1]

In some countries, all citizens or legal residents are eligible to free health care and health funding is either tax-based or based on an insurance system with universal coverage with supplementary public contributions for those unable to pay. In others, the majority of citizens are covered by compulsory insurance contributions, either through their employer, or through social security, but some groups of citizens may be excluded from universal health care (eg. the self-employed, the unemployed who choose not to apply for unemployment benefit, foreign students, and the homeless).

Support for universal health care

Common arguments waged from supporters of universal health care systems are:

  • Health care is a right[17][18] or entitlement.[19]
  • Ensuring the health of all citizens benefits a nation economically.[20]
  • Provides coverage to all citizens regardless of ability to pay.[21]
  • Health care increasingly unaffordable for businesses and individuals.[21]
  • Universal health care would provide for uninsured adults who may forgo treatment needed for chronic health conditions.[22]
  • Providing access to medical treatment to those who cannot afford it themselves reduces the severity of epidemics by reducing the number of disease carriers
  • Reduces wastefulness and inefficiencies in the delivery of health care.[21]
  • A centralized national database makes diagnosis and treatment easier for doctors.[21]
  • Medical professionals can concentrate on treating patients rather than on administrative duties.[21]
  • Profit driven care leads to more deaths[23] and is more expensive.[24]
  • Encourages patients to seek preventive care enabling problems to be detected and treated earlier.[21]
  • The profit motive adversely affects the cost and quality of health care.[25]

Opposition to universal health care

Common arguments waged from opponents of universal health care systems are:

  • Health care is not a right.[26][27]
  • Increased waiting times.[26]
  • Poorer quality of care.[26]
  • Unequal access and health disparities still exist in some universal health care systems.[26]
  • Government agencies are less efficient due to bureaucracy.[21][26]
  • Citizens do not curb their drug costs and doctor visits; thus increasing costs.[21]
  • Must be funded with higher taxes and/or spending cuts in other areas.[21]
  • Profit motives, competition, and individual ingenuity lead to greater cost control and effectiveness.[21]
  • Uninsured citizens can sometimes still receive emergency care from alternative sources such as nonprofits and government-run hospitals.[21]
  • Government-mandated procedures reduce doctor flexibility and lead to poor patient care.[21]
  • Healthy people who take care of themselves have to pay for the burden of those who smoke, are obese, etc.[21]
  • Loss of private practice options and possible reduced pay dissuades many would-be doctors from pursuing the profession.[21]
  • Causes loss of insurance industry jobs and other business closures in the private sector.[21]

References

  1. ^ Massachusetts Nursing Association. "Single Payer Health Care: A Nurses Guide to Single Payer Reform."
  2. ^ a b c Bentes M, Dias CM, Sakellarides C, Bankauskaite V. Health Care Systems in Transition: Portuagal. WHO Regional Offices for Europe on behalf of the European Observatory on Health Systems and Policies, 2004.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s Physicians for a National Health Program"International Health Systems".
  4. ^ a b Chua, Kao-Ping. "Single Payer 101". February 10, 2006.
  5. ^ a b Physicians for a National Health Program. "What is Single Payer?".
  6. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k [http://www.ey.com/global/download.nsf/International/G20_Health_System_SummariesWEF2003/$file/G20%20Health%20System%20SummariesWEF2003.pdf "Health Care Systems and Health Market Reform in the G20 Countries." Prepared for the World Economic Forum by Ernst & Young. January 3, 2006. Retrieved September 7, 2006.
  7. ^ http://www.photius.com/countries/greece/society/greece_society_health_care.html Greece Health Care
  8. ^ Health care in Ireland
  9. ^ "The Health Care System in Israel- An Historical Perspective." Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs. Retrieved June 7, 2006.
  10. ^ Apolone G, Lattuada L. "Health coverage in Italy." J Ambul Care Manage. 2003 Oct-Dec;26(4):378-82. PMID 14567285.
  11. ^ Ministry of Health - Seychelles
  12. ^ Health Care System: Sri Lanka
  13. ^ [http://www.unescap.org/aphen/thailand_universal_coverage.htm "The Universal Coverage Policy of Thailand: An Introduction."
  14. ^ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. CMS Programs & Information. Retrieved August 30, 2006.
  15. ^ Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services. Emergency Medical Treatment & Labor Act. Retrieved August 30, 2006.
  16. ^ Fahrenthold DA. "Mass. Bill Requires Health Coverage." Washington Post. Wednesday, April 5, 2006; Page A01.
  17. ^ Center for Economic and Social Rights. "The Right to Health in the United States of America: What Does it Mean?" October 29, 2004.
  18. ^ National Health Care for the Homeless Council. "Human Rights, Homelessness and Health Care".
  19. ^ Kereiakes DJ, Willerson JT. "US health care: entitlement or privilege?." Circulation. 2004 Mar 30;109(12):1460-2.
  20. ^ William F. May. [http://www.religion-online.org/showarticle.asp?title=106 "The Ethical Foundations of Health Care Reform." The Christian Century, June 1-8, 1994, pp. 572-576.
  21. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o Messerli, Joe. "Should the Government Provide Free Universal Health Care for All Americans?" BalancedPolitics.org. March 1, 2006.
  22. ^ http://covertheuninsured.org/media/docs/release050205a.pdf
  23. ^ Devereaux PJ, Choi PT, Lacchetti C, Weaver B, Schunemann HJ, Haines T, Lavis JN, Grant BJ, Haslam DR, Bhandari M, Sullivan T, Cook DJ, Walter SD, Meade M, Khan H, Bhatnagar N, Guyatt GH. A systematic review and meta-analysis of studies comparing mortality rates of private for-profit and private not-for-profit hospitals. CMAJ. 2002 May 28;166(11):1399-406. PMID 12054406. Free Full Text.
  24. ^ Devereaux PJ, Heels-Ansdell D, Lacchetti C, Haines T, Burns KE, Cook DJ, Ravindran N, Walter SD, McDonald H, Stone SB, Patel R, Bhandari M, Schunemann HJ, Choi PT, Bayoumi AM, Lavis JN, Sullivan T, Stoddart G, Guyatt GH. Payments for care at private for-profit and private not-for-profit hospitals: a systematic review and meta-analysis. CMAJ. 2004 Jun 8;170(12):1817-24. PMID 15184339. Free Full Text.
  25. ^ http://news.pajamasmedia.com/2006/05/18/8722240_Book_tells_how_p.shtml
  26. ^ a b c d e Goodman, John. "Five Myths of Socialized Medicine." Cato Institute: Cato's Letter. Winter, 2005.
  27. ^ Sade RM. "Medical care as a right: a refutation." N Engl J Med. 1971 Dec 2;285(23):1288-92. PMID 5113728. (Reprinted as "The Political Fallacy that Medical Care is a Right.")

See also

Examples

Related topics

External links

Supporting universal health care

Opposing universal health care

Neutral

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