Changes

'''Universal Health Care''' ('''UHC''') can refer to things in two distinct categories: (1) methods of paying for health care, such as [[health insurance]]; and (2) systems of providing patients with services, prescriptions, and the like. Some politicians and activists blur the distinction.  

'''Universal Health Care''' ('''UHC''') can refer to things in two distinct categories: (1) methods of paying for health care, such as [[health insurance]]; and (2) systems of providing patients with services, prescriptions, and the like. Some politicians and activists blur the distinction.  

There are several different ways of paying for health care, including private insurance, government-supplied insurance, [[single payer]] [[health insurance]] or [[health savings accounts]].

There are several different ways of paying for health care, including private insurance, government-supplied insurance, single payer [[health insurance]] or health savings accounts.

The [[United States]] has a mixture of public and private insurance programs. [http://city-journal.org/html/17_3_canadian_healthcare.html] Additionally, some hospitals provide effectively provide free care to those who cannot pay because of a federal law, EMTALA, mandating emergency care without regard of ability to pay. However, this law is abused by illegal immigrants, damages the credit profiles of the patients, is not cost effective (most ER visits cost upwards of a $1000), is a drain on hospitals' finances, and increases the overall costs of hospital visits for those who do pay.

The [[United States]] has a mixture of public and private insurance programs. [http://city-journal.org/html/17_3_canadian_healthcare.html] Additionally, some hospitals provide effectively provide free care to those who cannot pay because of a federal law, EMTALA, mandating emergency care without regard of ability to pay. However, this law is abused by illegal immigrants, damages the credit profiles of the patients, is not cost effective (most ER visits cost upwards of a $1000), is a drain on hospitals' finances, and increases the overall costs of hospital visits for those who do pay.