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.<ref>http://city-journal.org/html/17_3_canadian_healthcare.html</ref>

The [[United States]] has a mixture of public and private insurance programs.<ref>[http://city-journal.org/html/17_3_canadian_healthcare.html]</ref>

[[Massachusetts]] under [[Mitt Romney]] enacted something close to '''universal health care''',the [[Massachusetts Plan]], and it has resulted in the predictable problem of long waiting lines for care.  In the case of one physician, she does not have an opening for a routine physical for more than a year into the future.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/05/us/05doctors.html?_r=1&ex=1208232000&en=edd47716a3c98fbf&ei=5070&emc=eta1&oref=slogin</ref>  Residents of [[Massachusetts]] are required to purchase insurance or else be penalized for not having it, and after purchasing the insurance they are demanding care that is straining the system of physicians.

[[Massachusetts]] under [[Mitt Romney]] enacted something close to '''universal health care''',the [[Massachusetts Plan]], and it has resulted in the predictable problem of long waiting lines for care.  In the case of one physician, she does not have an opening for a routine physical for more than a year into the future.<ref>http://www.nytimes.com/2008/04/05/us/05doctors.html?_r=1&ex=1208232000&en=edd47716a3c98fbf&ei=5070&emc=eta1&oref=slogin</ref>  Residents of [[Massachusetts]] are required to purchase insurance or else be penalized for not having it, and after purchasing the insurance they are demanding care that is straining the system of physicians.

==Ways to Administer Universal Health Care==

==Ways to Administer Universal Health Care==

There are essentially only two ways to administer health care: privately or through the state. Health care in most countries is administered largely if not solely by private organizations, but some proponents of universal health care advocate [[socialized medicine]], in which health care is primarily or solely administered and paid for by the state. Sometimes the terms ''socialized medicine'' and ''universal health care'' are used interchangeably, but this is not technically correct, as UHC can include methods other than socialized medicine.<ref>[[American Medical Student Association]][http://www.amsa.org/pdf/model.pdf ''Theoretical Models for Delivering Universal Health Care: An analysis of important concepts].</ref><ref>[http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=25521 MedicineNet.com MedTerms Dictionary]</ref>

There are essentially only two ways to administer health care: privately or through the state. Health care in most countries is administered largely if not solely by private organizations, but some proponents of universal health care advocate [[socialized medicine]], in which health care is primarily or soley administered and paid for by the state. Sometimes the terms ''socialized medicine'' and ''universal health care'' are used interchangeably, but this is not technically correct, as UHC can include methods other than socialized medicine.<ref>[[American Medical Student Association]][http://www.amsa.org/pdf/model.pdf ''Theoretical Models for Delivering Universal Health Care: An analysis of important concepts].</ref><ref>[http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=25521 MedicineNet.com MedTerms Dictionary]</ref>

==Current Practice and Effectiveness==

==Current Practice and Effectiveness==