Universal Health Care

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 blur the distinction.

The United States is the only country with an effective universal health care system. David Hogberg wrote:

... everyone in the U.S. can get care regardless of income. In 1986 the U.S. Congress passed the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act. This requires emergency rooms to treat any person who shows up seeking medical treatment, regardless of their ability to pay.

Other countries have experimented various types of socialized medicine, such as Canada, with inadequate results (lengthy waiting times). Cuba, often touted by fans of Communism (or socialism in general), has woefully inadequate health care.

In general, the more government control over health care, the worse it gets. The U.S. produces the most new drugs and techniques because the free market system provides incentives for innovation and efficiency.

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. [3] Additionally, some hospitals provide free care to those who cannot pay (i.e., they bill you, and if you don't pay they write off the debt).

Types of Universal health care

There are many different types of care which fall under the term universal health care . Some of these systems are highlighted here:

• Single-payer health care is a system in which one entity pays for the health care of the entire population (see single-payer system). This entity is traditionally the federal or national government, and the system is paid for through taxes. Canada, Cuba and North Korea are the only three countries using this system. In Canada, it is illegal for a doctor to "bill" a patient, but one doctor found many people suffering while waiting months or years for treatment. He sued the goverment, appealed all the way to the Supreme Court, and won (see Dr. Jacques Chaoulli).
• Multi-payer health care is similar to the single-payer system, except that individuals may also choose to purchase private insurance. The United Kingdom is an example of this, with a National Health Service system available to all residents, which is paid for through a National Insurance scheme plus general taxation. People are, however, free to purchase private insurance and be treated privately if they so wish.
• Tax Credits can be used to provide uninsured individuals with a discount in their taxes to use towards paying for health care.
• Managed competition is a system which allows employers to join health care purchasing cooperatives. These cooperatives negotiate with private insurance providers to provide employees with a number of health options. The premiums are paid for in large part by the employer, and all purchasers pay the same price, regardless of their current health situation.

Proponents of universal health care

• The American Medical Student Association [4] is a proponent of single-payer health insurance.
• The Universal Health Care Action Network (UHCAN) [5] is an organization which promotes universal health care in general.

Opponents of universal health care

• The Cato Institute [6] is in favor of free market solutions to health care, and advocates health savings accounts in combination with high-deductible private insurance plans.

See Also

• The Ugly Truth About Canadian Health Care - by Dr. David Gratzer of the Manhattan Institute
• Free Market Cure, site criticizing universal health care.
• Health care
• Socialized medicine
• Free health care
• Single-payer health care
• Multi-payer health care
• Health savings accounts