People know that in theory and in historical fact, Socialism is a failed, poverty-stricken system. But they go for it anyway because something makes them think that government will fix the problem better than the free market.
From a business stand-point...it might have been acceptable to have 200 patients a month show up and get minimum service for a heavily discounted fee (Medicare patients)...say thirty percent less than regular customers. You’ve built your model and can say that this works. The old folks all have generally the same issues anyway.
But then one day....the new group of Medicare folks arrive at the door, and want to be regular patients. Instead of 200 patients a month at the Medicare rate...you now have 400 patients who want the heavily discounted rate. You look at this, and after four months....you realize it just won’t make your small one-to-two doctor operation work. You try to back off and set a limit of 200 Medicare patients a month.
Down the road....this twelve-man medical clinic opens up with a high number of lesser qualified nurses...and start a cattle-funnel operation, where a vast number of Medicare patients walk through and get four minutes of service...with a charge going against Medicare every single minute of the day. Lesser quality visits, but they can generate four million dollars in Medicare payments each month. They’ve got the right business model and don’t care if they really screw up or not....the malpractice insurance will cover screw-ups.
In the end, the majority of Americans end up with lesser quality, but free healthcare (the old guys and the poverty folks). They will each blame Congress, and demand more money to go into the program. So the only solution (if you think about it)....is more taxes about five to ten years down the road. Mix in some corruption, and you can figure most of our tax income in thirty years....will just go toward medical care.