I think one of the reasons it has come to this point is that most of the western world does provide healthcare to all its citizens. So many Americans say why can’t we. I have always been against single payer and believed our system was the best.
However, two years ago took the family to England and France for vacation. While there I asked every European I could how they liked their country’s healthcare. I was expecting to hear horror stories of how a family member died waiting for treatment, etc.
Everyone I talked to only had positive things to say about their country’s healthcare. Now I know this is just anecdotal evidence, I only talked to about thirty people, but I was surprised that I heard nothing negative from anyone. When I brought up our American health system they actually expressed pity to me. They thought it was horrific that someone could become destitute from a medical emergency.
Now I’m not saying that this convinced me that single payer is better than our system. (Also our constitution does not give the the federal government the authority to run such a system. If the majority of the American people decided they wanted to have the government run a single payer system then they should have their representatives propose a constitutional amendment along those lines and then have their state representatives pass it.). However, it has made me look at the issue again.
Simple answer. In those countries where “healthcare is free” once you look more closely at just WHAT things are provided free it ain’t what you and I think of as healthcare. You don’t go in with “back pain” and get an MRI scan. You get what we refer to as “recommended, evidence driven, health MAINTENANCE” for free. A lead level when you are five. A cholesterol level at 50. A mammogram at 50.
For your back pain you are given the address of somebody that charges money.
YMMV as to time and place, but NO COUNTRY GIVES ANYTHING FREE ON DEMAND TO EVERYBODY, not even air or water. Sorry to burst the bubble of so many but just a sad fact.
“However, two years ago took the family to England and France for vacation.....Everyone I talked to only had positive things to say about their country’s healthcare”
Anecdotal here too, but in my interactions with Canadians, many firmly believe that THEIR socialized medicine makes Canada better than the USA, huge wait times and all (Canadian values eh?)...they would NEVER criticize it to an American. I just tell them that they’d better pray that the USA doesn’t go their route because they wouldn’t have us for an escape valve for timely treatment anymore.