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Rationed to death
American Thinker ^ | 26 May, 2026 | Kevin Finn

Posted on 05/26/2026 5:13:31 AM PDT by MtnClimber

The failures of socialized medicine stem not from malice, but from inherent incentives: monopolistic structures, political allocation of resources, and suppressed innovation.

I am regularly astonished at how many people -- often younger folks -- praise the supposed benefits of socialism and single‑payer health care. Despite extensive evidence to the contrary, and despite daily tragedies in systems that have adopted these models, the calls for more government intervention never seem to stop.

Socialized medicine, exemplified by Britain’s National Health Service (NHS), was founded on noble ideals: universal access to care “free at the point of use,” funded collectively as a national treasure. Yet the system now struggles with chronic shortages, soaring wait times, and structural failures that disproportionately harm the elderly and the disabled. Similar patterns are emerging in Canada with Medical Assistance in Dying (MAiD). These systems illustrate how government monopolies -- despite high spending -- often produce rationing, inefficiency, and desperation rather than dependable care.

Millions of people in England sit on waiting lists, including “unseen patients” referred by general practitioners (GPs) but never contacted for treatment. This is not a temporary post‑COVID anomaly; it is a systemic breakdown. Thousands wait more than 12 hours for emergency admission, and ambulance response times for strokes and heart attacks routinely exceed targets, contributing to rising excess deaths.

Elderly Britons are especially affected. Reports describe seniors feeling “fobbed off,” struggling to access GPs, facing canceled operations, and falling through gaps in social care. Surveys show that two‑thirds of people over 50 doubt the NHS can cope, and many express despair. Patients battle phone queues and online portals, often without ever seeing a doctor.

Backlogs also endanger older patients with sight‑threatening conditions such as macular degeneration or glaucoma. Many must wait months -- or pay privately -- to avoid permanent vision loss.

(Excerpt) Read more at americanthinker.com ...


TOPICS: Health/Medicine; Society
KEYWORDS: healthcare; leftism; rationedhealthcare; rationing; socializedmedicine
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1 posted on 05/26/2026 5:13:31 AM PDT by MtnClimber
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To: MtnClimber

The left loves rationing.


2 posted on 05/26/2026 5:14:02 AM PDT by MtnClimber (For photos of scenery, wildlife and climbing, click on my screen name for my FR home page.)
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To: MtnClimber

It’s just another means of control. Of course they love it.


3 posted on 05/26/2026 5:15:26 AM PDT by Joe 6-pack
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To: MtnClimber
That's because those younger folks don't know squat.
4 posted on 05/26/2026 5:27:08 AM PDT by ComputerGuy
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To: MtnClimber

I bet their illegals go to the front of the waiting line, just like here.


5 posted on 05/26/2026 5:27:56 AM PDT by Resolute Conservative
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To: MtnClimber

Socialized medicine attracts the weak minded for two reasons:

1 - Free! That’s most important, even if the care is delayed, or is substandard.

2 - Shared misery. If everyone is forced into the socialized medicine system, everyone suffers. To the left, shared misery isn’t misery at all.


6 posted on 05/26/2026 5:35:21 AM PDT by brownsfan (We are already on the slippery slope.)
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To: MtnClimber
facing canceled operations,

Could be a life saver.

From the information that I coming across, elective surgery for us over seventies will be the end of you more often than not.

7 posted on 05/26/2026 5:35:26 AM PDT by Biblebelter
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To: MtnClimber

I think the appeal of “single payer” is it sounds simple and easy. Dealing with the medical pay system is hugely complicated. A year after my sister died I continued to receive bills. Getting procedures cleared and approved is also a huge hassle. People imagine they’ll just point at single payer and say, “Handle it.”

The easiest time I ever had was when I went commando during Obamacare and paid cash. Not only did it vastly simply scheduling, but on average I paid less than I would have paid out of pocket for the Obamacare Paper Mache plan. Only once did I have to pay the full price they’d have charged if I had insurance.

Funny story, the clerk was looking for a surgery opening months away and asked what insurance I had. I told her I was paying cash. She brightened right up and said, “Can you be here Friday morning? We’re not open but if you knock on the back door someone will let you in.”


8 posted on 05/26/2026 5:39:00 AM PDT by Gen.Blather (Oh, gosh! I said that out loud. I'm so sorry.)
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To: MtnClimber
not from malice

Disagree. There may not be malice from those executing the programs, but those executions are a natural development from how those systems are established.

Just like with all socialist scams, those on top establishing the systems know exactly what they are doing. It is the useful idiots following their diktats that can only be granted some modicum of innocence, but even that should be sorely limited as it is their totalitarian devotion that executes direct injury on the general public.

For those on top, the decision is simple - they want to ensure they get the best care possible and at their convenience, and to accomplish that, the mob is forced into a "fair and just" system that is inferior by design.

9 posted on 05/26/2026 5:39:30 AM PDT by fruser1
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To: MtnClimber

I used to have a cabin in Canada about 30 miles north of North Bay. My neighbor had a heart attack and was taken to North Bay by ambulance. After a few days, she recovered, but was referred to a Sudbury hospital about 80 miles away because they didn’t have the equipment to confirm the need for bypass surgery. After a two month wait, she was given an appointment in Sudbury and they confirm she would need triple bypass surgery but they didn’t have the facilities or doctors to perform it; she would have to go to Toronto (200 miles away) for the diagnosis confirmation and likely surgery. Three months later Toronto confirmed the need for the triple bypass and scheduled the procedure...17 months later. She died four months later after the confirmation.

There’s a reason why Seattle services an estimated 40,000 Canadians a year. “Free” health care is of little value if you die waiting for it.


10 posted on 05/26/2026 5:44:43 AM PDT by econjack
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To: MtnClimber

The vaunted Canadian health care system is euthanizing more people than it is healing. Many victims are not even terminal. It has descended into a end of life abortion system.


11 posted on 05/26/2026 5:47:26 AM PDT by DeplorablePaul
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To: MtnClimber

(not from malice)

Malicious Intent absolutely

The Elite are well-taken-care-of

The Unwashed Peasant Masses can eat cake and die

1) Obamacare was designed to Kill Off
the Weak and the Elderly

2) COVID-19(84) was designed to Kill Off
the Weak and the Elderly


12 posted on 05/26/2026 6:02:51 AM PDT by SaveFerris (Luke 17:28 ... as it was in the Days of Lot; They Did Eat, They Drank, They Bought, They Sold ......)
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To: MtnClimber

Rationing. I remember ESPN was broadcasting F1 where the Sky F1 shows promoted socialised medicine with the NHS that has failed.

This was the end game of ObamaCare and the ban on opposition debate


13 posted on 05/26/2026 6:32:30 AM PDT by WhiteHatBobby0701
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To: DeplorablePaul

“The vaunted Canadian health care system is euthanizing more people than it is healing.”

When government controls the means of production, the allocation of resources, and determines the status of the individual in society, the elderly are inevitably considered to be non-productive useless eaters. If the state controls all resources it is inevitable that a government controlled healthcare system will become an instrument to remove the unvalued citizens from society. First by rationing healthcare and ultimately through forced euthanasia.


14 posted on 05/26/2026 7:08:52 AM PDT by Soul of the South (The past is gone and cannot be changed. Tomorrow can be a better day if we work on it.)
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To: MtnClimber
Nuke utterly unconstitutional federal gov't healthcare.

Federal gov't healthcare is among other things, death protocol.

The best healthcare is that directly between you and your doctor - no middleman.

15 posted on 05/26/2026 7:11:17 AM PDT by Jim W N (MAGA "by restoring the Gospel of the Grace of Christ (Jude 3) and our Free Constitutional Republic!)
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To: MtnClimber

Yep. Just look at Cuba as the model.


16 posted on 05/26/2026 7:15:04 AM PDT by DownInFlames (P)
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To: Soul of the South

Yup. The Eskimos put their old people on ice flows.


17 posted on 05/26/2026 7:19:30 AM PDT by DeplorablePaul
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To: MtnClimber

The Brits spend about $4,500 a year per Brit on the NHS.

The USA spends about $6,000 per American on Medicare & Medicaid alone.

Most cancer care in the USA is paid for by Medicare. I haven’t read of a single patient complaint about that for many years.


18 posted on 05/26/2026 7:46:53 AM PDT by Brian Griffin (Ask your Congressman to tax tariff refunds at 100% & > $300 to most insured vehicle owners 4 gas)
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To: MtnClimber

No, Britain’s NHS was doomed from the start. Collectivism always fails, especially when controlled by gov’mt. Just look at how many time they tried to simply tie together all of the different medical organizations — make all of them use the same patient data, etc. Billions wasted, on one pipe-dream SiliconValley crappola program after another.
Like letting the US DMV organize any sort of get-together.


19 posted on 05/26/2026 7:47:33 AM PDT by bobbo666
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To: Jim W N

“Nuke utterly unconstitutional federal gov’t healthcare.”

****

“The Congress shall have power to dispose of and make all needful rules and regulations respecting the territory or other property belonging to the United States”

ARTICLE IV. SECTION 3.

****

The Congress can take all your income and have Leroy throw it into the back of a Waste Management truck, or give it to his sister, or her doctor.

****

I have proposed:

FEDERAL PERSONAL INCOME TAX AMENDMENT

Federal taxation on personal income shall be progressively capped as follows:
below 20% of the median federal full-time civilian employee compensation amount, 10%,
below 50% of the median federal full-time civilian employee compensation amount, 22%,
below the median federal full-time civilian employee compensation amount, 30%,
below the average federal full-time civilian employee compensation of the 100,000 largest recipients, 35%,
below the average federal full-time civilian employee compensation of the 10,000 largest recipients, 40%.

[Note 1: All percentages to include employee FICA and self-employment tax as they are income taxes.]
[Note 2: These are very close to the combined (1040 + employee FICA & Medicare) personal income tax rates now levied.]
[Note 3: Anything that the IRS would as of January 1, 2024 legally be able to collect income tax on if provided to any person would be considered compensation.]

RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY TAX AMENDMENT

Levies on any residential property of less than 2799 square feet of finished living space shall be no higher than the 2019 dollar amounts for the property, or for a newer or since resold property no higher than what it would have been levied at for 2019 if it lacked owner specific tax breaks, increased by 3% per calendar year since 2019 and by any percentage increase to its finished living space.

Fighting in Congress to send middle-class income and property taxation cap constitutional amendments to the states would make Congress turn deep red come 2027.

The high-income people have the Laffer Curve effect to protect them.


20 posted on 05/26/2026 7:56:32 AM PDT by Brian Griffin (Ask your Congressman to tax tariff refunds at 100% & > $300 to most insured vehicle owners 4 gas)
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