Opinion: Government-run Healthcare: Not Quite the Right Medicine for All

A system in which healthcare in the United States is funded by the government, costs less and covers all seems almost too good to be true and that’s probably because it is. The truth is that government-run healthcare would do more harm than good for the country.

With the inflated costs of medicine and doctor’s visits, it is clear that more needs to be done to make healthcare more affordable and accessible to Americans. This is why many politicians are turning to government-run healthcare as a solution to fix these problems. Afterall by switching to a single-payer system, people would no longer have to pay upfront for their coverage. However, what most people don’t realize is that government-run healthcare would be detrimental to the nation’s medical industry. 

Although there would be no copays or bills for doctor’s appointments or hospital visits, people would have to pay for their care through taxes. This means that the average middle class family would have to pay more in taxes each year regardless if they visit a healthcare facility or not. Rather than paying only for what they need with private providers, people would be forced onto one plan, preventing them from controlling their healthcare needs. In addition, this would also eliminate the existence of private healthcare companies. On the surface, it doesn’t seem as if getting rid of private providers would have a damaging effect on healthcare, but what most people neglect to consider is that removing private healthcare companies would also mean getting rid of competition. In other words, companies would no longer have incentive to provide quality care or cutting edge technology to their patients because they would not be competing for business. As a result, the high level of care that people are used to now would disappear.

In addition to a decrease in quality care, the instant access to appointments and medicine we currently enjoy in America would also become a distant memory. With more people having access to care, there would be an overflow of patients and a limited supply of medicine, making it difficult for the average person to get timely care. Although everyone has the ability to receive healthcare, it does not mean that it is more accessible. According to the Fraser Institute, an independent research organization based in Canada, Canadians, whose healthcare is run on a single-payer system, wait an average of four months for an appointment with a specialist. As a result, many health conditions that are treatable early on develop into more serious illnesses. It is also important to remember that Canada’s population is eight times smaller than that of the U.S., meaning that wait times would be even worse if the same form of healthcare were adopted here. Although it is no secret that there are flaws in our current healthcare system, government-run healthcare would be worse off for the U.S.