Universal Health Care

Do you know what we really need? It's universal health care. That's right. Other countries have it. Why can't we? In fact, just like education, health care is a right. We need it. At least ... that's what they tell me. So, what does it take to get this fundamental right?

There are a few basic questions that always swirl around the universal health care concept. First, how do we pay for it? Second, what is the quality of health care? (You see, it's a given that we don't want an inferior health care system.) Third, how "universal" is it? Every health care system proposed has to answer these types of questions.

It's not too hard to find examples in other countries. Canada and many European countries have their various versions. Most people are aware, however, that most of these systems are paid for by large taxes but provide poor quality care. Besides poor quality there are typically too many limitations. That's why many Canadians with sufficient funds come to America to get their health care requirements met. In fact, as bad as American health care is purported to be, it seems that this is still the place to come for the best care.

Sweden and Denmark are often touted as exceptions. Denmark in particular is viewed as having a workable, affordable, high quality health care system for all. What about it? Well, in Sweden and Denmark the medical professions went on strike in April. In Denmark, some 93,000 medical workers were striking for higher wages, the biggest strike in Denmark in a decade. And they weren't asking for a pittance. They demanded more than a $1000 a month (668 euros) increase. And consider that the average worker in Denmark makes $22/hour. Of course, that's absolutely necessary since the income tax rate in Denmark approached 50% in 2000.

Still, that's Denmark. How would it fly in the U.S.? I have my reservations. Look, for instance, at our first modest attempt at a limited version. Medicare was supposed to insure all seniors. Instead of controlling prices, the cost has continued to skyrocket until it now comes close to collapsing on itself from its own weight. Besides the cost, many seniors are opting out of Medicare because of privacy issues. Or how about military health care? They offered it free of charge to all military personnel and their families. But when families figured out they didn't have to pay anything for it, they began abusing it. The system was becoming overwhelmed. The military considered charging for services. Eventually they went to an insurance system. For the military alone in the year 2008, the government appropriated $950 million on top of the existing health care fees and drug co-pays already charged to military members and their families. Interpolate those figures to include the whole country. Currently there are something in the vicinity of 1.4 million active duty personnel. That $950 million would cover, roughly, 3 million active duty members and their families. Quickly, then, to cover the entire 300 million Americans, we'd be looking at $95 billion ... to start. And I haven't yet heard an estimate that low. Of course, that's because the military provides a large amount of their own medical personnel, equipment, and facilities. Yeah ... this is going to hurt.

All of this is academic if the claim that this is a human right is true. If it is a human right, no amount of cost, no amount of sacrifice, no amount of argument is of any use. If it is a right, then we need to do whatever it takes to make it happen. It is a violation of humanity to fail to have our rights. And many are arguing just that: Universal health care is a human right. But it begs the question. If it is a right, why wasn't it delineated in our Constitution? Why isn't it listed in the Bill of Rights? Why is it that only in the last few decades anyone considered it such? Why was it never a human right in the past? That's a bit odd, isn't it?

I like the idea that everyone has access to excellent health care free of charge. I like the idea that no one would have to pay for doctor care or medical visits. I know people who have suffered because of the cost of care. And, of course, it wouldn't hurt my feelings to not have to pay for the high cost of insurance and the co-pays for doctors and medicine. Oh, and it really sounds nice to think that we could control the cost of medicines. But there is a cost involved in all of this. There is the financial cost. Nothing comes for free. What will it cost in quality when the medical field comes into price controls? What will it cost in privacy and security? What will it cost in freedom when the government decides? What will it cost in our society and our culture as we move away from the concept of personal independence and closer to government dependence? It's much more than financial. Is it a cost we're willing to pay?