Alston Balkcom

Advantages and Disadvantages Of National Health Care



Posted: Tuesday, October 27, 2009

by
1800insuranceCT.com

What will socialized medicine cost our country and how will we benefit from it?

The costs of the new medical system will include increased taxes. In some ways, it won't matter who pays those taxes. If they are paid by the companies, they will raise the asking price of the goods and services they sell, so the individuals will be hurt as well. If they are paid by the consumer, then the consumer will have less to pay for items, so the corporations will be hurt as well.

When we look at the cost of any national health care proposal, we should also look at the costs of the current system to make comparisons. In the present day health care system, those of us who can pay for health care subsidize those who can't or won't. You won't get a separate bill for these costs. However, your health insurance premiums are higher because your provider has to raise the rates for those who do pay to make up for those who don't pay.

The price of our present health insurance and health care system include the cost of lower productivity when a worker is unable to work because of a health condition he or she can't afford to treat. The costs of our present system include the price associated with more children growing up without a mother or father.

One of the benefits or the present day medical system is our familiarity with it. It's like an old car that has a broken driver's door and a big gash in the passenger seat. We've gotten used to getting in the car from the passenger side and having a blanket over the gash in the seat. Another car will have problems as well. The car may be better or worse. That part is unknown. What is known is that the car will be unfamiliar and buying a car is a big commitment.

Once we make major changes to our socialized medicine system we will be unlikely to go back to the old health care system. Even if the new health insurance and health care system is decidedly worse, we will be stuck with it. We may have higher cost or worse care. We may be able to tweak the new system and fix it or we may determine that the infrastructure is so poor that it too requires an overhaul.

Universal health care has the potential of boosting our economy. Many people who are currently shackled to their employers because of the fear of losing their health insurance, may be able to move on to better jobs or start companies and hire others.

Under today's system many people are unable to pay for preventative care. They often wind up in the hospital and get expensive surgeries that they can't afford to pay for. These surgeries may extend their lives, but may or may not allow them to work again. An individual who gets medical care when the problem is a small one may be able to work and pay taxes much longer than the individual who only gets care when the situation is critical.

We should strive to create a system that keeps our workers working longer and our parents parenting longer.

Although we may have a health care system that has major flaws, there is no guarantee that a new health insurance and health care system will be any better. However, far too many people are hurt by today's health insurance and health care system for us to just throw up our hands and do nothing. If we can ignore the rhetoric and focus on the facts a better system can be created that will not only benefit those who can't afford health care today, but will make us all stronger.

Alston J. Balkcom is a health insurance agent with an agency in Connecticut. Private Medical Insurance quotes can be found on his sites.
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