Please bare with me, I know this may be long, but after reading some pros and cons about medicare for all/single payer/insurance health care, from articles and comments on social media, I've come to the conclusion that you can't please everyone, nothing is ever perfect, and ignorance abounds.
But, in my opinion... and this is all my opinion... once we have MFA/SPH (if we do), we wouldn't have the choices we have today. Check and balance is also important. Something I learned in my accounting days. Which is why, good or bad, we have political parties. Choice.
Even with education, we still have school choices (home, private or public). I pay towards public (primary/secondary) education through my real estate taxes, but that doesn't mean I think it's the best education and I shouldn't hold others back from getting a better one, if they choose.
Anyway, as responsible adults, we are required to take care of our health by having health insurance. We're also required to have home and auto insurance, if applicable. Yet, I know some people don't think they should have that either. But, should the government (we the people) pay for that insurance too? Well, some people may think it's a great idea, but is it?
You know that saying... be careful what you wish for? Change isn't always positive or progressive. Most people may not be thinking about the consequences of giving too much power to these government people in charge and, obviously, aren't mature enough to realize how they're trading off their freedom by having another make their choices. Isn't that why most children, eventually, leave home so their parents stop making decisions for them?
So, when did we think it was okay to have the government decide for us... all the time? Do we really need "Big Brother" making all our adult decisions? Well, maybe some do need help. There are exceptions to the rule. But, we do have multiple programs for that too, in many areas, private and government, including medical.
Besides having health insurance, I've also paid into Medicare my entire adult life. But, when it came to retiring, the government laid out my insurance plan and I had to pay more for additional things. However, I still didn't feel that was good enough and decided to get a supplement insurance which helped improve it. Instead of whining, I had the ability to choose a better option for my health. Thank God I had that choice and that I didn't have to count on Medicare only.
As many know, the government doesn't always have the best reputation in getting things done much less paying their bills. Ask people in the medical field. They can attest to this. Some doctors won't take Medicare because of it. One comment from a person stated that the government works to lower the price they pay but even then they don't pay. It's not the first time I've heard or read that over the years. But I've never had a problem with my Medicare supplement insurance plan. At least, not yet.
With insurance companies, if we don't like how they treat us, or what they provide, we can go to another. With a single payer plan, no choices. You get what you get. It might sound great in the beginning, but, over time, decline, in many areas, can and has occured, based on the input that I've read from people in other countries.
In fact, back in the early nineties, on a trip to Germany, a tour guide was talking about their universal health care and said: "If you have money, you can jump ahead in the line." It still seems to be that way today with anything. Universal health care won't stop preferential treatment and I've seen that preferential treatment, in those countries, with the rich or government employees. Do you think it will be any different here? Doubt it.
So, I see a very slippery slope. What next? Government run homeowners or car insurance... as someone thought was a great idea? Or, how about government run plumbing and electrical workers? No competitive market? You get what you get? Will we still have a need for lawyers after awhile? Will a runaway government controlled country allow lawsuits? Against medical? Against government?
Sometimes, the things that sound good aren't always. Hindsight and all. Yes, I agree that there's good and bad in everything. Wisdom is important in making decisions. And that's why intellectual discussion is vital for positive change. Some of the comments, that I read, weren't factual, intellectual, much less wise. More like adults acting like greedy and petulant children who were still tied to those proverbial apron strings.
And, as I told an acquaintance, many years ago, we have a system that's pretty balanced in our country, if you think about it. It’s a combination of socialism and capitalism. We have to protect that so one side doesn't dominate the other.
Is our healthcare perfect? No!
Is socialized healthcare perfect? No!
Will we always have what we want? No!
Is life always fair? No!
But it's not always the government that may take the sting out of life, it's also great family and friends. Shouldn't we keep a broader circle when it comes to our mental and physical health?
