We Have It So They Want It .... Maybe

Last night I was watching Real Time with Bill Maher. I don't normally watch it as it normally consists of a panel being moderated by Bill Maher. The discussion usually deteriorates to mindless bickering and name calling. Near the end of the show it often reminds me of a wrestling schmoz. A lot of confusion to distract the audience from realizing that nothing is really being accomplished. However from time to time Bill has one guest on at a time. Usually these shows are quite good, of course this is dependant on the guest that he is speaking with and about what they are speaking about.

Last night he had Bill Moyers as one of his guests. He is an author and newsman. He came across as a very intelligent man and had some very key points to bring up. For a considerable part of the the interview he spoke on universal health care.

Being a Canadian I know it is easy speak on the subject. In my country we have it and have had it for a long time. We also have to pay for it, and here is what is holding up Americans from adopting a universal health care system.

I will admit that I am comforted with the knowledge that if I or, anyone in my family, get sick we go to the doctor and it is taken care of. I am comforted knowing that no Canadian will not be treated because of how much or how little money they make.

I would like to believe that in a Utopian world people would only use public health care when it is truly warranted.

If this were the way it is, I think Americans would be on par with the rest of the western democratic world and have a universal health care system.

I think there are two big fears that Americans have:

They believe that their ability to choose to spend their money on better health care will disappear. This may or may not be true, depending on how they set up their system. This is the easier flag to wave as it has undertones of capitalism of democracy.

They also believe that the system can be easily abused and can become very costly if it is.
This is true and a real cost of universal health care.

It is difficult to control abuses of the system. There are many. It can prevent people from getting the care they need faster. It can cost a lot of money. It provides very little incentive to live a healthy lifestyle, (like preventative maintenance on your car.) although Americans as a group live the least healthy of any western democracy, even tough they have the most to gain from it. It can lead to under staffing and resource deficiencies since you cannot use the market forces of the demand of a few to provide opportunity for many.

America is about democracy and capitalism, which really means it is about choice. With any choice you make there are benefits and costs. With universal health care the benefits and costs are clear.

It is up to Americans to decide if, for them, the benefits outweigh the costs.