Sometimes I Feel Like a Piece of Bologna

Do We Really Want Nationalized Health Care?

With the elections coming, there’s a lot of talk about government sponsored health programs. The House has recently tried to increase the number of children covered by the SCHIP program. As I scan articles for this blog, there are many that advocate “Medicare for all.” While I understand the desire for health insurance by those who can’t afford it, what most people don’t know is that it’s government involvement in health care that has made it unaffordable. Until the feds implemented Medicare and Medicaid in the late 1960s, most families could afford the care they needed. But in the past 40-some years, increased regulation and distortions in the payment systems has made it impossible for all but the wealthy and well-insured to afford medical care.

Is the answer more government coverage—or less? Or is there a way to fix the private sector? An article from Europe discusses problems in the Irish national health system. We hear similar problems from Canada, England, New Zealand, and other nations with nationalized health. Why do we think it would be any different here? When is the last time the government did anything well? (Think Medicare Part D…).

Labels: Ireland, medical care, national health care