" High health care costs are another problem associated with American health care. Reporter Curl continues, "Mr. Bush said competitive forces in the marketplace - primarily by giving Americans more choice - is the best method for bringing down health care costs. Another way is to give people who can't afford health care access to facilities other than emergency rooms and hospitals" (Curl A04). However, if the government does provide other facilities, ultimately these costs will be born by the taxpayers. As a health care crisis continues among the elderly, the poor, and the uninsured, the government will continue to create more of these facilities, and costs will continue to mount. If that is the case, it seems simpler to nationalize the entire system, allowing everyone to enjoy the same, high level of care, rather than creating special facilities dedicated to the poor and the uninsured who cannot afford health care access.

There is another clear benefit to creating a free national health care system. Studies indicate that medical liability costs are lower in countries with nationalized health care, such as Denmark, Canada, and Sweden. In fact, some of these countries also provide a blanket Medical Protective Association that is much less costly than medical malpractice insurance, and awards for malpractice are limited. This could help control the skyrocketing medical malpractice insurance rates that are driving many physicians out of business and adding to health care costs (Felice and Lambkros 1).

Clearly, providing nationalized health care would be costly, but American's health concerns are costly now. Several studies also indicated that government health care costs would actually decrease if America adopted a single-payer type of health care. A study citied by the PNHP notes, "If the U.S. were to shift to a system of universal coverage and a single payer, as in Canada, the savings in administrative costs [10% of health spending] would be more than enough to offset the expense of universal coverage" ("Health Care is a Human Right"). Rising health care costs are keeping even more Americans from seeking health care, and if the government could actually save money, while providing better health care for everyone, it seems a...

Americans are living longer than ever before, and that means more health care for elderly Americans in the future. This will mean more spending for government programs such as Medicare. This could also be avoided with a national health care system that provided good health care for everyone.
Ultimately, most studies indicate that America's current health care system, keeps many people from getting the health care they need and deserve. Professors Clark and McEldowney state, "This indicates that in a more privatized system, such as the American one today, cost may exclude some presumably poorer people from receiving services (i.e., prenatal and neonatal care) that can help bring down the infant mortality rate" (Clark and McEldowney 133). Many other professionals agree, including the PNHP. America is fully capable of funding a national free health care system. The country's taxpayers already pay millions in tax dollars for low-income health care assistance in just about every state in the union. In addition, when Americans who cannot afford health care fall ill, the taxpayers shoulder that burden, too. Many countries such as Canada and several European nations, who are far less economically advanced, have created their own health care systems. It is time that America created a national health care system to take care of all of her citizens. In this great and prosperous country, no one should go without proper health care. It simply makes good economic and social sense.

References

Author not Available. "Health Care is a Human Right." Physicians for a National Health Program. 2005. 25 Oct. 2005. http://www.pnhp.org/

Clark, Cal, and Rene McEldowney. "The Performance of National Health Care Systems: A 'Good News, Bad News' Finding for Reform Possibilities." Policy Studies Review 17.4 (2000): 133.

Curl, Joseph. "Bush Decries National Health Care; Touts Creation of 1, 200 Centers in Needy Areas." The Washington Times 29 Jan. 2004: A04.

Felice, Clara, and Lambkros, Lista. "Medical Liability in Three Single-Payer Countries." Physicians for a National Health Program. 27 Sept. 2004. 25 Oct. 2005. http://www.pnhp.org/facts/malpractice.doc