NetHorse

Against

1. *There isn't a single government agency or division that runs
efficiently; do we really want an organization that developed the
U.S. Tax Code handling something as complex as health care?*
Quick, try to think of one government office that runs
efficiently. Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? The Department of
Transportation? Social Security Administration? Department of
Education? There isn't a single government office that squeezes
efficiency out of every dollar the way the private sector can.
We've all heard stories of government waste such as million-dollar
cow flatulence studies or the Pentagon's 14 / billion/ dollar
Bradley design project that resulted in a transport vehicle which
when struck by a mortar produced a gas that killed every man
inside. How about the U.S. income tax system? When originally
implemented, it collected 1 percent from the highest income
citizens. Look at it today. A few years back to government
published a "Tax Simplification Guide", and the guide itself was
over 1,000 pages long! This is what happens when politicians mess
with something that should be simple. Think about the Department
of Motor Vehicles. This isn't rocket science--they have to keep
track of licenses and basic database information for state
residents. However, the costs to support the department are
enormous, and when was the last time you went to the DMV and
didn't have to stand in line? If it can't handle things this
simple, how can we expect the government to handle all the complex
nuances of the medical system? If any private business failed year
after year to achieve its objectives and satisfy its customers, it
would go out of business or be passed up by competitors.

2. *"Free" health care isn't really free since we must pay for it
with taxes; expenses for health care would have to be paid for
with higher taxes or spending cuts in other areas such as defense,
education, etc.* There's an entitlement mentality in this country
that believes the government should give us a number of benefits
such as "free" health care. But the government must pay for this
somehow. What good would it do to wipe out a few hundred dollars
of monthly health insurance premiums if our taxes go up by that
much or more? If we have to cut AIDS research or education
spending, is it worth it?

3. *Profit motives, competition, and individual ingenuity have always
led to greater cost control and effectiveness.* Government workers
have fewer incentives to do well. They have a set hourly schedule,
cost-of-living raises, and few promotion opportunities. Compare
this to private sector workers who can receive large raises, earn
promotions, and work overtime. Government workers have iron-clad
job security; private sector workers must always worry about
keeping their jobs, and private businesses must always worry about
cutting costs enough to survive.

4. *Government-controlled health care would lead to a decrease in
patient flexibility.* At first glance, it would appear universal
health care would /increase/ flexibility. After all, if government
paid for everything under one plan, you could in theory go to any
doctor. However, some controls are going to have to be put in to
keep costs from exploding. For example, would "elective" surgeries
such as breast implants, wart removal, hair restoration, and lasik
eye surgery be covered? Then you may say, that's easy, make
patients pay for elective surgery. Although some procedures are
obviously not needed, who decides what is elective and what is
required? What about a breast reduction for back problems? What
about a hysterectomy for fibroid problems? What about a nose job
to fix a septum problem caused in an accident? Whenever you have
government control of something, you have one item added to the
equation that will most definitely screw things up--politics.
Suddenly, every medical procedure and situation is going to come
down to a political battle. The compromises that result will put
in controls that limit patient options. The universal system in
Canada forces patients to wait over 6 months for a routine pap
smear. Canada residents will often go to the U.S. or offer
additional money to get their health care needs taken care of.

5. *Patients aren't likely to curb their drug costs and doctor visits
if health care is free; thus, total costs will be several times
what they are now.* Co-pays and deductibles were put in place
because there are medical problems that are more minor annoyances
than anything else. Sure, it would be nice if we had the medical
staff and resources to treat /every/ ache and pain experienced by
an American, but we don't. For example, what if a patient is
having trouble sleeping? What if a patient has a minor cold, flu,
or headache? There are scores of problems that we wouldn't go to a
doctor to solve if we had to pay for it; however, if everything is
free, why not go? The result is that doctors must spend more time
on non-critical care, and the patients that really need immediate
help must wait. In fact, for a number of problems, it's better if
no medical care is given whatsoever. The body's immune system is
designed to fight off infections and other illnesses. It becomes
stronger when it can fight things off on its own. Treating the
symptoms can prolong the underlying problem, in addition to the
societal side effects such as the growing antibiotic resistance of
certain infections.

6. *Just because Americans are uninsured doesn't mean they can't
receive health care; nonprofits and government-run hospitals
provide services to those who don't have insurance, and it is
illegal to refuse emergency medical service because of a lack of
insurance.* While uninsured Americans are a problem in regards to
total system cost, it doesn't mean health care isn't available.
This issue shouldn't be as emotional since there are plenty of
government and private medical practices designed to help the
uninsured. It is illegal to refuse emergency treatment, even if
the patient is an illegal immigrant.

7. *Government-mandated procedures will likely reduce doctor
flexibility and lead to poor patient care.* When government
controls things, politics always seep into the decision-making.
Steps will have to be taken to keep costs under control. Rules
will be put in place as to when doctors can perform certain
expensive tests or when drugs can be given. Insurance companies
are already tying the hands of doctors somewhat. Government
influence will only make things worse, leading to decreased doctor
flexibility and poor patient care.

8. *Healthy people who take care of themselves will have to pay for
the burden of those who smoke, are obese, etc.* Universal health
care means the costs will be spread to all Americans, regardless
of your health or your need for medical care, which is
fundamentally unfair. Your health is greatly determined by your
lifestyle. Those who exercise, eat right, don't smoke, don't
drink, etc. have far fewer health problems than the smoking couch
potatoes. Some healthy people don't even feel the need for health
insurance since they never go to the doctor. Why should we punish
those that live a healthy lifestyle and reward the ones who don't?

9. *A long, painful transition will have to take place involving lost
insurance industry jobs, business closures, and new patient record
creation.* A universal health plan means the entire health
insurance industry would be unnecessary. All companies in that
area would have to go out of business, meaning all people employed
in the industry would be out of work. A number of hospital record
clerks that dealt with insurance would also be out of work. A
number of these unemployed would be able to get jobs in the new
government bureaucracy, but it would still be a long, painful
transition. We'd also have to once again go through a whole new
round of patient record creation and database construction, which
would cost huge amounts of both time and money.

10. *Loss of private practice options and possible reduced pay may
dissuade many would-be doctors from pursuing the profession.*
Government jobs currently have statute-mandated salaries and civil
service tests required for getting hired. There isn't a lot of
flexibility built in to reward the best performing workers.
Imagine how this would limit the options of medical professionals.
Doctors who attract scores of patients and do the best work would
likely be paid the same as those that perform poorly and drive
patients away. The private practice options and flexibility of
specialties is one of things that attracts students to the
profession. If you take that away, you may discourage would-be
students from putting themselves through the torture of medical
school and residency.

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