I've got this dumbass assignment for medical school, we have to make a discussion post discussing the downsides of universal healthcare (not the positives, for obvious reasons).
My main thesis is that the downsides are largely nonexistent but I don't think I know enough to articulate that position well. I feel like the main argument people make against universal healthcare is "how are we going to pay for it," which is easy to address.
However, I think the thing more people don't talk about is how increasing access for everybody to get healthcare will functionally decrease access for people who already have insurance. Doctors' offices will be overwhelmed, ER's will be overwhelmed, and more and more people are going to have to see midlevels and receive subpar care because doctors can't see them. I'm not sure that I see this as a downside, as healthcare should be a right that everyone has access to and universal healthcare will increase equity, but it's hard to put into words why it isn't a bad thing that rich people can't just buy their way to the front of the line anymore (as their health outcomes would surely decrease to a degree, right?).
If anybody knows of any good review articles that discuss what outcomes would look like if the US introduced universal healthcare that would be greatly appreciated. Or if anyone has further thoughts/sees real downsides that I haven't considered, please share :)
Write the whole paper about the absolute nightmare that is the modern American hospital & healthcare system, and end with how capital has fucked it up so bad that implementing Universal Healthcare will take decades of planning, organizing, and work.
:fidel-balling: this would actually be a banger paper, OP please write this and share it with us
we have to make a discussion post discussing the downsides of universal healthcare
nice propaganda homework
I majored in engineering, and I didn't think there was a major with a greater concentration of chuds and reactionaries until I started hanging out with med students and physicians. Holy shit they're bad.
I firmly believe accounting is a skill/profession that while it's associated with capitalism (because money, duh) is not tied down to capitalism itself. It's super complex when you get down to it, and very valuable to make all kinds of decisions in a productive setting.
"College is liberal propaganda"
Chud :so-true:
Lib :wojak-nooo:
Commie :so-true:
If everyone has access to health care, then business owners will lose another bit of leverage over the working poor.
@darkchapofantasy you should write your assignment in a sarcastic tone from the perspective of an absolutely soulless greedy billionaire who sees people only as sources of profit, and use what Alex_Jones said here
Make it satirical and talk about how all of the Health care executives and administrators will be reduced to paupers and how poor doctors won't be able to selectively cater to the wealthiest patients. Dress it up so that it comes off as sincere concern to a lib.
Just troll. Take every argument for universal healthcare and invert the tone of it.
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People will get accustomed to having a quality level of healthcare, and come to expect it as a human right.
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We won't get the privilege to compete with each other.
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We'll lose one of the things that makes America unique and exceptional among developed countries.
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The workforce will be bloated with healthier people.
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As medical practitioners we'll end up with less experience and opportunities treating advanced illnesses because preventive care will be more comprehensive.
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There will be fewer jobs for doctors who want to make the jump in their careers from the medical practice to the insurance sector.
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The total quantity of spending on healthcare will decrease; this is bad for the medical industry and will cool down our economy.
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People won't be as motivated in general without the threat of irredeemable debt hanging over their heads.
We'll also have more people. The current system is superior at weeding out undesirables.
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Side story, when I worked with homeless people, I remember someone coming up to me happy after seeing on the news that they developed a cure for hepatitis c. I didn't want to deflate her mood, but all I could think about was how expensive that treatment had to be and how unlikely it would be for her to be able to get it.
Downsides are likely that absurdly expensive cures might take longer to develop, which is easily overshadowed by preventative medicine and overall better outcomes among the population.
Like, first rate brand new cancer treatments don't mean shit when only a small segment of the population can afford them. It's the truth that your outcomes medically in the US tend to be better, but the cost is completely fucking over the lower classes.
It's all class warfare really. Shit I'm like 4 drinks in and this has set me off lol
Outcomes better than where? I mean we are ok in some locations but our life expectancy has decreased for the past 3 consecutive years. Maternal mortality is insanely high.
And the outcome inequality is so outrageous. In the rich suburb of my city, outcomes and life expectancy are on par with the best in the world (like Japan), while just a 30 minute drive away downtown life expectancy is equivalent to some war torn countries.
Like I said, it's outcomes for those who can afford expensive treatments here versus universal healthcare systems. Fyi, from what I remember it's not even much higher. And the overall mortality rate for cancer, say, is higher here than in universal healthcare systems. Obviously because people have access to care continuously.
Also the profit motive leads to SOME things being researched, but also leads to companies literally abandoning medicine/treatments if it seems unprofitable. Like every downside of universal medicine is garbage, unless you're fucking rich as sin.
One "downside" that's often brought up is about the health insurance of union members. As in, they won't have a leg up over all other workers because everyone will actually have healthcare that's at least as good as they do now.
This is, of course, a fundamental misunderstanding of what unions are supposed to be. But you know: fuckin' libs.
I think the worst waits will be at the very beginning, when a whole bunch of people who had been putting off going to the doctor all try to use the system at once, but things would level off after a couple years. Of course reactionaries would see this as a failure, kinda like how they see Soviet apartment blocks as drab and boring, but ignore the fact that the USSR had basically zero homelessness.
One downside is that some of the worst people humanity has to offer will tend to live longer with socialized Healthcare
One down side that comes to mind is it would be bad for share prices
Public health care would take the fun out of getting healthcare. How fun is it to have your cancer treated when some undeserving poor person can get the exact same treatment? How are you going to know you're a better person then?
I'd get chemotherapy every day as a prophylaxis if healthcare were free.
"Yes I would like one surgery please"
Dr: "this is your sixth today, but because of socialism I must comply"
"Thank you. Fuck you"
Dr: "yes sir sorry sir"
Expanded access means more access to preventative care, which can reduce overall demand.
The downside is that it can be weaponized against vulnerable populations. Example: TERFs in the UK used the NHS to create huge waitlists for HRT.
also with covid my local GP holed themselves up and refuses to provide any medical care to the town which isn't great but would also be a possibility with a private practice
