Disadvantages of Socialized Medicine

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In today’s society, there is growing sentiment that our government should provide a “socialized” type of universal medicine for the masses; that the onus to provide healthcare should no longer be on the individual or business. I posit that entrusting our healthcare to a government that can barely manage itself is misguided; that even if The United States could successfully implement a system of socialized medicine the economic and medical hardships this would cause to so many would far outweigh the benefits to a relative few. Although socialized medicine appears to provide adequate healthcare for each person, regardless of economic status, in reality this flawed and expensive system penalizes everyone associated with it. It will cause wide spread economic distress, a marked increase in taxes, and will severely limit access to care.

Under this system, we are to entrust a government that cannot account for almost 25 billion dollars out of last year’s budget (Treasury Dept. 2010), spent 100 million dollars on a satellite that sits in a warehouse, and in May 2006, misplaced a list of social security numbers, birthdates and other credit information for over 25 million retired veterans to own and operate all health insurance, ensure adequate funds are extracted from businesses, households, and individuals through taxes and distribute them accordingly.

Similar government programs providing healthcare were established in Russia in 1917, in England in 1948 (Smoot 1), and Canada in 1968 (Bliss 224). Proponents of socialized medicine claim that the government is capable of adequately developing a universal healthcare system that would cover all health expenses, eliminate unnecessary costs, and ensure health coverage for...

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Smoot, Dan. “Socialized Medicine.” The Dan Smoot Report. January 1960: 1-2.

Springer, Dan. “Oregon Offers Terminal Patients Doctor-Assisted Suicide Instead of Medical Care.” Fox News. 28 July 2008. 10 October 2008. nter_friendly_story/0,3566,392962,00.html>. Templeton, Sarah-Kate. “Alan Johnson in U-turn on Patients Top-up Care.” Times Online. 19 October 2008. 24 October 2008 .

Zhang, Jane. “Uninsured Spend $30 Billion, Study Says.” The Wall Street Journal 25 August 2008. 16 October 2008 .

Stout, David and Zeller, Tom. “Vast Data Cache About Veterans Is Stolen.” The New York Times 23 May 2006

Treasury Department. “Financial Report of the United States Government 2002”

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