Yes, there are many things wrong with the American system. But in the US, single payer is not the answer.
It seems it isn’t in Britain either, because as Dr. Adams says, “Were I fortunate enough to earn a higher salary, in the UK I could opt for one of the many private insurance providers…” Indeed, I have been told multiple times by individuals from Britain that those who can afford it have private health insurance — so that they can obtain quality care.
A public system is fine for colds and flu; but what if you are really sick? Do you want the government telling you what choices you have? As Dr. Adams says about the case of Charlie Gard, “The subsequent decision to prevent further treatment was made in an independent court of law…”
Hmmm — do you want a court deciding what treatment you are allowed to have?
A recent case in my family highlights this: My sister had an infection in her finger. Her doctor told her that treatments were not working, and the finger would have to be amputated. She sought another doctor, and he was able to save it.
Medical care is not a commodity service: it is a science and an art. When and if I get really sick, I don’t want a government agency assigning doctors to me or limiting my choices.
But Dr. Adams claims this is not a dilemma: that one can always have private insurance. But that means that I am paying for both: the public system and private insurance as well. And as Dr. Adams says, not everyone is “fortunate enough to earn a higher salary” to the point at which they can afford to subsidize a public system and also pay for a private one.
Dr. Adams is right about the problems with the US approach: the maze of rules and providers, and the inflated costs. It is a mess. The one good thing is that one has total choice. My sister’s finger proves my point on that.
The things wrong with the US system have to do with US patent law (why are drugs — chemicals — patentable?), the for-profit nature of drug development, which emphasizes ROI instead of cures, and the fee-for-service for-profit approach to service delivery.
Healthcare delivery and healthcare research should not be for-profit endeavors. As for-profit endeavors, these industries benefit most if we are all addicted to expensive long term treatments. That’s the core problem. Solving this does not require a government-run system.
