Disadvantages of Socialized Medicine Essay - 1252 Words

In today’s society, there is growing sentiment that our government should provide a â€Å"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†¦show more content†¦The first way to judge universal health care’s ineptitude is by assessing the number of people left untreated. Two years after the implementation of socialized medicine in England, â€Å"more than ha lf a million people were on waiting lists for hospitalization, an increase of 350,000 from before the implementation of this system† (Smoot 2). Today, that number has nearly doubled. â€Å"There are about a million people waiting to get into hospitals†¦.Almost 900,000 Canadian patients are on waiting lists at any one point in time.† (Goodman 2). When asked about the possibility of a waiting period in the US if we were to adopt this system, Dr. Vitaly Levin, a Russian anesthesiologist who previously practiced under socialized medicine, states, â€Å"The chances are definite.† Minor procedures thought to be routine in the United States are considerably less obtainable in countries that embrace government sponsored health insurance. According to John Goodman, author of The Five Myths of Socialized Medicine, â€Å"Among people with chronic renal failure, only half as many Canadians as Americans get dialysis, and only a third as many Britons.† He continue s stating â€Å"the rate of coronary bypass surgeries [in the United States] is three or four times what it is in Canada and five times what it is in Britain.† (3). In addition, of those who are actually treated, their chances of survival dramatically differ from those under capitalistic systems of healthcare. Dr.Show MoreRelatedEssay Disadvantages of Socialized Medicine2594 Words   |  11 Pages (Grim). In light of these failures, one must ask if this same government provides a sufficient answer for our current medical crisis. 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. 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