Doctors see downsides of a universal coverage are mostly about loss of autonomy and increased demand because when care becomes free demand rises along with pressure to expand access without extra staff.
[1] https://petrieflom.law.harvard.edu/2022/03/15/ama-scope-of-p...
I’m in the hospital right now. My two year old had her tonsils and adenoids out this morning. Regular Dr visit lead to an X-ray on the same day, specialist appointment 3 weeks later, surgery 2 months later (would have been one month, but we pushed it back because timing and life).
Just talking about how my wife is coming off 18 months of maternity leave. Before that she quit and just didn’t work for 3 years because burn out. I’ve been self employed for 10 years earning about $20k a year.
This whole thing cost us exactly nothing. Would be the same if we’d never had jobs.
Mum got stage 4 cancer in another country where she lived. 2.5 years of radiation, chemo, X-rays, mri, and dozens and dozens of specialist appointments (which she got paid for transit and free accommodation in the capital city) not to mention the mountains of serious drugs.
Total cost $0.
Anyone that argues against this is either not very intelligent (easily manipulated by the propaganda) or does not want to help others (“freeloaders”), or is getting rich from the status quo.
A close relative of mine (who is single) also had cancer and had 100% of it paid for.
Transportation costs are also paid for, although we never needed overnight accommodation so far.
My prior experience was in Australia was a youngster under a particularly terrible universal care system in the 1989s, and then in the 2000s when I lived in Canada.
I get a little weary of the refrain about how American healthcare is terrible, esp. for poorer people - it’s actually very good.
A massive percentage of the population don’t have and/or can’t afford healthcare.
By definition, that is not a good system.
We’re checking out of hospital right now after an overnight stay for my 2 year olds surgery.
Never a single piece of paper, and of course no bill. They’re sending us home with the pain meds we need for the next week, plus a stack of yogurt and jello for the little one.
Life is pretty simple when you want it to be.
I know plenty of people who are eligible and simply don’t want to apply.