Three Reasons U.S. doesn't have Universal Health Coverage

[packman]

The ACA certainly brought us closer to universal coverage, a system where the government typically pays for basic health care services for everyone. However, the fact that a true national health insurance system didn’t even warrant discussion by the major party candidates is surprising – or at least should be. The United States remains one of the only advanced industrialized democracies in the world without universal coverage.

While this in and of itself is not a problem, the United States also spends more on health care as a percentage of GDP than any other advanced country in the world and has worse health outcomes – with lower life expectancy, higher infant mortality and higher obesity rates than comparable countries like Australia, Canada, the United Kingdom, Germany, France and Japan.

It is also surprising because Bernie Sanders, running on a platform that included universal coverage or what he called Medicare for all, generated massive grassroots support and energized the millennial population that makes up an increasing percentage of the electorate.

Given these facts, it is important to ask: Why isn’t universal coverage through a national health insurance system even being considered in America? Research in health policy points to three explanations

1. We don’t want it - Because we are uniquely "American" in nature - independent and suspicious of gov. programs for all
2. Interest groups don’t want it - Over 1 bil.$ spent on lobbying against ACA
3. Entitlement programs are hard in general to enact - The political system is prone to inertia

http://theconversation.com/three-reasons-the-us-doesnt-have-universal-health-coverage-67292

[ghostsinthemachine]

1. END CORPORATE PERSONHOOD,

Unless that changes, NOTHING CHANGES

[Mika]

2. Entitlement programs?

Universal h-c is one of society's paramount self help programs, paid for by all.
How the F did Americans come to think of it as entitlement?

[haele]

21. Because Americans wilfully don't understand the meaning of entitlement.

Entitlements are simply expectations realized. Even in our Declaration of Independence, we are "entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness".

Somehow, the term "entitlement" became linked with the idea of redistribution of wealth - that this is an unearned benefit taken from the "hard earned" property of one group of people given to another group that are probably little more than lazy beggars. It especially becomes contentious when government is involved with managing the transfer of tax revenue to social programs - which include entitlement programs, along with low income subsidy and welfare programs.

I suspect I can probably trace that linkage back to both Calvinism and Reconstruction...

This is how government managed entitlement = stealing from owners of property begins:
"What do you mean that person is entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness? You want me to give up a small share of my property - just because it was partially built on the sweat of powerless creatures that I know aren't real people to begin with because someone paid good money for them..."

Add a religiously held conceit that God always rewards the good with power and riches, while the bad are punished with bad luck, weakness, and poverty, and here you have it.

"Entitlement programs = the unworthy stealing from the worthy"

Haele

[treestar]

3. we are also obsessed with it being through the employer

You don't deserve health care coverage if you don't have a job that is good enough to include a health insurance benefit. That is the attitude of people with good jobs that include that. They feel safe in their jobs, never realizing that COBRA premiums would be huge - where they lose the job. They feel they will never lose their job.

[GulfCoast66]

4. 3 reasons

1. Racism
2. Racism
3. Racism

White southerners loved government programs like SS, TVA and REA.

They started hating it after 1964 when they started seeing the government actually supporting the rights of and materially helping people of color.

[hunter]

10. Yep. Health insurance is for white employed men.

Everyone else is weak and lazy and doesn't deserve it.

[HughBeaumont]

17. +1000000

Tethering health care to how gainfully one is employed is more of the punishment mentality America holds so dear.

[Emilybemily]

5. Here are the three reasons:

Repukes repukes REPUKES!!!

[emulatorloo]

14. You nailed it.

[HughBeaumont]

6. *Grabs Samantha Bee's Bullhorn* 'ENTITLEMENTS' ARE NOT A THING!!!!

THEY ARE CALLED EARNED BENEFITS. NOT ENTITLEMENTS.

"Entitlements" is a wingnut pejorative used to demonize benefits that you earn via employment or various taxes.

If you want to change lives, change the narrative. Stop using wingnut snarl terms.

[mythology]

11. The health outcomes is a mixed bag

Yes we have lower life expectancy, but a large part of that is related to things outside of healthcare like gun violence/suicide and car accidents. We actually lead the world in 5 year survival rates on multiple cancers.

A significant chunk of the difference is in drug costs. Japan, which mandates buying insurance, has a national counsel that sets drug prices. The Netherlands also mandates buying insurance but covers a number of long-term high cost items outside of the insurance mandate.

[Jim Beard]

20. We also go to extended efforts to save the new born.

[discntnt_irny_srcsm]

12. Actually there's only one reason

For profit insurance companies finance a powerful lobby.

[Iggo]

13. $, $, and $. (n/t)

[mwrguy]

18. Universal Healthcare isn't bootstrappy enough

[lumberjack_jeff]

19. #1 and #3 are both symptoms of #2. n/t

[lindysalsagal]

22. Nope. It's a share-holder profit scheme. So are gunz. So are prisons (drugs). Media

Always. Follow. The. Money.