There are frequent debates on this site and elsewhere over whether it would be wise for the US to change to a fully nationalized system of healthcare. The US already publically spends more per capita on public healthcare than most countries with a universal system, while at the same time requiring huge private expenditures. What we should be debating is how costs can be systemically lowered.
An example:
In the US, total public and private per capita costs topped the world at $4,631, 44.9% of which was made with public money. Thus, per capita, the US was spending roughly $2079 of public money on healthcare.
In Canada, total public and private costs were $2535 per capita. 69.9% of all healthcare expenditures were made with public funds. Thus, per capit, Canadian public healthcare expenditures were $1772.
The US is paying more PUBLIC money on healthcare per capita than Canada, and getting far less potent public health services.
This begs the question, WTF? Why are our healthcare costs so high? The generally more unhealthy lifestyle of Americans probably has something to do with it, but I seriously doubt that they would make our healthcare costs nearly twice as high per capita compared to those of Canada. How can HMOs continue to charge prices giving them huge profit margins without facing lower priced competition? Why haven't businesses offering lower cost healthcare successfully emerged in the American healthcare industry if the market for them is so big, and the costs being charged for healthcare are much greater than the expenses? Why is the US market for healthcare failing to produce an outcome more beneficial to consumers?
The real debate that we should be having is how we can lower our healthcare costs, rather than if we should bear them privately or publicly, because we are already bearing the costs greatly in both sectors.
Note: all statistics compiled from
www.nationmaster.com. Statistics all taken from early 21st century. Some statistics by category (not country) may vary by 1-2 years.