If the USA doesn't have a national health system, why does the government spend money on health care?

Question

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Canadian_and_American_health_care_systems_compared

This says that the US government pay for half of all healthcare, and spends 23% more per person than Canada?

I thought US healthcare was private?

Answer 1

It is part of the social care budget.   Very inefficient.

Answer 2

We still have public hospitals and socialized prescription programs for the elderly (Medicaid). I didn't know we spent more than Canada though.. jeez. Seems so stupid. I'm guessing the costs are mostly with prescription drugs, they are so expensive here.

Answer 3

If it's not your money, then you don't care how it is spent.

Answer 4

The programs you speak of are called medicare and medicaide and they are only open to poor folks and senior citizens, not to everyone.

The national healthcare system being proposed would be an increased tax imposed on everyone and would allow all of us access to basic healthcare for "free." It is a really bad idea: quality of healthcare would really decline fast, someone with a "minor" injury would go on the proverbial waiting list, and mark my words: the system would go bankrupt extremely fast. There are too many people living here in the States to adequately pull off a program like that.

Private, free markets are always the answer.

Answer 5

The US has a horridly stupid system that IS under the control of

big insurers who rip us off

and

the government--federal (unconstitutional) and state levels.

IF we had a REAL free market we would NOT have the problems we do.

There is NO national health care and a huge percentage (no one knows for sure how much) is wasted on treating illegal aliens who typically use the ER as their "doctor," are treated for non-life threatening conditions in the ER, and then skip out on the bill, leaving economic devastation in their wake.

http://www.time.com/time/magazine/articl...

would be a good way to show how the system is abused constantly--like American Indians can afford to provide FREE care and clean up after illegals!

Answer 6

no its privatized, meaning individuals can make profit, wheras the gov would do it not for profit, but for health. unfortunately lots of politicians have there private hands in the public so they can get paid too.----------------and cause i like to comment on others answers, for the one who said it would go bankrupt extremely fast, uh yes it would if we kept over charging people for the care they recieve. we simply have to cut down on the amount of money were paying these people. we are randked 33rd in the world for health care. thats just sad. even though we love to hate them, france is top 3. they have universal and its not going bankrupt, its working great, no waits, you been to an emergency room lately, on average we wait longer then most other industrialized countries, but privatized is great!!

Answer 7

It is.  But it offers emergency treatment free to those who can not pay.

The problem is that it is cheaper to prevent these problems in the long run.  Look how things are done in Western Europe with universal health coverage.  Costs are less per person, and health outcomes are better.

Eg, they have lower death rates of kids aged under five than are seen in the USA.

Answer 8

thy need a undercover name for makin more bombs.

Answer 9

It's semi-national healthcare.

Answer 10

We have one of the most ineffective systems imaginable. We cover the healthcare of some people like the military, politicians,  the elderly and kids. However we force the majority of our citizens to adhere to private insurance which in turns price gouges them because of their overhead costs, malpractice suits, etc. We need true reform in our system.

Answer 11

Because of Medicare that's where the money goes.

Answer 12

Someone has to take care of the illegals and poor people in the USA. Health care is free in the USA, all you have to do is go to the hospital they HAVE to treat you. Then dont pay your bill. Make the tax payers pay it. Thats what the liberals want!

Answer 13

What about military health care? Plus why are you complaining?  Americas health care is better than ours (Ireland). c**p is what i call ours

Answer 14

There are governmental aids for those who fall in low-income brackets like Medicaid and Medicare.  And I'm sure there are grants available for hospitals that need them.