Socialized Medicine: Misleadingly Successful

Socialized Medicine: Misleadingly Successful

Medical-care is a basic right of life that the American public overwhelmingly believes should not be denied. The question of whether or not socialized medicine should be brought to the land of liberty and/or how America could better provide for the inalienable right of life her citizens believe themselves to have is a fiery topic that may never be resolved. Socialized medicine is a strong government-instituted method of insuring that citizens receive some form of equal health-care in a particular country. If this system ever replaced America's current system, it would bring about many positive and negative effects on research, competition, innovation, education, and every other sect of the health community.

Several nations throughout the world have socialized health-care such as the United Kingdom, Sweden, Japan, and America's neighbor, Canada. In most countries with socialized medicine, health-care is provided to its citizens from birth until death (Law).

United States

NASA Satellite Image of Japan Captured March 11, 2...

United States

Britain's socialized health system has many problems. The British National Health Service covers the entire population for free or minimal cost to its citizens (Americana 624). General practitioners have private practices funded entirely by the central government. The World Health Organization estimated that 25,000 British cancer patients have died unnecessarily from their socialized medicine rationing (Experience). It was reported in "Telegraph of London" that a patient is four times more likely to die after major surgery in the United Kingdom compared to the United States, and patients can receive a "higher quality of post-operative care in the United States" (Boortz 2). In Sweden the health-care system combines health-insurance programs and a system of socialized medicine (Americana 624). 100% of the Swedish population is covered by national health insurance. 90% of the socialized program is financed through general taxes, and 10% is financed through employer and employee contributions. The...