Question

Lack of free healthcare pros and cons

Answer 1

Lack of free healthcare has advantages such as high-quality care and innovation but also disadvantages like high costs and lack of access for uninsured individuals. Countries with socialized systems offer universal access but may struggle with promptness and the latest medical innovations. The overall challenge is to balance quality, access, and cost effectively.

Step-by-step explanation:

The Pros and Cons of Lack of Free Healthcare

The lack of free healthcare presents several pros and cons. On one hand, the absence of a government-funded healthcare system can foster innovation and high-quality care, as seen in the private U.S. healthcare system. However, it may also lead to high costs and a lack of access for the uninsured or underinsured, leading to delayed treatment and higher overall healthcare costs, when uninsured individuals rely on emergency services for care.

Pros of such a system may include an extraordinarily high quality of care and the innovation derived from a profit-driven market. Conversely, cons include a lack of consumer choice due to inefficient government structures and the lack of a safety net for individuals facing unemployment or health complications. The challenge lies in finding a healthcare system that achieves the right balance between quality, access, and cost.

Countries with socialized medicine, like Great Britain's NHS, provide healthcare to all their residents, addressing issues of access but sometimes struggling with rapid provision of care. In contrast, countries without free healthcare or with underdeveloped healthcare infrastructure rely on organizations like Doctors Without Borders and the World Health Organization to meet basic health needs.

Answer 2

Advantages of free healthcare

1. Decreased costs

It is argued that free medical care can significantly reduce the healthcare cost of the country. People don’t have to pay consulting fees to the physicians on every visit. They are on the government’s payroll and will receive a fixed monthly salary. Moreover, free healthcare may also bring down the administrative cost as the government will be the only buyer of prescription drugs and medical equipment. Therefore, prices will remain regulated and there is no room for multiple vendors giving different quotes.

A study conducted by the University of Massachusetts, as cited in Britannica, stated that a uniform healthcare system could reduce the nation’s costs by up to $1.8 trillion dollars over a period of ten years.

2. Better economy

When the citizens of a country are healthy, they will be more productive. Some advocates believe that free healthcare would positively impact the economy of a country.

3. Savior of lives

Not everyone can afford health insurance, nor do they have the resources to pay for expensive medical treatments out of their own pocket. This means that a lack of free healthcare consequently poses a threat to their lives.

The disadvantage of free healthcare

Healthcare is expensive and there will be free healthcare pros and cons. This means that a free-of-cost healthcare system would result in the country going beyond its debt ceiling. Alternatively, the government would fund free healthcare by collecting additional taxes from the public, which is not possible because the tax-paying ability of low-income groups would stay the same.

1. Free healthcare would be dealing with chronic diseases first

Chronic diseases result in lifestyle choices of individuals and approx. 90% of the health budget is spent on them. If the whole health system would be free, the tax shelf would be greater for every individual. Plus, you will be paying the healthcare tax for someone else’s treatment as well, which sounds unfair to some.

2. From free healthcare, the service quality can be compromised

Once the healthcare facilities get free for all, the number of patients would instantly spike. This means that the nurses and doctors will have to spend extra duty hours to treat as many patients as possible in a day. Eventually, the quality of healthcare service would reduce drastically.

3. Free healthcare will make people care less about their health

When financial coverage is provided to people, they mostly ignore their health. For instance, neglect the importance of eating healthy, staying fit, and taking proper precautions, and will adopt an unhealthy lifestyle that eventually harms them. And all of this because they know they won’t have to pay anything for their healthcare.